Outer Wilds – Xbox Review

Truly ground-breaking moments in gaming are rare. But in an age where open-world games hand-hold you as far as to paint glowing trail markers on the ground, Outer Wilds’ stripped back approach is a breath of fresh air. 

When the game sets you off on your adventure it hands to you as little gear as it does a main quest. You have a spaceship to explore the solar system with, a spacesuit so you can survive on planets and a new translation device to help understand the language of an ancient alien species. You are the first of your race to explore the stars with this translation tool and whilst explorers have ventured out before, contact with them has been lost. Your objective, insofar as you are given one, is to find the lost explorers and learn more about the ancient aliens.

As you make discoveries of anything important, this knowledge is stored in your ship’s log. In a way, this reminded me of Morrowind, one of Skyrim’s forebears, with its journal giving hints as to where you ought to look, but no real help beyond collating what you already know for easy reference it in future. With knowledge being the only progression in the game, this easy access is vital. Furthermore, you are free to use your knowledge in any way, visiting planets in whatever order you wish, the game never punishes you. If anything, the eureka moments I experienced by making my own choices filled me with genuine accomplishment.

Sometimes this did lead to some backtracking. I once accidentally stumbled into the Quantum Moon far earlier than I should have. However, the moon’s secretive ‘Sixth Location’ was blocked by rocks. It was not until a few hours later, when I was following a different lead on another planet that I figured out how to avoid the rocks, and also where I needed to go once I had made it out. Though, with Outer Wilds’ unique and memorable world designs, backtracking was never a chore.

An equal level of care and detail was also given to the Alien history. As you explore their homes and technologies you learn about their plans for the solar system. You also learn about their romances, their jubilation at breakthroughs and their disappointment at defeat. You learn of their struggle for life and the heart-wrenching story of the Quantum Moon. All pieced together in bitesize chunks, out of sequence. You never even find out what these aliens looked like, but you come to know their hopes, their aims, their dreams and their death. 

Purposefully I have tried to generalise my descriptions of the experience.  In a game where knowledge is the means of progression, any real detail would be a spoiler and its best to come into this game blind. I have instead chosen to focus on the feeling the game instils in you. It has a charming art direction, understated yet distinctive music that complements every area perfectly and a real warmth and passion that oozes from every pixel. It is a game about futility, about facing death but choosing to explore. To challenge yourself, to improve and, most importantly, to enjoy the little things and cherish the detail.

Games like this have always been few and far between, and are becoming even rarer now. That is why we must praise games like Outer Wilds. There is no formula for creating a masterpiece but when a game really connects with you, you know it, you feel it. Outer Wilds strips gaming back to its essentials, whilst bringing new ideas to the table and presenting them in charming and arresting ways. You will never have another 12 hours like it. Its heart, soul and message are inimitable, and I sincerely urge you to give it a try.