I’ll do my best to keep this one spoiler free, as experiencing a playthrough of the 2019 sci-fi video game Outer Wilds and its DLC Echoes of the Eye without foreknowledge is a joy I wouldn’t want to deprive anyone of. But I know some are particularly concerned about such things. If so, all I can I say is go play the game! It’s stellar, and all its accolades well earned. If you’re willing to risk it, I’ll try to keep any spoiler adjacent specifics limited to that which is shared in the trailers and descriptions on the publisher’s website here: Outer Wilds, and here: Outer Wilds – Echoes of the Eye. Without further ado, here we go.
Certain stories stick with you, enough so that a small, seemingly innocuous stimuli can transport you back to its telling. That stimuli can be any number of things: a turn of phrase, a silhouette, a smell, or a sensation. For those stories with a soundtrack, it can be as simple as the strumming of a few chords. Truth be told, whenever I hear the first few notes of Howard Shore’s incredible music for the Shire, all I can say is “I think I’m quite ready for another adventure.” And by that, I mean another rewatch of the LOTR trilogy (extended edition of course), or a reread of the books. The Outer Wilds soundtrack has a similar, albeit unique, effect. All it takes is a few specific notes strung together on a banjo and I’m transported back to the impeccably designed solar system trapped in a time loop, a new member of the Outer Wilds Ventures space program set to unravel the solar system’s mysteries. The only tragedy here is that I can’t ever play it again for the first time. I can reread the LOTR books and achieve the same level of joy in the process as the first time. Same with the movies. A different flavor of joy, certainly, but just as impactful, nonetheless. I’m not sure if I can say the same for Outer Wilds. I don’t think a replay, unless perhaps after many years, could recapture that magic of uncovering the ancient Nomai’s purpose and untimely demise, or the many mysteries hidden in each of the planets’ unique biomes. I don’t say that as a critique, instead if for nothing else as a paradoxically grateful lament, for it is a side effect of the game’s distinctive, and incredible, storytelling and structure. With each restart of the loop, the solar system in flux around you, you uncover a new piece of the puzzle. But this is a journey without rails, an open world exploration that employs none of the usual barring of sections behind the acquisition of a new piece of equipment or skill. An old detective’s board of clues with a spider web of yarn connecting the myriad ancient ruins awaits, and you can tug on whichever string holds your interest at your leisure. Or you can strike out at random and be sure there is something to be uncovered. After all the clues have been found, the mysteries solved, it’s up to you to bring about a resolution, one both strikingly bittersweet and philosophical. Suffice to say, I had to sit there for some time letting the entire credits roll pondering what I’d just seen.
Beyond all of the more abstract points listed out above, it’s also worth getting down to the nitty gritty of the game design, and here is where the game once more absolutely shines. The planets of the solar system are small enough to where the curvature is immediately noticeable, and yet dense enough to still feel the wonder of exploration. It is the perfect mix, exciting without being overwhelming. A similar statement could be made about the solar system itself, somehow both big and small, designed exactly as intended. The controls of the spaceship used to hop from planet to planet are impressive and intuitive. I found myself zipping around planets making up my own obstacle courses just for the joy of it. When exiting the spacecraft, you have a jetpack, and I can only say I ran out of fuel many times due to my predilection for unnecessarily jetpack-enhanced jumps, just to have the fun of feeling the effects of each planet’s gravity. It’s a remarkably designed system within which I can’t really find a flaw.
Here is where I transition to the DLC, Echoes of the Eye. I chose here because the DLC takes you somewhere in the solar system and yet not, miscible and yet distinct, a change expressed by the shift in controls. Without spoiling the how or the why, let’s just say the spaceship and to a certain extent the jetpack become less important, and even with how much I adored those mechanics the game felt in no way lacking. It was a conscious choice to create a new form of exploration and discovery, for an all-new mystery that folds nicely into the previously established lore. I will say the tonality of the DLC is different, suffused with a tinge of horror, and the change in controls only add to the effect. To put it simply, it just works.
In summary, this game is a stellar piece of storytelling, and its solar system well worth a visit. If you’re like me, the only regret after playing will be that you can only experience it for the first time once.
All the best,
M. Weald
P.S. The publishing of my sci-fi novel is getting closer and closer! It is fully edited, and I’ve decided to record an audiobook version. Best estimate is the Ebook and paperback will be released early to mid-June, with the audiobook to follow once complete.
P.P.S. The game designers used spherical coordinates for their physics simulator because they try hard and love math. Just another small detail that makes this game impossibly realistic and adds to the beauty of it all. – CO
M. Weald 