Outer Wilds (2019)

Outer Wilds was one of the most unique experiences I've ever had with a video game. In this indie sci-fi game, you explore the ruins of an extinct civilization in a hand-crafted solar system of diverse, bite-sized planets in order to uncover a mystery and escape a time loop (that conveniently restarts each time you die).

Gameplay

There is no combat -- only environmental exploration, puzzle-solving, light platforming, and using your brain to put all the evidence together to figure out where to go and what to do next. This last part is aided by a very useful computer on your space ship which logs your discoveries, but does not hold your hand and tell you where to go. The game also operates on a very impressive physics system in which planets revolve and rotate in real time and your traversal capabilities, both when flying in your ship and in your trusty space suit, are impacted by minute changes in gravity and weather. I had the impression from the games marketing that survival elements would play a large role in the game play, but these were very limited. You only need to manage your suit's fuel and O2, and if you do die, well, you just wake up at the beginning of the time loop again.

Narrative

The overt narrative in this game is rather sparse. Instead of relying on dialogue and exposition, the game accomplishes it's story-telling goals through player-directed, non-linear exploration. There is one massive twist that occurs very early in the run time of the game which, in addition to the excitement of exploring, I found motivated to see the game to the end. Finding out the cause of this event and how it is tied to the fate of this extinct race of aliens is tied very much to the exploration you complete throughout the game. I didn't really find any of the characters all that compelling however, and felt that the ending, which seems to emphasize a theme of friendship isn't really earned given how much of the playtime is spent in utter solitude.

Aesthetics

The game has a indie, low-budget, almost cartoonish graphical presentation which feels well-suited to the story and never looks bad. Each planet you explore has a unique environment that is presented well, and the design language of these environments, the ruins which populate them, and the technology you use to explore them, are all distinct, cohesive, and original. The game's soundtrack is sparse. Most of the time you play in complete silence, with only the sound of the environment and your suit to accompany you. However, there are key moments in which music does play, all of which feels appropriate and well-suited to the situation. I especially like the synth-wave track that plays repeatedly toward the end of a given time loop and the game's main theme.

Score: 5/5

While no game is perfect, a 5/5 game is one that can be recommend to a broad gaming audience, achieves greatness in all areas of gaming design for it's genre, attempts and succeeds at pushing the medium forward, and leaves a lasting impression that is emotional, philosophical, or amusing in nature.

One thing I've realised about Echoes of the Eye is that the solutions to the different puzzles are all spelled out for you once you find them. In the base game you find written dialogue that points you to somewhere to explore next, but it never really spells out what you need to do.

Perhaps the a quintessential example is how to reach Giant Deep's core. You can be pointed into the right direction by some dialogue and environmental elements, but you are (very explicitly!) not told what to do.

But in Echos of the Eye, a lot of puzzles involve essentially finding the right movie that works like a mini walkthrough. You immediately know exactly what you need to do because you are shown exactly what to do. (Not all puzzles are like that, of course.)

I don't know if it's necessarily worse or just different, but the more I think about it, the less clever it feels.