[Major Spoilers for Outer Wilds] I think for me, the most impactful moment in this game that made me fall in love with it was when I finally boarded the Sun Station. The whole game you're teased bits and pieces about this station orbiting the sun, and it was created to destroy the sun, and you finally reach this climax, ready to stop the destruction of your world. The crossing from the teleport room to the rest of the station is incredibly suspenseful, with the music ramping up and the shot of the sun directly below your feet. And then you finally enter the station, and find out... it failed. The sun station never achieved its goal of destroying the sun. The researchers on board ended up dying soon after anyways due to the Interloper. And then the realization kicks in that the sun isn't being destroyed, it's dying naturally. And soon after, I finally noticed the stars in the sky going supernova. The universe was dying. That realization, that there was nothing I could do to stop the deaths of everyone in the solar system, really hit me. I fell into the sun on the way back and ended up spending the next loop at the fireplace where you wake up, just sitting there. Taking it all in. I might be rambling but that singular moment was the most emotional and impactful moment for me in any game. I don't know why, but it really stuck with me.
I had a very similar experience! I had a major event happen in my life around the same time I discovered the sun station and now whenever I feel sad about it I just listen to the song that plays when you’re aboard it and it really does help me refocus
I think it's because Outer Wilds does what most other games don't. In Outer Wilds, You can't save the day, you can't save anyone, your 'adversary' is an unstoppable force of nature for which there is no technological, magical, or confrontational, or friendship powered solution. It's almost the complete inverse of Undertale. It's a somber feeling when you realize the space you've been exploring, and the lives in it, is doomed to end right before your eyes.
I had a completely different experience! I had no idea that it was meant to destroy the sun until I got there and that was a massive twist for me. So cool that the same thing can give us such different experiences.
My favorite Outer Wilds moment is reaching the Black Hole Forge, because it was the first time I planned my whole loop in advance and executed my plan smoothly. I was so proud.
I was so confused because I hadn’t figured out the warping that I ended up brute forcing it by slamming my ship into the Nomai gravity pads that make up the walkway to it, where it would stay. It took three or four loops to get it right without the ship or me falling and actually lowering the black hole forge first, but it felt pretty awesome to pull it off
@@willmungas8964 I didn't get find any info about the warp towers really and I actually managed to parkour up to the black hole forge in the broken vertical walkway... I tried doing it again after actually realizing all the warp tower stuff and accidentally fell off of the brittle hollow warp pad... and I have no idea how I managed to parkour up there
@@willmungas8964I figured that warping was probably the intended way, I just thought it was going to be easier to brute force it. I got first try but then I fell and couldn't get back up to my ship so I just explored the hanging city some more.
@10:21 this was a very similar experience I had while working on the music, and I fully related to this part. especially to capture the feeling of "the good times of being with your friends in the past, and getting the band back together again, but now we all now play our own individual parts". the greatest part about this though, is how seemingly distant friendships remain intact after many years, just like how all the travelers connect together, whether together or apart. i'm supposed to be playing tears of the kingdom right now, but instead i'm tearing up at this video.
My older friend told me about his method to find friends as an adult. He said to join or start some kind of group or club that meets monthly. A book club, a hiking group, or even just a lunch group. It has eased a lot of my worries of no longer having a regular group when I graduate.
Regular, recurring events are the best social tool I know of. I've played DnD every Wednesday for 4 years now. It was just me and one other person at the start, but new faces have come and gone consistently as people get invited. When I eventually move away from where I am now, I think I am going to have to start or join a similar group. Maybe something other than DnD, but still regular and recurring. It's been a treasure that means the world to me.
Yup. You find friends through hobbies or interests as an adult. Doing something you love with people who also love it will draw them to you. From that point on, it's up to you to socialize with them and keep the connection alive.
I think the moment I fell in love with outer wilds was weeks after I played the game. Watching back the final sequence of the game, laying alone in bed during early quarantine. I had just experienced my last days of high school and had no real contact with people my age. I felt so alone, but I had met someone via the internet to whom I had explained my deep connection with the story. I just laid there, tearing up, watching someone else play through something I'd already experienced. The game never, ever left me. It became a piece of me- I made my friends play it, I tell everybody I know that it's my favorite piece of art. Just a brilliant, sobering reminder of the blissful singularity of life. Then the DLC came along and made me feel the same things all over again.
Why did I not think about using the signalscope?! I would often try to see if I could line up the whole band, but when I hunted down the probe that thought just didn't come to mind. Seeing you show that off felt incredible and made me laugh and then almost cry. Edit: And then you DID make me cry!!! Using the signalscope as the star explodes was so sad. That would never have occurred to me.
Two seperate moments made me fall in love with Outer Wilds. The first was landing on Giant's Deep. I didn't know about the gravity pads, so I parked my ship on one of the islands and went off to explore, but when I came back my ship wasn't there. I looked around for a bit, but I couldn't find it, and then when I looked up it was 17km away from the planet I was on. I clocked on what happened and was amazed at how these systems had come together to create such emergent gameplay. The next moment was my first time on Brittle Hollow. The ground start to fall underneath me and, somehow, I managed to go into the black hole without realising it was there. I didn't see it at all. So I was awfully confused when I ended up getting teleported to the other end of the solar system. Honestly blew my mind when I realised what had happened.
i feel like Outer Wilds will always be my #1 favorite game because of moments like these, the instruments going quiet one by one at the end really got me. Outer Wilds made me realize I love media that makes me cry as weird as it sounds
After I played Outer Wilds for the first time, I was seeking media that made me cry too! I am Dead is another really good game that made me cry, it’s a bit more whimsical than Outer Wilds, but caused me to have similar feelings by the end
You guys need to watch Everything Everywhere All at Once if you are looking for something to make you cry. What an incredible movie that actually has similar themes to NMS.
Each instrument dropping out as the supernova gets bigger is haunting. Ive never seen that before. Brilliant work all-around, such a cool concept for a video
Yeah I did the all alone ending when I turned off the ATP and ran away from the supernova. Waiting for the loop to end in deep space I just stared at our solar system listening to my friends. When they finally exploded, died, and the sound went silent I was pretty sad. Then the end game screen saved me telling me I was all alone before I could even begin to try and fly back to see if anything remained of my home 🥺
It’s interesting to contrast this with my experience. I decided to chase after the probe on maybe my fourth loop, when everything was fresh and everywhere I looked offered something new including, I assumed, the probe from the first thing you see. This was, obviously, not the case here, and, as there was so much unexplored, I ended up spacing myself without a suit so I could start the next loop and explore that bramble place. Three guesses what deep fear Finding Nemo had inspired in me.
I feel like *everyone* eventually reaches a point where they realize that you have unlimited loops and unlimited time. For me, I think it was around the time I was exploring the Sunless City, and I kept running out of time and getting blocked in by sand. It was frustrating at first, but eventually I realized that I could just come back next loop. There was no need to rush and try to see or do everything.
@@casss8605 Did you happen to pass by it with headlights off? It's very hard to see otherwise. I assume you at least saw the lights, as that's the only way you could know the probe was even there.
@@Dan0RG the light effects were still working, like i could see the glow but it was just suspended in space not attatched to anything, i just ignored it
Wow. This was an incredible video. I can't believe you were able to make such an amazing script that is timed perfectly to the footage of this loop that was so impactful to you. You did an amazing job of recapturing what you went through and learned from this experience. I know so many people will benefit from being able to now share this experience with you. Thank you so much for making this.
thanks for the kind words! making this was interesting as I did not actually write a script. I started by planning out the blocking for the loop (as I wanted the footage to look nice and have different sorts of sections), then I recorded like 5 different versions until I got it right. Once I had that, I pretty much just played the footage and then talked over it for a few minutes at a time. Then I would cut that audio down because it was often filled with erms and uhs and me figuring out what I actually wanted to say, and then I would record again. I worked through the whole video this way which made it easy to time with certain moments because I came up with what I wanted to say as I saw things happen. Don't know that I would recommend making videos like this as it is a weird process BUT it was interesting to try out.
@@razbutwo I appreciate your level of transparency in not just your creative process, but in all you do on this platform. Your content is killer, insightful, thought-provoking, and overall very human. Your commentary always resonates with me. Thank you for sharing your art. It inspires us.
@@razbutwo I feel like, we still need some uhms, erms etc. Nowadays, you and everybody nearly cuts everything. I feel like it would be benefic to keep some of latence, we see your like thinking etc. But it's only my opinion. Nice video, it resonates right now what what I'm living. Cheers :D
Major spoiler! What hit me hard in outer wilds was the discovery you make on the interloper. You suddenly find out that despite all the goals and things the nomai had going on that suddenly everything was just taken away from them in just seconds. Everything they'd planned for gone. It made me realise that its the same as real life in that you, or things can suddenly be teared away and gone forever. Made me start to appreciate how precious everything in life truly is.
Man, what is it with EVERY Outer Wilds video making me cry in the last minute or so? Without fail, it doesn't even matter what the topic of the video is. I always break down into tears by the end of the video... Thanks for sharing your story of your experiences. I'm so moved with how many thousands of people resonate with these feelings and understand them.
Outer Wilds is about making connections with others, even of a different species and who have been dead for thousands of years. When I realized this, at the end of the game, I cried for so long…
I feel you. I guess, once one finishes Outer Wilds, he can't come back to it. There's nothing left to discover, nothing left to complete. It is just... done... All that's left are memories. And memories are meant to be shared. Either with your friends or strangers on the internet. That's why when someone like him makes a video about this game, you're feeling anew, refreshed in this old time sensation of discovering something new about the... Wild world you missed so much ! But by the end of the video... this feeling. This feeling of completing a thing you didn't want to complete. The end of something you'll miss... hits right back to you like every things beautifull you wished you spent more time LIVING IT.
I didn't really take the time to slow down and appreciate the game very often, because I was always chasing lead after lead, and didn't really have that many issues figuring things out. But the few moments where I simply appreciated the nature or structures in the game were very calming. And that's why Gabbro made me cry at the end... "It's the kind of thing that makes you glad you stopped and smelled the pine trees along the way, you know?"
I finished Outer Wilds the night my mom stopped being responsive in the hospital. The next day we had to tell the doctors to remove life support and say our last goodbyes (it was my mom’s wish to never be in that state long if it came to it). Beating outer wilds that night helped me mentally for what was the come the next day. Despite me beating the game being associated with a terrible moment in my life, I have this moment to look back on and feel comfort, too. Thanks for sharing this, Raz.
@@CarolynnieGoofball Outer Wilds, more than any game I've ever played, seems to be the game that many of us play *just* when we need it in our lives. It's a powerful thing!! Thanks for your comment, I was calmed just reading it :)
My favorite moment on outer wilds occurred in my first few hours of the game. I decided to go to red bramble to see what was going on, and I came across Chail and her drum. She looked cheerful and that seemed reassuring. I then wandered into the planet's caves for a while, got completely lost inside and began to feel a certain apprehension building up. I later realized that the sand was rising in the caves and that I risked dying inside if I didn't manage to get out in time. Although panicked, I managed to find a way out of the cave in-extremis. But the scene outside didn't reassure me at all: the sun had become huge and red, I'm terrified. I go back to Chail to ask her what was going on, but she was just as terrified as I was. The beat of her drum had lost all its joy, and seemed to have turned into a macabre countdown to the end of the world. So I did what any other person would have done in my place, I took a marshmallow and toasted it by the fire as I watched the end of the world with Chail. It was one of the moments that made me fall in love with outre wilds, this game reflects so well the contrasts of the world, the immense and the minuscule, the distressing and the comforting... The creators of this game have managed to squeeze all the poetry of the world into this little solar system of just a few kilometers.
if you have access to a headset, there is a wonderful vr mod for outer wilds, when i first played it in vr it had already ran through the game several times, but experiencing it truly in first person was like playing again for the first time. It wasn't like playing blind, i knew where to go and what to look for, but it managed to somehow be even more emotionally impacting due to the greater level of interaction that the mod allowed, i would definitely recommend it to anyone as the mod(and many others) are completely free
I had a similar experience with the probe. I played outer wilds almost a year ago now just after I graduated from university and got a job and started dating a really sweet and funny guy. My life had certainly changed for the better but there were parts of it that hurt quite a bit. My mom didn’t take learning about my sexuality very well, I knew graduating meant that all the people I loved would slowly start to drift away, and that I had started “the rest of my life”. Playing outer wilds helped me come to my own moments of clarity namely the fact that when a huge change happens in someone’s life, while that is the end of something it’s also the start of something different. It could be better or worse or bigger or smaller, but it will be different and it will be new and it will have its own challenges. The probe reminds me of the fact that it’s okay to take shots in the dark and try new things within a phase of life. You might not know where it will lead but if you find something interesting it can reshape the rest of your life. Now that I’ve been working full time for almost a year and I’ve settled into my adult routine I feel kinda like those times when the loops don’t yield anything, so maybe it’s time to follow a probe and enjoy what I find whether that be nothing or everything
My favorite and most defining moment of Outer Wilds is probably something I will never forget. Walking along Ash Twin later into a loop, trying to find something, anything among the ruins. As I walk through the Brittle Hollow room... Im transported somewhere. In retrospect, I completely understand what happened, but in the moment i was very confused. I look around, and for whatever reason, I jump, boosting myself into the air. Once again... I didnt understand what was happening, but in retrospect i understand that the teleporter takes you to a place where you're upside down. My character flips, and i get sent down into the abyss, falling into the black hole and being transported to the other side of the solar system. In the span of maybe 20 seconds, so many things happened that I had no idea what was happening. Teleportation? A planet with a black hole in the middle? Wormholes? A space station on the edge of the solar system? It was a moment of genuine confusion and fear, as odd as that may sound, me laughing hysterically, both out of amusement and shock, as my character gets sent tumbling fron location to location. God, I love Outer Wilds.
I totally get the feeling of not realising how much anxiety you're struggling with until one little thing hits you in the face and it suddenly becomes so obvious. I hope life continues to go well for you, Raz.
Raz, you calmly talking over Outer Wilds footage is some of the most relaxing and peaceful media on the internet. Your thoughtful videos on Outer Wilds took a game that I already adored and made it a game that I loved deeply. My appreciation for it has grown so much from watching your thoughts and how they are metaphors for our lives. Also, your experience with "Space" mirrors mine. It wasn't one of the songs I would put on when I wanted to drink my morning coffee. That was left for "Outer Wilds", "Main Title" and "14.3 Billion Years." But now, "Space" is my go-to song for when our 14-month old is struggling and needing to fall asleep in the car. I know you have a young one, too, and would not be surprised if you've tried the same thing :) Cheers, friend. Your content is special.
Outer Wilds is an experience I won't forget. It's been a few years already and I still can't get over how amazing it was, and it just makes me wish I could experience for the first time again. The closest way we can is by watching blind playthroughs of people going through that same experience for the first time, and relive it through them.
I didn't expect to cry watching this video It started as a "Oh, I wonder what is the moment this video talked about", because listening people talking about their experience of Outer Wilds is amazing. I never followed the probe, it was really interesting to hear your story, at first And then you talked about your loneliness and your loved ones, and I have felt like you way too much in my life. I have this important person to me who kind of have been drifting away for years, and I never found any way to stop that. I thought I had accepted that, but they are soon going to move further than they always had, and I'm afraid of that. I don't know if I will be able to properly deal with this Listening to you talking about your moment and your life and your journey made me realize this is what I love the most about this game, the fact that people share their experiences with its discovery and how it resonates with their life etc. The mains reason why I've never followed the probe is because I've never really played Outer Wilds. I've tried, but it was resonating with too much of my inner fears. But I've listened to so much people talking about their experience, I don't even feel like I've missed anything. Outer Wilds and its community helped me accept that there is no wrong way to live, that it's okay if I don't do it in the way things were intented. I hope for more people to discover Outer Wilds, I hope for people to share their stories like you did.
My story started when ‘Outer Wilds - Reprise’ shuffled on for the first time on Spotify just as I had graduated high school and took my first steps into the unknown. The first time I heard it I remember just stopping what I was doing and just listening as I started to cry. Adulthood was really starting and the melancholic melody comforted me like a bittersweet hug. From that moment I decided that Outer Wilds was one of my favourite games of all time without even playing it. Now flash forward to 2 years later, I waited and waited until it finally arrived on switch and I just finished it. Now, that song really holds a memory trip of my adolescence, newfound curiosity and adventure from the gameplay and the inevitability of life as it is. Whatever will be, will be. Things will move forever forward until it doesn’t, so kindle that passion you have now and make the most of what we have.
Gaming for a Non Gamer came out while I was taking Human Computer Interaction class and I showed it to my professor and we used those videos as part of our lessons to help illustrate some of the points you were making that were critical to our lessons. I'm glad you didn't give up because I learned a lot from that and I've been trying to make my software as user friendly and obvious as possible now and I like to return to your videos to remind myself sometimes things are not super obvious to regular people that we think are obvious since we are too close to the product. So thank you, and please keep up the good work. While not every one of your videos is about that sort of thing, I do appreciate your perspective in every video and it's always interesting to see a new video pop up.
Man, I remember my first run like this. Realizing that this game was not just about uncovering the mystery, that the 21 minutes are not just a restriction you are inevitably bound by, but instead a way to encourage you to appreciate the small things in the game, because the same things will always be there. When it happened to me, I couldn't figure out how to get into the core of Giant's Deep, and I was frustrated, but as I thought at how I could possibly do it, I took a second to listen and then I just sat there listening to the water and the muffled sounds of the tornadoes above, having that same realisation, that not every run has to be fruitful, that this handcrafted solar system is something to be admired. From then on I spent many runs doing random things that did nothing to further my knowledge of the game, but allowed me to experience the beautiful little secrets, like the signalscope being able to pick up all of the instruments at the same time. I love this game and it is firmly seated at my number one spot, and has been for the past 3 or 4 years.
So to make friends as an adult requires a 3rd space like a comic book shop or a pool hall or a board game cafe. A physical location with something that interests you in a physical space. I play Magic the Gathering and D&D with people I didn't know 10 years ago because i was lucky for that space that isn't work or home.
Your essays are awesome. Thank you for sharing your experiences, both in-game and in life. The editing is a superb mix of voiceover speeds and cuts with video that is cut to complement the discussion. Kudos to you and your editor for a job very well done!
That's really sweet. Thanks for sharing this. Hearing the music when looking back and hearing the song in unison, something you really can't do normally, was especially touching - as much as hearing it fade was. I think this kind of reflection is very valuable, I can't remember the last time I just observed my environment with real patience. Even in a game. It's hard to find that kind of quiet it feels like.
I absolutely adore the way that you apply your own emotions onto the games you play. I come to games to feel things, they're emotional experiences to me. Outer Wilds made me feel lonely, hopeful, horrified, mournful, and wonderstruck. Keep feeling things
This game really stuck with me after playing it. There's something beautiful about the fact that the loop never changes, but the loop changes you. I wholeheartedly think this is one of the best games ever created.
I hadn't played the game when your original Outer Wilds video came out, but I remember watching it and it still moved me. I told myself that I will definitely play the game soon. It took a while, but I finally played it and got entrenched in it a few months back. Then I went back and watched the video again and it made me appreciate it even more. This game moved me in so many ways and I love every aspect of it. Nice to see another video from you on it.
My favorite way to restart the loop after getting to the point of being done with a place but too close to the big boom to start a new one was to look at the sun, get the signal scope out, and just fly back! There was something both harrowing and wonderful about the moment each instrument stops.
My favorite memory was getting sucked into the black hole before knowing how to go back, so realizing I was not returning back to my ship 24 km away I just slowly floated to Dark Bramble, landed on one of the islands, and just stared at the sun as it slowly grew redder and redder. As I was watching though, Giant's Deep slowly starts to eclipse the sun right as it starts going super nova. It was a genuinely beautiful and powerful moment that I don't think any other game made me feel before. To be at the right place at the right time by accident was amazing.
I love how your actions with the probe were similar to my own as well as probably many others. Orbiting around it, observing and appreciating the shuttle, watching the stars around you die out, experiencing the overall calm and isolating feeling of traveling with it, the reflection on something about your life, and using the scope to hear each instrument disappear. Some of these things i had forgotten doing but im glad i was reminded of and being able to have a new appreciation for this loop that i had mostly forgotten about. Also amazing work on pacing of the video and your dialogue matching it perfectly.
I just wanted you to know that this video made a big impact on me. A lot of what you described is my life, so to hear someone help me understand this idea of slowing down and enjoying what I have. Thanks!
It actually just clicked for me that the video is about as long as a Loop is. I just finished Outer Wilds, and it was you, Raz, that gave me reason and motivation to finally play it, and to persevere when I genuinely thought I couldn’t finish it. I know I played it at exactly the time I needed to, I don’t regret waiting as long as I did. But for years now, I’ve been getting these little messages scrawled across the internet about how great the game is, about how people have been affected and even shaped by it. And for a lot of reasons, I thought it might just be another experience I would never have, another wonder of the universe I would never see. But now I have seen it, I have experienced it, and I owe no small part of that to all the people along the way who guided me closer with the tales of their own experiences, who noted the things that they saw. We weren’t all there at the same time, most of them had moved on long before I got there, but the experience still felt shared- we were strangers and yet connected by the things we saw, years apart. We witnessed the end of everything, and waited with bated breath for what would come next. The universe is, and we are.
I can’t tell you how much I relate to this and how much I needed to hear this right now in my life but thanks for giving me an opportunity to cry and calm down for a moment
Raz, when I watch your videos, I feel like I'm looking through a mirror. There's something so profoundly similar about the way we are, the way we view things, that just resonates with me completely. I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you for your transparency, as it has allowed me to feel completely understood in a time of absolute uncertainty. And thank you for existing. You know, beyond the content creation stuff.
Outer Wilds is precious, and to embark with you on that loop, following your train of thought, was eerilie enticing. The moment I understood there wouldn't be any cut in your video, I knew it was gonna be something special, I closed my other screens and just let it be, and I'm glad I did. Thank you for sharing that feeling, it was beautiful. :)
You put into words my feelings about Outer Wilds far better than I could, always love your videos - I played December 2019 when I had just finished my last round of chemo for blood cancer (was 20 at the time). Couldn’t connect to anyone despite being lucky enough to be surrounded by loving family and friends, but I managed to find some solace through this game. Thanks for the videos Raz
The main way people meet as adults is just through work. Classmates are replaced with coworkers and just as in school, some might become friends and some don’t. So it makes sense when you say you mostly meet other creators Raz. That’s the closest thing you have to coworkers.
I'm first year at uni after a gap year. The honest way I make new friends is I walk up to someone who looks interesting and just start talking about the first random thing that comes to mind when I look at them, hear their response, and ask for their name if they seem interested. It's worked very well so far!
Great video, I also spent a whole loop on the probe and you articulated quite beautifully my feelings from that. It was peaceful and enjoyable to not feel pressure to make progress. Btw I recommend looking for local community gaming groups if you're trying to track down some friends. Board games, video games, magic the gathering, et al. there are probably way more groups for non-gaming related stuff too, hiking, astronomy, music. Choose a passion and look for a group that gets together around it.
This video moved me deeply. I've been going through a lot recently and your words just hit home in a way that I didn't expect them to. I love the philosophical approach you take to analysing games. Outer Wilds is one of my favourite games and I just wanted to thank you so much for making this video, I started crying when you started talking about looking back on happy times with friends and not seeing the struggles that might have occurred in the moment but at a distance you feel very reminiscent. Again thank you, this video touched me. This game was the last gift I received from my last girlfriend. Hearing the music after the silence has an effect on me that I cannot put into words but it makes me feel happy we got to spend the time we did together yet sad because it's over and now we are singing our own songs alone.
raz some of the rants you have just touch me in a way that's makes me feel so seen and understood, I truly appreciate you and the art you share with the world. love to you brother
What a beautiful memory. Thank you for sharing. While my experience with Outer Wilds was a very different one (though its themes still hit really hard with things i was figuring out at that time) I'm resonating a lot with the situation you've described here. As a consequence of the pandemic, my life has come to a complete halt and somehow the last year and a half have been more isolating for me than quarantine ever was. And honestly, I'm not really sure what to do next. Friends (, people i used to talk more to) have told me that it's okay to need some time to figure everything out. But as more time passes I feel myself falling behind with the life I hoped I could live more and more and being stuck making no progress feels more and more frustrating and lonely. Even knowing that you're not supposed to have life figured out it's difficult to shake the feeling that you still should. But I still hope that someday, from a different point of view, I might be able to look back at this time and appreciate when my life got to slow down for a little. There's this quote from Gabbro at the end of the game that I think about a lot these days, actually: *"It’s the kind of thing that makes you glad you stopped and smelled the pine trees along the way, you know?"* It makes me want to try and appreciate some things about this time a little more. Hopefully I'll get to the day when I can.
God, this is a good video. Not just because Outer Wilds is one my favorite games ever (and I only found thanks to your recommendation), but it's wild hearing about how tumultuous your journey was. Your videos are amazing, and I'm always looking forward to the next one. I know a lot is probably changing for you now with the whole fatherhood thing, but I wish you the best. I'm rooting for you!
What a beautiful video and a beautiful game! I didn't even realize until the very end that you had simply made the video length one entire loop. Very cool how you timed it and just said everything you needed to in that time. Fun fact about the instruments dropping out one by one at the end: That wasn't actually a thing until a patch about a year or so ago. I don't remember exactly when, but it was definitely after Echoes of the Eye was released. Before that patch, the travelers simply all kept playing until the loop ended. It was a very cool change, even though it is haunting.
I appreciate you making this, the stream of consciousness was very genuine and the end was a gentle reminder for me to sit and rest for a moment without getting consumed by external events/responsibilities. To just, be.
I don’t know what it is with all these Video Game Essays channels churning out absolute banger videos on Outer Wilds. Daryl Talks Games a month or so ago and now Raz. Serious chills on both of them
This is my favorite Outer Wilds video! It explains what makes the game unique and beautiful, but in a way I can share with my friends without spoiling anything! Thank you so much for making this!
Following a probe is like the second thing I made in a game. Chilling and licening the music in the vast expance of exploding stars. 7:18 Same, didn't even noticed star-blobs until did. Cool to see it on youtube
Beautiful video essay. You are a very deep thinker dude, I love how it was all fit into one loop! :D I followed the probe too in my play through but my “eye-opening moment” was in a different loop from yours. This just shows how much every section of this has to teach to people.
When I was playing outer wilds I loved the song Space so much and the calmness that drifting around the solar system gave me that sometimes I would boot up the game just to fly up and appreciate it all. Thanks Raz, for reminding me of those serene moments.
Amazing video! It's always incredible to hear how Outer Wilds has affected people in different ways. Everyone seems to walk away from Outer Wilds with a different experience and different emotions felt while playing the game.
Really loved this video Raz. I find that you're always able to provide a moment to reflect and ground myself. Sometimes we just need a moment to step away from the chaos of life :) I also just want to say that it's completely normal to find difficulty in making new friends. I'm not just saying this for you (who are older than me and undoubtedly have more life experience) but also for all the other viewers who may stumble across this comment. Loneliness is a part of the human experience. People come and go, and sometimes life is better or worse. I'm ending my third year in college and I'm still lonely and struggling to find my people. That's ok. What's important is that you never give up on the beauty of human relationships. It's easy to lose hope when you see everyone eventually disapear from your life, but think about how happy it made you when you had them. If you did it before, you can do it again. Never stop trying. Some tips for people that might be struggling with loneliness: 1) establish a consistent schedule to meet with people (e.x. Monday lunch with ____ every week). I find that this creates a low-pressure social environment when both parties agree, and constant communication opens up opportunities for new experiences. Keeping up with people this way lets you be a closer part of their life, and thereby opens you up to more people through them! 2) One of my favorite quotes: "The best things in life hide behind a wall of fear." I know it sounds cheesy, but it's important to breaking out of your comfort zone really can lead to massive positive changes in your life. Let me share an example: when I first came to college I had no one. Because of COVID my family couldn't even help me move in and I was in a new country by myself. I'm generally an introverted/ quiet person but I've always relied on a small group of close friends -- having no one was extremely difficult for me. One of my first days there there was a club fair/showcase, and though I'm not usually a fan of club culture/ large gatherings I decided to show up to look around. This was when I was approached by a choir member who asked me if I wanted to join the Uni's church choir. I am NOT a very religious person nor have I EVER had a religious bone in my body, but something inside me just told me to go against all of my instincts and say yes. So I, a tone-def dweeb, showed up that sunday to sing (I have never sung seriously before in my life, not even in the shower). I was terrified. With time, though, these people became an important part of my college experience. They accepted me despite my lack of musical talent and always welcomed be with open hearts and arms. I could have never foreseen the love they have given me from the safety of my comfort zone. And to be honest, they aren't even my closest friends, but they have become an anchor and safe space during rough times. Essentially, establish consistent times for socializing and push yourself to try new things, even if they seem outlandish to you. Sorry for the extremely comment, I usually never write anything but Raz's video really inspired me. Love to all
I genuinely, whole-heartedly love this video. I don’t know what format this is, but just the way you talk about the game, then make a connection to something personal, then get back to the game. This video is cozy, like a campfire. Thank you for a great video- I look forward to seeing more of your stuff ❤
Dude, the middle part of this video resonated so extremely much with me. I've also just moved from a bigger city to a smaller one with no people I know, for a workplace I have spent a long time getting confident in. Loneliness and Outer Wilds has been an amazing combination.
Hi I have not watched this yet but I already know I will greatly enjoy yet another video of someone gushing about Outer Wilds narrating their experience. Thanks Raz
Man these videos are poetry. Its like reliving a little bit of those emotions I had playing the game for the first time simply by listening to you explaining your emotions.
Idk how intentional this was but I appreciate the length of the video ;) The choice to put the full loop in the video is wonderful. This video is a piece of art.
This hit hard. Especially since I'm going through something similar too, with the end of college, moving to a new place and being unable to make friends or have experiences that I lost out on due to the pandemic to begin with. Fantastic essay. Also when End Times hit I realized how perfectly you timed the entire video, love it!
Being able to give player hints or reflexion about life and things in general (and maybe help them) is (for me), among all the qualities we can find in a game, what makes it great. I did not fully realised it until you said it, but Outer Wilds also disrupt the way I played video games and what I am looking for when playing today. And this is the greatest gift it gave to me, and why it will probably remain my favorite game.
I remember following the probe myself, it was one of my favorite moments as well, in a game packed with many reflective quiet moments. I loved every moment i spent with the other Outer Wilds crew roasting marshmallows, listening to their tunes and eventually piecing together that they're all playing one part of a larger theme and that even I had a role to play in their chorus as someone had to be there to observe it. I loved the little moments when a secret I stumbled on finally had payoff hours later as I found the piece of information I lacked to move forward.
Around 12:00, where you're listening to everyone play the song together that is normally only heard in fragments, it really reminded me of my favorite contemporary art installation, Ragnar Kjartansson's "The VIsitors", which is a multi-screen exhibit where each screen is a person in a different room of an old mansion playing the same song. It's my favorite thing I've ever seen in a museum and I wish that everyone could have the opportunity to see it.
I never noticed how much emptier the sky becomes as the loop progresses. I knew about the other stars going supernova but I didn't realize just how few of them were left by the end.
I remember the exact moment I knew Outer Wilds was something special. I was in Brittle Hollow exploring the Hanging City, but like the idiot you are only 5-6 hours in the game, you have no idea what you’re doing or where you are. So I see a giant black ship looking thing (later I would find out it’s the Black Hole forge) and I jump down onto it miss the landing and am mad at myself once again because I know I’m going to fall into the black hole, but I see I still have some fuel left so I try my hardest to stay away. Before I knew it, I had figured out orbiting in Outer Wilds. I orbited the black hole until I found the elevator beams as I call them and made it to where I was trying to get to on Brittle Hollow the entire time, Riebeck. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t fall into the black hole and I made it to Riebeck. I started laughing. That was the moment that made me fall in love with Outer Wilds
This was such a beautiful video. The way you made it around an in-game cycle was genius and reminded me why i love this game so much. Thank you for giving me the time i needed to reflect on my own life
I never thought about what you talked about at ~20 mins. That the game pushes against the tendancy to beat it and just enjoy playing. Outer Wilds gave me a sense of making progress basically every loop but it also gave me loops where I learned nothing new and just spent the rest either flying around aimlessly listening to Space or listening to the Travelers theme with my signal scope. Thats a new thing to say I love about my favorite piece of media ever made.
For me, the moment I really connected with Outer Wilds- the moment that clung to my blood, changed pathways and synapses in my brain, changed the way I view everything as a whole- was the moment in the Eye. I loved Outer Wilds form the beginning, because it's space, with endless opportunities, and it's always been a love of mine. On the Eye, I thought it was really cool, and then- And then the player went inside. And I... saw. I wouldn't understand it right away. I was enraptured, regardless, with the very idea with it. The things that flashed before the eyes of the player, of _us_, and then the museum, with its changed plaques wistfully describing the objects connected to them, as though looking back on loving memories, and then the map, and the galaxies, and the woods. If I had not been hooked before, I would have been then. The campfire, the finding of the instruments, the song that was played- watching the new universe be born in a swell of music- I was embraced. But I wouldn't understand why, not even when Echoes of the Eye released, and I eventually saw it, and understood that the campfire that made the new reality, and the new member around it, was a memory of the before, which would shape the future of the after. Funnily enough, I would only come to understand it- my captivity, my perspective of the art that is Outer Wilds and the Eye- in Fullmetal Alchemist. In FMA, for those who don't know, one of the big themes (not one of the main themes, but close) is death, and that it is unpreventable: Death comes for all things living. It is when I revisited Outer Wilds, after resurfacing from FMA, that I finally understood what captivated me so. Ever since then, I have been acutely aware of how much my life is changed. It felt like experiencing The Giver for the first time, again. I'm changed. It's love. I'll never be the same, and I feel comfort. Space has never felt so much like home.
I had the exact same story. There is a Nomai capsule that can send you in outer space. First, looking on my ship marker and realizing there was no way out, I was thinking about missed opportunities of the run and how little I have learned from it. But then I started to examine the ship closely, witnessed the solar system so tiny, listened to the Outer Wilds Ventures instruments combined in the soundtrack of the coziest place in the Universe... there was no "game completement urge" anymore, quite the opposite so I was just thinking about things in a melancholic awareness of the inevitable. A precious experience from a precious game.
You'll probably never see this but I thought this video was excellent. The pacing of your writing and narration of your monologue was perfect. The first half of the video I spent waiting for you to point your signal scope at the solar system and when you finally did, I got full body goosebumps. Thank you for sharing and letting us re experience this with you.
You seem like such a good guy. I can relate to so many thinks you tell about life and yourself - and seeing you talking all these thinks out into anonymous Internet is so wonderful. I thank you so much for that! I love the way you combine "these games" with feelings, showing that games can be so much more than nonsense time-consumers
I had this exact experience, except I wasn't following the probe, I was flying as far out of the solar system as I could to just see what happened. That moment of quiet with just your ship is very relaxing. The only way I make new friends is to either meet them through a different friend or online in twitch chats! Another thing is that becoming an adult and having a lot more responsibilities and lot less free time can make it hard to even hang out with the friends you used to see nearly every day, let alone meet new ones. Also, 100% can empathise about the youtube thing. When I briefly tried to make videos, I once had one get to 13k views and I was absolutely panicking, I cannot imagine how it would feel to get as many views as you did.
This sums up my experience with the game perfectly. I had the same feeling of loneliness when i moved away to college and never really understood what was going on in my head until I played outer wilds in january of 2020. I didnt have the same profound moment following the probe, (although i did chase it down several times just for fun) but I did get those same quiet moments to reflect on the game as a whole. I still remember ugly crying during the credits when I finally beat the game, and i still tear up when I hear 14.3 billion years. But outer wilds, as much as it taught me that being alone with your own thoughts and not really accomplishing anything is Ok, it also connected me with my then girlfriend soon to be wife. Thank you for making this video and making videos in general, and thank you mobius digital for one of the most important ganes of all time
My moment was the loop right after the Sun Station loop. I was feeling heavy with the knowledge that I couldn't fix the Sun exploding like I had hoped. I couldn't fix anything at all. The only "solution" I could think of was to find the way to make it all stop for good. After I connected the dots of why the time loop actually happens, I didn't leave Timber Hearth that loop. I stayed and talked to everyone again. Went and did the zero g cave again. Flew the little drone around. Visited the exhibits again. And roasted lots of marshmallows before dozing off until it was time for the sun to explode again. It was the moment I found what I consider the games only flaw: you don't have an instrument yourself. I wanted so bad to go out playing a little tune like my other astronaut friends. Instead I just sat there listening to Feldspar's harmonica until the loop reset. Although it was one the most "empty" loops I've had, it made me realize I had already fallen in love with the game and I was going to miss it dearly once it was all over.
Игры
When the music stops, instrument by instrument... it hits differently.
Literal chills
It's also wild how they even coded that into it. I was like, "surely they didn't", but they did.
@@gottagowork They didn't at first. Put into an update. I'm so glad they did.
Oh wow, you learn something new about outer wilds every day.
I just watched that part and my heart jumped into my throat
3:50 the most mindblowing part of this for me is that Raz doesn't put his spacesuit on the moment he gets into the ship
If you're gonna catch the probe, you gotta go fast!!
@@Rosella500 I never caught the probe! I tried to, but I thought it went out of bounds. Kinda crazy that there were still things I never found
@@astralaegis6283 There are no bounds mwahahaha!
@@AlterExo_
Well, there is a limit to how far you can reach in the time allotted.
@@solsystem1342 Well yes, but you can remove that bound with mods!
[Major Spoilers for Outer Wilds]
I think for me, the most impactful moment in this game that made me fall in love with it was when I finally boarded the Sun Station. The whole game you're teased bits and pieces about this station orbiting the sun, and it was created to destroy the sun, and you finally reach this climax, ready to stop the destruction of your world. The crossing from the teleport room to the rest of the station is incredibly suspenseful, with the music ramping up and the shot of the sun directly below your feet. And then you finally enter the station, and find out... it failed. The sun station never achieved its goal of destroying the sun. The researchers on board ended up dying soon after anyways due to the Interloper. And then the realization kicks in that the sun isn't being destroyed, it's dying naturally. And soon after, I finally noticed the stars in the sky going supernova. The universe was dying. That realization, that there was nothing I could do to stop the deaths of everyone in the solar system, really hit me. I fell into the sun on the way back and ended up spending the next loop at the fireplace where you wake up, just sitting there. Taking it all in.
I might be rambling but that singular moment was the most emotional and impactful moment for me in any game. I don't know why, but it really stuck with me.
I had a very similar experience! I had a major event happen in my life around the same time I discovered the sun station and now whenever I feel sad about it I just listen to the song that plays when you’re aboard it and it really does help me refocus
I think it's because Outer Wilds does what most other games don't.
In Outer Wilds, You can't save the day, you can't save anyone, your 'adversary' is an unstoppable force of nature for which there is no technological, magical, or confrontational, or friendship powered solution.
It's almost the complete inverse of Undertale.
It's a somber feeling when you realize the space you've been exploring, and the lives in it, is doomed to end right before your eyes.
Or do a ksp and dock with the thing before you even knew about the teleporters (true story)
I had a completely different experience! I had no idea that it was meant to destroy the sun until I got there and that was a massive twist for me. So cool that the same thing can give us such different experiences.
The culmination of the rising music and that leap of faith to get to the other side of the station so close to the sun was perfection to me
My favorite Outer Wilds moment is reaching the Black Hole Forge, because it was the first time I planned my whole loop in advance and executed my plan smoothly. I was so proud.
I was so confused because I hadn’t figured out the warping that I ended up brute forcing it by slamming my ship into the Nomai gravity pads that make up the walkway to it, where it would stay. It took three or four loops to get it right without the ship or me falling and actually lowering the black hole forge first, but it felt pretty awesome to pull it off
@@willmungas8964 I didn't get find any info about the warp towers really and I actually managed to parkour up to the black hole forge in the broken vertical walkway... I tried doing it again after actually realizing all the warp tower stuff and accidentally fell off of the brittle hollow warp pad... and I have no idea how I managed to parkour up there
@@willmungas8964I figured that warping was probably the intended way, I just thought it was going to be easier to brute force it. I got first try but then I fell and couldn't get back up to my ship so I just explored the hanging city some more.
@10:21 this was a very similar experience I had while working on the music, and I fully related to this part. especially to capture the feeling of "the good times of being with your friends in the past, and getting the band back together again, but now we all now play our own individual parts". the greatest part about this though, is how seemingly distant friendships remain intact after many years, just like how all the travelers connect together, whether together or apart.
i'm supposed to be playing tears of the kingdom right now, but instead i'm tearing up at this video.
the man himself 😲
I hope you see this Andrew- your music has done so much for so many people, really incredible work
Love your music man
Push this comment up, gamers!
Your music in this game and it’s DLC has brought me to tears on more than one occasion. This video is getting you back haha
My older friend told me about his method to find friends as an adult. He said to join or start some kind of group or club that meets monthly. A book club, a hiking group, or even just a lunch group. It has eased a lot of my worries of no longer having a regular group when I graduate.
Or just find a place you like and go there regularly. After some time you'll recognize the regulars and can start conversations with them :)
church is another great place to build community, especially since you’ll meet people of all ages
@@zackglickert4495 Definitely, all my friends are from church (all 2 of them, but hey, I try 😅)!
Regular, recurring events are the best social tool I know of. I've played DnD every Wednesday for 4 years now. It was just me and one other person at the start, but new faces have come and gone consistently as people get invited. When I eventually move away from where I am now, I think I am going to have to start or join a similar group. Maybe something other than DnD, but still regular and recurring. It's been a treasure that means the world to me.
Yup. You find friends through hobbies or interests as an adult. Doing something you love with people who also love it will draw them to you. From that point on, it's up to you to socialize with them and keep the connection alive.
phenomenal work
im surprised this didn't get a reply
@@duckyyaboi3129who is Jacob Geller?
@@razbutwohe makes videos that I think have a very similar audience to yours
nobody knows this guy. He mysteriously guy
@@razbutwojust some guy with a beautiful beard
I think the moment I fell in love with outer wilds was weeks after I played the game. Watching back the final sequence of the game, laying alone in bed during early quarantine. I had just experienced my last days of high school and had no real contact with people my age. I felt so alone, but I had met someone via the internet to whom I had explained my deep connection with the story. I just laid there, tearing up, watching someone else play through something I'd already experienced. The game never, ever left me. It became a piece of me- I made my friends play it, I tell everybody I know that it's my favorite piece of art. Just a brilliant, sobering reminder of the blissful singularity of life. Then the DLC came along and made me feel the same things all over again.
the DLC was so good at replaying those emotions...
no way- youre an outer wilds fan? makes sense
Why did I not think about using the signalscope?! I would often try to see if I could line up the whole band, but when I hunted down the probe that thought just didn't come to mind. Seeing you show that off felt incredible and made me laugh and then almost cry.
Edit: And then you DID make me cry!!! Using the signalscope as the star explodes was so sad. That would never have occurred to me.
same here :)
At the White Hole Station, the planets briefly align a couple times a loop.
Two seperate moments made me fall in love with Outer Wilds. The first was landing on Giant's Deep. I didn't know about the gravity pads, so I parked my ship on one of the islands and went off to explore, but when I came back my ship wasn't there. I looked around for a bit, but I couldn't find it, and then when I looked up it was 17km away from the planet I was on. I clocked on what happened and was amazed at how these systems had come together to create such emergent gameplay. The next moment was my first time on Brittle Hollow. The ground start to fall underneath me and, somehow, I managed to go into the black hole without realising it was there. I didn't see it at all. So I was awfully confused when I ended up getting teleported to the other end of the solar system. Honestly blew my mind when I realised what had happened.
Gravity pads? I just finished the game and I don't know what that is 😅
@@karlhendrikse They're the spots that you land your ship on which keep it hunkered down so it doesn't float away.
i feel like Outer Wilds will always be my #1 favorite game because of moments like these, the instruments going quiet one by one at the end really got me. Outer Wilds made me realize I love media that makes me cry as weird as it sounds
Not weird at all! I absolutely love media that makes me cry too.
Media that can move the heart is the best kind of media there is.
Give me tears over feeling nothing in particular any and every day.
After I played Outer Wilds for the first time, I was seeking media that made me cry too! I am Dead is another really good game that made me cry, it’s a bit more whimsical than Outer Wilds, but caused me to have similar feelings by the end
You guys need to watch Everything Everywhere All at Once if you are looking for something to make you cry. What an incredible movie that actually has similar themes to NMS.
@@fried28056 this isnt nms
Each instrument dropping out as the supernova gets bigger is haunting. Ive never seen that before. Brilliant work all-around, such a cool concept for a video
Yeah I did the all alone ending when I turned off the ATP and ran away from the supernova. Waiting for the loop to end in deep space I just stared at our solar system listening to my friends. When they finally exploded, died, and the sound went silent I was pretty sad. Then the end game screen saved me telling me I was all alone before I could even begin to try and fly back to see if anything remained of my home 🥺
It’s interesting to contrast this with my experience. I decided to chase after the probe on maybe my fourth loop, when everything was fresh and everywhere I looked offered something new including, I assumed, the probe from the first thing you see. This was, obviously, not the case here, and, as there was so much unexplored, I ended up spacing myself without a suit so I could start the next loop and explore that bramble place. Three guesses what deep fear Finding Nemo had inspired in me.
I feel like *everyone* eventually reaches a point where they realize that you have unlimited loops and unlimited time. For me, I think it was around the time I was exploring the Sunless City, and I kept running out of time and getting blocked in by sand. It was frustrating at first, but eventually I realized that I could just come back next loop. There was no need to rush and try to see or do everything.
i feel like i missed out on this kinda stuff because the probe model literally didn’t load in my game
@@casss8605 Did you happen to pass by it with headlights off? It's very hard to see otherwise. I assume you at least saw the lights, as that's the only way you could know the probe was even there.
@@Dan0RG the light effects were still working, like i could see the glow but it was just suspended in space not attatched to anything, i just ignored it
Wow. This was an incredible video. I can't believe you were able to make such an amazing script that is timed perfectly to the footage of this loop that was so impactful to you. You did an amazing job of recapturing what you went through and learned from this experience. I know so many people will benefit from being able to now share this experience with you. Thank you so much for making this.
thanks for the kind words! making this was interesting as I did not actually write a script. I started by planning out the blocking for the loop (as I wanted the footage to look nice and have different sorts of sections), then I recorded like 5 different versions until I got it right. Once I had that, I pretty much just played the footage and then talked over it for a few minutes at a time. Then I would cut that audio down because it was often filled with erms and uhs and me figuring out what I actually wanted to say, and then I would record again. I worked through the whole video this way which made it easy to time with certain moments because I came up with what I wanted to say as I saw things happen. Don't know that I would recommend making videos like this as it is a weird process BUT it was interesting to try out.
@@razbutwo Super interesting to read what the process was for this video, thanks for sharing!
@@razbutwo youre a natural at this!
@@razbutwo I appreciate your level of transparency in not just your creative process, but in all you do on this platform. Your content is killer, insightful, thought-provoking, and overall very human. Your commentary always resonates with me. Thank you for sharing your art. It inspires us.
@@razbutwo I feel like, we still need some uhms, erms etc. Nowadays, you and everybody nearly cuts everything. I feel like it would be benefic to keep some of latence, we see your like thinking etc. But it's only my opinion. Nice video, it resonates right now what what I'm living. Cheers :D
Major spoiler!
What hit me hard in outer wilds was the discovery you make on the interloper. You suddenly find out that despite all the goals and things the nomai had going on that suddenly everything was just taken away from them in just seconds.
Everything they'd planned for gone. It made me realise that its the same as real life in that you, or things can suddenly be teared away and gone forever.
Made me start to appreciate how precious everything in life truly is.
Yep. They didn't go extinct due to some arrogance or mistake, just dumb luck and a roll of the dice. That's just the way she goes.
Man, what is it with EVERY Outer Wilds video making me cry in the last minute or so? Without fail, it doesn't even matter what the topic of the video is. I always break down into tears by the end of the video... Thanks for sharing your story of your experiences. I'm so moved with how many thousands of people resonate with these feelings and understand them.
Outer Wilds is about making connections with others, even of a different species and who have been dead for thousands of years. When I realized this, at the end of the game, I cried for so long…
I'm developing a Pavlovian response to anything Outer Wilds, but especially certain music tracks, that make me tear up
I feel you. I guess, once one finishes Outer Wilds, he can't come back to it. There's nothing left to discover, nothing left to complete. It is just... done...
All that's left are memories. And memories are meant to be shared. Either with your friends or strangers on the internet.
That's why when someone like him makes a video about this game, you're feeling anew, refreshed in this old time sensation of discovering something new about the... Wild world you missed so much !
But by the end of the video... this feeling. This feeling of completing a thing you didn't want to complete.
The end of something you'll miss... hits right back to you like every things beautifull you wished you spent more time LIVING IT.
Outer Wilds made us all cry :3
I didn't really take the time to slow down and appreciate the game very often, because I was always chasing lead after lead, and didn't really have that many issues figuring things out. But the few moments where I simply appreciated the nature or structures in the game were very calming. And that's why Gabbro made me cry at the end...
"It's the kind of thing that makes you glad you stopped and smelled the pine trees along the way, you know?"
I finished Outer Wilds the night my mom stopped being responsive in the hospital. The next day we had to tell the doctors to remove life support and say our last goodbyes (it was my mom’s wish to never be in that state long if it came to it).
Beating outer wilds that night helped me mentally for what was the come the next day. Despite me beating the game being associated with a terrible moment in my life, I have this moment to look back on and feel comfort, too.
Thanks for sharing this, Raz.
I’m so sorry that happened but I’m glad Outer Wilds gave you some comfort. It helps me with my anxiety and feeling more calm.
@@CarolynnieGoofball Outer Wilds, more than any game I've ever played, seems to be the game that many of us play *just* when we need it in our lives. It's a powerful thing!!
Thanks for your comment, I was calmed just reading it :)
You’re welcome! I’m glad you felt calm just by reading it, we all need some calm in our lives right now lol
My favorite moment on outer wilds occurred in my first few hours of the game.
I decided to go to red bramble to see what was going on, and I came across Chail and her drum. She looked cheerful and that seemed reassuring. I then wandered into the planet's caves for a while, got completely lost inside and began to feel a certain apprehension building up. I later realized that the sand was rising in the caves and that I risked dying inside if I didn't manage to get out in time. Although panicked, I managed to find a way out of the cave in-extremis. But the scene outside didn't reassure me at all: the sun had become huge and red, I'm terrified. I go back to Chail to ask her what was going on, but she was just as terrified as I was. The beat of her drum had lost all its joy, and seemed to have turned into a macabre countdown to the end of the world. So I did what any other person would have done in my place, I took a marshmallow and toasted it by the fire as I watched the end of the world with Chail.
It was one of the moments that made me fall in love with outre wilds, this game reflects so well the contrasts of the world, the immense and the minuscule, the distressing and the comforting... The creators of this game have managed to squeeze all the poetry of the world into this little solar system of just a few kilometers.
"It’s the kind of thing that makes you glad you stopped and smelled the pine trees along the way, you know?"
THIS WAS TIMED AND WRITTEN SO WELL OMG. THIS WAS A TOTALLY WORTH A "MAIN CHANNEL" VIDEO.
I didn’t even realize this is the second channel, or that there IS a second channel until I read your comment
if you have access to a headset, there is a wonderful vr mod for outer wilds, when i first played it in vr it had already ran through the game several times, but experiencing it truly in first person was like playing again for the first time. It wasn't like playing blind, i knew where to go and what to look for, but it managed to somehow be even more emotionally impacting due to the greater level of interaction that the mod allowed, i would definitely recommend it to anyone as the mod(and many others) are completely free
I had a similar experience with the probe. I played outer wilds almost a year ago now just after I graduated from university and got a job and started dating a really sweet and funny guy. My life had certainly changed for the better but there were parts of it that hurt quite a bit. My mom didn’t take learning about my sexuality very well, I knew graduating meant that all the people I loved would slowly start to drift away, and that I had started “the rest of my life”. Playing outer wilds helped me come to my own moments of clarity namely the fact that when a huge change happens in someone’s life, while that is the end of something it’s also the start of something different. It could be better or worse or bigger or smaller, but it will be different and it will be new and it will have its own challenges. The probe reminds me of the fact that it’s okay to take shots in the dark and try new things within a phase of life. You might not know where it will lead but if you find something interesting it can reshape the rest of your life. Now that I’ve been working full time for almost a year and I’ve settled into my adult routine I feel kinda like those times when the loops don’t yield anything, so maybe it’s time to follow a probe and enjoy what I find whether that be nothing or everything
My favorite and most defining moment of Outer Wilds is probably something I will never forget. Walking along Ash Twin later into a loop, trying to find something, anything among the ruins. As I walk through the Brittle Hollow room... Im transported somewhere. In retrospect, I completely understand what happened, but in the moment i was very confused. I look around, and for whatever reason, I jump, boosting myself into the air. Once again... I didnt understand what was happening, but in retrospect i understand that the teleporter takes you to a place where you're upside down. My character flips, and i get sent down into the abyss, falling into the black hole and being transported to the other side of the solar system. In the span of maybe 20 seconds, so many things happened that I had no idea what was happening. Teleportation? A planet with a black hole in the middle? Wormholes? A space station on the edge of the solar system? It was a moment of genuine confusion and fear, as odd as that may sound, me laughing hysterically, both out of amusement and shock, as my character gets sent tumbling fron location to location. God, I love Outer Wilds.
I totally get the feeling of not realising how much anxiety you're struggling with until one little thing hits you in the face and it suddenly becomes so obvious. I hope life continues to go well for you, Raz.
Raz, you calmly talking over Outer Wilds footage is some of the most relaxing and peaceful media on the internet. Your thoughtful videos on Outer Wilds took a game that I already adored and made it a game that I loved deeply. My appreciation for it has grown so much from watching your thoughts and how they are metaphors for our lives.
Also, your experience with "Space" mirrors mine. It wasn't one of the songs I would put on when I wanted to drink my morning coffee. That was left for "Outer Wilds", "Main Title" and "14.3 Billion Years." But now, "Space" is my go-to song for when our 14-month old is struggling and needing to fall asleep in the car. I know you have a young one, too, and would not be surprised if you've tried the same thing :)
Cheers, friend. Your content is special.
Listening to the instruments go out one by one actually brought a tear to my eye. Man, Outer Wilds is such a great game.
Outer Wilds is an experience I won't forget. It's been a few years already and I still can't get over how amazing it was, and it just makes me wish I could experience for the first time again. The closest way we can is by watching blind playthroughs of people going through that same experience for the first time, and relive it through them.
I didn't expect to cry watching this video
It started as a "Oh, I wonder what is the moment this video talked about", because listening people talking about their experience of Outer Wilds is amazing. I never followed the probe, it was really interesting to hear your story, at first
And then you talked about your loneliness and your loved ones, and I have felt like you way too much in my life. I have this important person to me who kind of have been drifting away for years, and I never found any way to stop that. I thought I had accepted that, but they are soon going to move further than they always had, and I'm afraid of that. I don't know if I will be able to properly deal with this
Listening to you talking about your moment and your life and your journey made me realize this is what I love the most about this game, the fact that people share their experiences with its discovery and how it resonates with their life etc.
The mains reason why I've never followed the probe is because I've never really played Outer Wilds. I've tried, but it was resonating with too much of my inner fears. But I've listened to so much people talking about their experience, I don't even feel like I've missed anything. Outer Wilds and its community helped me accept that there is no wrong way to live, that it's okay if I don't do it in the way things were intented.
I hope for more people to discover Outer Wilds, I hope for people to share their stories like you did.
My story started when ‘Outer Wilds - Reprise’ shuffled on for the first time on Spotify just as I had graduated high school and took my first steps into the unknown. The first time I heard it I remember just stopping what I was doing and just listening as I started to cry. Adulthood was really starting and the melancholic melody comforted me like a bittersweet hug. From that moment I decided that Outer Wilds was one of my favourite games of all time without even playing it.
Now flash forward to 2 years later, I waited and waited until it finally arrived on switch and I just finished it. Now, that song really holds a memory trip of my adolescence, newfound curiosity and adventure from the gameplay and the inevitability of life as it is. Whatever will be, will be. Things will move forever forward until it doesn’t, so kindle that passion you have now and make the most of what we have.
I’m so happy you’re still making videos about the greatest game ever made ❤️
Gaming for a Non Gamer came out while I was taking Human Computer Interaction class and I showed it to my professor and we used those videos as part of our lessons to help illustrate some of the points you were making that were critical to our lessons. I'm glad you didn't give up because I learned a lot from that and I've been trying to make my software as user friendly and obvious as possible now and I like to return to your videos to remind myself sometimes things are not super obvious to regular people that we think are obvious since we are too close to the product.
So thank you, and please keep up the good work. While not every one of your videos is about that sort of thing, I do appreciate your perspective in every video and it's always interesting to see a new video pop up.
Man, I remember my first run like this. Realizing that this game was not just about uncovering the mystery, that the 21 minutes are not just a restriction you are inevitably bound by, but instead a way to encourage you to appreciate the small things in the game, because the same things will always be there. When it happened to me, I couldn't figure out how to get into the core of Giant's Deep, and I was frustrated, but as I thought at how I could possibly do it, I took a second to listen and then I just sat there listening to the water and the muffled sounds of the tornadoes above, having that same realisation, that not every run has to be fruitful, that this handcrafted solar system is something to be admired. From then on I spent many runs doing random things that did nothing to further my knowledge of the game, but allowed me to experience the beautiful little secrets, like the signalscope being able to pick up all of the instruments at the same time. I love this game and it is firmly seated at my number one spot, and has been for the past 3 or 4 years.
I didn’t realise the instruments cut out as the supernova happened.... that hits hard especially the final cut to static
So to make friends as an adult requires a 3rd space like a comic book shop or a pool hall or a board game cafe. A physical location with something that interests you in a physical space. I play Magic the Gathering and D&D with people I didn't know 10 years ago because i was lucky for that space that isn't work or home.
This community will never die. It can’t.
the best part about this video, is that it is parallel to the 22 minute loop
As the game itself puts it: It makes you glad you stopped to smell the pine trees along the way.
Your essays are awesome. Thank you for sharing your experiences, both in-game and in life. The editing is a superb mix of voiceover speeds and cuts with video that is cut to complement the discussion. Kudos to you and your editor for a job very well done!
That's really sweet. Thanks for sharing this. Hearing the music when looking back and hearing the song in unison, something you really can't do normally, was especially touching - as much as hearing it fade was.
I think this kind of reflection is very valuable, I can't remember the last time I just observed my environment with real patience. Even in a game.
It's hard to find that kind of quiet it feels like.
I absolutely adore the way that you apply your own emotions onto the games you play. I come to games to feel things, they're emotional experiences to me. Outer Wilds made me feel lonely, hopeful, horrified, mournful, and wonderstruck. Keep feeling things
This game really stuck with me after playing it. There's something beautiful about the fact that the loop never changes, but the loop changes you.
I wholeheartedly think this is one of the best games ever created.
I hadn't played the game when your original Outer Wilds video came out, but I remember watching it and it still moved me. I told myself that I will definitely play the game soon. It took a while, but I finally played it and got entrenched in it a few months back. Then I went back and watched the video again and it made me appreciate it even more. This game moved me in so many ways and I love every aspect of it. Nice to see another video from you on it.
I like how the video is just an uncut full loop recreating what happened. Perfect.
This is an absolutely fantastic video, the pacing is stunning and I feel like I appreciate Outer Wilds even more now! Amazing work!
So darn true, also didn't expect to see you here, I now have newfound respect for you for enjoying Outer Wilds...
@@Kisher02 Hehe thanks, i am everywhere
My favorite way to restart the loop after getting to the point of being done with a place but too close to the big boom to start a new one was to look at the sun, get the signal scope out, and just fly back! There was something both harrowing and wonderful about the moment each instrument stops.
My favorite memory was getting sucked into the black hole before knowing how to go back, so realizing I was not returning back to my ship 24 km away I just slowly floated to Dark Bramble, landed on one of the islands, and just stared at the sun as it slowly grew redder and redder. As I was watching though, Giant's Deep slowly starts to eclipse the sun right as it starts going super nova. It was a genuinely beautiful and powerful moment that I don't think any other game made me feel before. To be at the right place at the right time by accident was amazing.
I love how your actions with the probe were similar to my own as well as probably many others. Orbiting around it, observing and appreciating the shuttle, watching the stars around you die out, experiencing the overall calm and isolating feeling of traveling with it, the reflection on something about your life, and using the scope to hear each instrument disappear. Some of these things i had forgotten doing but im glad i was reminded of and being able to have a new appreciation for this loop that i had mostly forgotten about.
Also amazing work on pacing of the video and your dialogue matching it perfectly.
I just wanted you to know that this video made a big impact on me. A lot of what you described is my life, so to hear someone help me understand this idea of slowing down and enjoying what I have. Thanks!
It actually just clicked for me that the video is about as long as a Loop is.
I just finished Outer Wilds, and it was you, Raz, that gave me reason and motivation to finally play it, and to persevere when I genuinely thought I couldn’t finish it.
I know I played it at exactly the time I needed to, I don’t regret waiting as long as I did. But for years now, I’ve been getting these little messages scrawled across the internet about how great the game is, about how people have been affected and even shaped by it. And for a lot of reasons, I thought it might just be another experience I would never have, another wonder of the universe I would never see.
But now I have seen it, I have experienced it, and I owe no small part of that to all the people along the way who guided me closer with the tales of their own experiences, who noted the things that they saw. We weren’t all there at the same time, most of them had moved on long before I got there, but the experience still felt shared- we were strangers and yet connected by the things we saw, years apart.
We witnessed the end of everything, and waited with bated breath for what would come next.
The universe is, and we are.
I can’t tell you how much I relate to this and how much I needed to hear this right now in my life but thanks for giving me an opportunity to cry and calm down for a moment
Raz, when I watch your videos, I feel like I'm looking through a mirror. There's something so profoundly similar about the way we are, the way we view things, that just resonates with me completely. I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you for your transparency, as it has allowed me to feel completely understood in a time of absolute uncertainty. And thank you for existing. You know, beyond the content creation stuff.
Outer Wilds is precious, and to embark with you on that loop, following your train of thought, was eerilie enticing. The moment I understood there wouldn't be any cut in your video, I knew it was gonna be something special, I closed my other screens and just let it be, and I'm glad I did.
Thank you for sharing that feeling, it was beautiful. :)
You put into words my feelings about Outer Wilds far better than I could, always love your videos - I played December 2019 when I had just finished my last round of chemo for blood cancer (was 20 at the time). Couldn’t connect to anyone despite being lucky enough to be surrounded by loving family and friends, but I managed to find some solace through this game. Thanks for the videos Raz
man this was a great video. the timing with the visuals kind of blew me away. you did a fantastic job recording this loop.
The main way people meet as adults is just through work. Classmates are replaced with coworkers and just as in school, some might become friends and some don’t.
So it makes sense when you say you mostly meet other creators Raz. That’s the closest thing you have to coworkers.
I'm first year at uni after a gap year. The honest way I make new friends is I walk up to someone who looks interesting and just start talking about the first random thing that comes to mind when I look at them, hear their response, and ask for their name if they seem interested. It's worked very well so far!
Great video, I also spent a whole loop on the probe and you articulated quite beautifully my feelings from that. It was peaceful and enjoyable to not feel pressure to make progress.
Btw I recommend looking for local community gaming groups if you're trying to track down some friends. Board games, video games, magic the gathering, et al. there are probably way more groups for non-gaming related stuff too, hiking, astronomy, music. Choose a passion and look for a group that gets together around it.
This video moved me deeply. I've been going through a lot recently and your words just hit home in a way that I didn't expect them to. I love the philosophical approach you take to analysing games. Outer Wilds is one of my favourite games and I just wanted to thank you so much for making this video, I started crying when you started talking about looking back on happy times with friends and not seeing the struggles that might have occurred in the moment but at a distance you feel very reminiscent. Again thank you, this video touched me.
This game was the last gift I received from my last girlfriend. Hearing the music after the silence has an effect on me that I cannot put into words but it makes me feel happy we got to spend the time we did together yet sad because it's over and now we are singing our own songs alone.
raz some of the rants you have just touch me in a way that's makes me feel so seen and understood, I truly appreciate you and the art you share with the world.
love to you brother
What a beautiful memory. Thank you for sharing.
While my experience with Outer Wilds was a very different one (though its themes still hit really hard with things i was figuring out at that time) I'm resonating a lot with the situation you've described here. As a consequence of the pandemic, my life has come to a complete halt and somehow the last year and a half have been more isolating for me than quarantine ever was.
And honestly, I'm not really sure what to do next. Friends (, people i used to talk more to) have told me that it's okay to need some time to figure everything out. But as more time passes I feel myself falling behind with the life I hoped I could live more and more and being stuck making no progress feels more and more frustrating and lonely.
Even knowing that you're not supposed to have life figured out it's difficult to shake the feeling that you still should. But I still hope that someday, from a different point of view, I might be able to look back at this time and appreciate when my life got to slow down for a little.
There's this quote from Gabbro at the end of the game that I think about a lot these days, actually:
*"It’s the kind of thing that makes you glad you stopped and smelled the pine trees along the way, you know?"*
It makes me want to try and appreciate some things about this time a little more. Hopefully I'll get to the day when I can.
God, this is a good video. Not just because Outer Wilds is one my favorite games ever (and I only found thanks to your recommendation), but it's wild hearing about how tumultuous your journey was. Your videos are amazing, and I'm always looking forward to the next one. I know a lot is probably changing for you now with the whole fatherhood thing, but I wish you the best. I'm rooting for you!
What a beautiful video and a beautiful game! I didn't even realize until the very end that you had simply made the video length one entire loop. Very cool how you timed it and just said everything you needed to in that time.
Fun fact about the instruments dropping out one by one at the end: That wasn't actually a thing until a patch about a year or so ago. I don't remember exactly when, but it was definitely after Echoes of the Eye was released. Before that patch, the travelers simply all kept playing until the loop ended. It was a very cool change, even though it is haunting.
I appreciate you making this, the stream of consciousness was very genuine and the end was a gentle reminder for me to sit and rest for a moment without getting consumed by external events/responsibilities. To just, be.
I don’t know what it is with all these Video Game Essays channels churning out absolute banger videos on Outer Wilds. Daryl Talks Games a month or so ago and now Raz. Serious chills on both of them
This is my favorite Outer Wilds video!
It explains what makes the game unique and beautiful, but in a way I can share with my friends without spoiling anything!
Thank you so much for making this!
Such a great video! I loved when I first brought all the signals into view. Great timing with all the events with the essay and gameplay.
Following a probe is like the second thing I made in a game. Chilling and licening the music in the vast expance of exploding stars.
7:18 Same, didn't even noticed star-blobs until did.
Cool to see it on youtube
Beautiful video essay. You are a very deep thinker dude, I love how it was all fit into one loop! :D
I followed the probe too in my play through but my “eye-opening moment” was in a different loop from yours.
This just shows how much every section of this has to teach to people.
When I was playing outer wilds I loved the song Space so much and the calmness that drifting around the solar system gave me that sometimes I would boot up the game just to fly up and appreciate it all. Thanks Raz, for reminding me of those serene moments.
I love just how much effort you put into this. This was wonderful.
A outer wilds vid in 2023?! Raz, you spoil us.
Amazing video! It's always incredible to hear how Outer Wilds has affected people in different ways. Everyone seems to walk away from Outer Wilds with a different experience and different emotions felt while playing the game.
Really loved this video Raz. I find that you're always able to provide a moment to reflect and ground myself. Sometimes we just need a moment to step away from the chaos of life :)
I also just want to say that it's completely normal to find difficulty in making new friends. I'm not just saying this for you (who are older than me and undoubtedly have more life experience) but also for all the other viewers who may stumble across this comment. Loneliness is a part of the human experience. People come and go, and sometimes life is better or worse. I'm ending my third year in college and I'm still lonely and struggling to find my people. That's ok.
What's important is that you never give up on the beauty of human relationships. It's easy to lose hope when you see everyone eventually disapear from your life, but think about how happy it made you when you had them. If you did it before, you can do it again. Never stop trying.
Some tips for people that might be struggling with loneliness: 1) establish a consistent schedule to meet with people (e.x. Monday lunch with ____ every week). I find that this creates a low-pressure social environment when both parties agree, and constant communication opens up opportunities for new experiences. Keeping up with people this way lets you be a closer part of their life, and thereby opens you up to more people through them! 2) One of my favorite quotes: "The best things in life hide behind a wall of fear." I know it sounds cheesy, but it's important to breaking out of your comfort zone really can lead to massive positive changes in your life. Let me share an example: when I first came to college I had no one. Because of COVID my family couldn't even help me move in and I was in a new country by myself. I'm generally an introverted/ quiet person but I've always relied on a small group of close friends -- having no one was extremely difficult for me. One of my first days there there was a club fair/showcase, and though I'm not usually a fan of club culture/ large gatherings I decided to show up to look around. This was when I was approached by a choir member who asked me if I wanted to join the Uni's church choir. I am NOT a very religious person nor have I EVER had a religious bone in my body, but something inside me just told me to go against all of my instincts and say yes. So I, a tone-def dweeb, showed up that sunday to sing (I have never sung seriously before in my life, not even in the shower). I was terrified.
With time, though, these people became an important part of my college experience. They accepted me despite my lack of musical talent and always welcomed be with open hearts and arms. I could have never foreseen the love they have given me from the safety of my comfort zone. And to be honest, they aren't even my closest friends, but they have become an anchor and safe space during rough times.
Essentially, establish consistent times for socializing and push yourself to try new things, even if they seem outlandish to you. Sorry for the extremely comment, I usually never write anything but Raz's video really inspired me. Love to all
I genuinely, whole-heartedly love this video. I don’t know what format this is, but just the way you talk about the game, then make a connection to something personal, then get back to the game. This video is cozy, like a campfire.
Thank you for a great video- I look forward to seeing more of your stuff ❤
Dude, the middle part of this video resonated so extremely much with me. I've also just moved from a bigger city to a smaller one with no people I know, for a workplace I have spent a long time getting confident in. Loneliness and Outer Wilds has been an amazing combination.
Hi I have not watched this yet but I already know I will greatly enjoy yet another video of someone gushing about Outer Wilds narrating their experience. Thanks Raz
This is, without a doubt, one of the best Outer Wilds videos ever made.
Man these videos are poetry.
Its like reliving a little bit of those emotions I had playing the game for the first time simply by listening to you explaining your emotions.
Idk how intentional this was but I appreciate the length of the video ;)
The choice to put the full loop in the video is wonderful. This video is a piece of art.
Don't you love it when a piece of media comes into your life at the EXACT right moment?
This hit hard. Especially since I'm going through something similar too, with the end of college, moving to a new place and being unable to make friends or have experiences that I lost out on due to the pandemic to begin with.
Fantastic essay. Also when End Times hit I realized how perfectly you timed the entire video, love it!
I don't know how, but every video from you is just amazing and inspires me. And it always makes me sad (in a good way).
The pacing of this video is so well done as you change topics as you do other things in the game
Being able to give player hints or reflexion about life and things in general (and maybe help them) is (for me), among all the qualities we can find in a game, what makes it great.
I did not fully realised it until you said it, but Outer Wilds also disrupt the way I played video games and what I am looking for when playing today. And this is the greatest gift it gave to me, and why it will probably remain my favorite game.
I remember following the probe myself, it was one of my favorite moments as well, in a game packed with many reflective quiet moments. I loved every moment i spent with the other Outer Wilds crew roasting marshmallows, listening to their tunes and eventually piecing together that they're all playing one part of a larger theme and that even I had a role to play in their chorus as someone had to be there to observe it. I loved the little moments when a secret I stumbled on finally had payoff hours later as I found the piece of information I lacked to move forward.
Around 12:00, where you're listening to everyone play the song together that is normally only heard in fragments, it really reminded me of my favorite contemporary art installation, Ragnar Kjartansson's "The VIsitors", which is a multi-screen exhibit where each screen is a person in a different room of an old mansion playing the same song. It's my favorite thing I've ever seen in a museum and I wish that everyone could have the opportunity to see it.
I never noticed how much emptier the sky becomes as the loop progresses. I knew about the other stars going supernova but I didn't realize just how few of them were left by the end.
I remember the exact moment I knew Outer Wilds was something special. I was in Brittle Hollow exploring the Hanging City, but like the idiot you are only 5-6 hours in the game, you have no idea what you’re doing or where you are. So I see a giant black ship looking thing (later I would find out it’s the Black Hole forge) and I jump down onto it miss the landing and am mad at myself once again because I know I’m going to fall into the black hole, but I see I still have some fuel left so I try my hardest to stay away. Before I knew it, I had figured out orbiting in Outer Wilds. I orbited the black hole until I found the elevator beams as I call them and made it to where I was trying to get to on Brittle Hollow the entire time, Riebeck. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t fall into the black hole and I made it to Riebeck. I started laughing. That was the moment that made me fall in love with Outer Wilds
This was such a beautiful video. The way you made it around an in-game cycle was genius and reminded me why i love this game so much. Thank you for giving me the time i needed to reflect on my own life
I never thought about what you talked about at ~20 mins. That the game pushes against the tendancy to beat it and just enjoy playing. Outer Wilds gave me a sense of making progress basically every loop but it also gave me loops where I learned nothing new and just spent the rest either flying around aimlessly listening to Space or listening to the Travelers theme with my signal scope. Thats a new thing to say I love about my favorite piece of media ever made.
Almost 22 minutes
For me, the moment I really connected with Outer Wilds- the moment that clung to my blood, changed pathways and synapses in my brain, changed the way I view everything as a whole- was the moment in the Eye. I loved Outer Wilds form the beginning, because it's space, with endless opportunities, and it's always been a love of mine. On the Eye, I thought it was really cool, and then-
And then the player went inside.
And I... saw. I wouldn't understand it right away. I was enraptured, regardless, with the very idea with it. The things that flashed before the eyes of the player, of _us_, and then the museum, with its changed plaques wistfully describing the objects connected to them, as though looking back on loving memories, and then the map, and the galaxies, and the woods. If I had not been hooked before, I would have been then. The campfire, the finding of the instruments, the song that was played- watching the new universe be born in a swell of music- I was embraced.
But I wouldn't understand why, not even when Echoes of the Eye released, and I eventually saw it, and understood that the campfire that made the new reality, and the new member around it, was a memory of the before, which would shape the future of the after. Funnily enough, I would only come to understand it- my captivity, my perspective of the art that is Outer Wilds and the Eye- in Fullmetal Alchemist.
In FMA, for those who don't know, one of the big themes (not one of the main themes, but close) is death, and that it is unpreventable: Death comes for all things living.
It is when I revisited Outer Wilds, after resurfacing from FMA, that I finally understood what captivated me so.
Ever since then, I have been acutely aware of how much my life is changed. It felt like experiencing The Giver for the first time, again.
I'm changed. It's love. I'll never be the same, and I feel comfort.
Space has never felt so much like home.
I had the exact same story. There is a Nomai capsule that can send you in outer space. First, looking on my ship marker and realizing there was no way out, I was thinking about missed opportunities of the run and how little I have learned from it. But then I started to examine the ship closely, witnessed the solar system so tiny, listened to the Outer Wilds Ventures instruments combined in the soundtrack of the coziest place in the Universe... there was no "game completement urge" anymore, quite the opposite so I was just thinking about things in a melancholic awareness of the inevitable. A precious experience from a precious game.
You'll probably never see this but I thought this video was excellent. The pacing of your writing and narration of your monologue was perfect. The first half of the video I spent waiting for you to point your signal scope at the solar system and when you finally did, I got full body goosebumps. Thank you for sharing and letting us re experience this with you.
You seem like such a good guy. I can relate to so many thinks you tell about life and yourself - and seeing you talking all these thinks out into anonymous Internet is so wonderful. I thank you so much for that!
I love the way you combine "these games" with feelings, showing that games can be so much more than nonsense time-consumers
this video concept is incredible. its execution, equally amazing.
its beautiful, and you should be proud to have made it. thank you.
The footage being the full unedited loop is amazing
I had this exact experience, except I wasn't following the probe, I was flying as far out of the solar system as I could to just see what happened. That moment of quiet with just your ship is very relaxing.
The only way I make new friends is to either meet them through a different friend or online in twitch chats! Another thing is that becoming an adult and having a lot more responsibilities and lot less free time can make it hard to even hang out with the friends you used to see nearly every day, let alone meet new ones.
Also, 100% can empathise about the youtube thing. When I briefly tried to make videos, I once had one get to 13k views and I was absolutely panicking, I cannot imagine how it would feel to get as many views as you did.
This sums up my experience with the game perfectly. I had the same feeling of loneliness when i moved away to college and never really understood what was going on in my head until I played outer wilds in january of 2020. I didnt have the same profound moment following the probe, (although i did chase it down several times just for fun) but I did get those same quiet moments to reflect on the game as a whole. I still remember ugly crying during the credits when I finally beat the game, and i still tear up when I hear 14.3 billion years.
But outer wilds, as much as it taught me that being alone with your own thoughts and not really accomplishing anything is Ok, it also connected me with my then girlfriend soon to be wife.
Thank you for making this video and making videos in general, and thank you mobius digital for one of the most important ganes of all time
My moment was the loop right after the Sun Station loop. I was feeling heavy with the knowledge that I couldn't fix the Sun exploding like I had hoped. I couldn't fix anything at all. The only "solution" I could think of was to find the way to make it all stop for good.
After I connected the dots of why the time loop actually happens, I didn't leave Timber Hearth that loop. I stayed and talked to everyone again. Went and did the zero g cave again. Flew the little drone around. Visited the exhibits again. And roasted lots of marshmallows before dozing off until it was time for the sun to explode again. It was the moment I found what I consider the games only flaw: you don't have an instrument yourself. I wanted so bad to go out playing a little tune like my other astronaut friends. Instead I just sat there listening to Feldspar's harmonica until the loop reset.
Although it was one the most "empty" loops I've had, it made me realize I had already fallen in love with the game and I was going to miss it dearly once it was all over.