I honestly despise this game, and I know that is not a common experience. I enjoyed the exploration and the flying quite a bit, and the game does do some fairly innovative things. However, it is a mystery game not designed around a mystery. In the alpha build of the game there is a hidden message stating that they don't know where they are going with it yet - they did not build this game with an ending in mind, and it shows. I cannot explain too much without going into spoilers, but the final parts of the game soured my experience, and made me rather want to play games that did similar things much better.
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[SPOILERS AHEAD]
Quite a bit more on the subject since I think about this game a bunch, includes major spoilers
[SPOILERS START]
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What story is this game trying to tell? My initial response was about the inevitability of death, of endings. It mostly approaches that through the ludonarrative. You realize you can't stop the sun from exploding, and learn to accept that. However, I think going beyond that the story breaks really hard.
When I started this game, I took it as my goal to solve the mystery behind the exploding sun and save timber hearth. The game clearly wants you to care for the hearthians, giving you the option to play with children and do little tasks with your neighbors. From this perspective, their death is the death of everyone you love and care about, which is why I wanted to stop it. When it became clear that it couldn't be done, it didn't feel like I was accepting the death of myself or people close to me, it felt like accepting the end of the world. That is very much supported by the fact that the universe is literally dying from some natural cause.
To me, in this day, depicting the end of the world as something completely neutral and natural and something that cannot be stopped? Reeks pretty much of just doomerism. It felt like I was searching a way to save the world, and finding that it doesn't exist. I don't believe that this is the story that this game wants to tell, and I think it's supposed to be way more about the acceptance of loss. So how did this dissonance happen? For one, the game has painfully little written narrative. The other person stuck in the loop doesn't have much dialogue, and I wish there was more of a chance to ponder the player character's death. None of the characters speak much about these themes despite the game having the opportunity to do so. It exists entirely in the player experience which varies person to person, and in my case it didn't give me anything meaningful.
I believe this dissonance is caused by the fact that the setting is unsuitable for the story it wants to tell. Finding things about the world and how the nomai lived was really fun, but it all feels disconnected with the ending. If they had designed the game and its mechanics around a mystery with a solid narrative, I think it would've worked. In the alpha build, which contained much of the core game, they had no idea where they were going with it. I keep thinking about that fact.
So can this game be valuable? Yeah if it happens to fit your experience with it. But with how badly the game needs a lot more to support its story? I can't help but despise it. There are enough other games that do similar things with loss and death so much better that I constantly wish that this game did better.
Quite a bit more on the subject since I think about this game a bunch, includes major spoilers
[SPOILERS START]
-
-
-
-
-
What story is this game trying to tell? My initial response was about the inevitability of death, of endings. It mostly approaches that through the ludonarrative. You realize you can't stop the sun from exploding, and learn to accept that. However, I think going beyond that the story breaks really hard.
When I started this game, I took it as my goal to solve the mystery behind the exploding sun and save timber hearth. The game clearly wants you to care for the hearthians, giving you the option to play with children and do little tasks with your neighbors. From this perspective, their death is the death of everyone you love and care about, which is why I wanted to stop it. When it became clear that it couldn't be done, it didn't feel like I was accepting the death of myself or people close to me, it felt like accepting the end of the world. That is very much supported by the fact that the universe is literally dying from some natural cause.
To me, in this day, depicting the end of the world as something completely neutral and natural and something that cannot be stopped? Reeks pretty much of just doomerism. It felt like I was searching a way to save the world, and finding that it doesn't exist. I don't believe that this is the story that this game wants to tell, and I think it's supposed to be way more about the acceptance of loss. So how did this dissonance happen? For one, the game has painfully little written narrative. The other person stuck in the loop doesn't have much dialogue, and I wish there was more of a chance to ponder the player character's death. None of the characters speak much about these themes despite the game having the opportunity to do so. It exists entirely in the player experience which varies person to person, and in my case it didn't give me anything meaningful.
I believe this dissonance is caused by the fact that the setting is unsuitable for the story it wants to tell. Finding things about the world and how the nomai lived was really fun, but it all feels disconnected with the ending. If they had designed the game and its mechanics around a mystery with a solid narrative, I think it would've worked. In the alpha build, which contained much of the core game, they had no idea where they were going with it. I keep thinking about that fact.
So can this game be valuable? Yeah if it happens to fit your experience with it. But with how badly the game needs a lot more to support its story? I can't help but despise it. There are enough other games that do similar things with loss and death so much better that I constantly wish that this game did better.
Gonna rot13 my response since it contains spoilers for Outer Wilds, the Outer Wilds dlc, and Dark Souls 3's dlc
Fb V guvax cneg bs jurer jr unq irel qvssrerag rkcrevraprf urer vf gung V arire fnj guvf tnzr nf nobhg zr gelvat gb fnir gur fbyne flfgrz. Sebz gur irel ortvaavat evtug hc hagvy n pbhcyr ubhef be fb orsber gur raq V jnf fgehttyvat gb rira vzntvar ubj V pbhyq zrnavatshyyl vagrenpg jvgu gur fbyne flfgrz ba gung fbeg bs yriry, yrg nybar npghnyyl bhgevtug fnir vg. Sbe zr gur infg ohyx bs gur tnzr jnf sebz gur crefcrpgvir abg bs na nqiraghere gelvat gb fnir gur fbyne flfgrz, ohg bs na nepunrbybtvfg gelvat gb haqrefgnaq vg naq vgf uvfgbel
V nyfb guvax gur raqvat, juvyfg vg vaibyirf npprcgvat qrngu naq ragebcl naq pybfher, vf nyfb rkcyvpvgyl ubcrshy. Vg unf n irel fvzvyne raretl gb vg nf gur raqvat bs Qnex Fbhyf 3 qbrf; ragebcl pynvzf nyy guvatf va gvzr, lrg qrfcvgr guvf ng gur raq bs gur jbeyq bs Qnex Fbhyf 3, jura nyy unf qrpnlrq naq qvrq naq ghearq gb nfu, lbh svaq gur Qnex Fbhy naq unaq vg gb gur cnvagre fb gung n arj jbeyq pna or perngrq, fb gung sebz gurfr nfurf bs gur byq jbeyq jr pna pbafgehpg fbzrguvat orggre. Gung raqvat vf znlor zl svany cneg bs Qnex Fbhyf 3, naq V svaq ubj Bhgre Jvyqf raqf jvgu n arj ortvaavat, n arj havirefr perngrq va gur zrzbel bs gur byq, fvzvyneyl ubcrshy naq cebsbhaqyl zbivat va guvf ertneq
V guvax gurer ner n srj qvssrerag fgbevrf gb svaq va guvf tnzr. Bar vf nobhg ragebcl, naq guvf fgbel vf gur bar gung hygvzngryl sbezf n ybg bs gur raqvat bs gur tnzr
N frpbaq fgbel vf nobhg ubj gur Abznv erfcbaq gb gur abgvba bs qrngu; gurl qba'g srne vg, gurl tb urnqybat vagb gur haxabja orpnhfr gurl arrq gb yrnea, gb xabj, rira vs vg jvyy chg gurz va qnatre (naq guvf qbrf npghnyyl yrnq gb gurve qrzvfr). Gurer'f n ovt rkgrag gb juvpu V guvax gur punenpgre lbh cynl yrneavat gb npprcg raqvat guvatf pbzrf sebz frrvat gur Abznv'f nggvghqrf gbjneqf guvatf, naq V qb guvax guvf vf cebonoyl gur jrnxrfg bs gur guerr znva fgbevrf V frr va gur onfr tnzr? Guvf npprcgnapr bs qrngu va guvf jnl qvqa'g ernyyl erfbangr jvgu zr, rvgure. Ubjrire V guvax gur qyp tbrf n ybat jnl gb svkvat guvf; vg sbphfrf ba gur bgure fvqr bs gur rdhngvba, n arj enpr gung qebir vgfrys penml sebz srne bs qrngu, gung jrag gb terng yratguf va qrfcrengr rssbegf gb uvqr gur irel abgvba bs ragebcl sebz gurve zvaqf, naq V guvax guvf qyp raqrq hc orvat ernyyl vzcbegnag orpnhfr bs ubj rssrpgviryl vg pbagenfgf ntnvafg gur Abznv
Gur guveq fgbel vf rnfvyl zl snibhevgr bs gur guerr, naq gur bar gung V nqber gur tnzr sbe, naq gung vf gur uvfgbel bs gur Abznv. Gur uvfgbel lbh harnegu ivn lbhe nepunrbybtvpny rkcybengvbaf, naq nyy gur ornhgvshy jnlf gur Abznv npg nf n ersyrpgvba bs bhefryirf. V pna'g ernyyl chg vagb jbeqf ubj jbaqreshy V svaq nyy gurfr yvggyr ybtf lbh svaq sbezvat guvf cngpujbex erpbeq bs n crbcyr gung rkvfgrq ybat orsber lbh. V guvax nobir nyy ryfr, nobir gur fghss nobhg rkcybevat fcnpr naq npprcgvat qrngu naq svthevat bhg gur fbyhgvba gb oernx bhg bs gur ybbcf, gur tnzr vf sbe zr cevznevyl nobhg guvf pvivyvfngvba gung pnzr orsber lbh naq gurve gnyr, jung qebir gurz, gurve ubcrf, qernzf, srnef, vqrnyf, gur eryngvbafuvcf gurl sbezrq, gur cnva naq wbl gurl rkcrevraprq. Guvf vf jurer gur gehr wbl bs Bhgre Jvyqf vf sbe zr
Fb V guvax cneg bs jurer jr unq irel qvssrerag rkcrevraprf urer vf gung V arire fnj guvf tnzr nf nobhg zr gelvat gb fnir gur fbyne flfgrz. Sebz gur irel ortvaavat evtug hc hagvy n pbhcyr ubhef be fb orsber gur raq V jnf fgehttyvat gb rira vzntvar ubj V pbhyq zrnavatshyyl vagrenpg jvgu gur fbyne flfgrz ba gung fbeg bs yriry, yrg nybar npghnyyl bhgevtug fnir vg. Sbe zr gur infg ohyx bs gur tnzr jnf sebz gur crefcrpgvir abg bs na nqiraghere gelvat gb fnir gur fbyne flfgrz, ohg bs na nepunrbybtvfg gelvat gb haqrefgnaq vg naq vgf uvfgbel
V nyfb guvax gur raqvat, juvyfg vg vaibyirf npprcgvat qrngu naq ragebcl naq pybfher, vf nyfb rkcyvpvgyl ubcrshy. Vg unf n irel fvzvyne raretl gb vg nf gur raqvat bs Qnex Fbhyf 3 qbrf; ragebcl pynvzf nyy guvatf va gvzr, lrg qrfcvgr guvf ng gur raq bs gur jbeyq bs Qnex Fbhyf 3, jura nyy unf qrpnlrq naq qvrq naq ghearq gb nfu, lbh svaq gur Qnex Fbhy naq unaq vg gb gur cnvagre fb gung n arj jbeyq pna or perngrq, fb gung sebz gurfr nfurf bs gur byq jbeyq jr pna pbafgehpg fbzrguvat orggre. Gung raqvat vf znlor zl svany cneg bs Qnex Fbhyf 3, naq V svaq ubj Bhgre Jvyqf raqf jvgu n arj ortvaavat, n arj havirefr perngrq va gur zrzbel bs gur byq, fvzvyneyl ubcrshy naq cebsbhaqyl zbivat va guvf ertneq
V guvax gurer ner n srj qvssrerag fgbevrf gb svaq va guvf tnzr. Bar vf nobhg ragebcl, naq guvf fgbel vf gur bar gung hygvzngryl sbezf n ybg bs gur raqvat bs gur tnzr
N frpbaq fgbel vf nobhg ubj gur Abznv erfcbaq gb gur abgvba bs qrngu; gurl qba'g srne vg, gurl tb urnqybat vagb gur haxabja orpnhfr gurl arrq gb yrnea, gb xabj, rira vs vg jvyy chg gurz va qnatre (naq guvf qbrf npghnyyl yrnq gb gurve qrzvfr). Gurer'f n ovt rkgrag gb juvpu V guvax gur punenpgre lbh cynl yrneavat gb npprcg raqvat guvatf pbzrf sebz frrvat gur Abznv'f nggvghqrf gbjneqf guvatf, naq V qb guvax guvf vf cebonoyl gur jrnxrfg bs gur guerr znva fgbevrf V frr va gur onfr tnzr? Guvf npprcgnapr bs qrngu va guvf jnl qvqa'g ernyyl erfbangr jvgu zr, rvgure. Ubjrire V guvax gur qyp tbrf n ybat jnl gb svkvat guvf; vg sbphfrf ba gur bgure fvqr bs gur rdhngvba, n arj enpr gung qebir vgfrys penml sebz srne bs qrngu, gung jrag gb terng yratguf va qrfcrengr rssbegf gb uvqr gur irel abgvba bs ragebcl sebz gurve zvaqf, naq V guvax guvf qyp raqrq hc orvat ernyyl vzcbegnag orpnhfr bs ubj rssrpgviryl vg pbagenfgf ntnvafg gur Abznv
Gur guveq fgbel vf rnfvyl zl snibhevgr bs gur guerr, naq gur bar gung V nqber gur tnzr sbe, naq gung vf gur uvfgbel bs gur Abznv. Gur uvfgbel lbh harnegu ivn lbhe nepunrbybtvpny rkcybengvbaf, naq nyy gur ornhgvshy jnlf gur Abznv npg nf n ersyrpgvba bs bhefryirf. V pna'g ernyyl chg vagb jbeqf ubj jbaqreshy V svaq nyy gurfr yvggyr ybtf lbh svaq sbezvat guvf cngpujbex erpbeq bs n crbcyr gung rkvfgrq ybat orsber lbh. V guvax nobir nyy ryfr, nobir gur fghss nobhg rkcybevat fcnpr naq npprcgvat qrngu naq svthevat bhg gur fbyhgvba gb oernx bhg bs gur ybbcf, gur tnzr vf sbe zr cevznevyl nobhg guvf pvivyvfngvba gung pnzr orsber lbh naq gurve gnyr, jung qebir gurz, gurve ubcrf, qernzf, srnef, vqrnyf, gur eryngvbafuvcf gurl sbezrq, gur cnva naq wbl gurl rkcrevraprq. Guvf vf jurer gur gehr wbl bs Bhgre Jvyqf vf sbe zr
continuing with spoilers, gonna rot 13 too
Guvf vf jul V unir fhpu pbzcyvpngrq srryvatf nobhg guvf tnzr - vg pna tvir lbh guvf fbeg bs ornhgvshy rkcrevrapr, ohg jvgu ubj vg vf fgehpgherq naq ubj gur raqvat sryg qvfpbaarpgrq sebz gur rkcrevrapr bs rkcybengvba, vg pnaabg qb gung sbe rirelbar. Vg qrcraqf ragveryl ba ubj lbh unccra gb frr lbhe cbfvgvba va gur jbeyq bs gur tnzr, naq V guvax gurl pbhyq'ir qbar n zhpu orggre wbo bs cersnpvat gung. Jura V fnl gung guvf tnzr unf jnl gbb yvggyr jevggra aneengvir V zrna rknpgyl gung - vg qbrfa'g qb n irel pbafvfgrag wbo bs znxvat cynlref rkcrevrapr jung vg jnagf gb. Va zl pnfr, vg zbfgyl raqrq hc uhegvat zr. Perngvat n arj jbeyq qvq abg srry yvxr zbivat ba naq znxvat fbzrguvat orggre, vg sryg yvxr nonaqbavat ubcr naq npprcgvat gung lbh jvyy ybfr rirelguvat lbh ybir. Xvaqn jnag gb zragvba bgure tnzrf gung qb fvzvyne aneengvirf ernyyl jryy urer, ohg gung jbhyq cebonoyl raq hc fcbvyvat gurz n ovg gbb zhpu. V qvqa'g jnag gb engr zl crefbany srryvatf nobhg guvf tnzr orybj 2.5 fgnef orpnhfr V guvax guvf tnzr qrsvavgryl unf gur cbgragvny gb qb terng guvatf, V whfg qba'g guvax gur aneengvir fgehpgher yraqf gb gung.
Guvf vf jul V unir fhpu pbzcyvpngrq srryvatf nobhg guvf tnzr - vg pna tvir lbh guvf fbeg bs ornhgvshy rkcrevrapr, ohg jvgu ubj vg vf fgehpgherq naq ubj gur raqvat sryg qvfpbaarpgrq sebz gur rkcrevrapr bs rkcybengvba, vg pnaabg qb gung sbe rirelbar. Vg qrcraqf ragveryl ba ubj lbh unccra gb frr lbhe cbfvgvba va gur jbeyq bs gur tnzr, naq V guvax gurl pbhyq'ir qbar n zhpu orggre wbo bs cersnpvat gung. Jura V fnl gung guvf tnzr unf jnl gbb yvggyr jevggra aneengvir V zrna rknpgyl gung - vg qbrfa'g qb n irel pbafvfgrag wbo bs znxvat cynlref rkcrevrapr jung vg jnagf gb. Va zl pnfr, vg zbfgyl raqrq hc uhegvat zr. Perngvat n arj jbeyq qvq abg srry yvxr zbivat ba naq znxvat fbzrguvat orggre, vg sryg yvxr nonaqbavat ubcr naq npprcgvat gung lbh jvyy ybfr rirelguvat lbh ybir. Xvaqn jnag gb zragvba bgure tnzrf gung qb fvzvyne aneengvirf ernyyl jryy urer, ohg gung jbhyq cebonoyl raq hc fcbvyvat gurz n ovg gbb zhpu. V qvqa'g jnag gb engr zl crefbany srryvatf nobhg guvf tnzr orybj 2.5 fgnef orpnhfr V guvax guvf tnzr qrsvavgryl unf gur cbgragvny gb qb terng guvatf, V whfg qba'g guvax gur aneengvir fgehpgher yraqf gb gung.
COMPOSTCOMEFORTH
2 years ago