In basically every conceivable sense the worldbuilding of Outer Wilds is remarkable. Each planet has a memorable, creative, strikingly unique identity that is fleshed out and toyed with in multiple different directions, the rich history of the Nomai is fascinating, emotionally and thematically resonant, and interweaves with the history of these planets in compelling ways, and then on top of that all of this interconnects like some celestial jigsaw puzzle both in regards to the events in the distant past that led to this point in time and in regards to how the cycle you find yourself caught in interacts with itself. The number of "aha!" moments in the game is impressive in and of itself, but the fact you can make these discoveries in so many completely different orders and still piece together what's going on in a satisfying way is just wonderful and a testament to how compelling this game's exploration can be at its very best.

Outer Wilds is also quietly thematically very dense. If you want to just enjoy the joy of exploration and the fear of the unknown you can do that, but under the surface there's so much to enjoy within here about human nature and what pulls us into this need to discover and learn even in the face of danger, that human urge to develop and grow and quite literally reach for the skies, science and religion and belief and all the tension and questions and confusion and peace these things can represent, death and endings and decay and how we both resist these things but also can learn to accept them as something natural and inevitable. Community, and love, and home. Underneath the solemn unearthing of words long past, places in decay, on your own amongst the silence of space, there is a deep emotionality running through the veins of this game that somehow both interweaves with and yet also runs counter to that calm.

I've heard a lot of people say they wish they could play Outer Wilds for the first time again, or that it's a game you can only really play once, and I can't really relate to that sentiment. I had some pretty marked frustrations with my playthrough, some of the puzzles felt obtuse enough to seriously impede my progress and kick me out of the vibes the game was giving, and the controls are very awkward and took as much as several hours for me to become comfortable with (there's a lot of slow, awkward wiggling around early on in the game). These frustrations feel like they'd distract far less from the game's beauty, wonder and ideas on a second playthrough, and whilst the sense of discovery may not be there in quite the same way I'm still so curious to revisit these records of the Nomai, scattered throughout the solar system, with a more full context of what they all mean. Somehow, despite the game's reputation of being a one-time deal, I'm left both excited to return and hopeful I will fall in love when I do.

Update; heard the Outer Wilds music out of context, immediately burst into tears, decided to come back and add half a star to this review :p This game has grown in my mind considerably after I finished playing it.