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Outer Wilds

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Has anyone played this? It's a time loop game of 22 minute cycles in the style of Majora's Mask, but is kind of an exploration and mystery game, a kind of mix between Breath of the Wild and Her Story, where you'll read a hint of somewhere to visit on one planet and find out about the mystery of solar system by following up on that lead.

 

Kind of hard to explain without getting into spoilers but it's really quite amazing!

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Has anyone played this? It's a time loop game of 22 minute cycles in the style of Majora's Mask, but is kind of an exploration and mystery game, a kind of mix between Breath of the Wild and Her Story, where you'll read a hint of somewhere to visit on one planet and find out about the mystery of solar system by following up on that lead.
 
Kind of hard to explain without getting into spoilers but it's really quite amazing!
I think the concept of this game is amazing and will definitely be buying it. I have quite a lot of games I want to finish first though!

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I played it on Game Pass. It’s spectacular for sure, but the obscurity of how to progress in the game will be off putting for some. 

I wasn’t keen on having to translate the text every time the loop reset, and only knowing if you hadn’t done it if the ship log updated. Some of the areas can be quite same-y. 

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I figured this No Clip documentary about the game may of be some interest to people on here. I've watched a few of their documentaries now and they are always worth a watch if you are interested in the subject matter.

 

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Mark Brown (game maker's toolkit) did a video about it, and I'm definitely interested. If they do a Switch port I'll probably get it there, otherwise I'll get it on PC at some point.

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On 1/22/2020 at 8:36 AM, Hero-of-Time said:

I figured this No Clip documentary about the game may of be some interest to people on here. I've watched a few of their documentaries now and they are always worth a watch if you are interested in the subject matter.

 

Ah nice one - yeah I love Danny O'Dwyer's work - I just watched a couple of minutes of this and I'm excited to come back to it - going to finish the game and then sit down for a full watch.

On 1/21/2020 at 9:07 PM, Dog-amoto said:

I played it on Game Pass. It’s spectacular for sure, but the obscurity of how to progress in the game will be off putting for some. 

I wasn’t keen on having to translate the text every time the loop reset, and only knowing if you hadn’t done it if the ship log updated. Some of the areas can be quite same-y. 

Yeah totally, it's not for everyone for sure. I actually think it's pretty poorly suited to game pass as it's so purposefully obtuse for the first couple of hours. Kind of agree re the text, though playing it in a short space of time I found I almost always remembered if I was somewhere that I'd already been and read the text.

 

That said, I actually think the game does a really great job of hinting at possible directions for you to explore, so I've so far only really felt stuck once or twice. The ways that different routes and explorations feed into information about roadblocks on other planets is pretty masterful, I think. Someone described it as a Metroidvania where you're not collecting abilities to progress, but knowledge, which seems pretty spot on.

 

I think I'm close to the end now and it really keeps astounding me. Some of the moments of revelation the game gives,  like working out how to get somewhere that you first heard of hours previously, have made my hair stand on end. Excited to see where it's all going to end up!

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On 1/22/2020 at 8:36 AM, Hero-of-Time said:

I figured this No Clip documentary about the game may of be some interest to people on here. I've watched a few of their documentaries now and they are always worth a watch if you are interested in the subject matter.

 

That was a really bloody awesome doc. Bit depressed by how young that main guy is for what a masterpiece the game is. Some really interesting stuff about the evolution of the game and also how many technical challenges were added by things like the scout launcher and the ship. Also mental that the guy from Heroes owns the studio or whatever? Thanks!

 

Finished the game the other day. It is unbelievably good, and the climax is really amazing. One of y'all check in when you've played it!

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I just had to bump this because somehow it skipped my attention until last month.

Truly extraordinary game, wow. It landed itself straight into my top ten games ever. It's a once-in-a-lifetime type. Like Portal meets Journey.

I played this as a kind of sofa co-op partnership with my other half, which we've only done for a couple of other games namely The Witness and The Witcher 3. It was perfect for that, take it in turns, explore a new idea each time, bounce ideas off each other, figure things out together. We were waking up in the morning still thinking about the game and itching to get back on until it was completed. I was quite proud of us for working it all out as well, and pretty quickly, too. I was having dreams about it. That music and light at the end of each cycle haunts me.

Such a stunning game, the design of it is absolute perfection, the way it's all there right from the start but you're completely lost at first, and the pieces gradually fall into place, I can't fathom how it was created so perfectly. We platinumed it pretty quickly after beating it and I felt almost empty knowing that there was nothing to go back for.

I never had any concern with having to translate text each time...? Not even sure I understand what that refers to. There was almost nothing you had to do, unless you were trying to get the achievement for 100% log completion.

Really looking forward to watching that doc later!

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This game is excellent, I am marvelling at some of the creativity on display here. I actually went into this thinking it was a walking simulator but I'm pleasantly surprised by what it turned out to be. Leaving the story to one side for a second, the physics engine for the space travel and dynamic gravity are brilliant, it feels challenging without being unfair. The designs for each planet are inspired. I've still got a way to go but this game continues to surprise me.  

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Started playing the game just now.
30fps suck, but hey, it's a small price to pay for a game that's supposed to be great :p

My first few minutes have been quite intriguing. The game manages to set the stage very well. There's an immediate sense of mystery that's also surprisingly and weirdly terrifying.

I'm gonna probably keep writing in here, depending on how much I enjoy Outer Wilds.

Spoiler

Explored the village and spent a rather long time in the observatory. I marveled at "Schrödinger's Rock".

Leaving the observatory was scary. The statue made me jump a little :p

After my heartbeat calmed down, I reached my spaceship, buckled up and launched into the unknown.
Wanted to land on the moon and once I locked on I engaged the autopilot. Huge mistake as it didn't do what I expected it to do. It just aligned trajectories and then dashed ahead resulting in a crash landing on the planet... :D

Stepped outside and repaired my ship.

With my shiny and fully functioned spacecraft I manually landed on the moon, took a few steps outside and started gasping for air...I forgot to put on the space suit. Couldn't make it in time and...

...I died.

But it appears that the creepy statue got me back to where I started. With all the knowledge I gathered before. I assume this is the game's main mechanic. You may/have to loop and explore different areas while keeping everything you've learned inside your little alien head.

So far so good.

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How have I not play this game before? It's an absolute marvel.

Giant's Deep actually made me nervous for a moment. Something I rarely get with video games.

Spoiler

Pretty sure it's clear that I went from "oh no, OH FUCK NO" to "I accept my fate" in a few seconds :laughing:
After that I was just amazed to see mass of land I was on getting launched into the air.

Right now, after 3 or 4 loops, I don't have a real goal. I'm just exploring while following a few rumours from the ship's log and I love it. So many little details already make me wonder what's going on in this universe. Its history is so intriguing.

Can't wait to figure out more.

Also: Those Quantum Shards never cease to amaze me :D

There's something beautiful in the way Outer Wilds uses death to make you explore more. It's so simple and subtle, yet genius: The first time you die you realize that this isn't actually the end. Which in turn makes you take risks just for the sake of acquiring new information. Giant's Deep is a perfect example.

Spoiler

It's a planet that seems like it'll instantly kill you the moment you fly "into" it. But since I knew that death isn't final, I thought: "Fuck it" :D
And oh boy, did it pay off.

 

Edited by drahkon
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Spoiler

Flew in, was scared witless by the angler fish. And I got eaten.

Cool, cool, cool :D

Spoiler

Finally found my way to the Southern Observatory and oohhhh boy, I need to get back to Giant's Deep :D

And I never get tired of jumping into the black hole.

What a game this is...

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I'm a bit at a loss for what to do/where to go next.
Which is why I decided to take a closer look at the Sun. Obviously :p
Landed on a "twin planet" near it:

Spoiler

Probably my highlight so far.
The sand dropping from one planet into the other and filling it up is so cool.

I spent the majority of this loop inside one planet (I think it's called Ember Twin?) and found out that the "Ash Twin Project", whatever it is, is apparently dangerous. Maybe it's got something to do with the end of the universe?

Lots of information to digest, but haven't remotely explored everything on the Hourglass Twins.

With the Ember Twin filling up with sand I had to make my way outside only to observe that there was a shit-ton of man alien-built structures hiding beneath the sand :o I would assume that's the Ash Twin Project...

I also came across some information about a so called Sun Station, the Gravity Cannon and the Eye of the Universe, which might not be the good thingy everybody thought it was. Then again, I have no bloody clue what it is, at all :D

I know I keep gushing, but I gotta say it again: This game is something else.
Never have I felt this particular sense of progression. The "EXP" you get is knowledge. Literal knowledge about the mysteries, species, universe, etc. And you actually get to use that knowledge for more meaningful progression. It's beautiful.

Special shout-out to the OST. Very atmospheric.

I should go to bed, but...one more loop doesn't hurt, right? :p

Edited by drahkon
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I'm still pretty early on in this game (just four or five loops in), but what I must tell you is that it is AMAZING if played with a PC VR headset. Again, a perfect example is Giant's Deep. Holy hell, that place is scary when you first break the clouds.

The VR experience are just mods, but they are well optimized. Great head and hand tracking, but the zero-g moments really require some decent VR legs.

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I'm just here to wait for the sand to rise.

And to avoid the Game Pass thread. :p

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14 minutes ago, Julius said:

tenor.gif

 

Some members there remind me of a few lines in System of a Down's banger track Cigaro.

"My cock is much bigger than yours
My cock can walk right through the door"

:D

Aaaanyway, the sand has risen, I learned something new but I have no idea how to use that information. Which holds true for a lot of new stuff I learned in recent loops. :wtf:

Outer Wilds has the right amount of creepiness for me. Some mild jump-scares (probably nothing for most people, but for me it's more than enough :p) and an overall eerie and slightly threatening atmosphere.

Only two things annoy me: There are quite a few technical hiccups, i.e. frame drops. They can take you out of the moment which sucks big time in a game like this.
And the autopilot...man, it do be dumb at times :laughing: Made me crash into the sun while navigating to a planet...at least I got a trophy out of it (die within 60 seconds of a new loop). :D

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20 minutes ago, drahkon said:

 

Only two things annoy me: There are quite a few technical hiccups, i.e. frame drops. They can take you out of the moment which sucks big time in a game like this.
And the autopilot...man, it do be dumb at times :laughing: Made me crash into the sun while navigating to a planet...at least I got a trophy out of it (die within 60 seconds of a new loop). :D

You should try to learn how to manual land. A lot more fun once you get it right.

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5 minutes ago, Tales said:

You should try to learn how to manual land. A lot more fun once you get it right.

Oh, I always do.

But sometimes I don't wanna fly 20km to a planet manually. So I engage the autopilot, grab my phone and take a nice, hot plasma bath in the sun 'cause the autopilot thinks "LOL, I'll show him". :p

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Oh, I always do.
But sometimes I don't wanna fly 20km to a planet manually. So I engage the autopilot, grab my phone and take a nice, hot plasma bath in the sun 'cause the autopilot thinks "LOL, I'll show him".
Ah man, one of the most fun trophies in this game involves landing on something that's very challenging. A hell of a lot of fun.

I won't spoil it, you might even have figured out out already.

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53 minutes ago, Sheikah said:

you might even have figured out out already.

I have not.
Only got two trophies: Dying in 60 seconds and using Oxygen for fuel :p

Did some more exploration inside Dark Bramble...

Spoiler

It wasn't my first time exploring this weird "planet", so I knew what to expect. I did, however, learn that the Anglerfish are blind and that you could sneak past them. So I decided to slowly but surely make my way through the bramble's interior. I followed a distress signal, found its source and followed the lights left behind the Nomai.

My attempt to dive deeper into Dark Bramble quickly came to a halt as I entered an area with a shit-ton of Anglerfish. Now outside of my ship I thought: Hey, sneaking should still work.
While I assume that it should've worked, I probably moved too quickly around the first Anglerfish and was too close to it to sneak by.

I got eaten :( And it scared the shit out of me again :laughing:

So...not a lot of progress tonight.

There are still some areas marked with "There is more to explore here" on my ship's log. I should probably go back and try to find some new information.
Knowing myself, however, I'll most likely go back to Dark Bramble, check for some other signals and try to not die. :D

Edited by drahkon

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I have not.
Only got two trophies: Dying in 60 seconds and using Oxygen for fuel
Did some more exploration inside Dark Bramble...
Spoiler It wasn't my first time exploring this weird "planet", so I knew what to expect. I did, however, learn that the Anglerfish are blind and that you could sneak past them. So I decided to slowly but surely make my way through the bramble's interior. I followed a distress signal, found its source and followed the lights left behind the Nomai.
My attempt to dive deeper into Dark Bramble quickly came to a halt as I entered an area with a shit-ton of Anglerfish. Now outside of my ship I thought: Hey, sneaking should still work.
While I assume that it should've worked, I probably moved too quickly around the first Anglerfish and was too close to it to sneak by.
I got eaten And it scared the shit out of me again :laughing:
So...not a lot of progress tonight.
There are still some areas marked with "There is more to explore here" on my ship's log. I should probably go back and try to find some new information.
Knowing myself, however, I'll most likely go back to Dark Bramble, check for some other signals and try to not die.
Ah man, the dying trophy. Believe it or not I died before encountering the statue in the village. Let's just say it's not pleasant to die before the loop is established.

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9 hours ago, Sheikah said:

Believe it or not I died before encountering the statue in the village.

Yeah, the thought of trying that crossed my mind, too, at one point. Will do it once I've finished the game :D 

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