Outer Wilds Image
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
tbd

No user score yet- Be the first to review!

Your Score
0 out of 10
Rate this:
  • 10
  • 9
  • 8
  • 7
  • 6
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • Summary: Outer Wilds is an open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.
    You're the newest recruit of Outer Wilds Ventures, a fledgling space program searching for answers in a strange, constantly evolving solar system.
    What lurks in the heart of the ominous Dark
    Outer Wilds is an open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.
    You're the newest recruit of Outer Wilds Ventures, a fledgling space program searching for answers in a strange, constantly evolving solar system.
    What lurks in the heart of the ominous Dark Bramble? Who built the alien ruins on the Moon? Can the endless time loop be stopped? Answers await you in the most dangerous reaches of space.
    The planets of Outer Wilds are packed with hidden locations that change with the passage of time. Visit an underground city of before it's swallowed by sand, or explore the surface of a planet as it crumbles beneath your feet. Every secret is guarded by hazardous environments and natural catastrophes.
    Strap on your hiking boots, check your oxygen levels, and get ready to venture into space. Use a variety of unique gadgets to probe your surroundings, track down mysterious signals, decipher ancient alien writing, and roast the perfect marshmallow.
    Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Jan 5, 2024
    100
    I could go on and on with praises for Outer Wilds. The atmosphere, the sound design, the score, the overwhelmingly amazing attention to detail, clever puzzle design, the story. It is magical. Outer Wilds is a must on Switch.
  2. Dec 11, 2023
    90
    Also on Nintendo Switch, just like on other gaming platforms, Outer Wilds is a visual and profound spectacle that goes far beyond expectations. It is a dense and emotionally charged journey, capable of bonding the player and showing how creativity can actually give an experience waiting to be discovered.
  3. Dec 15, 2023
    90
    Outer Wilds: Archaeologist Edition marks the arrival on Nintendo Switch of one of the most interesting video games of recent years. The adventures of our teporian explorer still have a lot to say and - we are sure - will fascinate those who have never experienced the thrill of exploring a solar system only seemingly small, trapped in a time loop of twenty-two minutes. With a few technical compromises, Outer Wilds: Archaeologist Edition lands on the Nintendo Switch with perfect timing for the Christmas holidays, an ideal time to sit on the sofa and explore the universe while holding it in the palm of your hand.
  4. Dec 17, 2023
    90
    If you can overlook the technical challenges – and we could – Outer Wilds remains a wondrous experience on Switch. With almost no gating and a free rein to investigate a rich corner of the universe, it captures the quest for learning in the most direct way possible: the only reward for progress is knowledge. Starting with no information at all, you come to understand the intricacies of this little solar system better than its inhabitants. Having soared through such an epic, introspective, and existentially inquisitive adventure, we probably came to understand ourselves a little more, too.
  5. Jan 17, 2024
    70
    Outer Wilds on Switch isn’t remotely the best version of the game, but the fact that it didn’t give me motion sickness like the Xbox One version is enough of an achievement. If you have access to an Xbox Series X, PS5, PC, or Steam Deck I’d play Outer Wilds there, but the long wait for this port has been worth it in many ways. It needs more optimization in parts despite the cutbacks to visuals, but Outer Wilds is an incredible experience that isn’t lost when played on Switch in handheld mode. I just hope the performance issues can be ironed out by the time the physical release is available.
  6. Feb 1, 2024
    50
    It's a lonely, cold planet over here. Mileage on Outer Wilds will depend largely on how much one enjoys exploration, discovery and extrinsic reward versus repetitive backtracking and restrictive (but also far too long and frequently-occurring-to-be-as-restrictive-as-it-is) time limits. It may certainly be a monkey brain desire for feedback and a more robust signposting of progress, but even knowing that the lack of it here is exactly the point, one can't help think there are examples within interactive media that have done lateral think puzzles better. Ones that would waste less time in between solving puzzles, too. Clearly, there's a majority disagreement for this view, so take it with a pinch of salt, but also go into it aware that it's not going to be for everyone. It is an experience that introduces a lot of mind-bending sci-fi concepts and a surprisingly emotional, if conflicting, conclusion. One just wonders if we like the scaffolding more than we like the building itself. Perhaps, though, it's just that some people really don't like time loop mechanics.