2019 GOTY Outer Wilds Gets New Music, Listen To The Single - Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye (Lost Reels) releases tomorrow
kotaku.com/outer-wilds-echoes-of-the-eye-lost...Posted Aug 25, 2022, 5:41 PM UTC
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My wife will forever hold this game over me. She was watching me at the perfect moment for me to say "i've got the handle of this, i'm in complete control" and then accidentally fling myself into the sun. 10/10
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Everytime I died I just played it off like I meant to do that because I suddenly felt like having some marshmallows over a fire. Made me not feel so bad about all the times my ship getting sucked through a black hole and spit out across the solar system faster than my spacesuit jetpack could catch up to it.
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Hey, at least you didn't autopilot yourself into the sun like the rest of us.
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My favorite "autopilot" moment was when Timber Hearth got in my way while I was trying to get to the Dark bramble. By the time I realized the autopilot does not give a fuck if something is directly in your way it was too late. I slammed into the surface going insanely fast. Then I bounced back into space spinning out of control. I think "Oh wow, How did I survive that?" Then I unbuckle myself and turn around to exit the spacecraft and do some repairs....only to find that my spacecraft is gone. Im stranded in the middle of space with limited oxygen and my only option is to die.
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I was showing my wife how to fly in outer space, when the ice asteroid came out of nowhere and hit me, exploding my ship and sending me flying off into deep space till I ran out of oxygen and died.
That was the last time I played, but I need to get back into it. It’s phenomenal.
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Were you at least trying for the achievement that would result in that happening a lot by accident?
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Man talk about a rough couple hours I had doing that one. Goddamn did you have to be precise with everything
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I have played the original but not the expansion. Is it worth it? Does it capture the mystery of the world like the first did?
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Without saying too much, yes, in its own way that is very satisfying.
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It evokes the same feelings in a very different setting with different mechanics. I love it. 10/10 game with a 10/10 DLC.
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Here’s the analogy I would use:
The base game is about accepting our place in the universe and embracing change.
The DLC is an experience of what happens when you try to fight against that and despair at fate. It’s a much more somber and, at times, frightening experience but the mystery, puzzle solving, and overall thematic connection to the base game is all perfectly on point. It provides a contrast to the base storyline that feels like it completes the game. It also answers some unanswered questions from the base game.
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Man it did it take on a few horror vibes at times. What a shift in tone.
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Yes and yes. It's smaller and more contained, but still manages to appear way bigger than the letters "DLC" would imply.
There's one big gameplay difference coming later on that turns the game more into a pseudo-horror game. Some people liked it, some people didn't.
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I'm going to break with the other commenters and say that I didn't enjoy the dlc very much. The world is structured in a much more linear fashion - you pretty much have to discover thing a before you can move on to thing b, unlike in the base game where if you were stumped you could go elsewhere and maybe find additional info that would help you solve the problem. The puzzles are also extremely vague and I think often aren't telegraphed well. In the outer wilds there were one or two puzzles I didn't figure out because I had forgotten the relevant information or had approached things the wrong way, but those solutions all felt fair and like reasonable things for the game to ask of me. In the dlc I ended up looking up a bunch of solutions to the puzzles and being like... What? How would I have ever known to try doing that?
Then there's the stealth. I don't usually hate stealth or games that revolve around it, but I do hate how it's implemented in echoes of the eye. You have no methods of being stealthy except for shutting off this light source that you'll be carrying around the special stealth areas. Problem is, when you shut off the light source, it's completely black. You can't see anything at all. So you stumble around aimlessly in pitch blackness and probably will fall off a cliff or something in the process. It's really not fun.
But that's just me. Maybe you'll fare better than I did.
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I found the puzzles in echoes of the eye considerably more clearer than base game. I didn't look up any of them whereas I had to look up the ash twin puzzle in the base game
Also regarding the stealth, you're not supposed to keep your light concealed 24/7. Keep it up like normal until you sense danger approaching
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I don't know how you possibly could've thought that >!jumping onto the fire and dying with the artifact!< was an obvious solution? It made no sense.
As for stealth, I'm aware that you don't keep it concealed always. But you more or less have to when there are enemies around, and that's when it matters most.
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There's a clue you can find that depicts >!one of the testers dying and entering the dream world anyway and that the alarm bells won't work in that situation!< so it seemed to me like the game spelled it out. Did you not find that?
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It's kind of a weird way of going about >!killing yourself!<, but conceptually it makes perfect sense in light of everything you should know about the dreamworld at that point.
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I don't know how you possibly could've thought that>! jumping onto the fire and dying with the artifact!< was an obvious solution? It made no sense.
When you get to the endgame, there are >!three!< clues that you need to find to solve the final puzzle. Each of those clues you find comes with >!a new story reveal and a way of figuring out how to solve one of the three locks!<. Not saying it doesn't require some heavy thinking, but the game does give you the answer.
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Problem is, when you shut off the light source, it's completely black. You can't see anything at all. So you stumble around aimlessly in pitch blackness and probably will fall off a cliff or something in the process. It's really not fun.
Like all things in Outer Wilds, if you're running into a wall or experiencing frustration like this you could probably be doing something differently.
!In this particular case you can just draw the enemies to one side, move to the other side with the light off, then just walk right past them and keep going. No need to try to navigate without your light.!<
I threw myself at the same problem for probably 45 minutes before stepping back and rethinking my approach.
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That doesn't really nullify how frustrating those sections are. They kinda teach you that light is a bad thing at first when you actually need to use it tactically to get through those sections. I enjoy stealth games but really didn't like that part.
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Yeah it's not perfect. If many people are struggling and getting frustrated at the same part, and there's no clue in the game for how to do it better, that's usually a point that could use another development pass. I think they could have communicated the possible strategy to the player somehow: >!Maybe just have one section early in one of the simulations where an owl is stationary blocking your way at the end of a split path. Make it obvious you can lead him to one side to make the other usable.!<
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On a side note I love in the DLC I thought "oh this uses unrealistic lighting", and then in hindsight... yeah
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I loved it for reasons already covered by others - it's more of Outer Wilds, what's not to love!
However I would say be prepared for the horror elements, they genuinely are quite difficult and scary. It's not endearing or charming like the rest of Outer Wilds, it's genuinely scary. Maybe I'm just a big pussy cat, but these parts aren't really avoidable either. It's still fantastic and it fits so amazingly into the existing universe and story of Outer Wilds that it's definitely worth playing.
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Also going to disagree with the others - I didn't really like Echoes of the Eye at all and the Outer Wilds base game is in my all-time top 10 (maybe top 5).
It starts out cool enough but most of it is spent exploring a limited land area without your space suit / no space travel.
The stealth sections are just dreadful.
Some of the puzzles are really really obtuse.
That said, some people love it but it didn't work for me.
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It also addresses the only thing that bothered me in the main game.
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which is...?
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I'm guessing they mean >!why the signal from the Eye disappears!<. It's not the only unanswered question the base game has, but it was nice to have that one bit of the lore filled in.
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I LOVED the expansion. It adds a new location to the game that feels a lot bigger than it really is, and it's full of mystery. The different mechanics present in the expansion make it feel fresh and distinct, while still feeling very 'Outer Wilds'.
Also the new lore in the expansion ties in nicely to the lore in the main game
10/10, if you liked the main game you'll like the expansion
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It's good, but due to it's condensed size you very quickly notice that it's much more "Myst" than "Subnautica". Original game managed to hide it's point and click adventure roots behind open world, but here it's much more about figuring out the mystery with tools given, rather than exploring and stumbling upon answers.
Still, I enjoyed it a lot and it's a great addition to the base game.
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it's much more "Myst" than "Subnautica".
There's nothing wrong with that.
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there isn't, but if you enjoyed the subnautica-like vibe of the base game the dlc might not be a good fit for you. nothing wrong with that either.
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Just play it and find out
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If you loved the base game, you’ll probably like the DLC. Like people have said it had some differences in style but I enjoyed it even more than the base game. Adds a lot to the story as well.
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It does. I was worried few things would give me the same feelings as Outer Wilds did, but the DLC gave me those same feelings and more. If you liked the base game, you will like the DLC.
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the gameplay has some rough spots during the middle but the sense of mystery and plot elements are spectacular
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Let's put it this way: DROP EVERYTHING AND GET TO IT NOW!
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It’s a 9/10 puzzler, that turns into a 5/10 stealth horror game, that finishes with a 7/10 ending.
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The DLC is a story of two halves. The first half is everything you could want and then more, but once you sort out what you 'have to do' the whole thing thing loses it's luster pretty quickly.
Lots of folks will cite the bits that are kind of scary as the main detractor, but for me it was that in the base game 'getting back' to where you were after dying was surprisingly lenient and you only really had to jump through the hoops towards the end. The hoop jumping happens much earlier in the DLC.
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I still listen to the original soundtrack and I think the DLC music is maybe even better. Excited for this!
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This is the most unique game I've ever played. Nothing else is like it and it still manages to do its really risky and complex idea near perfectly. My only hope is that mobius digital will continue to make games, and other developers learn from Outer Wilds
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Hell yeah! This is so exciting. The music to this game still electrifies me and I can't even say how long it's been since I've played it. The experience and the game is something that has been etched onto my heart, and I can't recommend it to people enough.
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After listening to this I went to listen to the Travelers theme and it's absolutely insane how just the first 3 notes of the song play and Im already drowned in emotions. Incredible score. Incredible game.
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You play the DLC? Won’t explain but there’s a song in it that hit me even harder.
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Yes of course, I assume you mean the main theme that plays when >!You show the vision to the Prisoner!<. Everything about this game is absurdly good.
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Exactly. That broke me.
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Fingers crossed iam8bit releases a follow-up vinyl soundtrack to the first one with all the music from the base game.
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Incredible score. I still have to finish this game! I got it in 2020 but couldn't get used to the controls on Playstation, maybe it's just me
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Keep pushing through it, it's worth it.
I'll be honest and say I never got good at controlling the ship, but it was still enough to get me through the game and it felt damn good.
The ending section will have you sweating like no one has before, though.
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Just let the Autopilot do it's thing. Except when the sun is between you and your destination
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I really need to play the Dlc, don't I?
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i listened to the original soundtrack over and over while studying for my nursing boards. such a great soundtrack from beginning to end.
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Is this game worth playing? What kind of game is this?
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Very much so. It's a one of a kind environmental exploration puzzle game where the only thing required to progress is the knowledge gained previously. Kind of a space archaeology mystery solving game set in a miniature version of a solar system.
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I'm guessing there's gonna be tons of backtracking and useless and forced dialogue.
Would you say the game is actually fun to play? I mean in terms of the basic mechanics of moving around, combat if it has any or traversal? People said the same things about Stray and unfortunately I didn't find it very fun to actually play.
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As someone who would give anything to be able to play this game for the first time again, it feels absurd that you are still asking if you should play it. Drop everything you're doing right now and go play it this minute.
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Unlike Stray, beautifuly crafted locations aren't simply a backdrop you are meant to traverse, they are functional and each tells you it's own part of the story, filling the missing pieces of the overarching mystery. There is no crafting or leveling of any kind, the only way you progress is through progressively gaining knowledge. that is to say, if I told you more, it could completely ruin the game for you. I'd say try it, if what you see in the first two hours doesn't pique your interest, you can simply refund. But it's the kind of game, like Subnautica, where you are better off going in 100% blind and enjoying that high only the first playthrough is going to give you.
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I appreciate you not spoiling anything for me but I just had to make sure. I'm more of a gameplay kind of guy than a story one.
But in any case, thanks for the help! I'll definitely give it a try.
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Outer Wilds has a phenomenal soundtrack. It's wholesome and homely, but you can sense a shade of existential dread and cosmic horror mixed it. Damn excited to listen to this.
DO we know if these new tracks will be mixed into the game as well? Perhaps in time for next-gen upgrades?
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I remain convinced that Outer Wilds is one of the best games ever made. There are so many "holy shit" moments in so many variations (figuring something out, seeing something amazing, seeing something terrifying, etc.) in that game. And your example is just one of many.
Also, incidentally, it's a better horror game than any horror games I've ever played.
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Yeah, I think that, truly, Outer Wild is the game that understood and used its medium the best yet. It's an incredible, powerful experience, and one that could only work as a video game. The melancholy and dread and bittersweetness it manages to convey is just unrivaled.
So yeah, if I had to save one video game, it'd be Outer Wilds. It's in many ways the pinnacle of what the medium can do.
I might save Tactics Ogre instead, tho, purely because it's the game that had the biggest impact on me, and future generations should experience that one cutscene of Lanselot in the seaside house
Agreed. The fact that there's this entire solar system with physics operating in real time in some indie game just absolutely boggles my mind. Outer Wilds is ambitious and yet tight and cohesive in a way that you rarely see in video games these days, where "ambition" usually means "bigger."
That's what happens when you have a clear vision and then spend seven years refining and fleshing it out.
The developers are quite literally genius in their design. The fact that they took those concepts and went even further with them in the DLC and executed it just as perfectly as the main game is wild.
This wasn't a fluke, there is unbelievable talent at this studio and I can see them being one of the most highly regarded studios in time. Can't wait to see what they have planned next, I can honestly see Microsoft or Sony paying a kings ransom to get them a proper budget to really stretch their legs with.
Echoes of the Eye is so exciting for those very reasons you just mentioned. They managed to recapture the magic in a way I never thought would be possible. Whatever they come out with next, I’m 100% bought in already.
On that last point. The scariest games I’ve played aren’t mainly horror I.e. Subnautica
When you realize what you're holding.... The consequences feel so heavy even though it's a game so theres actually no real consequence to dying
The new DLC soundtrack that gets incorporated into the very ending of the game is also incredible. The way the music sounds terrifying when you first hear it in the DLC then sounds so sad once you know the whole story is really something else. I don't know if any other game has used music in such an effective way.
Jesus Christ, I was playing blind and while i knew i was getting close, I had no idea that thing I picked up was the key to everything. But on my way out when I heard the music change I instantly knew. One of the only times I can remember getting goosebumps playing a game.
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The track he's describing, Final Voyage, does not have a Majora's Mask counterpart. >!It's the signal to the player that if you mess this up - it's the end of EVERYTHING. Life, existence... You are doing the most important thing that anyone has ever done.!<
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My theory is that >!the music is diegetic, beamed into the consciousness of anyone connected to the Ash Twin Project. End Times is the "hey, you're about to get blown up for the cycle, better finish up what you're doing" courtesy warning. Final Voyage is the "oh shit, fix me fix me fix me" warning klaxon.!<
I consider it >!non-diegetic, as the version you hear in the DLC in a certain area is distinct to the DLC, and iirc you still hear it even after doing a certain act that cuts off your connection to the outside world!<.
Been gaming for +30 years and this is in my top moments of all time.
The music during that portion is such a dirty trick by the composer lol
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That’s one of the best musical cues ever in a video game to me. It’s up there with the chest opening music in Zelda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF2K1iejxyk