baconsmash Outer Wilds Review

Outer Wilds is a truly singular experience. The degree to which it will impact you can vary widely; I’ve heard it said that the game is “not for everyone” and can’t fully disagree. That said, I think the mindset with which you approach it is far more important than any intrinsic binary of it being “for you” or not. For reference, I started and quit 3 times before it clicked and I finally saw it all the way through. Mindset matters. Leave your ‘gamer sense’ at the door. Go in blind, without expectation, and above all else, curious, and I imagine you’ll be able to deeply appreciate it. For me, this game has become not only my personal favorite game of all time, but beyond that - I truly think that if you meet it on its terms and absorb all that it has to offer, this is among the best experiences a person can have with any form of media. There’s nothing else like it. Emotional appeal aside: the gameplay won’t blow your mind. Graphically it’s unimpressive on the technical side, though I am partial to the art design, and the philosophy of less is more is fitting here. There’s no voice acting at all. The music and sound design, story and writing, and the exploration and sense of wonder are all top tier. I hate to even break it down in this way to fit a more traditional review style, because perhaps more than any other game, this one is infinitely more than the sum of its parts. Buy this game, or better yet the definitive “Archaeologist Edition” as the included expansion is on par with the main game’s quality. If you try it and you hate it, that’s okay. Really. Maybe some other time will be the right time for you. Maybe you’ll come back months or even years later and find Outer Wilds still waiting for you. And maybe then it’ll be for you, or at least for whomever you are that next time you boot it up.