this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2023
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Whether you started with a 2600 and a joystick in your hand, an N64 with a blistered palm or building your first PC in your teens, what is that one video game you've played at some point that to this day sits at the top of your list.

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[–] [email protected] 54 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (13 children)

The Outer Wilds. IMO, non-violence-based gameplay design is an underexplored space, especially in 3-D games. The Outer Wilds manages to feel like a fully-fledged game, rather than a traditional walking simulator, using exploration as it's core gameplay loop.

Further, it's main progression system is you, the out-of-game player, learning about the world. There's no abilities you gain or keys you have to find. You unlock new areas, not as a programmed game mechanic, but as a function of reasoning about what you've discovered and gaining insight into how the game world works. Any playthrough could be beaten in about 15 minutes -- there's nothing physically blocking you from triggering the end of the game -- but it takes you 15 hours or so of flying around the solar system to accrue the necessary insight to get there.

It's really a special game.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have never played The Outer Wilds, however your description makes the game sound similar to No Mans Sky. Is this a fair assumption?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Beyond being set in space I would say they are pretty different. Outer Wilds is set in a single, hand crafted solar system. The planets are kind of "cutesy" and small. Like you can see the curve of the horizon when you are on each planet because they are each designed as spherical levels you are meant to explore most of.

The space flight mechanics are also pure Newtonian physics ala the Expanse, whereas the ships in no man's fly like planes, not rocket ships.

All that said. If you liked No Man's Sky I think there's a decent chance you'll like Outer Wilds.

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