Even with a computer that tracks the different objective, unraveling the narrative threads can be difficult. Although the game encourages players to explore, the world can be so big that it can seem overwhelming and hard to figure out. That’s all fine and good but the biggest strength of “Outer Wilds” - the sense of exploration - is also its weakness. Improvement comes from knowledge and uncovering the inner workings of the celestial bodies. Players don’t earn experience points or build better gears as the inmates in “Void Bastards” do. In many ways, the setting of “Outer Wilds” is like complex clock that resets each time the protagonist dies. The worlds move around an orbit and follow a predictable pattern. Players will marvel at the Hourglass Twins, in which ash from one planet spills into the other. They’ll come across the angler fish in Dark Bramble and the strange ocean of Giant’s Deep. They’ll discover a black hole at the center of Brittle Hollow, which also has a moon that spews out molten rock. They’ll also figure out how to use their advanced technology and the strange properties of each planet. As players uncover their secrets during each phase of the time loop, they discover several threads that led to the Nomai’s fate. It’s a project that asks players to invest themselves in the story about an alien civilization. “Outer Wilds” is a high-concept project that’s part “Kerbal Space Program” and part “The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.” Players have limited tools at hand with their ship, space suit, Nomai translator, space probe and radio, but by using them cleverly, they can shed a light on the oddness of the solar system. Players find themselves in a 22-minute time loop, and using this seemingly endless amount of “Groundhog Day” time, they must explore the other planets and figure out the mystery behind their star system. Strangely enough, the protagonist awakes and finds himself back at the start of his day. The hero is set to explore the solar system when he runs across a statue of the ancient Nomai race, a group of aliens who explored this corner of the galaxy eons ago.Īs players casually explore the nearby moon and other planets, the star at the center explodes and kills everybody. Players take on the role of an astronaut of the planet Timberhearth. While “Void Bastards” revels in its gameplay and wry sense of humor, “Outer Wilds” specializes in creating a sense of wonder in a game based on hard science. This randomization on both sides creates a game with plenty of replayability and new sets of challenges. If players die, their character stays dead and the uptight droid on the Void Ark rehydrates a new prisoner, who has a different set of talents and characteristics. They’ll also have to weigh the risks and rewards of staying aboard to rifle through one last room versus fleeing if they’re health is low. Because there’s a variety of combinations, players have to plan ahead for each encounter. Players could encounter powerful aliens or annoyingly weak ones. They choose from three categories of weapons to do each job, but players have to pore over the ships’ randomized layouts, inhabitants and hazards.Ī vessel could be on fire or it could have its power shut off. Players survive by boarding other vessels and scavenging for material while fending off citizens lurking aboard. The process seems Sisyphean as they deal with one setback after another. It’s a more focused project with a twisted sense of humor as players try to repair their ship, the Void Ark. “Void Bastards” is the better game between the two. Thankfully, the protagonist is stuck in a time loop. On the other hand, “Outer Wilds” puts players in the middle of a peculiar solar system with a star on the verge of going into a supernova. The first game is a tongue-in-cheek, rogue-like effort that puts players in the shoes of inmates who are forced to jump start their prison ship after it becomes stuck in the Sargasso Nebula. Two indie titles, “Void Bastards” and “Outer Wilds” tackle different aspects of space-faring. That’s part of the reason it attracts the imagination. It can be a setting that invites the fantastic with lightsabers and the Force, and it can also be a sobering locale bounded by science. Outer space is a place of infinite possibilities and hard realities.
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