Kai Arcos Jiménez

#Thoughts

Outer Wilds is an adventure mystery game where you explore space to piece together the secrets of a very curious solar system. I didn’t know anything about it beforehand, and I recommend going in blind like I did since it makes for a very memorable playthrough.

This game has one of the most organic gameplays I’ve encountered, and that is definitely its strongest point. You will come across something new every time, which encourages you to follow the thread and continue exploring. Honestly, it was difficult to put down the controller at times! Where should I go next? What will I find there? Even while I wasn’t playing, I couldn’t stop thinking about what steps I would take next. I think this was also possible because the game pushes you to connect the dots yourself. It is unlike most story-driven games, where at some point you’re presented with a definite answer.

The only thing that I found difficult to deal with were the (admittedly sparse) horror elements. There were very few that seemed to have been added with the intention of spooking the player, so it was more of a me issue. Several locations in Outer Wilds just happened to depict two of my biggest fears. Namely, deep bodies of water and the size of the universe itself. I can’t be the only one that experiences existential anxiety when thinking about the vastness of space… right?

Either way, facing my fears was worth it for the satisfaction of unraveling every dark secret of this beautiful solar system. This is a game I cannot recommend enough. Looking forward to playing the expansion!

#Sneak peek

I’m still selecting my favourite screenshots. In the meantime, here’s a beautiful line that stayed with me:

The pain of your absence is sharp and haunting, and I would give anything not to know it; anything but never knowing you at all (which would be worse).