If any of those things interest you, look no further than The Outer Wilds

-This is a 100% completion review including the Echoes of the Eye DLC.-

I can't believe it took me this long to play this game. It's been ages since I've played a game that is so genuinely fun and engaging. From the very beginning of play, I was hooked, and I wasn't satisfied until I did multiple playthroughs, beat the DLC and 100%ed all the achievements. Only now do I feel like I can write a review.

Simply put, The Outer Wilds is a game that lets you explore its solar system in your own time, in your own way. You can discover as much or as little as you want. But the game is so damn dense with stuff to find that it's hard not to stumble upon something cool.
There is not much more guiding you on your quest, except for your own thirst for discovery and adventure. You are given a simple task to find what's out there and learn about it.
And that is why I love it so much.

You start off in a very cosy tutorial area, where all the mechanics of the game are taught to you without you even realising it, and from there your world expands around you. You are given the keys to your very own spaceship and a brand new alien language cipher device. And one more thing; you're stuck in a 22 minute time loop, which resets when the sun explodes.

Why?
Well work it out!
I can't actually believe this game got me to solve the mysteries of the galaxy and beyond, uncover stories of long-dead civilisations and play with quantum mechanics all whilst feeling like my hand was never being held or I was being spoon fed the story.
This is one of the few games I've played that use the 'notes left over by dead people that uncover story' tropes that has actually been done well! I ended up actually remembering and sympathising with characters that were nothing more than journal entries essentially. I usually hate that crap but it was executed perfectly here.

The story, the graphics, the gameplay, the world simulation (the entire solar system is one giant 22 minute physics simulation btw), the sheer creativity. It's awe inspiring! I cannot recommend this game enough!!

And so what do the developers of this phenomenal game do when they finish making it? Why they go and add a humongous chunk of content on top, like the cherry on top of the cherry on top of the cake. The Echoes of the Eye DLC ties into the game so seamlessly, and yet it stands alone perfectly.
It's been a long time since a game has made my jaw literally drop, let alone a DLC title, but that is exactly what happened with my playthrough. No spoilers, just go in blind and experience it for yourself!


As a final note, I will touch on the experience of 100%ing the game. It's certainly not something you need to do, but its so much fun! The achievements are all based around playing around with the universe and trying unusual things. You are rewarded for being goofy and doing dumb things like "what if I tried to fly this toy drone into the sun? Oh theres an achievement for that!".
It's not like 'fly your ship for 100,000 kilometres' or any of that crap either.
There was only 1 achievement that was actually annoying to collect; 'Tubular'. I think the devs could have fixed that one a little bit. I don't want to get too much into it but it took way too many times to try before I got it.

All the great stuff they say about this game is true. It absolutely deserves all the accolades it has received.
It is my personal GOTY and it will stick in my mind for a long time. A true 10/10.
Buy for full price for sure.

[h1] Adventure. Exploration. Discovery [/h1] [b] If any of those things interest you, look no further than The Outer Wilds [/b] -This is a 100% completion review including the Echoes of the Eye DLC.- [h1] Main Game [/h1] I can't believe it took me this long to play this game. It's been ages since I've played a game that is so genuinely fun and engaging. From the very beginning of play, I was hooked, and I wasn't satisfied until I did multiple playthroughs, beat the DLC and 100%ed all the achievements. Only now do I feel like I can write a review. Simply put, The Outer Wilds is a game that lets you explore its solar system in your own time, in your own way. You can discover as much or as little as you want. But the game is so damn dense with stuff to find that it's hard not to stumble upon something cool. There is not much more guiding you on your quest, except for your own thirst for discovery and adventure. You are given a simple task to find what's out there and learn about it. And that is why I love it so much. You start off in a very cosy tutorial area, where all the mechanics of the game are taught to you without you even realising it, and from there your world expands around you. You are given the keys to your very own spaceship and a brand new alien language cipher device. And one more thing; you're stuck in a 22 minute time loop, which resets when the sun explodes. Why? Well work it out! I can't actually believe this game got me to solve the mysteries of the galaxy and beyond, uncover stories of long-dead civilisations and play with quantum mechanics all whilst feeling like my hand was never being held or I was being spoon fed the story. This is one of the few games I've played that use the 'notes left over by dead people that uncover story' tropes that has actually been done well! I ended up actually remembering and sympathising with characters that were nothing more than journal entries essentially. I usually hate that crap but it was executed perfectly here. The story, the graphics, the gameplay, the world simulation (the entire solar system is one giant 22 minute physics simulation btw), the sheer creativity. It's awe inspiring! I cannot recommend this game enough!! [h1] Echoes of the Eye DLC [/h1] And so what do the developers of this phenomenal game do when they finish making it? Why they go and add a humongous chunk of content on top, like the cherry on top of the cherry on top of the cake. The Echoes of the Eye DLC ties into the game so seamlessly, and yet it stands alone perfectly. It's been a long time since a game has made my jaw literally drop, let alone a DLC title, but that is exactly what happened with my playthrough. No spoilers, just go in blind and experience it for yourself! [h1] 100%ing the game [/h1] As a final note, I will touch on the experience of 100%ing the game. It's certainly not something you need to do, but its so much fun! The achievements are all based around playing around with the universe and trying unusual things. You are rewarded for being goofy and doing dumb things like "what if I tried to fly this toy drone into the sun? Oh theres an achievement for that!". It's not like 'fly your ship for 100,000 kilometres' or any of that crap either. There was only 1 achievement that was actually annoying to collect; 'Tubular'. I think the devs could have fixed that one a little bit. I don't want to get too much into it but it took way too many times to try before I got it. [h1] In Conclusion [/h1] All the great stuff they say about this game is true. It absolutely deserves all the accolades it has received. It is my personal GOTY and it will stick in my mind for a long time. A true 10/10. Buy for full price for sure.