- Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
- Release Date: May 28, 2019
- Also On: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
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Aug 20, 2019Outer Wilds is rife with breathtaking sights and sounds, and at the very least, no one could accuse it of being unambitious. Mobius Digital may be a small team but, almost paradoxically, they achieve a remarkable sense of scope by keeping things modest. However, their work suffers from the glacial pace of progress and a hands-off approach to storytelling. My biggest issues – a lack of combat, direction, or material rewards – are obviously deliberate, bold choices on the part of the devs, and I commend Mobius for them while also chiding the cold, inscrutable product that resulted. I admire Outer Wilds, but I don’t love it.
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Aug 19, 2019This temporally unique game adds something new with your every death and moves the story forward beautifully. The environments are breathtaking, the music will soothe you. This is the perfect game for those of you who are, above all, curious.
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Jul 26, 2019For those who won’t be deterred by the endless deaths and time-looped backtracking in Outer Wilds, its intriguing mystery and non-linear exploration of an entire solar system will be a novel and deeply engaging experience.
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Jul 16, 2019At its core, Outer Wilds is a game about exploration, knowledge and experimentation. It's the sum of all those parts and more, perfectly blending them together to create one of the most fascinating games of this generation. Outer Wilds proves a micro - as opposed to a macro - take on space exploration works just as well, if not better.
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Jul 11, 2019Outer Wilds isn’t as big as something like No Man’s Sky, and gameplay-wise, it is quite simple. Still, it feels special, mostly because of ist non-linear structure. The game is all about exploring and having an adventure. It can be frustrating, mostly when the open structure leads you into a dead end. But this is just a minor problem in an otherwise fascinating experience.
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Jul 9, 2019The space of Outer Wilds, despite its aesthetic beauty and the incredible sensation of immensity it returns, is in short "only" a useful tool to trigger thoughts and considerations; to answer some questions or formulate others, even profound and existential.
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Jul 3, 2019Forget about the space battles and hours poured into crafting. Outer Wilds redefines what exploration means in a video game. Smart writing and ingenious game-design, it’s a vibrant call to follow your own curiosity.
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Jul 1, 2019Outer Wilds is very unique adventure game. Also fundamental mechanics are fun.
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Jun 28, 2019It's difficult to talk about Outer Wilds without saying too much. It's one of those rare games where you just want to place the person you are trying to convince in front of the screen and watch them play, like you'd watch a child stack building blocks for the first time. There is something inherently fascinating and intriguing about this simulation of space archaeology, where the journey is just as important as the destination — both in the messages it delivers and the satisfaction it provides.
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Jun 18, 2019Outer Wilds is a genuinely delightful experience with a lot of bright points. It somehow manages to take the idea of a game about repeatedly dying in terrible ways and makes it enjoyable, relaxing and enthusiastic. It won't be a game for everyone due to its self-guided nature and its focus on puzzling things out for yourself, but it's exactly the game it needs to be. If you long for the space travel that No Man's Sky couldn't provide, give Outer Wilds a shot. It might not have a billion worlds, but each one is worth a visit.
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Jun 18, 2019Outer Wilds is one of the greatest surprises we have received. A game that mixes exploration with a Groundhog Day-like scheme and a charismatic narrative to give, as a result, something truly unique. A hidden gem that everyone should try.
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Jun 12, 2019This is a rare adventure game in which the journey is actually more of a reward than the destination.
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Jun 9, 2019By letting you chart your own course and piece together its mystery at your own pace, Outer Wilds makes each of its expeditions feel incredibly personal and absolutely unmissable.
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Jun 7, 2019Outer Wilds gets most of the “big picture” stuff right. It boasts a solid structure, wonderfully imaginative planets, and an involving slow-burn mystery. Unfortunately, clunky controls, a few irritating design choices, and a multitude of other little issues bring the game back down to earth. If you value originality over execution, Outer Wilds is worth the ride, but expect some turbulence.
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Jun 6, 2019Outer Wilds has an awesome main concept: a loop that encourages us to discover the secrets of a galactic system. Exploration and survival in one of those games you have to try before saying anything about it.
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Jun 4, 2019It may be due to the charming look and the likeable DIY approach of the hobby astronauts of Holzkamin, but Outer Wilds reminds me in the best sense (probably idealized) childhood experiences: the feeling of discovering something new at a ramble, finally on the top of the tallest tree Climbing in the woods or just getting to know something new that enhances your own horizons - I have that feeling in every corner of Outer Wilds.
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Jun 3, 2019I admire a lot about Outer Wilds. The entire world operating on that 20-minute timer is a fascinating theatrical accomplishment of craftsmanship, but I find it more fun to think about than to play. A lot of ideas linger here, some of them beautifully executed, others slipshod and pushing against each other. I love roaming inside the bellies of mysterious planets, but don’t like how the urgency of the timer undercuts my exploration. I have left Outer Wilds’ galaxy feeling as much exhaustion as satisfaction, but also with a list of several enchanting interstellar moments.
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Jun 2, 2019Outer Wilds is a brilliant Sundance Sci-Fi experience, with a perfect balance of space exploration, mystery solving and storytelling. The solar system designed by Mobius Digital is an outstanding playground, full of odd surprises and unique events. Above all, it's a place worth exploring and it’s perfectly integrated into the time loop structure of the game. If you love to feel a genuine sense of discovery and adventure, it’s definitely your game.
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May 31, 2019Outer Wilds is an absorbing experience, charming and unique. It may seem simple, but there’s much more than meets the eye. One of those special titles virtual explores will love.
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May 31, 2019It may not have the same scale as titles like No Man’s Sky, but Outer Wilds packs in more interesting lore, narrative, and puzzle-y mechanics in its handful of planets than most other titles out there. If you’re looking for a breath of fresh air and fancy venturing out into space for a laid back exploration and a damned good time, Outer Wilds should be your first port of call.
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May 30, 2019Exploring the uncharted worlds of Outer Wilds feels like a true adventure in ways most games never achieve.
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May 30, 2019A tale straight from our childhood tree forts—Outer Wilds will reawaken the passion for exploration that you thought you lost.
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May 30, 2019A charmingly inventive temporal puzzle and exploration game, that makes full use of one of the most enjoyably interactive game worlds of recent years.
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May 29, 2019Quotation forthcoming.
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May 29, 2019Outer Wilds does what it sets out to do so well that I can give it no higher praise than say it’s a must-have game for any of us interested in outer space and science fiction. It takes the lessons from games before it, mixes in some actual spooky physics, and leans on its handcrafted nature to great impact. While small in scope there’s so much to uncover you will never want it to end.
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May 29, 2019Outer Wilds proves there's still a sense of genuine adventure to be gained from games that commit to a set, fixed structure and design, rather than the kind of sprawling, endless expanses many contemporary titles set out to become. Playing it brought to mind my favorite bits of Dr. Seuss' Oh, The Places You'll Go...except with more of the sun exploding.
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May 29, 2019As someone who loves adventure and puzzle games, Outer Wilds was a match made in heaven. It’s not action-packed, and there’s not crafting or deep survival mechanics like most space games have. Instead, it delivers an engaging mystery that isn’t spoon fed to you. It offers its own unique challenge that I highly recommend to anyone that loves video games or space.
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May 29, 2019Outer Wilds takes you on a wonderful mystery through a hand-crafted solar system that is well worth a visit.
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May 29, 2019Beneath its charming and inventive worlds, Outer Wilds hides a cleverly unfolding mystery.
| This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. | |
| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Sep 11, 2019It’s in those big, explorative scenarios that Outer Wilds really shines brighter than anything else this year. The sky-high storms. The crumbling, black-hole planet. An ever-exploding sun. More secrets I daren’t spoil here for you to discover yourself. It’s a space game that knows what it means to design something truly alien by hand. Therein, I think, lies the wonder that size, numbers, and procedural generation cannot capture.
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May 30, 2019Explore a toy-box cosmos governed by violent forces in this mesmerising adventure. [Eurogamer Recommended]
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May 29, 2019Outer Wilds has more character in its handful of planetoids than No Man’s Sky had in 70 squinjillion. [RPS Bestest Bests]
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May 29, 2019What elevates Outer Wilds is how it confronts this tension between practicality and contemplation. Your exploration rarely feels heroic. In fact, it is often melancholic. There are moments of shout-worthy victory, sure. But as you piece together the history of your little star system, it becomes clear that there are no easy answers.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 650 out of 782
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Mixed: 55 out of 782
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Negative: 77 out of 782
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Jun 3, 2019
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Jun 1, 2019Ugh the controls are terrible and the kiddie style is so off-putting. Got a refund.
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May 31, 2019