I feel like every other video I watched was like "no spoilers" and then proceed to show footage from every planet, talking about why they're unique, giving away answers if even for early puzzles, and it's just like....those are spoilers in a game like this though? lol

@@daniel_netzel I'll second that! A fantastic video and spoiler-free breakdown, and, I must say, as a graphic designer and video guy myself, very nice job with the typography and graphics. I love that you created a 14 minute video without showing anything beyond the opening moments of the game and without it ever being repetitive too. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the 'cult-like fan base' because a) we are lol, and b) I hate hyping the game without being able to go into specifics :D It's a curse!

Much appreciated! I don't always do the fancy graphics anymore, but I felt this video needed them! And I'm 100% a member of this cult at this point lol I think anyone who gets into this game gets REALLY into it, and that's definitely me

​​@@daniel_netzel This always annoyed me too. Like, how am I supposed to reccomend a video to pitch a game when it gives away a bunch of cool moments?

Not quite *any* of the major points. If you watch play-throughs the fact that you're in a time-loop is a big moment for absolutely everybody.

Love this. Well said

This isn't really a new approach but it is one that's largely forgotten in modern games. The Sierra games or Myst series from the 90s in particular had a lot of these elements to them where you had to actually read/understand and remember how puzzles and their solutions connect to one another.

Right? I’ve never ever played outer wild, and yet if I were to buy it I could beat the game in less then a minute, I have the knowledge

I never finished it but Damn I remember the first time I played it. I wanted to keep learning. Everything was a mystery that I wanted to figure out. It was so amazing

i know this is brought up every time someone says what you said, but there is another kind of game like this one: fighting games. Almost all you do in fighting games is develop your understanding of the game, with mild (and disappearing) codas for perception and physical execution - and understanding has always trumped those anyway. That said, I don't blame anyone who is attracted to the journey in the context of OW and not the rather more intense FGs. Also, as was said: Myst and also Rain World, while not quite the same, are close enough to be worth playing if you love OW

That ending will stick with me forever, absolutely flawless IMO

Haven't played OW yet. Is it somehow even better than Omori's good ending?

@@JerPlaysGuitar21 I havent played Omori so I guess I'll need to check that out, but I'll say this about Outer Wilds. I played it a year ago and its literally my favorite game ever and I come from a background of pretty much only liking shooter games. This game made me rethink my whole opinion of indie games and and storytelling games. I cant say that it'll top Omori for you, but I promise youll come out of this game absolutely loving the experience you just had. Please do yourself the favor of genuinely trying it

@@zero1487 Thanks for the input! I'll definitely give it a try :D

Omori is great, but there's something upon pondering Outer Wilds' ending that *always* moves me deeply. Accounting for the games themes and how they manifest it in the conclusion is what makes its ending a triumph. @@JerPlaysGuitar21

Someone of culture I see!

Yet here we are watching Outer Wilds videos that mostly shows and says things that we already know 😆

​@@AninoNiKugiwe all are desperately looking for our next outer wilds fix. Be that video essays or vicariously experiencing again through other people.

@@LukasJampen Yeah, watching other people's streams keeps scratching that itch.

Without a doubt

I had a similar moment, just wanted to see how far they let me fly away when I noticed I was nearing the end of a loop, and had my mind blown. That song still gets me feeling things every time i hear it

If I'm not mistaken, when I did the same thing. I got a trophy for it when I played it on PS4

Yeap, you even get a trophy for doing this. I was experimenting with what would happen if I just kept flying away from the system (it does indeed have separate ending text), and the combination of all the instruments was just a beautiful moment that I'll never forget.

Even though it's been months now since I beat it, I still think about it nearly every day. It's truly a one of a kind experience that is totally in its own league compared to other video games.

@@daniel_netzelthat will never go away. I played it years back when it first released and I still rant and rave about it

wont change even after years haha@@daniel_netzel

Exactly, this game will have a special place in my heart forever. I can’t think of any other piece of media that matched the experience I had playing it

I could not agree more, i dont even like calling it a game esp after you know all of the ins and outs of the story. its almost like gamafied or interactive philosophy

My best advice is to give it time if it doesn't click right away, I didn't truly fall in love with it for a half a dozen hours or so, but once it got its hooks in me, it didn't let go for the rest of the game. It might make enjoying some other games harder, it really has no parallel that I've ever found, but man if it isn't worth it

check back in here when you're done :) I'd love to hear about your experience with it

@@zero1487 Update: I finished it last night and just sat there not knowing what to do with myself for the next 5 hours. I had to unlearn things 20 years of gaming had taught me, to ignore meaningless lore or to wait for some equipment to pass through a problem. I found myself desperately searching for information, trying to read everything I could get my hands on. Sometimes that music near the end would start playing when I was moments away from uncovering what might have been the key to everything. Discovering the truth completely pulled the floor from under me I didn't know how to cope. All my expectations and goals I assumed I had and that would be unchanging certainties ended up being meaningless. I began my journey seeking to save the day, be the hero. I ended up seeking knowledge for it's own reward, just like those who came before me. What is over the next hill, and how will it make me feel?

The way I did it with Subnautica and Outer Wilds is I started watching a let's play before realizing that I needed to experience the game for myself. I'd get less than 5 minutes into the video before making this decision.

Bro come back and tell us how you're liking it so far

I briefly mention it, but if I ever make a video properly discussing the game(with spoilers) I would definitely go more into detail than I do here, because to properly talk about what makes the music great gets into more spoilers than I wanted to do here, but I 100% agree, the score is amazing, one of my favorite video game soundtracks.

I regularly listen to Ash Twin Project, followed by Final Voyage, then Travelers, Let There Be Light, and then finally 14.3 Billion Years. I can relive the last 20 minutes of the game through those songs alone. Brings me to tears regularly.

Travellers gets me right in the feels every. Single. Time.

Couldn't agree more, and both of those games are some of my favorites too! At this point my favorite of all time is a 3 way tie between Bloodborne, Elden Ring, and Outer Wilds

I've been putting off trying this game for a few months now, but considering you both adore the same masterpieces I do and consider this game up there, I figure I might as well give it a go 🤣@@daniel_netzel

Massive exaggeration. Alright game, but no replay value and 90% of the game is completely pointless.

@@zzodysseuszz You're entitled to your opinion, but so is everyone else. Many people feel that this is the greatest gaming experience they've ever had, if you didn't then that's a shame, but that doesn't mean other people are exaggerating their love for it.

rdr2 is onde of those breath taking games

The moment when you pull that item, and then the music kicks in and you realize… “holy shit… this is it”. Indescribable feeling.

@@andrespolanco3182only for you to die cause of a certain lifeform on your way to the true ending and get the titlescreen the first time around😭

​@@andrespolanco3182had the same feeling. As I try not to spoil it for anyone watching. My jaw dropped and it took my breath when I saw what the ending showed. I won't lie it brought me to tears. The feeling a game gave me is something quite astonishing.

Fair enough, I'd say it's gotta be close for me, but as a Bloodborne obsessive, Old Hunters will be hard to top ;)

The DLC somehow managed to feel fresh even after finishing the main game and it had its own heartwrenching story to tell. The final puzzle was absolutely mind-warping when I realized what I had to do! :0

@@Moshugaani Spoilers

@@gusmcbean9474 Fair enough, I edited the comment to be less spoilery.

Thank you!

When the [redacted] song started playing, I noticed I was suddenly feeling anxious and panicky because I even realized which song was playing lol

Thank you for watching!

I honestly debated leaving that as a surprise, but it's listed in every bio of the game that I've seen, and it is a huge part of what makes it all unique, so I felt like it was okay to mention, but hopefully I still kept it all vague enough. And oh man, if only I had the foresight. I literally just bought this game out of the blue when it was on sale, it wasn't until I was playing for about 5-6 hours, maybe even more when I realized how incredible this game was,, and how special that first playthrough was. But I WISH I had footage of it all lol

@@daniel_netzel Oh it's wonderfully put together! Not mentioning how the loop ends is always a plus, because you can figure out its a loop but not see the ending of it in a lot of loops. That twist in itself is a plot of its own. So great job for not putting even a hint of it (like visually) in the video.

The devs themselves mention timeloop in steam profile of the game. Moreover, they do that not in long one but right in a summary, the very first thing you see except thumbnail and screenshots. Is it spoiler then if quote of an official description? Like, probably, but...

@@inter_acies I know that. Just saying that learning about it while playing yourself is a brilliant surprise.

This was exactly my first thought "dude you said TIME LOOP within the first 60 seconds!" But honestly it is the bare minimum to spoil to enable a lot more discussion of the mechanics of the game. Incredibly well-done (almost) spoiler-free video.

I've been looking for this exact kind of video of being very high quality and almost spoiler free to finally convince my friends to play it.

Same

I only just played it this year, so I imagine there are still a lot of people who haven't played it yet too. Honestly I blame reviews, having a solid 80-85 across the board signaled to me that it was a solid indie game, but nothing terribly special, and now that I've played it I genuinely don't understand how this didn't get 10s from every critic.

@daniel_netzel yeah a little strange, considering how many people genuinely love this game. Gaming has become very safe and rather stale these days, so when a game tries something different it really captures a certain gamer. Lack of hand holding can go both ways though unfortunately

Have you seen the one on the channel Ceave Perspective? "Outer Wilds: An Existentialist Masterpiece" It's like, very good.

@witherschat I just looked up the channel and yes, I have seen it! Good vid

@@xjamiec The channel is probably in my top 3 of all of youtube TBH. Insightful commentary in an ADHD-friendly retelling with a good dose of humor.

Just finished the Dlc. Just have to find someone to play. My wife just put the hands on the game but before really engaging she drooped. She was not in the mood for a "puzzle" at that time, and she was harsh about diyng. I didn't want to MAKE her play, so it ended like that for her. Since then im making spredsheets plans about how to make she play hahahah

Thank you very much! Yeah the soundtrack is really special, I listen to it a lot just on its own, one of my favorite game soundtracks

Thank you! And dude I hope so too

Aww thanks mom!

Thank you kindly!

Thanks for watching! And I hope it gets your friend to try it out!

Thank you! Cheers!

Thank you so much!

Thank you very much! I appreciate it!

I appreciate you saying so! It's still rough going these days but I am glad to be back, here's hoping though 🙏

Thank you so much! And thanks for subscribing :)

That's awesome! I hope they love it as much as we do!

Thank you for the kind words! And man I hope so too lol

Thank you for the kind words!

Thank you!

I LOVED Inside, and Limbo as well, really looking forward to whatever Playdead does next. I'll have to check out some of those other ones though! Jedi:Fallen Order wasn't quite for me(even though I do love Star Wars) but I haven't played the rest of your suggestions, so I'll definitely look into them :)

If you can endure a Kafkaesque (confusing and obfuscated) approach to storytelling, I can recommend Death Stranding. The clues are all over, but nobody notice much of them. You may be able to do a "called it" towards the end, but only for one of the story elements. The second one is too wild to comprehend. And the third one? It's not even presented, you'd have to play the game beyond the ending to get the final pieces of the puzzle (a puzzle you don't even know exist yet), and probably do numerous replays (or re-watches) to piece it all together. To be clear, my three favorite games of all time to watch are "Death Stranding", "Outer Wilds", and "Prey (2017)", all for different reasons but the two first mostly for storytelling (and cinematography in the case of Death Stranding which is also highly linear though), where for the last one it's more about the overall design and freedom of play. Witcher3+DLCs and RDR2 are also up there, but more from the players perspective than for the watcher.

I'd love to know what your qualm was, because the only problem I had with the ending was solved by the DLC (and was a veeeery small plot hole to begin with)

@@littlesnowflakepunk855 The jump scare. It set us on edge for the rest of the finale, which is meant to be peaceful. It meant we thought it was going to have a sinister ending or something was going to go wrong. We think it messed with the tone they were going for.

@@lydia1634 Ah, with the anglerfish? I can see that. I viewed it as Feldspar's last joke, personally lol

YES!!! The first few hours didn't grab me either, luckily I had nothing else to play so I pushed through it when I probably wouldn't have otherwise, but easily the best decision I could have made lol

Thanks for watching! Just be ready for this game to totally change your life, because I certainly wasn't ready for that lol

That's wonderful to hear! I'm just forever obsessed with this game now, and I wanted to do my part in sharing. I know it's not a game for everyone, but if it gets it's hooks in you, the journey you take in this game is just unparalleled. I hope some of your friends try it out too!

I think its easy to explain why this game is amazing, but not without giving too much away, that's the tricky part lol But I felt that someone ought to try! I'm glad you enjoyed the video, I hope some of your friends end up trying the game!

Thank you for the kind words! Yeah, I had no idea what I was in for, I was hoping for a fun little indie game, didn't expect to have a new possible favorite game ever.

I actually did basically the same thing, and I already eagerly await playing it again, but I think for my own sake I'm going to take a longer break from it just so it feels more fresh again

Have you had a chance to play it yet robin?

I have! It’s really special. How about you?

YOOO, pick it back up. If you never finished it you are doing yourself a disservice. Play the dlc too, it might even be better than the main game although it is a bit tougher puzzle wise

And the ending!!!! Dude goosebumps

If the technology from Eternal Sunshine existed, I would use it exclusively to play this game for the first time again

For what it's worth, it's much less of a time sink than any one those games, and almost guaranteed to be better than all 3 combined lol

We'll see lol. Thank you for the encouragement! As far as kinetic action and lore/narrative goes, I think AC6 will be pretty hard to beat imho. Just managed to get the true ending yesterday. Who would have thought that the true story of an armored mech game would be actually be a parable that encapsulated the spirit of Julius Caesar and his own journey across the Rubicon River, leading into the Roman Civil War. The Rubicon River... Fires of Rubicon. Can't believe, the title of the game dropped such a heavy hint. My takeaway from the game was, "What if Oppenheimer's bomb had a say in how it was used. How would humanity react?" The 3 different endings explore this really interesting idea. This comment probably makes no sense without context, but I'm still blown away by the scope and philosophical ramifications of AC6. And it was only after the 3rd playthrough that you get this ending. I wonder how many missed the true message of AC6. AC6 may not be my favorite game of the year, but it definitely was the most though provoking. Who knows, maybe Outer Wilds will take that spot! That said, I don't have high hopes for narrative excellence in Lies of P or Starfield. My assumption though is that Outer Wilds has a far different focus. And since I just wrapped up AC6, I can finally watch your video :) @@daniel_netzel

​@@dxcSOUL Can't wait for your comments on Outer Wilds, and, more importantly, you actually got me interested in AC6! I didn't know it had lore like that. 100% will check it out

Hell yeah! I hope you have some success!

The universe is, and we are.