The dialogue trees feel limited to the point that many don't update after you've discovered you're in a time loop. If Outer Wilds falls down, it's in conversations with other Hearthians. It works best when it's just you and the things that you're discovering.
But elsewhere, whether it's poking about in the remote corner of a planet, or just taking in the spectacle of the solar system from a distance, the expressive, characterful artstyle and jaunty soundtrack-a mix of acoustics and synths that blends Hearthian personality with the promise of sci-fi revelations-make for a pleasant, welcoming space. There are dangers, sure-one planet in particular ups the tension to an almost unbearable degree. It helps that, when the sun's not blowing up, Outer Wilds is a nice place to potter around in. And it's balanced by the satisfaction of hearing that same tune play after having successfully put a pin in one of the game's major mysteries. As frustrating as it can be to hear the mournful dirge that signals the death of the sun before you've uncovered some new revelation, usually it just means that you haven't quite grasped the key concept or action needed to progress that thread. While unlocking some of the biggest mysteries require a bit of planet hopping, it's always designed to fit within its fixed timeframe. You can be confident that you won't need to go on some convoluted, multi-part quest, gathering multiple doohickeys to perform intricate operations across the solar system. More importantly, Outer Wilds understands that if everything physical resets, then what truly matters is the only thing that can be carried between loops: information. Each planet has something that makes it an immediately interesting space to explore, and often one that rewards repeat visits at different times through the loop.
Over the course of the loop, the sand is transferred from Ash Twin to Ember Twin, filling in the canyons of one while revealing what hides under the surface of another. The Hourglass Twins, for instance, are two planets connected by a giant column of sand.
It lets the planets act like living, moving environments that can change over time. The time loop might feel like a gimmick, but it's central to Outer Wilds' thesis of exploration.
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