Last night I played Outer Wilds finally, and I really, really enjoyed it. Not even for the main facet of the game which is Space travel and flying around to the other planets. I liked it because the place you start in is this super cozy, chilled-out little forest world. There are log cabins, waterfalls, big trees, and campfires. It’s a very strange visual theme for a game about being an astronaut flying to other worlds. Accompanied by this very well composed bluegrass-y sort of banjo motif. The main melody weeds its way into all the different songs, and it meshes extremely well with the visuals.

I found myself just sitting around and looking at the scene, taking in the chirps of the crickets.
Then I decided it was time for lift-off.

The feeling of suiting up and taking off for the first time was neat, but once I left Timer Hearth, I was terrified. It was quiet and lonely. I couldn’t tell where I was or where I was going at first. I attempted to fly around and make way for a different world but as I spun around, I saw my home world. Timber Hearth. I just wanted to go back.

But about this time, I caught a glimpse of the end. The super nova. It was happening and I knew it was over. You are blinded by brilliant white light, and you flashback everything you’ve done since you woke up last.

It goes dark, and you wake up where you started – back home. It’s quiet again, but this time it’s not scary. It’s comforting, you know where you are. You hear the crickets and see the familiar trees.

The super nova would for certain happen again, and I’d always wake back up in the same spot. I’d be able to see the sights and hear the sounds forever, on repeat.
That’s why I loved Outer Wilds. I didn’t want to leave in my ship. I wanted to stay right there and know that things would be ok, for a day or so.

And then it would start all back over.