OUTER WILDS
Here it is, a whole solar system for you to explore – but it’s a solar system in miniature, where you can get from one end to the other in a couple of minutes. Outer Wilds does a lot with a little, creating a rich open world which never feels small, so let’s follow its example and get straight to the point: this is one of the best games you’ll play this year.
It’s the kind of game which makes you want to grab friends by the collar and recite your own version of Rutger Hauer’s Blade Runner speech. You know: “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Quantum moons off the shoulder of Giant’s Deep. I watched ghost matter glitter in the dark of the Hourglass Twins. Um, this one time there was a coral reef that was covered in lightning… I’m still not exactly sure that was all about.” That sort of thing.
All those aforementioned marvels are yours to discover, at your own speed, in pretty much any order you like. At the start of the game you’re handed the keys to a spaceship and sent out into space, free to go in any direction you like, poke at any planet that catches your eye (or, occasionally, that you accidentally crashland on). It creates a sense of exploration more real than any tomb we’ve ever raided or faroff mountain we’ve climbed.
TIME TO DIE
A couple of things help give your expeditions structure. One is the ship’s log, which collects everything you’ve encountered so far into a digital version of those pinboards TV detectives use to track serial killers, making sure there’s always a fresh lead to follow.
The second thing is the fact that every 22 minutes the entire universe resets and you wake up outside your spaceship, ready to blast off all over again. The same thing happens when you die. It’s your own little Groundhog Day. Or, more to the point, Groundhog Half(ish) Hour. Part of the point of your exploration is to work out why this time loop keeps happening.
This means you can’t get too lost among the stars. You wake up, pick a manageable goal, and have a 22-minute adventure.
This makes most failures more palatable – if you find yourself floating out in deep space, fuel supplies depleted and oxygen rapidly following suit, it’s hard to despair knowing you only had a few minutes left before returning to the start anyway – but in some cases, it creates frustrating repetition. Some trickier sections require you to spend precious minutes navigating there, over and over, before you can tackle the actual challenge the planet you’re aiming for presents.
It’s these slightly frustrating times which hold Outer Wilds back from achieving that nice round 10, but they fade in the memory quickly. Whereas the many hours of sheer wonder exploring this tiny solar system has to offer, those will stick with you for a long time.
VERDICT
“EVERY 22 MINUTES THE UNIVERSE RESETS. IT’S YOUR OWN LITTLE GROUNDHOG DAY.”
Whether you want to play explorer, detective, or Bill Murray, Outer Wilds has you covered. We’ll say it again: one of the best games you’ll play this year. Alex Spencer