Echoes of the Eye manages to do the impossible by recapturing the joy of discovery and breathtaking moments found in the base game. The basic loop of piecing together the bread crumb trail of clues in order to find genuinely shocking, cosmic scale discoveries is still absolutely engrossing. Further, the add-on succeeds in meaningfully adding to the story we know without overly recontextualizing, avoiding any threat to our memories of the base experience. It simply adds more memorable moments to the universe. There are so many different incredible things Echoes of the Eye does in narrative, mechanics, and spectacle, but to discuss any of it would be to spoil moments that should just be seen. If you enjoyed Outer Wilds, stop reading or watching anything about the expansion and play Echoes of the Eye.
MILD SPOILERS TO SLIGHTLY COMPLAIN
This being said, Echoes of the Eye does not quite live up to the perfection of the base game. In the late game, there is a mechanical idea that is initially super cool but ultimately way overstays its welcome. Mileage may vary from person to person on how obstructing/frustrating the section is, but pretty much anyone is bound to be at least annoyed, which is certainly not the developer's intent. Further, there is a chokepoint on the bread crumb trail later on that is pretty obtuse and in a place that could make players wander truly aimlessly for hours if they do not happen upon it in the right sequence. The base game had moments of obtuseness too, but in the light of the full experience, they are easily forgotten. The flaws in Echoes of the Eye will cast a more permanent stain. Even so, the expansion overarchingly works on such a different level than basically any other game that it still ranks as one of the best experiences I have played.
MILD SPOILERS TO SLIGHTLY COMPLAIN
This being said, Echoes of the Eye does not quite live up to the perfection of the base game. In the late game, there is a mechanical idea that is initially super cool but ultimately way overstays its welcome. Mileage may vary from person to person on how obstructing/frustrating the section is, but pretty much anyone is bound to be at least annoyed, which is certainly not the developer's intent. Further, there is a chokepoint on the bread crumb trail later on that is pretty obtuse and in a place that could make players wander truly aimlessly for hours if they do not happen upon it in the right sequence. The base game had moments of obtuseness too, but in the light of the full experience, they are easily forgotten. The flaws in Echoes of the Eye will cast a more permanent stain. Even so, the expansion overarchingly works on such a different level than basically any other game that it still ranks as one of the best experiences I have played.