This review contains spoilers
Base game review
In my most recent review of the base game, I mentioned that discovery is the ethos of Outer Wilds. That ethos is successfully carried over to the Echoes of the Eye DLC, but not in a way that I expected. A key aspect of discovery is the ability to bravely face the unknown, and it’s that very aspect that Echoes of the Eye tests its players on. The farther you progress throughout the DLC, the more the game tests you in this regard, as you gradually learn more and more about the fate of the species that occupies The Stranger, and you eventually trespass through a world that’s hostile, oppressive, and foreboding in order to learn the truth about this mysterious and unheard-of alien race, as well as how they tie into the mystery regarding the Eye of the Universe.
The DLC feels very segmented from the core game, while at the same time managing to integrate itself naturally with the rest of Outer Wilds’ galaxy. Its explanation for why you wouldn’t have discovered it over the course of your original playthrough makes sense. The Stranger uses cloaking technology to make itself invisible so you likely would never find it over the course of your original journey. I like how they made getting to The Stranger a puzzle itself, further justifying why you wouldn’t have discovered it during your original run.
The Stranger is a very cool environment to explore. Making it a ring world like Halo was a great idea, and I love how its environment is more or less an extension to that of Timber Hearth’s, with its woodlands-based climate. Navigating The Stranger is quite fun. Regardless of your overall feelings towards the DLC, I feel like almost everyone can agree that water rafting to the different areas throughout the ship is really fun, especially with the accompanying music track that plays when the raft picks up speed.
The storytelling is done differently in the DLC. Since your translator doesn’t understand the language of the alien race aboard The Stranger, the story is told via the different projector reels that you find all throughout various abandoned and rotting buildings in the ship, and eventually, the dream world as well. Once you start to discover the various projection reels, the DLC gradually becomes more and more ominous as you learn additional details regarding the race that’s aboard the Stranger. I can’t tell you how uneasy I felt when I discovered the corpses of this race hidden away in one of their dream rooms. It was extremely unnerving the first time.
The contrast between dark and light is a key theme of the DLC, and like the base game, the DLC ties its key narrative theme with its gameplay very well. From the moment you board The Stranger, you discover how the ship’s systems generally operate via sources of light, making your flashlight a key tool throughout the entire DLC. This contrast is explored even further when you explore the dream world, which is enshrouded in pitch black darkness. Going from the bright and serene environment of The Stranger to the dark and oppressive atmosphere of the dream world is such an intense transition. The devs went above and beyond in making you feel like the dream world is a place you are not supposed to be in. Thanks to the incredible sound design as well as the usage of darkness to make it difficult to get a grasp on your surroundings, it feels like anything can come out of the dark to surprise and attack you at any moment. This is how Echoes of the Eye tests your ability to face the unknown in order to reach the truth.
I truly admire the lengths gone to in order to tie this narrative theme with the gameplay. The devs definitely accomplished what they set out to do with it, but at the same time, part of me feels like they did a little too good of a job. The dream world is so dark that it’s actually a bit of a nuisance trying to explore it. That in addition to its overwhelming atmosphere and the inability to fight back against enemies is the primary reason why unlike the base game, I wasn’t enthusiastic about exploring the dream world, and there were times where I actually had to sit down and force myself through it. I don’t know why I had such a reaction to the dream world when I’m normally an enjoyer and advocate for horror. It might be because of how much the environment is obfuscated in the dream world. In other horror games, I feel like I can at the very least prepare for threats by being aware of my surroundings, and I’m generally able to fight back against enemies, even in a limited capacity. In the dream world, my inability to always have a firm grasp of my surroundings due to the darkness or fight back at all against the patrolling enemies, as well as the oppressive soundscape, kept me constantly uncomfortable and on edge at all times. Even if the enemies are telegraphed by the lanterns they carry in the dark, they could still be hard to spot, and I would occasionally just turn around a corner and run into one of them with no way of knowing beforehand.
I definitely understand what the devs were trying to do by making the dream world dark and difficult to navigate. At the same time though, it made the dream world a pain to explore at times, as well as figure out what to do and where to go. When you discover the Forbidden Archives in each of the three key locations and you get the clues you need to figure out how to make navigating the dream world easier, it gets a lot better. You also learn additional details of the alien race that occupies The Stranger, including the contents of the projector reels that you discover on The Stranger that have burnt out slides, making them a particularly strong reward.
The conclusion of the DLC, which you reach by freeing the Prisoner after utilizing the techniques you learn in the Forbidden Archives, was rather satisfying. I really enjoyed the scene with the Prisoner where you exchange information with one another via his projection staff. I can’t imagine the complex emotions the Prisoner must’ve felt when he realized that his actions weren’t in vain, and in-fact, lead to core events that kick off the base game’s narrative. You can really grasp those feelings by listening to his pained, yet vindicated howl after the vision exchange. It’s a very tender and beautiful moment that only Outer Wilds is capable of. I was told to redo the base game’s ending again once I finished the DLC, and I’m glad I did, I’m actually a little ashamed that I didn’t think to do so after initially completing Echoes of the Eye. The addition of The Prisoner to the finale sequence was a welcome one, and it was very nice seeing him join up with the rest of the crew, introducing an additional race to the new universe that we birth together.
Echoes of the Eye is a different, yet excellent addition to Outer Wilds. However, I feel like I’d be lying if I said I completely enjoyed the experience. The dream world can be frustrating to navigate even when you do get used to the scary atmosphere and the enemies stop having that effect they once had on you, simply because of how difficult it is to see anything while you’re in it without leaving your artifact behind. Like most things in Outer Wilds though, it does become easier to navigate thanks to repetition. The DLC as a whole is still an excellent experience, and a worthwhile addition to the game. It’s not consistently fun, but at the same time it’s not trying to be. It challenges you to face the unknown, and I’m glad I braved that challenge.
In my most recent review of the base game, I mentioned that discovery is the ethos of Outer Wilds. That ethos is successfully carried over to the Echoes of the Eye DLC, but not in a way that I expected. A key aspect of discovery is the ability to bravely face the unknown, and it’s that very aspect that Echoes of the Eye tests its players on. The farther you progress throughout the DLC, the more the game tests you in this regard, as you gradually learn more and more about the fate of the species that occupies The Stranger, and you eventually trespass through a world that’s hostile, oppressive, and foreboding in order to learn the truth about this mysterious and unheard-of alien race, as well as how they tie into the mystery regarding the Eye of the Universe.
The DLC feels very segmented from the core game, while at the same time managing to integrate itself naturally with the rest of Outer Wilds’ galaxy. Its explanation for why you wouldn’t have discovered it over the course of your original playthrough makes sense. The Stranger uses cloaking technology to make itself invisible so you likely would never find it over the course of your original journey. I like how they made getting to The Stranger a puzzle itself, further justifying why you wouldn’t have discovered it during your original run.
The Stranger is a very cool environment to explore. Making it a ring world like Halo was a great idea, and I love how its environment is more or less an extension to that of Timber Hearth’s, with its woodlands-based climate. Navigating The Stranger is quite fun. Regardless of your overall feelings towards the DLC, I feel like almost everyone can agree that water rafting to the different areas throughout the ship is really fun, especially with the accompanying music track that plays when the raft picks up speed.
The storytelling is done differently in the DLC. Since your translator doesn’t understand the language of the alien race aboard The Stranger, the story is told via the different projector reels that you find all throughout various abandoned and rotting buildings in the ship, and eventually, the dream world as well. Once you start to discover the various projection reels, the DLC gradually becomes more and more ominous as you learn additional details regarding the race that’s aboard the Stranger. I can’t tell you how uneasy I felt when I discovered the corpses of this race hidden away in one of their dream rooms. It was extremely unnerving the first time.
The contrast between dark and light is a key theme of the DLC, and like the base game, the DLC ties its key narrative theme with its gameplay very well. From the moment you board The Stranger, you discover how the ship’s systems generally operate via sources of light, making your flashlight a key tool throughout the entire DLC. This contrast is explored even further when you explore the dream world, which is enshrouded in pitch black darkness. Going from the bright and serene environment of The Stranger to the dark and oppressive atmosphere of the dream world is such an intense transition. The devs went above and beyond in making you feel like the dream world is a place you are not supposed to be in. Thanks to the incredible sound design as well as the usage of darkness to make it difficult to get a grasp on your surroundings, it feels like anything can come out of the dark to surprise and attack you at any moment. This is how Echoes of the Eye tests your ability to face the unknown in order to reach the truth.
I truly admire the lengths gone to in order to tie this narrative theme with the gameplay. The devs definitely accomplished what they set out to do with it, but at the same time, part of me feels like they did a little too good of a job. The dream world is so dark that it’s actually a bit of a nuisance trying to explore it. That in addition to its overwhelming atmosphere and the inability to fight back against enemies is the primary reason why unlike the base game, I wasn’t enthusiastic about exploring the dream world, and there were times where I actually had to sit down and force myself through it. I don’t know why I had such a reaction to the dream world when I’m normally an enjoyer and advocate for horror. It might be because of how much the environment is obfuscated in the dream world. In other horror games, I feel like I can at the very least prepare for threats by being aware of my surroundings, and I’m generally able to fight back against enemies, even in a limited capacity. In the dream world, my inability to always have a firm grasp of my surroundings due to the darkness or fight back at all against the patrolling enemies, as well as the oppressive soundscape, kept me constantly uncomfortable and on edge at all times. Even if the enemies are telegraphed by the lanterns they carry in the dark, they could still be hard to spot, and I would occasionally just turn around a corner and run into one of them with no way of knowing beforehand.
I definitely understand what the devs were trying to do by making the dream world dark and difficult to navigate. At the same time though, it made the dream world a pain to explore at times, as well as figure out what to do and where to go. When you discover the Forbidden Archives in each of the three key locations and you get the clues you need to figure out how to make navigating the dream world easier, it gets a lot better. You also learn additional details of the alien race that occupies The Stranger, including the contents of the projector reels that you discover on The Stranger that have burnt out slides, making them a particularly strong reward.
The conclusion of the DLC, which you reach by freeing the Prisoner after utilizing the techniques you learn in the Forbidden Archives, was rather satisfying. I really enjoyed the scene with the Prisoner where you exchange information with one another via his projection staff. I can’t imagine the complex emotions the Prisoner must’ve felt when he realized that his actions weren’t in vain, and in-fact, lead to core events that kick off the base game’s narrative. You can really grasp those feelings by listening to his pained, yet vindicated howl after the vision exchange. It’s a very tender and beautiful moment that only Outer Wilds is capable of. I was told to redo the base game’s ending again once I finished the DLC, and I’m glad I did, I’m actually a little ashamed that I didn’t think to do so after initially completing Echoes of the Eye. The addition of The Prisoner to the finale sequence was a welcome one, and it was very nice seeing him join up with the rest of the crew, introducing an additional race to the new universe that we birth together.
Echoes of the Eye is a different, yet excellent addition to Outer Wilds. However, I feel like I’d be lying if I said I completely enjoyed the experience. The dream world can be frustrating to navigate even when you do get used to the scary atmosphere and the enemies stop having that effect they once had on you, simply because of how difficult it is to see anything while you’re in it without leaving your artifact behind. Like most things in Outer Wilds though, it does become easier to navigate thanks to repetition. The DLC as a whole is still an excellent experience, and a worthwhile addition to the game. It’s not consistently fun, but at the same time it’s not trying to be. It challenges you to face the unknown, and I’m glad I braved that challenge.
2 Comments
@Wollom Yeah, it's just another great example of the light/dark contrast theme of the DLC. Going from the dark and spooky hanger of the ship to the almost tranquil interior of The Stranger was almost as dramatic of a transition as it was going from The Stranger to the dream world. It's an extremely memorable moment, I'm actually kinda kicking myself for not mentioning it in the review.
Wollom
9 days ago
Great review and I feel you a bit on the navigation criticisms.