I’m a Space Cowboy

There are some really cool games I’m looking forward to playing in the next couple months: God of War Ragnarok, Pokemon Scarlet, Mario Rabbids Sparks of Hope, One Piece Odyssey, and Callisto Protocol to name a few.

But y’all ever heard of Outer Wilds? This game came out in 2019, but only recently reached my attention. The set up is that you’re an alien from a small community in an unknown star system getting ready to head out and explore space and the ruins of a civilization that has since died out, and beyond them a mystery called “The Eye of the Universe”.

Then, 23 minutes later, the sun explodes. And you wake up with a LOT of questions.

There are plenty of time-loop fictional properties out there, and I tend to be fond of the trope. But the time-loop itself is less special than the intricate puzzle box the game creates. Exploring any world in the solar system gives you clues and leads to start putting together the picture of who inhabited the worlds before you, what the ruins they left behind are for, and what’s happening to the sun. A clue on a collapsing planet can lead you to a hidden tower on an ocean world or the deep caves of binary moons, or to places where time and space start to get a little… odd.

There’s no combat in this game, which is the right call. It’s all about explorations and discovery, which feeds well into the set-up of your space program and the ancient aliens you’re investigating. A lot of times that can feel lonely, but you can always pull out your radio and listen for your fellow astronauts, plucking away at instruments and playing folk songs throughout the star system. Then you can stop by and say hello.

I have no idea how much of this game I have left. I have a lot of leads, but some big questions still unanswered. But even though I’m excited for new games, I’m enjoying taking my time with this one. It’s special, and I highly recommend it.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a date with a quantum moon.