Outer Wilds

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 782 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 650 out of 782
  2. Mixed: 55 out of 782
  3. Negative: 77 out of 782

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  1. The_Eleatic
    Jun 3, 2019
    10
    This is very nearly a perfect game: beautifully designed and executed, intelligently written, and engaging from beginning to end.

    The setting is a miniature solar system in which the planets are subject to something like realistic orbital mechanics. Each planet may be small - on the scale of hundreds of meters in diameter - but together they offer up a wide variety of dynamic and    This is very nearly a perfect game: beautifully designed and executed, intelligently written, and engaging from beginning to end.

    The setting is a miniature solar system in which the planets are subject to something like realistic orbital mechanics. Each planet may be small - on the scale of hundreds of meters in diameter - but together they offer up a wide variety of dynamic and visually striking environments. At moments, the imagery is breathtaking.

    The aesthetic is stylized, but consistent - and consistently appealing. (I'm tempted to say: "you know, like a game published by Annapurna.")

    The game-play mechanics are well crafted: navigation - in ship or in suit - and walking work smoothly, and all the tools the player has available function as they should.

    As for the writing, this game should be held up as the very model of how to integrate a tight, coherent narrative into an open-world setting. You really can explore in any direction and in any order you like, following one line of clues or another. All the clues fit together, though, and all lead to the same place . . . when you're ready for them to do so.

    The clues left behind by long-dead alien visitors provide a glimpse into their lives and hopes and loves - and their disagreements as to how far their experiments should go - without ever being heavy-handed about it.

    In terms of story and game play, the 22-minute loop has a lot of appeal. Most of the time, it means you can be really relaxed about exploration, knowing there will always be another loop ahead of you. Sometimes, though, it gives you license to take outrageous risks in exploration, burning all your bridges behind you, confident that you'll be back at the launch pad at home soon enough.

    ----

    Postscript: The thing about the controls is that this is one of the few space-based SF games that takes Newton's laws of motion seriously: you know, an object in motion remains in motion, and so on. If you hit one thruster, your ship starts moving in that direction . . . and keeps going in that direction unless you counteract it with another thruster. If you hold your finger on the button for a thruster, you will continue to accelerate in that direction.

    It also takes seriously the law of gravity: if you are near a planet, you will start accelerating toward that planet unless you counteract that acceleration with a thruster blast in the opposite direction.

    Most other SF games with a flying mechanic seem to assume that spaceships in a vacuum work just like airplanes in an atmosphere. They don't.

    So, yes, the controls in Outer Wilds take some getting used to, but they are manageable with practice. Also, the developers have included an autopilot and a velocity-matching mechanic that can help you out of tight spots . . . though sometimes you do have to abort the autopilot if it plots a course through the sun. There is no substitute for your own judgment in such situations.    … Expand
  2. 123wil812
    May 31, 2019
    10
    I highly recommend this game, It an incredible and unique experience. The game is filled with interesting and engaging mechanics and lore on top of a beautiful art style.
  3. sh4dow
    May 31, 2019
    6
    What a shame. I find the idea of those small planets that kind of work like Russian dolls incredibly charming. As well as the overall whimsical presentation. Music, although rare, is great too (Some bits sound like folksy post rock. Very interesting and enjoyable...).
    But the mechanic of a time limit of 22 minutes per run has lead to a lot of frustration for me. One too many times, I    What a shame. I find the idea of those small planets that kind of work like Russian dolls incredibly charming. As well as the overall whimsical presentation. Music, although rare, is great too (Some bits sound like folksy post rock. Very interesting and enjoyable...).
    But the mechanic of a time limit of 22 minutes per run has lead to a lot of frustration for me. One too many times, I FINALLY managed to get to a place that I wanted to go to, only to be caught by the time limit and ending up with yet another "There is more to explore here" note in my ship's log. (Everything you discover is stored in your ship's log permanently).
    And so I've decided that I won't put up with it any more. Especially since at least personally, I didn't find the story too engaging. It takes itself way too seriously compared to the otherwise cartoony nature of everything. And I don't really care about that mysterious alien race that died out and some weird "Eye of the Universe". What did speak to me was uncovering new areas and things (which are all really well designed) on the various planets. But as already mentioned - the time limit ruined that experience for me.    … Expand
  4. tibzoid
    Jun 1, 2019
    4
    Ugh the controls are terrible and the kiddie style is so off-putting. Got a refund.
  5. Vengie
    Dec 18, 2019
    10
    It started slow, forced myself quite a lot for first couple hours thanks to recommendations,
    and then it "ticked" - every system has a place, every thing has a purpose and a meaning
    After finished was not able to put it off my mind for a while. Alas you cannot forget it all and repeat the journey
  6. pospulsar99
    Jan 23, 2021
    10
    Honestly, I can't give this game less than a score of 10 - I'd heard the music for it in the past on Spotify and thought "that sounds great.", and then was able to grab it during an Epic Holiday sale for a ridiculously low 5$.

    It feels like.... 'Myst' meets 'Edge of Tomorrow'? Theoretically, you could look a couple things up and beat the game in 10 minutes, starving yourself of all    Honestly, I can't give this game less than a score of 10 - I'd heard the music for it in the past on Spotify and thought "that sounds great.", and then was able to grab it during an Epic Holiday sale for a ridiculously low 5$.

    It feels like.... 'Myst' meets 'Edge of Tomorrow'? Theoretically, you could look a couple things up and beat the game in 10 minutes, starving yourself of all fun... OR... you can spend like... 20-30 hours exploring and just being delighted at what they've set up here.

    I loved it. It was unique in all the right ways, and totally tickled my fancy.    … Expand
  7. Fliff
    Dec 14, 2019
    10
    This is the type of game that is much better going in blind. It's an incredible exploration game, layered with intricate puzzles, fun movement, beautiful art design, and at times genuinely unsettling settings.

    This game is the antithesis of handholding, you essentially go into this solar system blind, and as you discover things you gain new ways of exploring the world. In that way, it's    This is the type of game that is much better going in blind. It's an incredible exploration game, layered with intricate puzzles, fun movement, beautiful art design, and at times genuinely unsettling settings.

    This game is the antithesis of handholding, you essentially go into this solar system blind, and as you discover things you gain new ways of exploring the world. In that way, it's like a metroidvania where progression isn't gated by an item, but by the player's knowledge.

    Everything in this game just meshes togetger into such a magical experience.    … Expand
  8. Serock
    Jan 27, 2020
    10
    This is such a mind blowing and unique game, it took my by storm. Suddenly i have this urge to play space simulation games that i've never felt before, it has awakened something inside me.
  9. serotoninzero
    Feb 25, 2020
    10
    One of the most beautiful, yet terrifying gaming experiences I've ever had. The game is not scary in the traditional sense, but it did such a great job making me feel helpless.
  10. Chasew2017
    Jun 23, 2020
    10
    One of the best games I've ever played. The exploration and mystery aspect are superb. Saving is connected to a certain mechanic in the game. If you don't have time for a 22-minute time loop then that is your problem, not the game's. Highly recommend playing this one, you won't regret it.
  11. DrownedDrone
    Mar 7, 2020
    10
    This game felt nearly perfect for me. The premise of the game itself is simple yet brilliant- the only problem is that revealing it is a little spoiler by itself. The execution, surprisingly, was flawless as well. The planets, the mechanics and the story, all worked great. The graphics and the music were also beyond my expectations.

    And, probably the most important, the puzzles: I think    This game felt nearly perfect for me. The premise of the game itself is simple yet brilliant- the only problem is that revealing it is a little spoiler by itself. The execution, surprisingly, was flawless as well. The planets, the mechanics and the story, all worked great. The graphics and the music were also beyond my expectations.

    And, probably the most important, the puzzles: I think this is the first time when playing this kind of game that I was stuck for hours solving a problem and wasn't even slightly tempted to search the solution online. This was true because how fun exploration was, how many things were left to explore, and how much I trusted the solution to be fair and logical.    … Expand
  12. ablindpoet
    Jul 23, 2020
    10
    Love this game so much. I really hope you check it out yourself. It’s so much fun to play.
  13. Codex
    Oct 17, 2021
    10
    You need to play this game. Do not look up anything before hand. This masterpiece is best when you go in blind. Cherish this experience. This is a MUST PLAY
  14. Rotrigo
    Feb 20, 2021
    10
    I've never written a review here but this game deserves it. This might be the best game that I've ever played. The adventure and how the game works it's just out of this world, I can't recommend this enough.
  15. lord_raccoon
    Sep 17, 2020
    10
    Absolutely insane game. I believe this game deserves its GOTY title. Its something that changed my mind about everything around, about the universe. It is absolutely another level of plot and lore in the videogames sphere. Cant wait for something new from those developers. Thank you, guys.
  16. TacoLord424
    Nov 24, 2020
    10
    As I slowly drift away into the dark of space from the planet that houses my ship, I take a minute to breathe. It's incredibly relaxing. I've died over and over and over again and this time will be no different. This is how my current loop will end. As I look out across the solar system, I pull out my signal scope and just listen. I listen to all the different instruments. I listen to allAs I slowly drift away into the dark of space from the planet that houses my ship, I take a minute to breathe. It's incredibly relaxing. I've died over and over and over again and this time will be no different. This is how my current loop will end. As I look out across the solar system, I pull out my signal scope and just listen. I listen to all the different instruments. I listen to all the songs being played. As my oxygen reaches critical levels, as I'm about to take my last breath, the planets align, and I'm left with one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. It sends shivers down my spine. I reminisce about my current loop. I've been shot into space by a tornado and fell back down into the sea, I've jumped into the geysers on my home planet, I've miraculously survived over and over again, I jumped into a black hole and lived, I drifted in space, I breathed, I felt alive. And just like that, my loop restarts. Death is inevitable in Outer Wilds, and it's beautiful. I will probably never complete this game, and I don't want to, I want to stay here forever.… Expand
  17. Did-
    Jul 27, 2020
    10
    Oh my Science.

    This game is amazing. The context, the environments, the physics, the story, the music, the graphical style, the level design, the game design, the freedom it gives. I loved everything. This game lets you explore the world how you want it. The initial objective is very quickly attained: land on the Moon. Then, you are on your own and you can go anywhere you want, and    Oh my Science.

    This game is amazing. The context, the environments, the physics, the story, the music, the graphical style, the level design, the game design, the freedom it gives. I loved everything.

    This game lets you explore the world how you want it. The initial objective is very quickly attained: land on the Moon. Then, you are on your own and you can go anywhere you want, and whatever your decision, you'll find something of interest and learn something new. In any case, you'll always have to go back and forth between planets to understand how they work and unveil their mysteries.

    Speaking of learning, it's the point of the game: to learn how it works, and what's the story behind it and its previous species. Everything is taught through the environment and text pieces from older civilizations. There are no upgrades or keys, only your knowledge will unlock new paths.

    Technically speaking, it's amazing. The whole solar system is one physics simulation, constantly running, wherever you are, whatever you do. All planets, every physics objects, is following the same principal physics rules. Even the Moon has a small effect on the Planet it’s orbiting around, and can even make you jump higher if it's above your. I got some rare freezes here and there, but otherwise everything runs smoothly.

    The world is satisfying to explore, times and times again, and I loved driving my ship and be able to land it anywhere I want. I left this solar system with the same feeling of awe I originally felt the first time I took off my native planet.

    This is one of the 10 best games I've ever played in my entire life, and I've played quite a bunch, over 750 games. This game is why I continue to play daily, to be amazed when one of those inspiring experiences pop up.    … Expand
  18. Julpyz93
    Jul 18, 2020
    10
    It just becomes one of my favorite game ever. It's so unique and the world's and the story is a masterpiece
  19. Clockworknait
    Feb 3, 2020
    10
    This game is so amazing! I get a feeling in the pit of my stomach everytime i discover something new. The puzzles are great too just challenging enough. I could see how some people with a lower intelligence might not like this game though,theres no shooting and mainly exploring and melancholy despair lol
  20. 611Machine
    Dec 14, 2019
    10
    A masterpice. Truly a brilliant puzzle game with a smart story and beautiful ending. Love the music.
  21. IsshinAshina
    Feb 2, 2020
    10
    Incredibly unique and interesting game. The computer generated physics that make it all function are incredible to behold.
    It doesn't have exciting, skill based gameplay. But it's not trying to be that kind of game either. It's an exploration game, where you're like an archaeologist on a quest to find answer to very grand questions.
    If you're the kind of person who'd perhaps enjoy this    Incredibly unique and interesting game. The computer generated physics that make it all function are incredible to behold.
    It doesn't have exciting, skill based gameplay. But it's not trying to be that kind of game either. It's an exploration game, where you're like an archaeologist on a quest to find answer to very grand questions.
    If you're the kind of person who'd perhaps enjoy this kind of game, just get it. The less you know about it, the better.    … Expand
  22. Khiro
    Feb 3, 2020
    10
    First of all I will make it clear, it is a masterpiece and one of the best indie games of 2019, if not the best, I have to admit that the first 30 minutes seemed somewhat boring, but despite that I continued playing, and from the first moment that you go out into space, everything changes completely, the game has a world that feels, alive, not like in many other games, things happen aroundFirst of all I will make it clear, it is a masterpiece and one of the best indie games of 2019, if not the best, I have to admit that the first 30 minutes seemed somewhat boring, but despite that I continued playing, and from the first moment that you go out into space, everything changes completely, the game has a world that feels, alive, not like in many other games, things happen around you, the planets change, break, interact with each other, as if from a Real universe is involved, all the predefined events of the game are perfectly orchestrated to surprise, there are people who leave very negative reviews simply by the fact that when they die they restart, but it is the mechanics of the game, and it has a meaning in the story, apart from the fact that although everything is lost, in each game you learn something, which will make you be closer to the end in your next game, those who criticize it for things like the restart, it shows that they have not dedicated more than 1 hour to the game , if you want a game or innovative that I hooked you with an addictive plot, intriguing and with great mysteries to solve, this is your game, I already said it at the beginning, but I have to say it again, this game is a masterpiece, I have nothing more to say respect, if you give it a well-deserved opportunity you will be pleasantly surprised… Expand
  23. Valdirkz
    Jan 9, 2022
    10
    One of the best games I have ever played in my life.
    I can't put in words how much I loved it from the beginning to the very end.
    Thanks for everyone involved from bringing such an incredible piece of art.
    It will be remembered for the rest of my life.
  24. DWojt
    Feb 23, 2020
    10
    Ci co dawali złe komentarze pod tą grą widać, że w nią nie grali. Opcja zakończenia pętli jest, lecz trzeba ją odblokować. Jeśli chcecie oceniać daną grę to ją najpierw kupcie, lub poznajcie trochę informacji o niej.
  25. spencerplewe
    Jul 16, 2020
    10
    Mind...Blown. Outer Wilds is the most SUPERB space exploration game I've ever played, combining excellent space flight simulation; addictive lore to uncover; and a bizarre, frightening, and captivating sense of adventure.
  26. szarywilq
    Jun 15, 2021
    9
    This is really impressive that it took me 20 hours to solve a game that can be beaten in 20 minutes. No cheats, no level progression - just knowledge and understanding you learn as a player.

    I completed the game.

    Gameplay: B+
    Story: A
    Graphic: C
    Audio: B+
    Lenght: 20h
  27. 1-2-RKcubed
    Apr 16, 2020
    10
    I don't usually feel the need to review games. Usually I find a game that looks neat, plays it, enjoys it, and move on. Sometimes the game is really good and I talk to my friends about it or get involved in its community. And then sometimes a game is so stunning, so meaningful, and so impactful to me that I have to share it. This is one of those games. Outer Wilds is a game that left me inI don't usually feel the need to review games. Usually I find a game that looks neat, plays it, enjoys it, and move on. Sometimes the game is really good and I talk to my friends about it or get involved in its community. And then sometimes a game is so stunning, so meaningful, and so impactful to me that I have to share it. This is one of those games. Outer Wilds is a game that left me in tears many times throughout my playthrough. It also left me confused, in awe, terrified, excited, and most of all, curious. Curiosity drives this game through and through. If you aren't the kind of person who gets so invested in a story that you can't help but read chapter after chapter, watch episode after episode or play hour after hour, then this game isn't for you. While the puzzles in this game are amazing and unendingly creative, they still serve as a vessel for the story and its subtext. This game speaks to a lot of things and if you pay attention you might just walk away from it with a new appreciation for a few aspects of our existence. If you think that you might enjoy this game, avoid all spoilers and play it for yourself. This is a game about discovery and it is not one that you will soon forget.… Expand
  28. Gaybol
    Jun 25, 2020
    10
    Essa foi a primeira vez que eu chorei não só por um jogo, mas isso abrange também filmes e séries. Eu nunca chorei consumindo nenhuma dessas coisas. Outer Wilds junta absolutamente tudo o que eu amo, além de ter um final INCRÍVEL.

    É inovador, lindo e super fofo. Eu queria ter a experiência de jogar esse jogo dnv, mas ele é uma dessas coisas que você só vai conseguir aproveitar do jeito    Essa foi a primeira vez que eu chorei não só por um jogo, mas isso abrange também filmes e séries. Eu nunca chorei consumindo nenhuma dessas coisas. Outer Wilds junta absolutamente tudo o que eu amo, além de ter um final INCRÍVEL.

    É inovador, lindo e super fofo. Eu queria ter a experiência de jogar esse jogo dnv, mas ele é uma dessas coisas que você só vai conseguir aproveitar do jeito certo só na primeira vez que for jogar.

    Se você tiver como JOGUE!    … Expand
  29. Puumpkin345
    Jun 2, 2020
    10
    One of the best experiences I've had in my life, Outer Wilds is not only an extremely rich exploration game, it brings a genuine feeling of discovery. Unlike other exploration games that are extremely linear, this one gives you the freedom to take the route you want and the story progresses anyway. There is no correct route, there is the best route for you, just decide which one it is.One of the best experiences I've had in my life, Outer Wilds is not only an extremely rich exploration game, it brings a genuine feeling of discovery. Unlike other exploration games that are extremely linear, this one gives you the freedom to take the route you want and the story progresses anyway. There is no correct route, there is the best route for you, just decide which one it is. Outer Wilds made me feel like a child, when you discover something new and for you it is extremely amazing. Thank you very much for the experience.… Expand
  30. NickLink
    Jun 22, 2020
    10
    Outer Wilds is one of the BEST games I've ever played. There is no objective, all that is there to drive you into exploring the game is your own curiosity and the fact that the game trusts that it is enough to make you play it from start to finish is one of the aspects that make the game so amazing.
    Exploring the space in this game is an indescribable experience. Each planet is unique and    Outer Wilds is one of the BEST games I've ever played. There is no objective, all that is there to drive you into exploring the game is your own curiosity and the fact that the game trusts that it is enough to make you play it from start to finish is one of the aspects that make the game so amazing.
    Exploring the space in this game is an indescribable experience. Each planet is unique and they can make you feel emotions that go from dread to happiness. The more you dive into this universe the more you want to know about it and uncovering an ancient civilization's journey adds a great story line to the game.
    For me, the moment when the game shines the most is when it creates unique experiences, which I can't talk about a lot since it would be a spoiler, but the music has a major and awesome role in those moments.
    There's not a lot to say about the game, since it has more to do with the player than anything else. If you haven't played the game yet, go ahead and experience it yourself. You won't regret it.    … Expand
  31. fabioprovencher
    Aug 30, 2020
    9
    It's a very compelling universe to explore. Since the very first time you see the night sky, as you open your eyes, you ask yourself what that mysterious blue spark could be? From there, every clue you find reveals more questions than answers until the beautiful little intertwined segments you find form an intricate story that unfolded, and you discover what happened. And, never will yourIt's a very compelling universe to explore. Since the very first time you see the night sky, as you open your eyes, you ask yourself what that mysterious blue spark could be? From there, every clue you find reveals more questions than answers until the beautiful little intertwined segments you find form an intricate story that unfolded, and you discover what happened. And, never will your curiosity be disappointed.… Expand
  32. homakov
    Jun 23, 2020
    10
    Now it's my favorite game of all time.
    At first it looks like an indie game. No saves (you don't need them anyway), nobody to fight, no "upgrades".
    But once you get on a path to solve the mystery of this universe... it's a masterpiece, I was never so interested in lore and exploring. Jumping on a ship and flying to a new place every time to get info bit by bit.
    100/10!
  33. juliotulho
    Jun 24, 2020
    10
    Outer Wilds combines a great gameplay loop, interesting story, space exploration and the use of physics as mechanics to deliver a phenomenal and unique experience.
    The game is filled with interesting concepts, great puzzles and stunning visuals. Outer Wilds is an incredible game that more people should give a try.
  34. ppytry
    Mar 24, 2021
    8
    нормально, но у меня вчера отпала простата поэтому девять
  35. Arthlidan
    Jul 8, 2020
    10
    One of the best games i ve ever played, its very close to perfection. its only flaw is its optimization.
  36. skibud
    Aug 24, 2020
    10
    This game is so good I literally made a Metacritic account just to post this review.

    Every once in a while, a game comes along that raises the bar for every other game you will purchase in the future. I'm not usually one unlock every achievement in a game, but these are games that I have absolutely no issues 100%-ing or replaying. I've only encountered around 3 of these games, and    This game is so good I literally made a Metacritic account just to post this review.

    Every once in a while, a game comes along that raises the bar for every other game you will purchase in the future. I'm not usually one unlock every achievement in a game, but these are games that I have absolutely no issues 100%-ing or replaying. I've only encountered around 3 of these games, and Outer Wilds is one of those three.

    At first, I was put off by the idea of a game that doesn't really give you any objectives, instead opting to drop you into a world and say "go." However, I soon became engrossed in the story, which steadily gives you more and more objectives to complete as it progresses. The way the game is structured allows for some truly terrific puzzles. In fact, I would argue the entire game is a giant puzzle, since you have to deduce what you need to do next after unlocking new portions of the story. I think a big problem with many puzzle games is that the puzzles are either very obvious in order to appeal to a wider audience, get repetitive over time, or both. However, the puzzles in Outer Wilds are never brain dead easy nor are they repetitive in any way shape or form. Each puzzle is unique and just challenging enough to force the player to really think about what they're doing without being too challenging and causing the player to get stuck at a certain part, which makes for an extremely rewarding experience. By exploring what Outer Wilds's universe has to offer, you should be able to play through the game with little to no issues.

    And the exploration aspect of this game is what makes Outer Wilds perfect in my eyes. You start out with everything you need to reach the end of the game within one 22 minute cycle except for one thing: knowledge. You have no idea what you're supposed to do to reach the end and the only way to figure out what to do is to explore.

    As for the story, it's one of the best I've seen in any video game. It's simple and easy to follow, yet it pulls the player in and doesn't let go until you beat the game. I don't want to include any spoilers so I won't go into detail, but believe me when I say you're in for a treat.

    The only thing I didn't like about this game? It only took me 20 or so hours to beat it. When the game ended, I was overcome by a wave of sadness and disappointment. Not because the ending was bad (quite the opposite: the ending is fantastic), but because I wanted more.

    This game is a masterpiece. I urge you to stop reading reviews in order to avoid getting anything spoiled for you and buy it. Even if it's not on sale, it's worth every penny. 10/10    … Expand
  37. Vicitor
    Sep 14, 2020
    10
    This game is perfect, it is my favorite game of all time, I have never played a game that good. you can see the love they put in creating this game, please play this wonder of the human
  38. RogerNoEars
    Sep 27, 2020
    10
    I wish I could play this game again for the first time. No game breaking bugs found, good story, and every planet has secrets everywhere that you have to piece together to find how to beat the game. The only gripe I have is the time limit, but it was rarely an issue, and it is needed because planets change over time anyways.
  39. Hennsuu
    Sep 28, 2020
    10
    Amazing game for anyone liking space exploration and mystery solving. Really kept me on my toes all time.
  40. Velaar
    Nov 9, 2020
    10
    An awesome game that challenges you every step of the way. It makes you feel an explorer, as you, the player develops and learns the story of this world. And the story is deep and enticing. Hope for another game like this at some point in the future.
  41. nathanos
    Feb 14, 2021
    9
    This game does loads of things correctly:

    Gameplay/Mechanics: 10/10 Spaceflight/jetpack using Newtonian physics. It can be a little awkward at first (I accidentally flew straight to the edge of the solar system the first time) but once you get the hang of it it's easy and very fun to move around. The real selling point of this game is the way you discover more and more about the    This game does loads of things correctly:

    Gameplay/Mechanics: 10/10
    Spaceflight/jetpack using Newtonian physics. It can be a little awkward at first (I accidentally flew straight to the edge of the solar system the first time) but once you get the hang of it it's easy and very fun to move around.
    The real selling point of this game is the way you discover more and more about the system you're in. Following clue after clue to progress the narrative is extremely rewarding and it's so well done you are very rarely, if ever, stuck wondering where you should go next (check your ship log!).

    Music: 9/10
    It's all very good...when it's there. Music is not playing during most of the game and only starts during important moments/sequences.

    Story/Writing: 9/10
    As mentioned above, the way the story is told is clever and very engaging. The story itself, however, is just alright. There isn't anything wrong with it, but I disagree with all the claims of it being emotionally impactful or leaving a lasting impression. Before you roast me, yes I am sure I did everything in the game. I still give it a 9/10 because the environmental storytelling and discovery elements are just that good.

    Setting/Art/Aesthetic etc: 10/10
    It's a more cartoon-y visual style but it just... fits. Not really sure how to explain this one but I love how this game looks.

    This game is so close to being a perfect 10, but in the end the just ok story causes it to fall short. I know this is a hot take, but that's the impression the narrative left on me. That being said, I would still highly recommend playing this game. It is exceptionally unique and stands out far above most games released in 2019. I enjoyed it so much I can wholeheartedly recommend paying full price for it. This is one you definitely do not want to miss.

    PS. The PC version of the game is limited to 60fps. This did not dull my enjoyment of the game at all.    … Expand
  42. Wakanabi
    Jul 15, 2019
    10
    One of the most mind-blowing and logically involved puzzle/platformers I've ever played. This game is up there with Myst on my all-time bests list for the genre. There are some difficult puzzles that took hours to figure out but it was worth doing on my own, and the space flight and platforming/physics are magnificent and never got old for me. Don't sleep on this one!!!!
  43. Jonnyginntonic
    Jun 12, 2019
    10
    Wow, this game was incredible. It has been a very long time since an exploration game felt this rewarding and challenging. Honestly, this game belongs right along side of Myst. The world building and game mechanics are beautifully tied together to create an experience seldom achieved in video games. This game should not be missed it is an absolute gem!
  44. KipEnyan
    Jun 15, 2019
    10
    A truly special experience. Go in as blind as you possibly can, and stick with it until the solar system fully opens up to you.
  45. ShiArch
    Jun 8, 2019
    9
    A truly hidden gem. You are ready to go from start and the progression comes in form of knowledge. Really unique game. Gave it 9/10 as it could have included more explanation of certain fundamentals like ship computer and some sort of navigator. I know the game doesn't want to hold your hand but at some point you may have to youtube the solution. Better give a occasional navigator thatA truly hidden gem. You are ready to go from start and the progression comes in form of knowledge. Really unique game. Gave it 9/10 as it could have included more explanation of certain fundamentals like ship computer and some sort of navigator. I know the game doesn't want to hold your hand but at some point you may have to youtube the solution. Better give a occasional navigator that works like every respawn once.… Expand
  46. Lezriph
    Sep 5, 2019
    10
    This game felt like a mix of pure art and a really polished game. I loved it and I am a bit sad that I finished it.
  47. strav
    Jun 29, 2019
    10
    This is the single best exploration game I've played in years. It is reminiscent of Myst in it's approach to discovering the lore of an ancient worlds while having none of the contrived puzzles - Outer Wilds is all about unraveling and making sense of what has been left in plain sight - like most ancient lore is. There are puzzles, but they are more about understanding the world around youThis is the single best exploration game I've played in years. It is reminiscent of Myst in it's approach to discovering the lore of an ancient worlds while having none of the contrived puzzles - Outer Wilds is all about unraveling and making sense of what has been left in plain sight - like most ancient lore is. There are puzzles, but they are more about understanding the world around you than deciphering a mad man's code. As for the exploration, I am reminded in Subnautica in how treacherous and astonishingly enticing the adventure is. Often times it is even more imaginative and precarious. The graphics are superb, sound is impeccable, story is well written, diverse, personal, the exploration is nerve grinding - just give this game a try.… Expand
  48. AnotherRookie
    Jun 11, 2019
    9
    This was a stunning, weekend filling adventure.
    The only big issue i had, was keyboard controls but i solved this problem with a programmable mouse button. Still some jumping puzzles were really hard and punishing if you took a wrong step.
    The solution to the riddles are not obvious, but if you managed to find the hints scattered across the solar system, they are. This makes exploring,    This was a stunning, weekend filling adventure.
    The only big issue i had, was keyboard controls but i solved this problem with a programmable mouse button. Still some jumping puzzles were really hard and punishing if you took a wrong step.
    The solution to the riddles are not obvious, but if you managed to find the hints scattered across the solar system, they are. This makes exploring, as well as solving the puzzles very rewarding. The game itself gives you hints, what places you should investigate further, if there is still crucial information for you to be gathered there. So you can't get really stuck in the story.
    I guess the art style is up to taste, but the planets and points of interest on these planets are fantastic, bizarre, interesting,.. whatever you can think of!
    Really one of the best games i played in a while, to sum it up.    … Expand
  49. merqry
    Jun 27, 2019
    10
    One of the best games I have ever played. Great story and fascinating ending. Totally worth buying.
  50. kennyzombie
    Jul 14, 2019
    10
    If The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and Kerbal Space Programm had a child and Subnautica was its godmother (minus the crafting) this would be the beautiful, unique result. I never thought i would say this in my lifetime and it might not make sense but it doesnt have to to make this an amzing game! And that is all you need to know about Outer Wilds because the less you read about itIf The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and Kerbal Space Programm had a child and Subnautica was its godmother (minus the crafting) this would be the beautiful, unique result. I never thought i would say this in my lifetime and it might not make sense but it doesnt have to to make this an amzing game! And that is all you need to know about Outer Wilds because the less you read about it before playing the more you will enjoy it.

    Technically the controls could be better and the grafic might be subject to taste but they are more then good enough to not get in the way of the amazing gameplay. So stick with it for the first few cycles and you will be as hooked as me.

    minor spoilers:
    If you ever get too frustrated to continue tinkering on your own there is the beautifully implemented ships log inside your spaceship. Then just fly into the sun or watch the solarsystem end in a beautiful supernova while thinking about what you learned and you will be back on track :D    … Expand
  51. JoeCh1p
    Jul 22, 2019
    10
    One of most interesting, thoughtful and beautiful games i have played in a very long time. Nothing is perfect which weirdly is also why i gave this game a perfect score, there wasn't a single point in playing this game that i ever thought about putting it down and not finishing the story., it was the complete opposite i couldn't stop.

    Without spoilers, did i find some of the mechanics    One of most interesting, thoughtful and beautiful games i have played in a very long time. Nothing is perfect which weirdly is also why i gave this game a perfect score, there wasn't a single point in playing this game that i ever thought about putting it down and not finishing the story., it was the complete opposite i couldn't stop.

    Without spoilers, did i find some of the mechanics hard to pick up, like ship flight? of course like everyone else here, but the craft stay true to physics in this game and once you get the hang of it, its very enjoyable beasting round a planet as fast as the little ship can carry you.

    And as far as the rogue like aspect, i simply think It's not an issue, i work and have a busy schedule and this game didn't feel like it was stealing my time in any way , yes there is some repetition but very little compared to how much people endure it in most games! This game does not reuse mechanics over and over again, it is very thoughtful about how it uses them and that is such a rare thing.

    I cant recommend this game enough if the trailer, story and mechanics intrigue at all then don't spoil it for yourself and play it, i'm so happy i did.    … Expand
  52. kauexfirst
    Dec 7, 2019
    10
    **** This is so good... the soundtrack, with the right musics in the right moments, the feeling of not needing to explore but WANTING to do it. Simply amazing game. Thank you, Annapurna, for giving money to these incredibly talented people
    (just made me cry) 10/10.
  53. p1menta
    Nov 11, 2019
    10
    This is not a game. This is an spiritual experience.
    I went in to the game with no knowledge whatsoever about it, (as i usually do) and the first time i took off from the planet I nearly cried. Literally, my eyes started watering, and I couldnt racionaly understand why. I always had something about outter space, but that's a common subject for cinema and i hardly feel the same way in    This is not a game. This is an spiritual experience.
    I went in to the game with no knowledge whatsoever about it, (as i usually do) and the first time i took off from the planet I nearly cried. Literally, my eyes started watering, and I couldnt racionaly understand why. I always had something about outter space, but that's a common subject for cinema and i hardly feel the same way in million dollars budget movies.
    The OST, the sound effects, even the cartoonish visuals, everything blends so well, i dont even wanna describe it too much, even tho prob no one will read this, i dont even want the chance to spoil this to anyone.
    BTW: my 10 is actually a 9.9 or something like that, the only thing i didnt like about it, or at least i'd like to have differently, is that they could have put a free roaming mod, after you finish it.
    Annapurna created a real, and fantastic and interesting and deep little solar systen here, i wish I could play around it or even sit on the edge of an asteroid and see everything spinning around the Sun, without the time limit.
    maybe reunite the venturers around a campfire and just listen to one of the best songs i've heard in my life (and i'm not even talking only about video game soundtracks)    … Expand
  54. Saisuke
    Jun 14, 2019
    10
    This game made me feel like a kid exploring a very interesting playground, I haven't felt this good and comfy about exploring a game in a while. In the middle of rehashes and games that don't bring anything interesting to the table, this was refreshing. Sure, it's not for everyone, but it is a game that feels like it had a lot of love and dedication poured into it. If you don't like theThis game made me feel like a kid exploring a very interesting playground, I haven't felt this good and comfy about exploring a game in a while. In the middle of rehashes and games that don't bring anything interesting to the table, this was refreshing. Sure, it's not for everyone, but it is a game that feels like it had a lot of love and dedication poured into it. If you don't like the idea of exploring or space and you aren't patient then this is definitely not for you. Otherwise, try it, it might be your next big experience, I know it was for me.… Expand
  55. Colinde
    Jun 14, 2019
    9
    Performance is the biggest issue with this game. Even with a decent machine, i have constant stutter and frametime issues. Setting the graphics settings to lowest, does not yield any noticeable performance gains. I decided to play on max settings though, as there literally where no difference in performance between the two extremes.
    This is marring an otherwise shiny gem of a game.
    It    Performance is the biggest issue with this game. Even with a decent machine, i have constant stutter and frametime issues. Setting the graphics settings to lowest, does not yield any noticeable performance gains. I decided to play on max settings though, as there literally where no difference in performance between the two extremes.
    This is marring an otherwise shiny gem of a game.
    It would have been a 10 if it weren't because of the performance problems.
    Remember, mystery-open-world-exploration games are not for everyone, so the score is for those who are.

    I left a much more detailed review on the Steam Community page for the game.    … Expand
  56. Volcano
    Jun 16, 2019
    10
    Confession, i pirated the game. Mainly because it looked weird, cartoonish and not much action from previews; but i love space games. Boy oh boy, i fell in love after my first launch. I decided to buy it to support the devs and cast my vote to more games like this. It is amazing, felt like subnautica on space. Doo yourself a favor and get it. Most negative reviews here are either out ofConfession, i pirated the game. Mainly because it looked weird, cartoonish and not much action from previews; but i love space games. Boy oh boy, i fell in love after my first launch. I decided to buy it to support the devs and cast my vote to more games like this. It is amazing, felt like subnautica on space. Doo yourself a favor and get it. Most negative reviews here are either out of spite from launching first in the epic store or just dont have the patience for a game that wont let you shoot everything.… Expand
  57. thegroundbelow
    Jun 17, 2019
    9
    I've been playing games for over 30 years now, and I've never played a game quite like this before. There are so many new concepts and mechanics, many of which are used to construct a solar system full of the craziest planets imaginable! Every time I save and quit for the day I want to go and babble to my SO about all of the insane things that I came across (or that happened to me) whileI've been playing games for over 30 years now, and I've never played a game quite like this before. There are so many new concepts and mechanics, many of which are used to construct a solar system full of the craziest planets imaginable! Every time I save and quit for the day I want to go and babble to my SO about all of the insane things that I came across (or that happened to me) while playing... like getting eaten by a giant lanternfish haunting the impossibly large inside of a tiny planet's core, or having a volcanic moon orbiting above spit out a blob of magma that then hit the tectonic plate I was standing on, dropping it and me into the black hole at the planet's center, only to be spit out of a wormhole a world away. Piloting your tiny ship, hopping out in deep space to make repairs, or just taking a big running jump and using your jetpack to literally orbit the entire planet you're on... it all just feels so fresh and right. I've laughed out loud in delight so many times while playing this!

    The story and writing are fantastic; I love discovering alien ruins and reading their conversations with each other in an effort to understand the fate of the solar system. After six hours of game play I'm just starting to get an idea of the problem and some vague hints that might lead towards a solution, but I know I've barely scratched the surface of all there is to discover.

    I'm taking off just one point for a couple of things that really kill performance (like trying to land on Giant's Deep), and because the one weak point of the gameplay is how easy it is to get stuck trying to move the story forward without a guide. There are just so many places to go and things to see - some of which can only be done at very specific times within the loop in which you're stuck - that it would require either a stupid amount of luck or WAAAAAY too much time and trial & error to find everything unaided.

    Still, this is a game that's trying just a stupid number of new ideas and concepts, and the fact that they made so many of them work so well is a testament to the team. I also really appreciate the fact that they're sending out product keys for both Epic Game store AND Steam to anyone who requested a steam key. They had to take Epic's money (and thus exclusive deal) to get the game done to their standards, but they understood the objections to that and did what they could to make it right. More companies should follow their examples.    … Expand
  58. DreadlordKillz
    Jun 20, 2019
    10
    This game is NOT for everyone, if you are reading this review I hope to give you an idea of whether or not it could be for you with this brief summary before my review.

    Play outer wilds if: You love to figure things out or explore interesting areas. You can live without guidance or control schemes. You don't mind dying You like timetravel/timeloops You love space or physics that    This game is NOT for everyone, if you are reading this review I hope to give you an idea of whether or not it could be for you with this brief summary before my review.

    Play outer wilds if:
    You love to figure things out or explore interesting areas.
    You can live without guidance or control schemes.
    You don't mind dying
    You like timetravel/timeloops
    You love space or physics that mimic reality
    You have a healthy level of curiosity to drive you.

    Don't play outer wilds if:
    You need specific instructions on how to play or progress in a game.
    You need to save the game without losing your place (you can pause).
    You hate dying in games (The game kills you quite often).
    You hate reading text in games.
    You don't like space or physics engines that mimic reality.
    You hate timetravel/timeloops
    You are apathetic about details/plot

    Outer Wilds is a special game for me, it is something I played the beta for a long time ago and knew then I would love. It has a charm and intelligent mystery about it that makes you want to explore and drives you on. It also seems to deliver a healthy amount of fear of the unknown which is always awesome. The game directs you vaguely, it rarely gives you exact locations and the directions it does provide are not typically simple to follow. For example it will tell you there is something on the south pole of a planet, but there is no way to know where that is without doing some recon. The best things about the game will also turn off a lot of people, the game feels like an N64 game for gameplay in a Xbox 360 graphical style with a plot that reminds me of old rpgs like FF7. I think a lot of what is great about this game is a nostalgic and adventurous feeling I get when playing it, it feels natural. Each iteration of the time loop I seek to learn something, anything that will bring me closer to understanding more about the solar system, the mysterious precursor alien race, or time loop itself. It is unforgiving at times, when gravity, or chaos, or the unknown causes you to either die or become stranded, but the game will teach you. Each time you grow and learn more, you will overcome the challenges you face by learning from your failures. Space is interesting, beautiful, unknown, and dangerous, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

    *The game is only available on the Epic store, however it should be available on steam next year. If you can't stand the Epic store you can hopefully check the game out in 2020.*    … Expand
  59. cryfcad
    Jun 10, 2019
    10
    The game along with its music is a true work of art, a product of true genius.
    I'd recommend to not read much about the game but play it instead, you really don't want to miss any of the great moments the game provides.
    The game has an exceptional design, the celestial bodies and what you'll see on them is just genius. The story is great. The mechanics in the game and the physics are    The game along with its music is a true work of art, a product of true genius.
    I'd recommend to not read much about the game but play it instead, you really don't want to miss any of the great moments the game provides.

    The game has an exceptional design, the celestial bodies and what you'll see on them is just genius. The story is great. The mechanics in the game and the physics are superb.

    The user score (currently at 6.7) is so under rated that it almost makes me loose faith in humanity and our ability to appreciate a masterpiece when you see one, or in this case play and listen to one.

    I can only recommend everyone to play it and give it at least 30 minutes before you decide to give it a pass and get a refund. That is what I almost did at the beginning and it would had been a great mistake.    … Expand
  60. kenmorechalfant
    Jun 10, 2019
    10
    One of the most interesting and immersive games I've ever played. Very unique.
  61. grayback
    Dec 10, 2020
    10
    One of the best games I've ever played. Period.

    Don't read anything about it. Just play it. The less you know the better.
  62. Crescendo
    Oct 28, 2019
    10
    If you like and long for a first-person space exploration game that is shrowded in mystery, this is the game for you, as long as "no combat" is not an issue for you. I really want to stress how much this game succeeds in making you feel like an explorer of a very, very interestingly designed solar system.

    It needs to be said, however, that aside from perfectly statisfying said urge to    If you like and long for a first-person space exploration game that is shrowded in mystery, this is the game for you, as long as "no combat" is not an issue for you. I really want to stress how much this game succeeds in making you feel like an explorer of a very, very interestingly designed solar system.

    It needs to be said, however, that aside from perfectly statisfying said urge to explore and delve, the game covers not that many other bases. Sure, you have a few puzzles and dexterity challenges flying your ship, but it's mostly the joy of finding new puzzle pieces. You probably know best if this is a game for you - but if it IS, oh boy are you going to enjoy the experience.    … Expand
  63. Mandulum
    Jun 30, 2019
    9
    Favorite Thing: The world is brilliant; there is a ton of interesting things to see.
    Least Favorite Thing: Dark Bramble and the anglerfish. Very unfun.

    Date Completed: 2019-06-30
    Playtime: 15h
    Enjoyment: 9/10
    Recommendation: YES!
  64. chaconne
    Oct 6, 2019
    10
    Where else do you think you can become and feel like a space archeologist?!
  65. Valorman2018
    Sep 13, 2019
    10
    I love this game so much I cried when it ended. I hope we get a spiritual success like a dark bramble game and you play as a nomai.
  66. Bondzberg
    Oct 10, 2019
    10
    One of the best games I have played this year. This is one of the few that managed to hold my attention from start to finish and kept me interested all the way through. Don't be scare from the low user score, most of these review just don't like the game for what it is, or it has to with the EGS exclusivity.
  67. Taylix
    Jun 21, 2019
    10
    One of the best exploration game I have played in recent time. if you played Subnatuica and you enjoyed its exploration and world building, this game is a must buy.
  68. ObiJuanDeanobi
    Jun 26, 2019
    9
    First game I've rated, but I had to tell people about Outer Wilds. This game is so beautiful and wondrous but unfortunately will be a sleeper for a lot of people and so I want to spread the word that everyone who likes games should try it. The magical mysterious worlds you explore will stick with you long after your done playing.
  69. Blacknife
    Jun 27, 2019
    9
    Outer wilds is the type of game that rewards bravery and punishes those who dawdle. Playing this game feels like you are putting the last pieces together of someone else's puzzle. You never really know where you will end up in this game and it makes me love it.
  70. Alex_Black
    Oct 27, 2019
    10
    This game is truly amazing. Feels like old style RPGs with all new fancy features. Game is something between fallout and borderlands. Can't say that this is something bad though.
  71. cplcupcakes
    Oct 30, 2019
    10
    11/10 would recommend. This game is 100% worth the cost. It is well written, captivating, and immersive. You will not want to put it down once you start playing.
  72. Oconell
    Jun 14, 2019
    9
    Outer Wilds is simply put one of the most engaging exploration games I've ever played. The game starts slow, explaining the mechanics of all the tools at your disposal, but after about half an hour you are given the freedom to explore anywhere on the Solar system and it's where the game starts to shine.
    There's no main objective or quest, it's a game driven by the player and the    Outer Wilds is simply put one of the most engaging exploration games I've ever played. The game starts slow, explaining the mechanics of all the tools at your disposal, but after about half an hour you are given the freedom to explore anywhere on the Solar system and it's where the game starts to shine.
    There's no main objective or quest, it's a game driven by the player and the world-building. There are a few great twists that help it ascend over many other games that try similar things. There's no hand-holding, and although it's difficult to put it in one specific genre, I'd say if you've ever played Myst, or any of its sequels, you'll probably enjoy it. That being said, don't expect overly complex puzzles. Most of the puzzles are more about understanding the world than about solving mechanisms.
    Overall a splendid game, full of places to explore and one of the more original titles in recent memory.    … Expand
  73. davidh219
    Dec 31, 2019
    10
    In honor of Giant Bomb, my most watched video game website, naming Outer Wilds their Game of the Year, despite all my cynical predictions to the contrary, I finally decided to try and write some kinda review-ish something of this game I've been trying to sort out my thoughts on for almost half a year now. The fact that I've even been thinking about it for that long already places it amongIn honor of Giant Bomb, my most watched video game website, naming Outer Wilds their Game of the Year, despite all my cynical predictions to the contrary, I finally decided to try and write some kinda review-ish something of this game I've been trying to sort out my thoughts on for almost half a year now. The fact that I've even been thinking about it for that long already places it among rare company. Dark Souls, Bioshock, Braid, The Witness, Outer Wilds. These are the games that delicately drum on my dendrites day after day.

    Outer Wilds does so many things that, I think, most other games are too afraid to do, even if they wanted to. It doesn't have combat. It, only in the most technical of senses, has a save system. If you knew how, you could beat the game in the first twenty minutes you spent with it, no speed-running skills required, and yet for most people (including me) it takes about twenty hours to finish. There are no upgrades, there is no exp. The only upgrade happens in your brain, as you accumulate knowledge about this solar system and its history and nature, and the only experience are the ones you have while attaining that knowledge, which include, but are not limited to:

    falling in a black hole
    accidentally hurtling into the sun
    going inside a comet full of lethal ghost farts
    getting launched into space by a waterspout
    getting eaten by a giant angler fish
    riding inside a jellyfish
    toasting marshmallows on the moon
    playing music around a campfire with your buds while the universe ends

    Outer Wilds is, in many ways, a metroidvania game were you to replace the arbitrary abilities and corresponding doors those abilities open with a completely open, delicately crafted clockwork world where the only thing preventing your forward progress is what you know or have been able to figure out. That it manages to meaningfully stretch a twenty minute series of actions into twenty hours this way is completely mind-boggling. You can go to the planets in any order you want and not only will you not break the progression, but the story that unfolds will be just as satisfying as the order than anyone else chose. It's a giant set of interlocking gears, a game of rock-paper-scissors on an interplanetary scale.

    The big, obvious thing it does is something I wish more games did--place complete trust in your intelligence and patience as a player. This will be like cold refreshing rain in a desert to some, and like compelled flagellation to others, so I understand why it's uncommon. However, I personally love nothing more than a game/book/movie/whatever treating me like I'm intelligent, curious, patient, and perfectly comfortable being confused, because I am those things, and it's rare to be treated as such. In some ways I feel like Dark Souls paved the way for games like Outer Wilds despite it having no combat and not being "hard," in the traditional sense, but that's a conversation for another day.

    The most common complaints I've seen are that the game feels, "directionless," and, "like a waste of time." To which I can only say, nothing about Outer Wilds felt like a waste of time to me, and that it's okay to start a journey not knowing the destination, or even the next stopover. Most great works of literature are the same way. The nature of art is that often the best of the best asks a lot from you, because truly great art is not just passive entertainment but a long, satisfying, potentially challenging two-way conversation that requires your full attention, as well as patience and trust in your partner to eventually lead you somewhere interesting even if at first their anecdote seems to be going nowhere

    If I were to pick the most "fun," video game I played this year, it would probably be Remnant or Division 2, because who doesn't love a tight, mindless shooter you can play with friends? I put 140 hours into Division 2, and 45 into Remnant (also got all the achievements).

    But I can already tell I'm not going to be thinking about either of those games in ten years time. Remnant didn't bring me to tears. The end of Remnant didn't prompt mutual, misty-eyed proclamations of brotherly love with the friend I played through the game with (the same friend I played Remnant and Division 2 with, and for whom Outer Wilds is also his goty). Outer Wilds did. Outer Wilds is deeply contemplative, touching, life-affirming, and cathartic in ways only a video game could be, and if there's anything we need more of in this industry, it's more video games doing stuff that only video games can do, rather than worshiping at the altar of film and literature.    … Expand
  74. pi972
    Feb 10, 2020
    10
    This is not a game, but a work of art. An unforgettable experience in exploration and contemplation.
  75. Aldrenean
    Sep 27, 2019
    10
    In a week Outer Wilds went from a project I had never heard of to my favorite game of all time. Beautiful, inspiring, challenging, mysterious, often breathtaking and even moving, it's simply the best game about exploration and discovery I've ever seen. The best comparison I have is the original trailer for No Man's Sky -- remember all the hope you had for that vision, because in exchangeIn a week Outer Wilds went from a project I had never heard of to my favorite game of all time. Beautiful, inspiring, challenging, mysterious, often breathtaking and even moving, it's simply the best game about exploration and discovery I've ever seen. The best comparison I have is the original trailer for No Man's Sky -- remember all the hope you had for that vision, because in exchange for a limited scope, OW manages to achieve every iota of that wonder and then more besides.

    My favorite moments in games are those when you discover a new mechanism, see a new vista, or figure out a puzzle, and there's a moment of pure awe and joy. They're few and far between, and yet this game is stuffed full of them. I wish I could wipe my memory to play it again. Before you die you owe it to yourself to experience this game.    … Expand
  76. JustCallintz
    Oct 23, 2019
    10
    This game urges you to explore and feeds off of your curiosity with it's carefully crafted solar system that is teeming with creativity. It's an incredibly immersive experience with a story you that piece together yourself with close to no hand holding. It's up to you to discover things and find out what is happening.

    There is a groundhog mechanic where every 22 minutes you start a new    This game urges you to explore and feeds off of your curiosity with it's carefully crafted solar system that is teeming with creativity. It's an incredibly immersive experience with a story you that piece together yourself with close to no hand holding. It's up to you to discover things and find out what is happening.

    There is a groundhog mechanic where every 22 minutes you start a new cycle. While some people might find this annoying, it's core to the story and puts a sense of urgency on the player. There were many times I was on the verge of discovering something but fell short of time. So I got up, did it again, but maybe this time I found an easier way to get there, or maybe I discovered something new on the way. The only time it felt like a bother was towards end game, there's a certain thing that only happens at a certain time and you have to wait a while.

    The story is incredibly interesting with a fantastic ending... something that many titles struggle to get right. It doesn't spoon-feed you anything, nothing. How you gather information and understand what's going on is entirely dependent on how you explore the system, what you find first and how close attention you're paying. You'll have many "ah ha!" moments when figuring out something which makes for a very rewarding experience.

    The worlds, while small, are incredibly creative and interesting and packed with secrets. There will always be something in the distance that will catch your eye and urge you to explore. The worlds themselves are dynamic and change over the course of time making it all feel very alive.

    The K&M controls are wonky, I admit, but the game even tells you it's best played with a controller.. so.. you only have yourself to blame lol. The flight is great. While it's not on the level of a space flight simulator, it's more in depth than, say, NMS. It takes getting used to at first but once you realize that physics exists it's a cakewalk.

    Overall, it's near perfect in my opinion. The lack of hand holding makes it incredibly rewarding and omg the music is fantastic. The music also holds a subtle importance within the game but it's not made apparent at first. Outer Wilds is a very fulfilling experience and I urge you to play it blind, I was lucky enough to pick it up on a whim. My only real gripe with the game is I can never experience it for the first time again. It would never be the same on a second playthrough.

    Side note: I see a lot of negative reviews that seemed to have preconceived notions about the game and were surprised when they were wrong. I personally think it's unfair to a judge a game based on what you thought it would be rather than what it is. Also, saving? Well.. tbh why would you even need to save? Just get your suit on and go back to where you were. But I can understand people might find that frustrating. I see a lot of complaints about the pacing as well which doesn't make sense. The pacing of the game is solely dependent on you and how fast you explore. You can even finish it in the first time loop if you know exactly what to do. Idk, I'm biased, yes, but I feel a lot of these negative reviews are based on loose understandings of the game, but I'm not blind to know that it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea. Especially if you're used to having games tell you what to do and where to go.    … Expand
  77. kyrylo
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    Хорошая игра от Obsidian с неплохим сюжетом который действительно затянул.
    Здесь есть много юмора, неплохая графика и сам сюжет. Но есть несколько но, и это то что игра короткая, здесь мало выбора вооружения, куча бесполезных предметов, много скиллов которые тебе собственно и не понадобятся.
    В целом игра очень близка по духу к Fallout: New Vegas, большой потенциал но маленький мир.    Хорошая игра от Obsidian с неплохим сюжетом который действительно затянул.
    Здесь есть много юмора, неплохая графика и сам сюжет. Но есть несколько но, и это то что игра короткая, здесь мало выбора вооружения, куча бесполезных предметов, много скиллов которые тебе собственно и не понадобятся.
    В целом игра очень близка по духу к Fallout: New Vegas, большой потенциал но маленький мир.
  78. marcelodamm
    Jun 4, 2019
    10
    This is a fantastic game. It's a space exploration game but instead of a universe, it's just a star system. A very weird one, with very unique planets. And the sun is gonna explode. Soon.
    The small planets make for a very dense and interesting experience, made even more interesting by different traversal systems.
    You see, there's a learning curve. At first jumping seems janky, flying is    This is a fantastic game. It's a space exploration game but instead of a universe, it's just a star system. A very weird one, with very unique planets. And the sun is gonna explode. Soon.
    The small planets make for a very dense and interesting experience, made even more interesting by different traversal systems.
    You see, there's a learning curve. At first jumping seems janky, flying is unwieldy... but once you get the hang of it you'll effortlessly jump/fly across valleys, gorges, and the surprisingly vertical planetary environments. This movement system makes the time loops less of a problem, as with some planning you can reach anywhere in the star system really fast.
    The low tech/cartoony look of the characters remind me of Abe's odyssey, (but if it bothers you it can be easily ignored as you won't come across many npcs).
    It's a non violent game. You don't shoot rocks. No survival elements, no crafting, no loot boxes, no microtransactions. Not a walking simulator.
    Highly recommended, great game.    … Expand
  79. 6ftninja
    Jun 6, 2019
    10
    If you're here and you haven't read what this game is or does yet, don't. Just try it for yourself and refund if it's not your thing. Coming into it blind has made it one of the best gaming experiences I've had this year.
  80. CritHelge
    Jun 15, 2019
    10
    To get the negatives out of the way: Yes, this title is an Epic Store exclusive. Against my aversion for this store, I bought the game and even got a 10€ discount from Epic for this purchase. I don't regret it at all. I was sucked into to story of this little solar system and enjoyed the world and the adventure in it. I was amazed and mystified by the creativity put into the unique placesTo get the negatives out of the way: Yes, this title is an Epic Store exclusive. Against my aversion for this store, I bought the game and even got a 10€ discount from Epic for this purchase. I don't regret it at all. I was sucked into to story of this little solar system and enjoyed the world and the adventure in it. I was amazed and mystified by the creativity put into the unique places you could travel. I have never seen or played anything like this game.

    This game is not easy and you will fail repeatedly along your way. It won't hold your hand and guide you to the next point of interest. This is however, in my opinion, what an adventure is all about.

    This game has an amazing art style and it music is so good that I am listening to the playlist while writing this review.    … Expand
  81. podzorama
    Jan 1, 2020
    9
    "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion..."
    Outer Wilds is an absolutely astonishing game. The sense of awe and wonder that rewards exploration is unparalleled. A solar System populated by Planets full of Other Worldly beauty dread, mystery and Alien tech, that will have you aching to return to so you can learn a little bit more each    "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion..."
    Outer Wilds is an absolutely astonishing game. The sense of awe and wonder that rewards exploration is unparalleled. A solar System populated by Planets full of Other Worldly beauty dread, mystery and Alien tech, that will have you aching to return to so you can learn a little bit more each time, to gradually expose more of an over arching central mystery.
    If you are reading these reviews because you are not sure whether to buy this game or not, be aware that this is not a linear game of exploration. There is no central "story line" that leads you through the game the kind that you might find in the Tomb Raider reboots, and as such, the first few hours may seem directionless and meandering.
    Also, it is not easy. From handling a Space craft, to moving on the surface of a planet, the puzzles and understanding how to manipulate your environment is something you are going to have to learn on your own. No hand holding here.
    I am not going to lie, I went to the internet on a couple of occasions to look at a guide, and rather that spoiling the experience for me, actually made me appreciate more fully the depth and complexity of this game.
    If none of the above puts you off, I definitely recommend this stunning game.
    Don't miss out on one of the most original and best games of the decade.    … Expand
  82. Ozymandias1290
    Jan 4, 2020
    10
    Masterpiece.A beautiful story about inevitability.This game is one of the best games i've ever played.
  83. Linsquey
    Apr 10, 2020
    10
    A pure masterpiece.
    The history plunges us into the unknown, but it will be exceptional, hard, full of discovery but so pleasant and satisfying.
    Despite the fact that we have all the keys in hand from the start of the game to finish it, only a deep understanding of our universe will allow us to reach the end. Add to that a pleasant gameplay and innovative puzzles. All these    A pure masterpiece.
    The history plunges us into the unknown, but it will be exceptional, hard, full of discovery but so pleasant and satisfying.
    Despite the fact that we have all the keys in hand from the start of the game to finish it, only a deep understanding of our universe will allow us to reach the end.

    Add to that a pleasant gameplay and innovative puzzles.

    All these ingredients make for me one of the best solo game of recent years.

    Big thank you to this little studio, this game will remain in my memories :)    … Expand
  84. churchill1212
    May 9, 2020
    10
    No games have ever made me have the urge to write a review until i played outer wilds. This game is sad, exciting, fun, entertaining, and more. This game truly captures the terrors and wonders of space like no other. from beginning to end this game put me at the edge of my seat wanting to know what happens next. And when the fog clears and you understand what you have to do next is such aNo games have ever made me have the urge to write a review until i played outer wilds. This game is sad, exciting, fun, entertaining, and more. This game truly captures the terrors and wonders of space like no other. from beginning to end this game put me at the edge of my seat wanting to know what happens next. And when the fog clears and you understand what you have to do next is such a magical experience. TL;DR Outer wilds is one of those rare adventure games where the journey is more rewarding then the destination and that's why i give it a 10… Expand
  85. Taliz
    Jun 3, 2019
    9
    Fantastic game. A space adventure done right. It takes place in a small solar system so the amount of planets to explore is limited, but every planet (and space station) is filled with interesting things to discovery.
    Even tho I got it with Epic discount, there's enough content to make it worth a full price purchase.
    I've read comments about people complaining about controls, but I    Fantastic game. A space adventure done right. It takes place in a small solar system so the amount of planets to explore is limited, but every planet (and space station) is filled with interesting things to discovery.
    Even tho I got it with Epic discount, there's enough content to make it worth a full price purchase.

    I've read comments about people complaining about controls, but I feel like they were well done. Moving in space isn't as easy as it is on our planet, it takes a bit of time to get used to 0g, but the game even gives you a button to match the speed of an object so I don't really understand what they have to complain about on that matter.

    I only have 2 complaints:
    1) It would have been cool if they added more dialogues with the inhabitants of your home planet. Even just a "WE ARE ALL GONNA DIEEEEE" would have sufficed for SOME of them. Instead you get to talk with them normally even if you know in less than half a hour everyone is gonna be dead.
    Basically the only dialogues that change with your game progress are with the first inhabitant you see when you wake up and with the other adventures (and even then it's quite limited what changes).

    2) I'm not really too fond on events happening on a certain time span. The loophole thingy is fine, but adding the fact that you can only reach certain locations in the first X minutes or the last Y minutes is a bit infuriating at times.

    Overall I rate it 9/10, I'm not a fan of space games but this one was really well done.
    If you feel lost, try to look for clues in the computer of your ship, or by talking with adventurers.    … Expand
  86. macpaddy
    Jun 4, 2019
    10
    I think the game is beautiful, and the designers have done a very good job. It's an incredible indie game, and I kind of understand why the developers chose to grab that exclusivity deal with Epic on PC. Although I don't agree with practices like that, I do understand why they did it. Definitely one of the best adventure games in recent times, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoysI think the game is beautiful, and the designers have done a very good job. It's an incredible indie game, and I kind of understand why the developers chose to grab that exclusivity deal with Epic on PC. Although I don't agree with practices like that, I do understand why they did it. Definitely one of the best adventure games in recent times, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys adventures, space and reading.… Expand
  87. cyberdamn
    Dec 15, 2019
    9
    A beautiful and melancholic game.
    Pros: nice graphics, 3D space, somewhat realistic physics, ingenious story, amusing soundtrack and astonishing planets (one of them looks like the planet from interstellar and it's really blows your mind when you first visit it)
    Cons: the game is kinda short in some way, hehe; the story again, for some lamers it's too hard to understand
  88. LukeSmart98
    Jan 14, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't think my enjoyment of a game has ever changed so dramatically as it has with Outer Wilds. I started this last week, full of admiration for a game that seemed to be breaking boundaries. A fluid galaxy to explore that didn't wait for you, complete with sun and orbiting planets. For the first ten hours, I was thoroughly enjoying myself, exploring and familiarising myself with the various planets and moons and etc.

    It wasn't until I reached that ten-hour mark that I finally began to struggle with what to do and where to go. No matter though. I'd read a lot of reviews for this game so I knew that it was likely I would hit a wall sooner or later. Usually, I'm not the sort of person who has much issue with pulling up a walkthrough if I feel I've been stuck on something too long - but I wanted it to be different with Outer Wilds. It's been named by multiple publications as 2019's Game of the Year and its objective is to figure out what is going on, so I didn't want to ruin what could be a rare experience.

    But five hours later, I really hadn't made much progress. Every new discovery didn't seem to be leading me anywhere and now, fifteen hours in, I felt I was pretty much in the same spot as I had been at the ten-hour mark. Grudgingly, I googled the answer to four questions that were puzzling me:

    1. How to get to the core of Giant's Deep?
    2. Where to go in Dark Bramble?
    3. How to get to Ash Twin project?
    4. How to avoid anglerfish?

    The first two of these questions I should have been able to figure out if I had paid more attention. The third, I'm still unclear how one was supposed to work that out. The fourth, it turns out I already knew the answer, I had just been second-guessing myself because it seemed too hard.

    With this new knowledge, I returned to the game able to actually make some progress, but I was in no doubt that it had a left a sour taste in my mouth. Even if I finished it now, I hadn't been able to work it out myself and that had taken something away from the experience.

    To make matters worse, the five hours I had spent retreading the same ground - combing areas I had explored twenty times before for some clue I had missed - had made me tired of dying. From the occasional slip-ups, like forgetting to check my oxygen, overshooting a jump and crashing into the ground, or not paying attention to the fact my ship was autopiloting me into the sun; to the supernova itself, which had gone from cool mechanic to irritating hindrance as it just seemed to be getting in the way as I desparately sought some new lead.

    But nothing, but nothing, irritated me more than the anglerfish. For some reason, the devs clearly thought it necessary to the anglerfish's design that it possess hearing so acute that if you were to lean a millimetre too heavily on the jets in its general vicinity, it would immediately locate you and eat you. The anglerfish didn't need to be this much of a pain as far as I'm concerned. They could still have been blind but with good hearing and it still would have been tense to fly around Dark Bramble without making it borderline unfair. It made flying, or should I say floating, through Dark Bramble an agonisingly slow experience, especially when one still wasn't sure where they were going.

    As it was, I was trying to transport the warp core to The Vessel. My first attempt, I had been eaten by an anglerfish I wasn't expecting almost as soon as I got in. The second time, I made it to The Vessel and was just about to put in the coordinates when I was blown up by the supernova. On my third attempt, I entered the red zone and gently attempted to edge myself sideways so I didn't bash into one of the three fish. I'm convinced I was no louder than I had been on my second attempt, but they heard me this time and they subsequently ate me.

    And I had had enough.

    I realised, as I watched the fish's jaws close around my ship for the umpteenth time, that I was bored. My curiosity and interest had been sapped, and not even the possible regret that might come from failing to finish one of the most talked-about games of last year, could get me to carry on. It's a shame, considering how long I waited to play the game, but the game receives far more praise that it does criticism, so I guess it just goes to show that no matter how critically-acclaimed a game is or how interesting it looks, you can't ever know whether or not you'll like it until you get your hands on it.    … Expand
  89. prosciutto
    Dec 31, 2019
    10
    masterpiece. in almost every aspect.
    the dumb reviewer that didn't played the game 'cause there were no savings and you have to restart from the beginning every time, clearly didn't played the game, because that is not the case.
  90. Marty_1
    Jun 6, 2019
    9
    Some people who have ps4 and cant play this give it low rates !! Keep calm and play ! its a cool game !!!
  91. lconquerorl
    Jun 1, 2019
    10
    Great story with great music, wanna play sequel!
    Imho this is best game of season (or year ^_^ )
  92. auditbadger
    Jun 2, 2020
    7
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  93. Hugeasswhale
    Jan 24, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game deserves its praise for its creativity, story, and world building but it’s impossible with out a guide and not because its a hard puzzle game. For a game that relies solely on telling you what to do it tries way to hard to be cryptic. Also, it’s not exactly consistent in regards to ghost matter. In the game you have to avoid ghost matter or it will kill you but on the interloper there are several times when you walk right over it and it doesn’t effect you but go the way the game doesn’t want you to and it kills you despite not touching the matter at all. It’s not a particularly clever game and it’s use of quantum mechanics is extremely surface level to the point that it could have not used the word quantum and it would have been about as accurate. It wants so hard to be cryptic and not hold your hand but at the same time if you miss even one wall message you’re basically screwed. Also the dead ends are driving me crazy. The ruptured core tells you nothing you don’t know, the sunstation is a red hearing as well as the “quantum” moon and despite having almost completed the game completely, I still have no idea how to get to ash core and I’m not sure I care at this point. The game is remarkably hypocritical in how it holds your hand yet refuses to do so in ways that would make it much less frustrating. The only reason I think it gets so much praise is because everyone uses guides and are afraid to criticize it due to its pretentious nature. “If you didn’t like it your just not smart enough to get it” type of thing. The story is clever I will say but to call this game a puzzle game is laughable. It’s an interactive mystery narrative that is unplayable with out a walkthrough. With out all the red hearings and obstacles it puts in front of you that require very specific information to get past this game would be very short and perhaps better. The game has serious flaws and as someone who hates to cheat I have to say this game is tedious and frustrating while admittedly brilliant in some ways.… Expand
  94. TitaniumDragon
    Sep 29, 2021
    7
    Outer Wilds is a puzzle/adventure game. You play as an unnamed alien of the Hearthean race, a race of four-eyed, blue-skinned aliens who live on the Timber Hearth, a planet in a small little solar system full of strange planets. You are an astronaut – the fifth of your kind to go to space – and after speaking to a handful of your people on your home planet and doing some basic training toOuter Wilds is a puzzle/adventure game. You play as an unnamed alien of the Hearthean race, a race of four-eyed, blue-skinned aliens who live on the Timber Hearth, a planet in a small little solar system full of strange planets. You are an astronaut – the fifth of your kind to go to space – and after speaking to a handful of your people on your home planet and doing some basic training to get used to the controls, you get the launch codes to your spaceship and head off into space.

    Well, for twenty two minutes, anyway.

    As you quickly discover, this game is a time loop. Your goal – such as it is – is to figure out what is causing the time loop and how to fix the problem you’re facing at the end of it, if such a thing is even possible.

    While a game like this might seem like something where you’d find items and use them to solve problems, there’s surprisingly little of that – there are some carryable items, but they cannot be carried between loops at all, and are almost always simply used on something nearby to reveal some text or other puzzle clues. The only things you have are the tools you got at the start of the game – a device that shoots probes that can take pictures, and a signal detection device.

    It turns out, this is enough.

    Because literally everything resets every loop, the only thing you can actually bring back in time is information. Fortunately, not only does this work well with the game’s sort of cerebral nature, but the game itself gives you tools for tracking the information you have in the form of your ship’s log, which both stores information by location (planet or moon or what have you) but also by connection – various things you find connect to other things, and it shows you lines heading off to unknown things you haven’t discovered yet.

    Fortunately, it also lets you know whether or not you’ve missed anything in areas you have explored, which helps to avert frustration.

    Because of the game’s 22 minute time limit per loop, none of the puzzles can be overly difficult mechanically – almost all of them are things that can be done in under a minute, if you know what you’re actually *supposed* to do.

    However, figuring out the whole puzzle of the game might take you until the end – even though the entire game can technically be solved in about ten minutes if you know what you’re doing.

    The game does a pretty good job of chaining together a variety of things and giving you a bunch of hints that lead you on to new areas and new puzzles. The puzzles tend to be environmental in nature, and you get plenty of hints (and sometimes, outright statements about how to solve them), though some are a bit more obscure and require more thought on the player’s part.

    Because every time you die or reach the end of the time loop the world resets, many things in the game are based around timing – one planet gets covered with sand while another gets denuded of it, for instance, which creates puzzles based on when various things get uncovered/covered up. Another planet is gradually crumbling, which can either allow or deny access based on how much it has fallen apart.

    Unfortunately, these puzzles, while cool in some ways, are also some of the most frustrating – because if you screw them up, you have no choice but to reset the loop, and if it is a puzzle that occurs near the end of the loop, you’re going to have to wait for the whole loop to go by to retry it. There are also some large underground areas which can be something of a pain to properly explore. There were several occasions where I ran out of time before I could finish exploring an area or solving a puzzle, necessitating significant backtracking, sometimes repeatedly.

    This created an odd issue – experimenting was sometimes a bad thing, because if I screwed up, I’d have to start the loop over and backtrack all the way back over to where I’d died. This created a weird situation where the time loop made me NOT want to take risks, as resetting the loop would necessitate me spend time jumping through the same hoops over again to get back.

    Indeed, for all that the game was a “puzzle game”, I honestly didn’t find myself enjoying the actual puzzles all that much. What really drew me in was the whole exploration and discovery aspect of the game - going around, seeing new places, and figuring out the plot and what was going on. The actual puzzles often were just flat-out explained to you by other hints, and some of the ones that weren't felt like they went a bit too far in the opposite direction.

    Overall, I thought this was a pretty neat game – trying to figure out what was going on was neat, and the game left some fun red herrings to mislead me into thinking that the end of the game was going to be very different from what it actually was.

    One bit of advice - avoid spoilers.    … Expand
  95. NerdN8
    Feb 10, 2020
    10
    Очень понравилась игра. Атмосфера, геемплей, персонажи все сделано с душой. Приятная графика, отличный саундтрек. Очень надеюсь на продолжение! Не могу не написать вот таким должен был быть Fallout 4, а не тот кусок фекалий который выпустила Bethesda.Очень понравилась игра. Атмосфера, геемплей, персонажи все сделано с душой. Приятная графика, отличный саундтрек. Очень надеюсь на продолжение! Не могу не написать вот таким должен был быть Fallout 4, а не тот кусок фекалий который выпустила Bethesda.
  96. Mikew83
    Sep 15, 2020
    9
    Just a fun freaking videogame. Deep gameplay, great humor, tight controls. Gives you what you want from a light-hearted sci-fi fps.
  97. Gheppio
    Oct 18, 2020
    10
    This is a game about space exploration, when you take off with your small ship it's up to you to decide where to go or what to do, there are no barriers.
    This game made me feel that continuous feeling of awe and wonder, facing continuously towards the unknown, like any other game.
    The planets may seem small at first, but they are full with handcrafted details, and even considering this,    This is a game about space exploration, when you take off with your small ship it's up to you to decide where to go or what to do, there are no barriers.
    This game made me feel that continuous feeling of awe and wonder, facing continuously towards the unknown, like any other game.
    The planets may seem small at first, but they are full with handcrafted details, and even considering this, Outer Wilds is still capable of making the player aware of the immense scale of the cosmos, in a small solar system where everything changes continuously during gameplay.

    Outer Wilds presents a superb non-linear narration, as I said you can travel anywhere and discover parts of a "puzzle" large as a solar system until you finally have an epiphany and reveal the bigger picture. Anyway the game is much more than cycling through all the possible locations since many places aren't easy to reach and will be precluded to you until you find out HOW to reach them.
    In Outer Wilds nothing is really locked, the main progress you do are the things you learn about along the way.
    The amount of original mechanics that you'll investigate is just incredible and refreshing.

    It's an experience worth playing in 1st person, one of the most interesting sci-fi stories ever created, don't get spoiled watching a walkthrough.
    If you like space exploration, discovering the unknown and visiting a solar system like no other, then go buy Outer Wilds because you'll love it!    … Expand
  98. lur_
    Jul 14, 2020
    7
    A very strong 7/10.

    An unusual game, tricky to categorize. A roguelike walking simulator space adventure game with light puzzle elements? A clockwork-like? Central to the design is that there is nearly no progression besides your own increasing knowledge of the game. There are no items to collect and no shortcuts to unlock. This works well as long as your fascination of new    A very strong 7/10.

    An unusual game, tricky to categorize. A roguelike walking simulator space adventure game with light puzzle elements? A clockwork-like?

    Central to the design is that there is nearly no progression besides your own increasing knowledge of the game. There are no items to collect and no shortcuts to unlock. This works well as long as your fascination of new discoveries outweighs any desire to feel like you're making progress towards some specific goal. For me the early 5-8 hours worked best in this regard, with an increasing sense of frustration over a lack of progress creeping in during mid to late game.

    It also seems fair to say the design relies partially on players exploring just for the sake of exploration and for players to try interacting with certain environmental artifacts simply because they're there, with several key steps to the full solution seemingly lacking direct hints. It's tricky to say if this is a good or bad choice, but it's easy to see how it can lead to frustrating instances of getting stuck.

    A final tricky part to evaluate is the time mechanic, which on the one hand allows for some really interesting environmental puzzles, but on the other hand leads to some frustrating instances of waiting around for time to pass.

    The easiest part to evaluate is the story. The story, once you get to see the whole picture, is incredibly well-crafted and could easily work as a standalone sci-fi novella. This alone made all the gameplay frustrations worth the effort for me.

    Also flying the ship is fun and the planets are really cool. Graphics are OK and performance is alright.    … Expand
  99. JohnMalcolm
    Jun 25, 2019
    5
    The Good: You don't have to kill people. A lot of the story and art work are imaginative. Open world format.

    The Bad: You die a lot, and that always takes you to the same boring location, from which you have to repeat a lot of boring tasks very quickly to exploit your 30-minute shot at finding something new. It plays a lot like a 3D platformer with no chance to save your progress after    The Good: You don't have to kill people. A lot of the story and art work are imaginative. Open world format.

    The Bad: You die a lot, and that always takes you to the same boring location, from which you have to repeat a lot of boring tasks very quickly to exploit your 30-minute shot at finding something new. It plays a lot like a 3D platformer with no chance to save your progress after successfully completing a difficult sequence.

    The Ugly: The system of planetoids seems relentlessly grotesque, without much uplifting in the first week of play... which is as long as I could stand it.    … Expand
  100. Gurp18
    Feb 14, 2021
    4
    The main mechanic with time loop is interesting but after some time too frustrating. You need to repeat some basic tasks every time and very fast, if you want to have a time to explore something. Also the game sometimes kill you for trying something and you just need to repeat 5-10 minute way to the problematic place and try something else. It is just boring after few hours.
    On the other    The main mechanic with time loop is interesting but after some time too frustrating. You need to repeat some basic tasks every time and very fast, if you want to have a time to explore something. Also the game sometimes kill you for trying something and you just need to repeat 5-10 minute way to the problematic place and try something else. It is just boring after few hours.
    On the other hand, the visual of the game is very nice. Small planets looks great, although they could be little more various, considering, they were prepared manually.
    The story itself is not bad, but it has some plot holes.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best PC Game of 2019
18
#18 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019
1
#1 Most Shared PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. GameCritics
    Aug 20, 2019
    65
    Outer 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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  2. Games.cz
    Aug 19, 2019
    90
    This 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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  3. Adventure Gamers
    Jul 26, 2019
    80
    For 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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