Maybe I'm just weird but haven't played it yet because I don't have much reason to play it... I want to know why I should play it but not enough to just go play it.

[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 24 points 6 months ago (2 children)

So, there's a few reasons why everyone wants you to go in blind:

It's a puzzle game and a mystery, and one where knowledge is everything. Technically you seem complete the whole game in 5 minutes if you know how. In practice, it's hours of discovery as you slowly piece together an absolutely breathtaking mystery (there's literally a "conspiracy board with polaroids and string" on your ship that you can consult as you start to piece things together). That sense of discovery and wonder is everything, and we're trying to preserve as much of it for you as possible.
There's an absolutely brilliant twist about half an hour in that will leave your jaw on the floor.
The ending is incredible. Real top tier "best endings in video games" kind of material.
The whole game is just full of really really cool "WOW" moments as you discover new things and just lose your mind over them.

But I get it, you want a little more than that. Here's the non-spoilery version:

Its a puzzle game that deftly avoids presenting you with "Solve this Sudoku" style puzzles. You're not doing an IQ test, you're solving a vast mystery that reaches across space and back into the past. You're an archaeologist, unearthing the ruins of a dead civilisation. You're an explorer (most of the puzzles are about navigation; figuring out how to get into or out of places) diving deep into the unknown.

On a more practical level, it's a game about flying around a tiny but surprisingly well simulated star system in a little tin can space ship, landing wherever you want, and exploring whatever you want, as you try to solve a mystery that threatens your whole civilisation.

It's a game of cosmic wonder. If you've ever felt awestruck by the idea of things like black holes, wormholes, four dimensional space, megastructures in space and so on, this game has it all and more. It's cute and fun on the surface, but really it's 2001 and Solaris and Interstellar, just slamming you with the sheer majesty of space.

And it's just full of heart. It's a game about life and community and the beauty of building great things together.

Now the more spoilery stuff. Let's talk about that big twist that happens early on. This doesn't give much else away, but it does slightly lessen the impact of one really cool moment.

Spoiler

About half an hour into your first exploration of the solar system, the sun goes supernova.

It is terrifying, and awe inspiring. And you die.

And wake up again, 22 minutes in the past.

That's the game; it's a time loop. It's groundhog day but instead of I've Got You Babe it's the fucking sun exploding. So now you have to repeat the loop, over and over, trying to piece together an answer to why the sun is blowing up, and how you can stop it, and perhaps how it all ties into a dead alien civilisation and their quest for something called The Eye of The Universe.

That should be enough to give you some idea of why people are so hype about this game. It doesn't even come close to covering some of the truly wild discoveries you'll make along the way, or indeed the truly heartbreaking emotional gut punches the game will deliver.

It's one of the best games ever made. I cannot recommend it enough.

[–] Wilzax@lemmy.world 11 points 6 months ago

Genuinely the best review of the game I've read to date. Very good writing to showcase the "Feel" of the game with none of the real content being spoiled.

[–] SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 6 months ago

Absolutely perfectly written explanation. I admit I'm biased as it's one of my favorite games ever.

[–] zero_spelled_with_an_ecks@programming.dev 13 points 6 months ago (1 children)

That usually means it's a knowledge-based game and the fun is in the figuring out. Tunic had a similar feel even though the gameplay was very different.

[–] yetAnotherUser@feddit.de 3 points 6 months ago

It's weird, I absolutely adored Tunic, it's one of my favorite games of all time, yet Outer Wilds was just "alright" for me? Like IGN 7/10 good but nothing to write home about.

Part of that was probably because I felt constant nausea due to being unaccustomed to playing 3D games with controller - the fact half of the game occured in space with two additional axis of rotation significantly worsened it.

[–] silva@sopuli.xyz 5 points 6 months ago

I know, it was exactly the same for me. I hated it when people didn't tell me anything about the game and just said 'Play It'.

Then I bought it anyway during a sale, and now I'm one of those people: Play It. Without any spoilers.

[–] Daxtron2@startrek.website 2 points 6 months ago

Fantasy Space exploration puzzle game with lots of lore and extremely unique and intriguing environments to explore.