Finding Faith in the Outer Wilds

Рет қаралды 98,006

Күн бұрын

This is a video essay critiquing Mobius Digital's Outer Wilds and its 2021 expansion Echoes of the Eye, examining the way the game presents science, faith, and the two intertwined.
This video assumes that you're already familiar with the game, and contains full spoilers, including for Echoes of the Eye in sections 6 and 7. Chapters are included to skip between sections.
Many thanks for watching.
Tip Jar: ko-fi.com/samirshotaro
-Chapters-
00:00 - Epigraph
00:54 - 1. The Museum: Introduction
07:00 - 2. 22 Minutes: The Scientific Method
14:26 - 3. End Times: Death
22:03 - 4. Travelers: Astronauts
27:52 - 5. Let There Be Light: Science and Faith
36:36 - 6. Into Shadow: Echoes of the Eye
44:46 - 7. Departure: Conclusion
53:05 - Credits
-Music-
Outer Wilds - The Museum
Outer Wilds - Timber Hearth
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask - Clock Town, Day 1
Apollo Justice: Tell the Truth 2007
Outer Wilds - 22 Minutes
Baba is You - Wall is Stop
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Cave Theme
Outer Wilds - Nomai Ruins
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask - Final Hours
Outer Wilds - End Times
Outer Wilds - Travelers
Hollow Knight - Greenpath
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask - Astral Observatory
Outer Wilds - Let There Be Light
Hyper Light Drifter - The Midnight Wood
Outer Wilds - 14.3 Billion Years
Echoes of the Eye - Into Shadow
Echoes of the Eye - The River
Echoes of the Eye - River’s End
Echoes of the Eye - The First Seekers
Echoes of the Eye - Forbidden Archives
Echoes of the Eye - Departure
Echoes of the Eye - The Sound of Water
Outer Wilds - Title Theme
Outer Wilds - Travelers’ Encore
-Online Sources-
Thumbnail Art - www.artstation.com/artwork/k4...
The Safire Memo -
www.archives.gov/files/presid...
Errant Signal, Outer Wilds - • Outer Wilds Part 2: Be...
Jacob Geller, Outer Wilds - • Outer Wilds: Death, In...
Jacob Geller, Time Loop Nihilism - • Time Loop Nihilism
Alex Avard GamesRadar Article - www.gamesradar.com/how-the-se...
Tom Marks IGN Article - www.ign.com/articles/2019/07/...
Echoes of the Eye The Lost Reels - andrewprahlow.bandcamp.com/al...
NoClip Outer Wilds Documentary - • The Making of Outer Wi...
Voyager Golden Records - / golden-record-sounds-of

Пікірлер: 310

@SamirShotaro Жыл бұрын

thanks to everyone who watched, and those who left kind words below! the next couple essays i have planned are on Apex Legends and Omori - both very different to the last two, i know. stick around if that sounds like your thing (or, even if they don't, stick around anyway, they may surprise you).

@veiga.0414 Жыл бұрын

thank you for this amazing video, i will stick around!

@kwen4369 Жыл бұрын

Got my sub. I’m very impressed with how your quality stands up to those who’ve been doing analysis videos for years. I’m looking forward to everything else you put out in the future.

@TrickyJebus Жыл бұрын

ew Apex Legends

@Seraph3369 7 ай бұрын

how goes the Omori one? I'm genuinely interested in all your work.

@VDAband Жыл бұрын

This may sound childish, and I'm sorry if this is too personal. I lost my dad shortly before playing Outer Wilds. It was a very hard time for me. Most of my family is deeply religious, but I consider myself an atheist. I didn't have those spiritual comforts that the rest of my family did. Outer Wilds helped me to process my grief in a way that I was not expecting or really prepared for. It will remain omong my favorite games for this reason. To this day I can't hear the travelers theme without sobbing.

@rostbot2885 Жыл бұрын

I hope I'm not bothering you but I wanted to share that I can relate to that despite not having a religious family at all. I played Outer Wilds and it's DLC about a year after my mother's sudden death, facing the inevitable death of my terminally ill father who has since passed away. Outer Wilds and the perspectives it offers certainly helped me coming to terms. I hope you are doing well.

@VDAband Жыл бұрын

@@rostbot2885 I hope the same for you.

@guy5689 Жыл бұрын

this is gonna sound fucked, but we are literally twinsies, like i played outer wilds right after losing my dad, and the game me so much closure that I didnt think i needed, my family is also very religious so me being an atheist grieving was very hard

@ThatGuyFromDetroit Жыл бұрын

I went through multiple stages of grief after beating both, but the DLC in particular. I sobbed and sobbed at first. I don't know how to describe why without spoilers, but let's say I've lost some friends and my step-dad to various causes. there was just... so much more that i wanted to say. I would say that both the base game and the DLC do an amazing job at their own differing approaches of tackling the concept of coming to peace with impermanence, in captivating ways. The memory of the psychological imprint which the game had on me at the time is, to me, almost as good as the dream of having a second and equally blind playthrough of the game would be to many other people. It wasn't until a week or two after I'd beaten both games that I'd really had a chance to sit back and think about what they meant to me. Whether I scaled it up to the universe or down to a single lifespan, it applied.

@jacobbellet401 Жыл бұрын

I was in the middle of playing when I lost my grandma. I am also an atheist. This game helped me process that.

@maciekkaczmarczyk2466 Жыл бұрын

As a famous philosopher bricky once said “fuck dark bramble”

@monolithichashies7477 Жыл бұрын

Outerwilds has literally changed my outlook on life and death. At my funeral I want the service to start with end times, and finish with travelers. I love the line that our owlk friend says before the end. "Whatever happens next, I do not think it is to be feared."

@statick160 Жыл бұрын

i wouldn't say it really changed my outlook, but it certainly nudged it a bit. I've always been pretty Nihilistic, always having that voice in the back of my mind telling me that nothing i did would be worth anything in time, be it days or years or centuries. But ever since playing outer wilds the tone of that voice has changed, it's now saying those things still, but with an additional "but that's okay, so long as you care and feel content." Life isn't about leaving your ripples in history, it's about creating ripples in the now and not caring about where they end up so long as those ripples are created with joy and excitement and curiosity.

@bronumero7334 Жыл бұрын

Outer wilds is a rejection of nihilism, not an ideologue for it.

@monolithichashies7477 Жыл бұрын

@@bronumero7334 I mean while I agree with what you're saying, for this person it's changed their nihilistic outlook and that's a worthwhile thing that should be appreciated instead of saying oh you didn't understand the game.

@kricku 11 ай бұрын

@@bronumero7334 I think you guys have 180 misunderstood nihilism.

@bronumero7334 11 ай бұрын

@@kricku nothing to misunderstand about that useless ideology

@sheanstanks Жыл бұрын

When the prisoner left me in the prison by myself, I had the fear that he just pulled an infinity blade on me and locked me down there in place of him. I was freaking out, but coming out and seeing him decide to end his “life” or memory, I sat there wishing I could have sat around a fire with him for just a while longer

@captianshredder Жыл бұрын

I always interpreted it more as he is set free, since the other owlks died presumably from the same ghost matter explosion that killed the nomi, he shouldve been safe since his prison was underwater. thats what i hope at least :(

@firmak2 Жыл бұрын

", he shouldve been safe since his prison was underwater. thats what i hope at least" "since the other owlks died presumably from the same ghost matter explosion that killed the nomi, he shouldve been safe since his prison was underwater. thats what i hope at least :(" no. all theyr bodies died including the stranger ( hes been there for over 200k years). Likely they were dead before the Nomi died. Theyr conciousness were "uploaded" into theyr simulation and they can stay there indeffinitly, even if theyr bodies died, aslong as the fire glowed both in the simulation and in reality. if one went out, then they wake up but if theyr bodies dead then theres nothing to wake up to, just oblivion.

@kuroser353 8 ай бұрын

@@captianshredderThey didn't, they died of old age from being in the simulation for too long

@DerB23 Жыл бұрын

I love the detail that the chapter "End Times / Death" ends at minute 22

@mayrir96 Жыл бұрын

“It's the kind of thing that makes you glad you stopped and smelled the pine trees along the way, you know?”

@dianeinsertlastnamehere7296 Жыл бұрын

Games like these remind me of why I'm working to be a scientist. Sometimes when I'm taking classes that seem to have no relevance to my eventual study, or that are just incredibly, unreasonably hard, it's easy to forget what it's all for. But games like Outer Wilds make me remember that absolute joy of learning about and just existing in a world as fantastical as this. This is a game that makes me want to touch grass, in the best way possible.

@con_the_artist6823 Жыл бұрын

honestly, death never got less tense throughout the run of the playthrough. at some points it was necessary and I embraced it, but each time I wanted to live for as long as possible because every second mattered. Outer Wilds forces you to embrace the death of the universe and your own impending death but it still does a great job of making you want to live, not only for the knowledge but also just the fear. Ember twin was one of the last planets i explored, and each time I realized I couldn't escape the crushing sand, I still panicked. Maybe it's because I wanted knowledge, maybe it was my monkey brain instinct. either way, BEAUTIFUL VIDEO!! these kinds of videos really keep me connected to this game and what i learned from it

@icthyology Жыл бұрын

...and then you have myself, who eventually started 'taking breaks' from the investigative work in the game by flinging myself into the sun as quick as I could for several loops in a row. I think that I was proving to myself that I couldn't actually die, albeit in a very visceral manner. It brought me some comfort to see that no matter how self-destructive I was, I would still return just the same as before. It messed me up a bit when I discovered that only my memories were being sent back in time, and that my whole self had, in truth, died a lot.

@TartarusHimself Жыл бұрын

@@icthyology how close to the end do you think the memories cut off? Do you remember the flesh melting off your bones each time you flew into the sun? Do you remember the ship burning up and dissolving around you as you plunged into a sea of pure energy?

@happymagician1699 10 ай бұрын

@@TartarusHimself Considering that the player has different waking sounds depending on how they end the loop (one of my favourite sounds is the gasp you have after suffocating), I would argue that you get memories down to the very last moment of consciousness.

@sleeper6548 3 ай бұрын

You know, I used to think looking at sun station "I reallyyyyyy wanna go there, but I just can't land my ship on it, it must be hard to get on it" And by the end game, when I finally learned that there's a tp for sun, I went there, got through the cactus, and got to sun station, and when the hatch opened, it was the first time in a long time i feared death, only one thought was going in my mind "I have made it this far, please do not die" I knew that even if I die, getting to the station isn't that hard, yet the shear scale of the sun and the setting just made it so tense

@DerOarsch Жыл бұрын

Yeah, didnt think an essay about my favourite game would make me cry, yet here we are.

@StoreyStarlight Жыл бұрын

I am just now internalizing how mind-bogglingly skilled Mobius was to name your probe in the game the Little Scout. In one instance of the true ending, 14 billion years after the events where your choices as the player character matter, you see the new universe awakening after the end of your everything. Suddenly, in this ocean of unfamiliarity and new life, there is a sound you recognize: your Little Scout, beeping away, searching for you so it may inform you of its position. Of course, it will find nothing. And yet it still searches. It seeks the only home it knows, nestled into your launcher, eager to return the information it found by being sent ahead of you. It has so much to tell, so many images to show! This is what it was built for, after all. It went ahead 14 billion years to ensure that it was safe, to ensure that you, the player character, could survive! And it took a long time, orbiting space dust and then heat and then crushing gravity and then emptiness and then rock, but it found a place for you! It fulfilled its task - followed its namesake. It said, "I'll scout up ahead. You wait here." And then it did. And then everything, save for the trusty Little Scout, ended.

@fool4343 Жыл бұрын

you will not make me cry for the little machine >:'•( theres something sad about little machines that barely have sentience faithfully doing its job even when theres no one left to do it for. or even if there is left, like in walle, its the loneliness of the little metal worker that keeps going on just for you to do its task i cried for walle every time i watched i think. i wanna replay outer wilds

@bocolicboulevard8386 Жыл бұрын

@@fool4343 God yeah the pet/machine dutifully carrying out orders "just for you!" Even though their master is long gone trope slays me every time 😢😢😢

@LAK_770 Жыл бұрын

@@bocolicboulevard8386 Reminds me of the Futurama episode "Jurassic Bark" where Fry's dog at the pizza place waits for him to come home for years, and at the end of the episode this is all shown in a montage with the dog sitting there, so pitifully and heartbreakingly hopeful and worried. I have NEVER cried so hysterically at a piece of media in my entire life. You sit down with your college buddies to watch an episode of a zany absurdist scifi comedy and BAM it just blindsides you with this absolute emotional evisceration. Anyway yeah, I'll probably never shoot my scout into the Eye ever again lol, it can die gloriously with me from now on

@Rakshasaka Жыл бұрын

Oh god, staph. I dont want to start viewing the little scout as a dutiful pet. You monster..... what a beautiful thought.

@hllyenaylleth9576 11 ай бұрын

That's ridiculous

@khadgariron6855 Жыл бұрын

your channel has two videos, they're both about my two favourite games, and they're both the best videos i've seen about them. absolutely phenomenal work, please keep going.

@henryzelman4541 Жыл бұрын

2019 was an absolute banger

@cbandit7715 Жыл бұрын

Rhe best game ever made

@nickywags0712 Жыл бұрын

chert's response about mentioning how beautiful the stars were before they exploded almost made me cry, you delivered his line perfectly

@NeverLookBackOnce 11 ай бұрын

Stars beyond count, worlds beyond measure, stories beyond imagining. Yet I share my star, my world, my story with you and for that I'm thankful.

@garrett2439 17 күн бұрын

Where does this quote come from? Who says it?

@TikkaQrow Жыл бұрын

41:00 The Prisoner is code named kaepora gaebora in the game files, the Devs REALLY liked their Zelda titles.

@linkypete 10 ай бұрын

Not skyward sword tho, since outer wilds was initially conceptualized as a response to how disappointingly hand-holdy and linear skyward sword was

@TardThor 8 ай бұрын

@@linkypete Another reason to love Skyward Sword then :D It's really a shame that they were so heavy handed with the hand-holding, because the game has some of the best level-design and puzzles in any Zelda title. Incredible visuals (for the wii at least), music, story and characters. The motion control really clicked with me as well and made for some really tight and innovative gameplay (the wiimote+nunchunk was such a brillant controler overall). Remove Fay coming out automatically to tell you exactly what to do (which was so pointless since there was a button dedicated to asking her for help) and it would probably be my favorite Zelda title by far.

@linkypete 8 ай бұрын

@@TardThor Absolutely agree. I was 12 when Skyward Sword came out, and my best friend got it for Christmas that year. Up until then, I had never played anything beyond Wii sports or Lego star wars. When my friend got it, I became obsessed. I saved up for it and bought it, then twilight princess, then a 3ds, and now, over a decade later, I'm at least $10,000 deep in gaming stuff and I don't regret it at all. This is all because of Skyward Sword.

@3rdJan 9 ай бұрын

Finally an Outer Wilds video that doesn't just summarize the game's story and events, but an actual analysis, and such a deep and well-thought-out one! Loved every second of it, great job!

@centurosproductions8827 Жыл бұрын

Before finding the Meditate option, I reset my runs by... saving and quitting to menu. Whoops. If you don't want to de slowly in space, you can also always use your jets to try to get to a planet. Assuming, of course, you haven't been flung away from the system at high speed. No, the worst deaths are crushing deaths in the caves of Ember Twin. That wet crunch is horrifying.

@zephels Жыл бұрын

I pray this blows up. It's impressive how new perspectives are still constantly being brought in about a game that has already been this heavily analyzed.

@Vorchitect Жыл бұрын

this is so good 😭😭😭😭😭😭 the point about the poetic nature of the interloper being a literal dead end in your ship log, and the point about the hatchling being the final echo of the eye... as well as the many other profound points you made in this video... fucking awesome

@Vosian Жыл бұрын

You know, it amazes me to no end that this game will never cease to draw reflection and how countless essays have been written in post. This is easily the first and only game I’ve seen to incite such a response across countless people, demonstrated by the seemingly endless flood of these types of videos. In some eerie understanding, though, I can almost say I’m not surprised, and I’m glad for it. What a unique, touching experience to have in a video game. I’ll never forget about The Outer Wilds.

@mallk238 Жыл бұрын

13:35 fun fact! they even considered making the game have that perma-death fail-state. They inevitabley chose not to; I believe they said it was bc it *did* feel too harsh--even if it would be totally justified. Besides...it's not like they can delete your knowledge of what to do. All that would happen is you suddenly lose all of your ship logs. A bitter sting of a punishment...but it would only work once if the player jumped right back into it and some might even say that was enough for them to rage quit anyway.

@addemup4044 Жыл бұрын

That, and there were some issues with the console versions and deleting saves.

@brendansapp Жыл бұрын

Cried at the end a bit, beautiful ending to an amazing video - Im not usually a hour long video essay type of person but this video was just everything ive felt in my head about this game and you covered it all so well Seriously cant overstate how good this video was, you did really well

@SamirShotaro Жыл бұрын

those words mean a lot to me, thank you.

@Harpysisters Жыл бұрын

It's very very rare that I see such high quality work with such little interaction. Your video had a beautiful thesis and I hope more people see it.

@xjamiec Жыл бұрын

Damn, I've watched outer wilds content for 3 years now and this vid was as good as any. Thank you. This game still hits me with the feels

@alexs9514 Жыл бұрын

I heard the music at 21:00 and thought, “hold on…” and checked the time. I love that detail you put in!

@doublespoonco Жыл бұрын

The more I watch videos about this game, the more I realise I will never stop thinking about it. Fantastic video, and with so few views! Looking forward to your next upload

@najunix Жыл бұрын

Made my cry as if I just experienced Outer Wilds again. Thank you for your essay, friend.

@vernonw.970 Жыл бұрын

Just bawled my soul out. God this game is so perfect and you capture all of its intricacy so eloquently that, much like the game itself, I'm left not quite sure whether I'm crying from happiness or sadness, or some profound mixture of both. Every video I watch on this game reminds me that, while the universe is uncaring, and that our place in the gaping maw of this uncertain void might forever be lost to the sands of time, we still played our music. We will continue to play our music even if our chords will forever drift unfettered among the cold sea of blackness outside our home, because we play this music for ourselves, and therefore we must listen. Great video, great game. Please continue to make this kind of content because man, more people need to know about these kinds of games which extend beyond just gathering profit but rather into crafting art.

@nicholasmunoz3607 Жыл бұрын

Ahhh! Finally, someone else refers to them as the Strangers! I've always referred to them as that and always saw others refer to them differently. My friend thought calling them that was strange (ironic), yet like you I've always found that it fits them for our character's perspective. Fantastic video and thank you for doing such a great job talking about this games'... Well for lack of a better word, message. The experience of this game is something I'll cherish forever and to see others talk about it in such well thought our detail, always makes me happy. Cheers

@undiscoveredpie5611 11 ай бұрын

It's wonderful to have watched this, you have a very clear and concise way of writing without losing any emotion. Loved how you included and acknowledged other videos on outer wilds but still managed to make a video of your own. I cannot get over "You are passengers of the same river, stargazers, looking into the sky with the same wonder. You are both parts of the universe, witnessing itself".

@SimplyMavAgain Жыл бұрын

years of training KZfaq to recommend every Outer Wilds video to me have paid off. an incredible analysis of the game in most of its aspects and probably my favorite video on Outer Wilds overall. i especially love how you incorporate other peoples own takes on this game which gives this video an iterative quality that I can't imagine would fit anywhere better than here. Excited to check out what you had to say on Disco Elysium later, and even more so on what's still to come.

@riebeck1986 Жыл бұрын

Great video ! Glad people are still making videos about this game.

@ianhutchinson2283 Жыл бұрын

I could echo any of the praises of the other comments here, but I haven't seen anybody else mention the supernova at the 22 minute mark and I just wanted to say that it was a nice touch.

@Greenpixel16 Жыл бұрын

Me when a small channel yet again makes an incredible outer wilds video that gives me chills

@turquoise7817 Жыл бұрын

the section about echoes of the eye may or may not have brought a tear to my eye ..... when people compliment you on your video essay about Outer Wilds of all things, you know you've done well, because only the eye knows how many of those there are

@dexlovesgames_dlg Жыл бұрын

Whelp no point in me making a video essay about this game, you’ve already nailed. Side note, err question really. Why does this game make me cry every time I come across it? It’s not even a sad cry, it’s a happy cry, and I’m not that kind of person. Yes I will sometimes cry at the end of something, but then when I come back across it, i won’t, but with this game, the simple playing of the banjo for the main theme will fuck me up. God damn this game was beautiful.

@protheu5 Жыл бұрын

In first versions of the game the coordinates for The Eye were not prompted on the screen, you had to write them down or remember them.

@tepig2828 Жыл бұрын

I like to think that the signal emitted by the eye of the universe is the melody of creation played by the beings of the previous universe. It would fit the ending’s theme of how your actions affect the world even after your death

@fehiliks Жыл бұрын

Recently finished Outer Wilds a couple weeks ago and found this video. Decided to watch just up until the Echoes of the Eye section before finishing that myself. Just finished Echoes of the Eye today and came back to watch the rest of the video. For such a small channel, I was very surprised at the quality of this video. Really felt like it encapsulated and enriched all my thoughts on the game and dlc. I found the unusually spiritual view of science, logic and understanding presented by Outer Wilds to be so, so interesting. Glad this video exists to discuss the topic in such depth. Very well written too! Thanks Make sure you stop to smell the pine trees while you can :)

@JackFoxtrotEDM Жыл бұрын

This is like the tenth channel I’ve seen where they’re a small channel, as soon as they make an Outer Wilds video they become popular. Thousands of subs incoming! lol

@Man_of_Tears 11 ай бұрын

I imagine being born at the end of the universe is (would be) an absolutely amazing and honorable position to be in, being able to determine the end a lifeform takes in the face of it all.

@bennelsen9899 Жыл бұрын

Bravo. Just bravo. Excellent insights. Making me cry again lol

@00Clank Жыл бұрын

Love the aggregate approach of discussing the essays and reviews already made of the game. Feels very fitting along with being an engaging way to interact with more ideas.

@alexlowe2054 Жыл бұрын

This is a wonderful video, but I can't help but be intensely disturbed that you burn every single one of your marshmallows.

@SamirShotaro Жыл бұрын

it is (regrettably) how i like them in real life

@theoctopus7191 Жыл бұрын

Simply CRIMINAL that this doesn't have more views, it's got to be my favorite outer wilds video essay. The commentary was amazing stunning show-stopping but the editing and flow/structure?? I love how much thought was clearly put into breaking down and organizing the main points and I got *chills* when into shadow started playing and I knew things were about to shift gears.

@alessandromelaiucriado6896 Жыл бұрын

As always, goosebumps with your work. Please keep going, hearing your work in the bast internet we live is lovely and I hope that more people eventually find your work.

@ethanskinner5381 Жыл бұрын

Man this is one of the best essays I've heard in a long time. Keep it up.

@marionesparteiro1954 11 ай бұрын

I have death anxiety. I have panic attacks almost every day thinking about it. And anxious rumination the rest of the time. This game was a STRUGGLE and put me in front of my worst fear when I wasn't ready for it sometimes. I knew it had lessons to teach so I kept going and it will for sure make me think a lot in the future

@thetelpho2176 Жыл бұрын

Holy crap dude this video is the best Outer Wilds video i've seen!! The only issue i have is that you KEEP BURNING THE DARN MARCHMALLOWS!

@dt_grey4521 Жыл бұрын

When I was eight or so I had a friend who's older brother met an astronaut, can't remember the name of the astronaut sadly since this was nearly 10 years ago. My friends bro asked questions, "how'd takeoff feel?" "You think theres aliens out there?" And "how'd going to the bathroom work?" One of the questions was how'd being out there feel? The answer was pretty simple "It felt lonely, everything is so big and we're so small." That answer just kinda stuck with me.

@krajsyboys Жыл бұрын

Amazing video! I honestly didn't even notice it was 2.4 loops long until the end, the time just flew by but I loved every second of it

@callmetired2294 29 күн бұрын

Went through like eight "analysis" videos of this wonderful fucking game which all turned out to be step by step explanations of the story and nothing more. Yours is the only one I've seen that actually unpacks and talks about what themes are on display bravo

@BackseatStreams Жыл бұрын

I really loved this, and the Disco Elysium one too! Easiest subscription in a while! Keep it up!

@pupil5763 11 ай бұрын

I played this game the last week my grandpa was alive and it truly did make me almost come to terms with it he was very old an he had COPD so he was suffering and he laid next me as i played this game and he was in wonder that this could be on the screen It was beautiful to see him look at the universe one more time i miss him ❤️

@isko1032 Жыл бұрын

ah, when I clicked this video, i wasn't expected to be blown away by your stellar commentary! Brilliant stuff!

@MinosML Жыл бұрын

Thank you for making this beautiful video essay about my favorite game ever. Really well edited out, smartly structured, masterfully written and man it even managed to really tug at my heartstrings at the end there (well with this game that seems to be the rule rather than the exception with me tbh but still). I really loved the quotes and references to not only classic literature but other video essays of this game, it feels like an iterative and ongoing conversation that help explain why this game is so good, and no one person can do it entirely, but instead a collective continuous effort is needed to do so (like the Prisoner causing the Nomai to inspire the Hatchling in the game).

@hannahs.7297 Жыл бұрын

this video made me cry about outer wilds AGAIN. great job.

@magma_fire_bagwan Жыл бұрын

As someone who's made the full journey, and relived the game to the best of my ability via watching other playthroughs and video essays... I think this is my favorite. You are a maestro at this and have a real knack for it. Editing was absolutely perfect to the last detail. It's coming up on a year since I beat the game, actually. Thank you for helping me to remember just why I hold this game so close to my heart.

@MrMEOLA Жыл бұрын

Fantastic video.

@Zet237yt Жыл бұрын

I'm a simple man. I see an Outer Wilds video essay, I click on it and watch. Thank you for this wonderful video, friend.

@-eco7931 Жыл бұрын

Fuckkkkk. I just spent an hour on this masterpiece of a video essay and it feels like I just started it. Words cannot describe how well you did man. You have a real way with words.

@TURBOMIKEIFY Жыл бұрын

I love deep reviews of games, or anything. Makes us realize that nothing we do, think, say and feel matters at the end of the day.

@bisgaard575 Жыл бұрын

This is by far my new favourite Outer Wilds essay, you touched on every damn aspect I absolutely adore about this game. Incredible work!

@JamesRoyceDawson Жыл бұрын

Outrageously high quality content for such a small sub count. You're gonna pop off soon. Can't wait to see what you do next.

@anthonyanderson9771 Жыл бұрын

Outer Wilds as a scientific adventure fueled by curiosity is probably the best short description that prevents spoilers yet articulates the essence of its goal as well as the most appealing feature. This helps me share it with others; almost any spoiler is so crucial.

@mrdrunkuk4907 Жыл бұрын

I came close to crying about 5 times during this essay, Jesus dude, good job.

@ryankeith2712 Жыл бұрын

Anyone doing a video on Outer Wilds is doing good work. I feel like there’s a stigma where nobody wants to talk about it due to spoilers which is sad, it truly is a once in a lifetime experience

@Existential_Robot 6 ай бұрын

This is the most beautiful video ever made. I think you should know that. I was not a man of faith; of ANY faith. But your video gave me a little something to believe in. You and your ideology has become my faith. You gave me the greatest part of myself, something I was missing for years. You gave me faith, even if it's only a little bit. And all we need is a little.

@pepsicle21 Жыл бұрын

This video is incredible. Creating a video on this complex game is a feat in and of its self, but the way you contextualize parts of this experience is unbelievable. The background footage used combined with your calm, storytelling voice works super well and had my eyes and ears glued to the screen. And, this, as a second video? wow... Super impressive. I'm moved by your critique of this wonderful game and can't wait to see what else you create next!

@bread1205 Жыл бұрын

The quality to sub ratio on this channel is insane you deserve way more! Awesome vid

@tukson777 Жыл бұрын

I just found your video by KZfaq recommendation, I just realized that I am about to witness surely one of the greatest experiences in a video. I just discovered Outer Wilds and there is no doubt that it has been the most fantastic and unique experience that I have had the pleasure of having in my short life and just looking at the title of your video and the few seconds I saw of it as I write this. I'm about to experience (again) Outer Wilds.

@Wrzlprnft Жыл бұрын

It is incredible how sensitive my brain has become to the end times sloooooowly fading in.

@javax6 Жыл бұрын

2:56 You are breaking the ship Samir!

@viktr587 Жыл бұрын

Really great video! One of the best outer wilds essays i've seen

@OdinCasts Жыл бұрын

It truly does reduce our grandest ideals and accomplishments to nothing, to see it all end. It truly does give grandiose meaning to the smallest ideals and accomplishments, to see it all end.

@mikithekynd Жыл бұрын

I have a vivid memory of finishing Outer Wilds for the first time. I remember this odd, yet beautiful feeling of witnessing pure beauty. I remember just sitting back while the credits rolled, listening to the music, letting my mind run wild, letting all the emotions flow until there were none left and I was just sitting there, at 2AM, quiet, emotionless, peaceful and aware I will always cherish this memory. ...This channel has 1.4 thousand subs... this video has barely 2.6 thousand views but that simply makes me even more grateful I've seen it. It shows that beauty can hide anywhere, just waiting to be found.

@inthegaps Жыл бұрын

I haven't watched this yet, but I instantly clicked based on the title. Outer Wilds came at a time in my life when I was about to go through something very hard, and I didn't know it yet, and the game taught me something about grief. Andrew Prahlow and the rest of the Outer Wilds team unwittingly helped change my life, and unwittingly were part of an orchestra of small events that brought me to religious faith, despite thousands of hours in church as a kid which could not. Truly a special game. I can't wait to watch this.

@ptrobo2 Жыл бұрын

Leaving this comment solely to encourage your new channel :)

@DatHypnoboi 5 ай бұрын

I'd never heard the term "metroidbrainia" before this and the shock of hearing it absolutely broke me

@psgamer-il2pt Жыл бұрын

49:50 I had outer wilds on my wishlist for a while but I waited a few years to play it eventually i got it and while playing it I was watching youtube and I wasn't fully paying attention and then I went out into deep space to try to escape the supernova eventually I took out my signal scope they all aligned and I immediately stopped watching youtube that moment that's what got me into the into the game immediately it was beautiful I just listened to it for the rest of the loop maybe 15 minutes

@TeeDubable Жыл бұрын

This is a very timely video essay!! I just finished this game a week ago. I can't stop thinking about it

@finnstagram613 Жыл бұрын

Phenomenal. Just like the game itself this shit made me cry

@ToGamesItMayConcern Жыл бұрын

You write eloquently, beautifully, dabbing lightness and humor when necessary, yet always forward and thoughtful and unique. I'm impressed by the earnestness you place into your work. I look forward to what you create in the future.

@Wkhn12 Жыл бұрын

this might just be my favorite video I have ever seen. no youtube video has ever made me this emotional. outer wilds really is the best game ever made. amazing video essay im gonna check out your other works.

@PromptedHawk Жыл бұрын

I saw this video on my front page and was sure I wouldn't want to watch it, after all it's yet another hour long video essay about a video game. Decided I'd give it a shot and watch a few minutes through the preview player you get when you mouse over. It is now an hour later and I barely noticed. Good pacing, good perspective, and damn good work overall. I'm not usually one for video essays but I'm gonna drop a subscribe for when I get in the mood to watch a good one.

@Autipsy Жыл бұрын

The algorithm actually suggested something excellent!

@flavorshots3153 Жыл бұрын

This was an absolute joy to watch. The music, editing, narration. Job well done!

@TheDiamondPiggy Жыл бұрын

Absolutely phenomenal video! Although nothing rivals outer wilds I'd recommend you check out two games that come pretty close: "The Talos Principle" and "The Return of the Obra dinn" both filled me with the same feelings outer wilds brought me. The Talos Principle in particular is filled with philosophy and morality.

@idontwantahandlethough Жыл бұрын

Both are fantastic games, anyone reading this comment should listen to this fancy piggy with exquisite taste, they know whats up!

@parafoxl7619 10 ай бұрын

The interloper being a dead end is such a cool line

@reedyouguess Жыл бұрын

genuinely such a fantastic video, this game means the world to me and its amazing seeing people pass a critical eye to it. i always find it so intriguing what different people pull out if this game. I've watched so many videos on it and not a single person draws the game conclusion or explains the same feelings. outwer wilds is a truly unique experience, and thankyou for sharing yours

@1colonelsanders Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video.

@PloverTechOfficial Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, this is honestly my favorite outer wilds essay. You formulated ideas and references so well, you tell the story of outer wilds in a satisfying way! The theme you chose for this brought tears to my eyes. Wonderful job, I hope to see your next essay videos. May the universe smile upon you and knowledge always be interesting. This was an hour so worth my time I could watch it over again 22 times. I hope our great community brings more essays like yours.

@ktmeyer5051 Жыл бұрын

Wonderful wonderful video! I'm amazed by the quality and thought put into this video essay and I'm very excited to see what you do in the future.

@maciekkaczmarczyk2466 Жыл бұрын

Wow can’t believe you don’t have more subscribers you really deserve it. A very high quality video essay I loved it hope you keep up the good work. 👍

@senpi801 Жыл бұрын

absolutely incredible work, and you provided topics I've thought about and wanted to hear other people's views upon them. The entire essay felt thought provoking, and kept the lingering curiosity from finishing the game growing further within me, and I thank you for crafting such a wonderful essay. Really wants me to sit down by a campfire and just share all the theories and thoughts I have on this game with my friends who have also played it. Thank you for this.

@dragonmcmx Жыл бұрын

This is criminally high quality and profound content for such a small channel! Liked and subbed!

@gavinlocke1280 Жыл бұрын

Wow, thank you for making such a beautiful essay.

@fridgegremlin5496 Жыл бұрын

you’ve got a very relaxing voice! thank you for adding to my outer wilds essay collection

@corticariver Жыл бұрын

amazing video, you put a lot of my thoughts about outer wilds into words! outer wilds is my favorite video game ever and i am so happy whenever a new video essay comes across my feed ^_^ thank you so much for making this video