The critically acclaimed Outer Wilds title (not to be confused with Outer Worlds) recently ended up in my backlog and I gave it a go. How does my smooth brain handle this adventure puzzle game?

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Gameplay

Gameplay overall is pretty good. The platforming is accessible, the exploration is top-notch, and having to "restart" is never super cumbersome when an entire cycle is around 20 minutes. Because of this short cycle, it really can be a pick me up title, but it is admittedly difficult to stop once you get started.

Exploration

Where this game really shines is the sense of discovery and freedom. You are given a small nudge, and as you follow up on leads, that expands into even more stories. There's a good bit of overlap that really helps ensure you do not get lost trying to find every tiny detail. Saying much more than this would begin to enter spoiler territory due to the very minimal start you get in the game, so I'll leave it at that!

Achievements/Trophies

Overall, they're pretty straightforward and not demanding. However, there's a couple that come to mind in terms that many gamers would find annoying. Some ship logs are well hidden behind specific times of day and conversations. There are also some trophies that are greatly simplified by understanding orbital mechanics. I didn't really struggle here too much personally, but completion should be fairly attainable by most gamers with patience.

Conclusion

Outer Wilds is definitely one of the better games that I have played, and selfishly is what I believe to be an almost perfect game. The annoyances I have outlined are purely optional content. I give this game a 9/10.