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Outer wilds: at what point should I give up?

Ever since it came out I have heard only good things about this game. And it sounds like a perfect fit for me. I enjoy figuring out puzzles, I enjoy figuring out lore and I love to explore.

I picked it up during a sale a while ago and since then I had 3 or 4 attempts of trying to get into the game but after a few hours I’m just too frustrated and give up.

My problem is, that I am so horribly bad at moving around, it infuriates me like no other game ever has. Like, I want to go to that planet, I board my ship, I fly towards the planet. I either slow down too late and die crashing into the planet or I slow down too early and by the time I get to my destination the planet has already moved away too much. So I either wait until it comes back around or I try to follow it wich usually ends with me crashing into it. It’s like slapstick comedy. The autopilot let me crash into stuff blocking its path so I gave up on that too.

The few times I managed to get to a planet, I couldn’t enjoy exploring, knowing I will have to pilot this spaceship again. When I think about having to be at a specific location at a specific time, it fills me with horror. Moving in lower/zero gravity is also not enjoyable for me.

I want to love this game so bad but I just can’t. I know this game is a one-time experience so I am torn on what to do.

Are my problems with this game so fundamental that I should just give up and watch someone else’s playthrough on YouTube? Or are my experiences in a normal range and I should keep trying until the movement clicks with me?

I fear that the longer I wait the higher the chance that I randomly encounter a huge spoiler somewhere in the internet.

Thank you for reading and thanks in advance for any recommendations, advice or feedback

Edit: Thanks a lot everyone! I will give it another shot and use a combination of autopilot and manual movement. If that doesn’t work I’ll look at some mods. If that also doesn’t work I’ll give up and just watch someone else play it. I feel like I’m extra bad at this because my spacial awareness sucks in real life too. Can’t tell if a car in the distance is moving or parked and if it’s moving how fast. Don’t worry I never even bothered to try to get a driving license lol

Thassodar ,

I bought the game during last year’s sale and dropped it because it doesn’t explain anything and the constant anxiety from unavoidable events was not fun in my opinion. I never got a refund for it but I don’t see myself picking it up again.

Varyk ,

Once it’s boring.

Very specific kind of game, you have to settle into it and realize there are no stakes.

If the only problem is moving the shuttle, it’s probably worth watching a video and figuring that out, but if exploring is still boring for you, it might not be your brand of soda.

Watching a playthrough is a good idea too, it’s a good story and I think you’ll still appreciate it vicariously.

Ludrol ,
@Ludrol@szmer.info avatar

Outer Wilds mild spoiler for finaleThere is a moment when you realize that this one action will rise it from no stakes to all of them and you need to go through that place. That feeling is irreplaceable. No amount of watching a playthrough will emulate that.

Varyk ,

Reading a book about an adventurer isn’t the same as being that adventurer, but that doesn’t make reading a book the wrong decision for some people.

Also, I’ll say, outer wilds is a very passive game. No matter what you’re doing. It mostly feels like you’re being shown things rather than actively taking part.

That’s part of the point of the game, that you aren’t an active participant in the events.

bassomitron ,

I’d recommend just watching a playthrough. I was like you and tried to get into it 2-3 times and the game was just too frustrating. Starting over from almost scratch every time was annoying given how often you die. So many things in the game are time sensitive as well, so you’re either sitting around waiting to time something or rushing to get somewhere in time only to miss the time window and have to wait or come back later. You couple that with the lack of QoL features and clunky controls and it just wasn’t enjoyable for me.

Just as a disclaimer to people who are passionate about it, I’m not saying it’s a bad game, just that it’s not a game for everyone and that’s fine.

Zahille7 ,

Watch RTGame’s long video. He does a good job of editing it all together so it feels like you’re discovering it with him as he plays it.

Bluu , (edited )

Outer Wilds is one of my favorite games, but I can see a lot of ways it isn’t for everyone.

Try a controller if you can, like others have mentioned.

It took me a long time to get used to the space navigation/flying and towards the end of the game I still sometimes crashed horribly into things. I feel like it’s kind of just part of the experience and can make for some really funny moments. If you really want to experience it yourself, maybe spending some time just focusing on getting a good understanding of the ship controls without the pressure of trying to get any exploration done that round might be helpful. Autopilot isn’t the smartest, but it can be helpful.

Watching play throughs is something I love to do now, because it is the closest I’ll ever get to experiencing the game fully again. Watching a play through before playing it yourself will basically spoil the chance ever experiencing it firsthand yourself, but might be a good option if you really want to know the story and don’t find any joy in playing it.

Edit: few changes for clarity

Jomn ,
@Jomn@jlai.lu avatar

Personally, I tried it a wee bit, but the game kept stressing me so much, which I really hate. It’s a shame because I keep hearing that it’s an incredible game… Maybe if I try it at another time I’ll have a different experience, I hope.

Paradigm_shift OP ,

It’s a relief to hear from people who struggle with this game as well. It’s one of those games where I don’t seem to see anyone having a negative opinion about it whenever it gets brought up.

I still really want to give it more chances and love it. Maybe one day we will both beat it and put it in our Top 10 lists

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