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. 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.
  2. Holmstrom
    Dec 30, 2019
    5
    I really wish I enjoyed this game. There's definitely something there, but everything just feels so static and dead to me. The main menu music had me drawn in from the very first few bars, but aside from that I just didn't enjoy the ship controls, the uninspiring looking planets/moons, and how the game tells it's story.
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 611Machine
    Dec 14, 2019
    10
    A masterpice. Truly a brilliant puzzle game with a smart story and beautiful ending. Love the music.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. setuis
    Nov 2, 2019
    7
    firstly this review is for ps4 version.

    1 there is no way to lock spinning making flying stuff annoying when fixing pipe in mine/flying ship. 2 there is no way to gauge speed (releasing scouts and using scanner prevents you flying main ship from what i can tell. 3 no warning about random tornado engulfing me on landing destroying all progress except for keeping launch code. 4    firstly this review is for ps4 version.

    1 there is no way to lock spinning making flying stuff annoying when fixing pipe in mine/flying ship.
    2 there is no way to gauge speed (releasing scouts and using scanner prevents you flying main ship from what i can tell.
    3 no warning about random tornado engulfing me on landing destroying all progress except for keeping launch code.
    4 no fast travel that i have seen.

    This review may change.    … Expand
  10. 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.
  11. 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
  12. 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.
  13. 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
  14. 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.
  15. chaconne
    Oct 6, 2019
    10
    Where else do you think you can become and feel like a space archeologist?!
  16. 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
  17. greenstar
    Sep 21, 2019
    3
    Another critically hyped but boring to play game. If you don't like the first hour, get a refund because its just more of the slow-paced, control fiddly frustrating interface and rambling story that you might as well be playing a text adventure.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. Aatef
    Aug 4, 2019
    5
    Graphics and art style are very good
    but the controls, frustrating puzzles and dump saving system makes it below average for me
  21. 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
  22. 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!!!!
  23. 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
  24. 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!
  25. 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
  26. 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.
  27. merqry
    Jun 27, 2019
    10
    One of the best games I have ever played. Great story and fascinating ending. Totally worth buying.
  28. 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.
  29. 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
  30. sliderh2o
    Jun 24, 2019
    3
    The whole rinse and repeat thing is horrible for a video game. Doing the same thing over and over trying to figure out whats going on got really old, really fast! Horrible idea, would have been great if not for this game breaking mechanic.
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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

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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