This can be especially helpful for progressing the story since you may get hints to solve a puzzle on one planet while exploring a different one.Īs you uncover new information, your findings are stored in your ship’s computer which I found to be a very helpful feature. The time loop allows you the freedom to choose a different planet to explore if you get tired or frustrated on another. Naturally, the time loop resets upon death. The reason for the time loop and it only lasting 22 minutes does have story relevance but at the same time it prevents the player from going on for hours without resetting the loop. This game features a time loop mechanic which places you right before your first launch and lasts for 22 minutes until an in-game event resets the loop for you. And the best part is, you are going to die. This game does an amazing job at making space travel feel scary and dangerous, whether it be from the wonky space controls that have you crashing at top speed into different planets or the different dynamic elements of each planet. It, quite literally, revolves around the sun. The best example of this that I can think of is when I had left my ship on an island on Giant’s Deep only to find it thrown into the air by a cyclone and having it get caught in the trees of an island. The creators of this game wanted to challenge the idea that games require static environments and instead built a world that changed over time and continued to change despite whether the player was on one planet or the other. With an understanding of each planet, you can see how lively the solar system is. All I will say about this planet is that space doesn’t exactly work the same on the inside. Lastly there’s Dark Bramble, which holds many deep and dark secrets. This planet’s main dynamic features are the stormy weather and the cyclones that launch the islands into space. The next planet, Giant’s Deep, is a gas giant with a surface that consists mostly of water with a few islands on top. What causes the surface to fall apart is the volcanic moon called Hollow’s Lantern that continuously spews out fiery rocks which crash onto the surface. This planet has an unforgivable black hole in the center that absorbs pieces of the surface as they fall apart. Once the sand fills Ember Twin completely, it reverses, hence the name “Hourglass.”Īfter Timber Hearth you have Brittle Hollow. The Hourglass Twins (Ember Twin and Ash Twin) orbit one another as the sand from Ash twin fills the deep canyon that cuts around Ember twin. The solar system contains five planets and a comet that all orbit the sun. But where could such an technologically advanced alien race have gone? This serves as the narrative for Outer Wilds. On your travels, you learn about their lives and ultimately where they went by visiting their ancient ruins and reading Nomai texts using a newly invented Nomai translator tool. Well, on Timber Hearth you learn of an ancient alien race known as the Nomai who lived in your solar system thousands of years prior but have since disappeared. You may be wondering how the story progresses with no missions or objectives. They can give helpful tips and are worth paying multiple visits as you learn more about each planet. On each planet you can find one of your Hearthian space exploring companions that came before you. This could appear to be a daunting task, however, you’re not alone. Your goal is to simply explore your solar system. After you get the launch codes for your first takeoff and initiate the time loop (which I won’t spoil), you set off into space on your own with no mission or objective. But the game does a good job at capturing the player’s attention with uniquely nostalgic music, a cozy forest setting, and a space exploration museum that hints at things to come. If you wanted to, you could bypass all the conversations, get the launch codes, and take off without having any idea how to play. This is done purposefully and, as you’ll see later, remains a core principle for the Outer Wilds game. You interact with fellow Hearthians who remind you of some necessary gameplay mechanics but they don’t explicitly give you a step by step guide. The home planet serves as a mini tutorial for the player but doesn’t exactly make it obvious. It boasts lots of water and trees with its main dynamic feature being geysers that can shoot you into the air (or even space). Their planet, Timber Hearth, is relatively quiet and peaceful. Hearthians are four eyed sentient creatures that appear to have developed from aquatic ancestors. The story begins as you wake up beside a campfire on Timber Hearth, ready to set off as the newest astronaut in the Hearthian space program.
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