If you got memory loss, you probably wouldn't know what Outer Wilds is, thus the news that you would get to play it again would probably be a little bit frustrating rather than reassuring....
@@bennettdrowned6193 Yeah fair. Until I played it again I'd be frustrated that it was just another thing I forgot. I also wouldn't be in the same mental place as the first time I played it. I still think the game's message of "everything will be okay" would impact me enough to be happy I got to play it twice. It's just a message that I find really, really inspiring and warm.
The outer wilds interested me and I did the horrible mistake of watching a youtuber play all of it. It was still nice, but it could have been so much more epic for me if I did it. I know for a fact if I got memory loss, I would sadly do the exact same thing instead of playing it.
@@bennettdrowned6193 Though if someone told me that there was a game out there that I liked that much that it would make me happy with memory less then I'd be hella hyped for it.
The first time I played it was the night I discovered my dog was dying. He was a ruby king charles spaniel, and I played it to stay awake with him until the vet opened. After Chewy died, I found the “end of the game” (I refuse to spoil anything) and I haven’t been touched by a piece of art like that before or since. It had a sense of optimism to what came next and was a lesson about mortality that I won’t forget. I miss that little rascal punching me in his sleep with his paw...
thats real tbh- like not to trauma dump but i was very much in my initial outer wilds obsession when my grandfather died and not to get too open but [SPOILER WARNING!!] the ending helped me cope with his death a lot and it comforted me greatly
oh god, why did that make me tear up, you reminded me of how it felt when i played it as well. While i played it alone it made me miss playing with my brother almost every evening, with my brother and I switching with eachother when the other got a bit tired or wanted to go get a snach (pausing first and then continuing when the person returns), with him sitting on his bed and myself sitting on a dining chair next to him. The warm cozyness of his room as he could never tolerate the cold whilst i always had my room at a maximum of 10C as i tend to struggle with the heat. Somehow something about even though his room, now apartment has been so nice and comforting, i always ended up almost falling asleep if we played games for a few hours, always needing to get something to keep me awake as he had the controller/keyboard, like a cup of tea or something like that, maybe some embroidery etc. to keep my hands busy. We still play games together every now and then, but we're both so busy now and i hardly have time to play myself, anymore. Even now when watching this video, supposedly relaxing, I am working on something. It made me miss playing terraria, or some of the early souls games together, or when Elden ring came out and he bought it on the day of release and came over so we could play together every-evening for about a week. Both of us making sure to keep our evenings as clear as possible after 7pm so we could play un-interupted. Sorry about such an odd rant I guess i may be feeling a bit emotional this evening, i fear I may have had a slightly melancholic conversation with a family member about some old memories and about one of our dear relatives that died oh so many years ago to cancer, his warmth never forgotten even as he died at 55-6, only a year after retirement, to cancer. I can guess it may have made me slightly despondent when realising that my brother lives so many hours away, and that is either of us were to ever get a car (it's incredibly expensive in our country), via. public transport it takes almost double as long.
I came to the comments to say the same thing as soon as i noticed the gag. I love my fellow frog cosmonauts. I love my hometown. I love my quantum superposition space goat pal. I love my dead space goat pals. I love my space owl-elk pal. I love his weird mean friends even though they're weird and mean. I love them all.
Minor Spoiler Comment (fewer spoilers than the video) There's another way to hear everyone play music together. It was probably the first time I touched that reverence that you speak of: if you fly your ship as if you're trying to fly to the edge of the universe, and then keep flying, you can turn backwards and everything is so far away that their signals all converge into one, and you can hear everyone playing their music - separate, but together. And then you can keep going, until the planets are so far away that they're barely dots, and they stop being planets because all you can detect of their presence is the continued signal of all the explorers, still playing. That moment was sublime. A good space game will make you feel how small you are compared to the vastness of space, but in Outer Wilds, it was the enormity of People that enveloped me in my own significance.
There's a really moving moment connected to this, I think, where if you're far away enough to hear all the signals at once when the Sun goes nova, you can actually time when planets get hit because single instruments will suddenly disappear from the mix.
Aye, was going to mention this, one small note however is this version is still slightly incomplete as Solanum is not actively playing (and neither is our broken-horned Owlk friend), so it's kinda the Outer Wilds Ventures exclusive cut
That’s pretty much what happened to me and was what made me “get” the game. It was one of my first cycles and the first one where I visited Broken Hollow. I picked up pretty quickly on the “try not to fall” thing but then I happened to be standing right in the middle of one of the first bits of crust to get flung downward. I’d heard mention of the White Hole Station before playing so I knew quickly that I wasn’t completely screwed but I hadn’t fully figured out the thruster controls and goobered my attempt to land on it. Instead I managed to fling myself around it at an angle and velocity that meant I just flew past most of the system on the edge of it and just kept going well away from any orbits. So after a moment I went “screw it” and decided to see how far out it would let me fly and just burned the rest of my fuel accelerating out. After a minute or two drifting like that I realized that the devs had 100% accounted for half-assed attempts at finding the map edge like this and resigned that I’d just float out like that until the timer or my O2 ran out, so I just started kind of idling and in the process pulled out the signal gun, which I’d barely used yet and didn’t fully grasp the importance of. At that point I could tell where one outer planet was by its signal being slightly separated from the cluster I could see around the sun, and then it hit me that all the others were so close together I could hear two at once. Then three at once. And after a moment I’d drifted far enough that I could hear the full melody together and I just kind of… understood it. It’s hard to explain but I felt this sense that even a dumb mistake like that still revealed something subtle and beautiful about this place they’d crafted, and that it didn’t really matter if I even could find a way to stop the supernova, because this experience was unique enough of a moment that as long as it existed for an instant, it was worth it.
"It's gonna be okay" is the main message I got out of this game, too, to be honest. There's something profound about watching the end of a universe that you invested so much time and energy into and just.... being okay with watching it go. Things will be alright. If you havent gotten the chance to play the DLC, I'd highly recommend it. It's equally incredible as the main game and offers a bit of a different.... perspective, about The Eye. :]
The game taught me "Enjoy the little things while you have time" Because once the game is over, you can't enjoy it (like the way it was meant to be) again Amazes me how many different interpretations can be derived from the ending, truly a rare phenomenon in recent gaming history
outer wilds is one of the few pieces of art that's legitimately changed the way i think about my life. it's hard to talk openly about just how special this game is, because the community rightfully guards the secrets of this game like they're the nuclear launch codes. but if anyone reads this that hasn't played it yet, please just trust me and play it. thank you for making this video, and especially thank you for putting your story out there at the end. i don't feel comfortable telling mine here, but suffice to say i found it *very* relatable.
The name "Outer Wilds" has been spoken, and thus the community is summoned to bear witness to another's first experience of the game we so love ::) Loved the summary of your experience, and fully agree that the characters and the writing are what really sell it. I went into it with certain expectations of it being a life-changer too, which I think can spoil the experience a bit and is why the community is so insistent on keeping silent on spoilers for newbies. But even still, by the end I was in emotional shambles because despite my best efforts to rush through it and find meaning, I still fell in love with the characters, the setting, and the music of it all. I'd already been through my "dark night of the soul", as it were, like you, but having that existential acceptance retold and validated to me by a deeply emotional piece of art was like having balm applied to a wound that life continually re-agitates and inflames. It was a reassurance I didn't even know I'd needed at the time. Would be curious to get your take on the DLC, if you played it or ever intend to! For me it hit home in a number of ways unique to my life up to that point and made a game I already adored even better, but as with anything that requires a scare warning on the start screen, ymmv and I don't blame anyone who decided the DLC was not for them.
Fun Fact, if you start a new game and exhaust all of Hals dialogue in the museum, they will tell you that the nomai statues are made of a material that can store information, and that your ships computer was built using a piece of the museum statue that was chipped off. This explains how your ships log stays updated.
Outer Wilds offers it's players a post-nihilistic view on life. If you have already gone through something similar, it might not be as powerful of an experience, but, instead, it can serve as a vehicle for you to recontextualize your own personal journey. And that is also meaningful in itself. In any case, a game that achieves something like that is special... and deserves to be celebrated and shared with others. Oh! And so does it's DLC, in case you have yet to try it.
Thane Bishop and the Quantum Favorite Character. I'm glad you're here telling your stories, man, and thank you for not spoiling it too much. I'm really curious about the next one, as I don't recognize the game at all.
I was watching this video expecting just another excellent video essay on a great game. And, to be clear, for most of this video, that's what it was, which is in no way a bad thing. I love your videos, and I hope you are able to continue making them long into the future. But at the end, once you were done talking about the game itself, and you talked about you? That was different. I have, for years, struggled to cry. The last time I had cried was a year and a half ago, freshman year of university, at one of the lowest points of my life. But today, hearing you talk about your own struggles and continuing on in spite of them, I was full-on sobbing. For the first time in a long time, I felt like there really was a point, that there was a reason to keep going. Thank you for everything you do. I appreciate you and your videos more than I could ever hope to express.
It's always hard to express how much these sorts of comments mean to me, because text alone is such a limited format, but I want you to know that I have a small, but growing, screenshot collection of comments that really hit me, and I look to them a lot when I don't feel confident or happy with my work. Hearing things like this is a huge part of why getting to do this means so much to me.
What you said at the end, about depression and the hopelessness. I feel you, man. I have and am down that road for the last 16 years of my life. But a quote that well and truly resonated with me from my favorite author Brandon Sanderson. "You told me it will get worse." "It will," Wit said, "but then it will get better. Then it will get worse again. Then better. This is life, and I will not lie by saying every day will be sunshine. But there will be sunshine again, and that is a very different thing to say. That is truth. I promise you Kaladin: You will be warm again." I still think of it every week after I read the book for the first time.
6:30 just a heads up, the ship DOES have limited fuel. But there's so much that it will basically never run out without A) damaging the fuel tank or B) running your engines for basically the whole loop
Outer Wilds was truly something special. It, for some reason, evoked warm and nostalgic memories I have of games I played when I was younger. For example, I remember the excitement of pre-ordering Portal 2, running to my local GameStop on release day, and spending long summer nights immersed in its world. Outer Wilds is the first game since then to recreate that magic for me. In a way, it stirred emotions I thought were long gone. I know I'll cherish the memories I made while exploring the Outer Wilds.
Look there may be a million downsides to my neurological issues. But ONE of them is that i can consume reviews and even HOURS Long in depth breakdowns of games, movies, books, shows, ... then give it a short while, and consume the media myself. And every twists still hits me out of nowhere. even if i'll remember that i already knew it was coming the second it happens xD it's one of the very very few upsides.
7:15 I've always felt that the games style is a wild west sci fi style. The ramshackle style and homley vibe that is reminiscent of the true idea that space is the final frontier, and that outer wilds ventures and the hearthans as a whole are the explorers of the final frontier at the end of the universe.
i remember when i first got the warp core and realized that i needed to take it to the ship and this was the end i was so sad and scared i had happily walked home everyday for weeks to explore and learn more, i though about this game when i left for school and when left it to go to bed I was going through a rough period and to be fair ive been going through a rough spot for 5 years but life is a roller-coaster im slowly moving up (very slowly). but i had relapsed and was closest to square one i had ever been. but this game made me so happy and i just couldn't say goodbye so i stalled, looking around at everything even though i had learnt everything possible, teased the owls admired the art of this game, but i had to let it go. gabbro saying that they were glad they got to stop and smell the pine trees changed me. i did stop and enjoy every second of this game and i needed that for my best life, i needed that to even live a life. i still have bad days even right now ive fallen back down a few steps but learning to enjoy how beautiful life is and to enjoy other people helps to get me through everyday. this game is amazing and changed me and made me write a cheesy comment xd
Goddamnit, how do you manage to make every video somehow relevant to my life and then drop it at the exact moment in which the video is most needed? You are a wizard.
One term i've heard described Outer Wilds style with is "Space Exploration as a Boy/Girl Scouts Summer vacation Adventure" and i think that's extremely fitting for the artstyle and atmosphere.
I've gotta say, i really like Outer Wilds Video Essays and my TH-cam Algorithm knows that, so this video just randomly appeared on my front page today and it didn't dissapoint. You've apparently already made video essays about a few of my favourite games ever (Stellaris, Prey, BG3, Halo Reach and Cyberpunk 2077)so i guess i've got a bit of a backlog to watch while i eagerly await your next video essays, as this video absolutely convinced me to subscribe.
6:30 your ship has far ample fuel, but it does have a fuel tank (and guage) and if you're an ace pilot like I'm trying to be, you may find your fuel tank damaged if the top of your ship bonks the wrong way. and if you're as careless about the integrity of your ship as I am, you may find out what it's like to have a ship without any maneuverability. (yeah I did this on purpose because I wanted to see what would happen. I also wondered about the ship's fuel since it seems limitless.)
That ending hit hard and was more relatable than I think anyone was expecting, thank you for having the confidence to put your work out here for us to enjoy and congrats on finding something you love that you can help to make an impact on others. I look forward to seeing the next video.
Your personal story at the end of the video is almost exactly to the same thing I feel I am going through at this point in time. I also currently feel like I’m just…existing. My work pays well but the hours are weird so I rarely see my family. I don’t think I’ve found my purpose yet, but I think it’s out there somewhere. I know it is somewhere. That’s why I love this game so much. It helped me come to terms with the fact that things will move on and that’s ok. It’ll be ok in the end. There is always hope. And while I’m here, in the moment where I’m watching the world turn without me…I’ve come to enjoy it in a way. It’s like being an observer, the way one might spectate a video game. It’s nice sitting back and relaxing as you watch the world go by
Hey, Thane. As someone who has gone through much of what you described at the end of this video, I can say that I feel many of the feelings that you felt and came to the same conclusions. Just wanted to say in the most sincere way possible given the parasocial aspect and the fact that we're strangers, You are loved. You are appreciated. Your effort is seen. Thank you for a great video.
I really appreciate that, man. It's obviously too little a thing to just say 'yeah, you too!' here, but I cherish the ability to have the human connection and care about another stranger's existence. Thanks for being here
I dont think anyone else has said it yet, but i'm 99% sure the next video is on GTFO, that looks just like the Shelling S49, and the complex. Also that ending hit way harder than i was prepared for, thank you
as someone who has been unknowingly suffering from mental health issues that cost me a lot of problems and had me drifting through various professions, due to my EU country healthy benefits and such I was never fearful of like starvation and ending on the street but I had never accomplished anything worthwhile in my own view, until I met a random kid I had been a substitute teacher for who had a really great impression of me and just wanted to say hi and be nice, and although I had been thinking about teaching and such I wasn't mentally ready to do it full time. that small meeting was enough for me to realize the truth behind a quote I heard years ago; "the meaning of life is the warmth of a sweater you knit yourself"...
Outer Wilds is my favorite game of all time and it’s one of those media that fundamentally altered my personal philosophies and view on life. I actually just played it again recently, and while it definitely wasn’t like my first playthrough it felt like I was returning home after a long time away. Seeing these familiar faces again, re exploring all of these places, solving these puzzles again, it was great. I love outer wilds so deeply and I’m so glad that so many others do as well.
No matter how often I see the game, its end or the conclusion of the DLC, it always makes me cry. Masterpiece. Criminally underrated and under appreciated... it deserved so much more success than it got..
One of my favorite little details is that the end of the universe. In a museum dedicated solely to the last civilization, who only one person gets to see. There is a note from the universe itself calling the angler fish the universe is least favorite child
Im going through my "failure" phase right now. Im so tired of people telling me to try, I know I have to keep trying but im so tired of failing sometimes i just wanna.... quit so to speak. You're a bit at the end of going through the exact same thing means a lot to me and makes me feel a little bit better. Thank you.
My dad died suddenly 2 months ago and I have been coasting through life since then. I feel real in the moment but when I look back on things, I realise I wasn't truly there. It's hard, any time people ask how I'm doing, I reflexively say I'm good or I'm alright, but because everyone knows what's happened, there's that brief pause as we both come to the same conclusion: I'm lying. Why am I saying this? I played Outer Wilds alongside my brother, or rather he played and I excitedly reacted and helped him figure out the puzzles. Every planet, every mystery, every person we spoke to was a core memory. The ending, we adored it just as much as we mourned all the first experiences we would never get to relive. We stared at the menu when the game was done in silence for a couple minutes, grappling with a lot of complicated emotions. We played Outer Wilds in my family home, a home my brother and I will be moving back to soon. We played when my brother and I both were still living at home, with my parents. We played before he moved out and I got the bigger room but also had to come to terms with him not being there every day. We played before COVID, before my grand plans for my own higher education fell down around my ears, before I moved out of home and had to learn what it meant to be an adult, to be my own person. This game has stuck with me, and everything you said at the end of this video hit me like a truck. I needed to hear it's going to be okay tonight, not because if I didn't I was going to spiral, but because everything you said, the emotions in your voice and your words cut through the static and the dissociation. I am going to be okay. Right now I am very not okay, and I am comfortable with that. I've heard plenty of people tell me it will be alright, and I've told myself that, too. Hearing it from you, from someone who has known the uncertainty and what it means to have your life rattled so completely and utterly, I'm starting to believe it. It doesn't fix everything, I'm still very not okay. But I will be. I will be okay. Thank you, I hope when I'm on my feet again I'll be able to subscribe to your patreon or something as a small way to repay you. To anyone reading this, thank you for your time as well; as many have said before me, it's precious and fleeting. And if you need to hear it one more time, from someone who finally believes it: it will be okay.
My brother gifted me the game and said "Don't look anything up." Luckily, I'd never even heard of it before, so I experienced the entire game + DLC with 0 plot spoilers (I admit I looked up how to cheese the horror parts of the DLC lol.) Best experience I've ever had with a game. There were so many moments where I just stopped and looked around and...felt things. Like - taking everything in. I also got stuck for 2 hours because I missed a super obvious switch, but that's not really the game's fault, so...
When I was playing this game a rule I had was that if the sun was soon to explode, I'd find one of the astronauts and just sit down at the campfire and wait for the nova.
Thats the first time Ive ever heard someone describe how I feel, and felt, as depression. Not sadness, not anger, not lonelyness or isolation; Just apathy, and what it feels like to watch the world spin on without you, knowing you have no part to play in it.
I have a few games I categorize as “you can only play once” And outer wilds is up there as one of the ones that impacted me the most And I really think it’s what you call…..an experience
I had already learned the lesson too. It didn't change me exactly. But I found it meaningful to my core at a level beyond anything else. After it all happens and is coming to an end, sometimes just sitting with someone to watch the stars die is enough. Having been there is enough
Hey Thane: We all really appreciate your videos, and are glad you decided to start making them. There’s not many people who do video essays, and you’ve got a great way of making them. Keep it up!
I rarely watch videos from small channels when they are recommended to me. There is already so much stuff to watch from channels I already like and small channels are less likely to create videos of high quality, mostly because these creators have less time/people to invest in the creation of said video. But I have one exception to this and that's Outer Wilds because I could listen to anyone talk about this game. More precisely, I'm actually interested in what anyone has to say about it. This is the most on point video essay I've seen of about OW, despite some of my favorite youtubers talking about it, despite Nerd3 describing the atmospere of this game like no one else could. Real nice work
I'm really amazed what you put together here. I was playing the game so eager to solve the puzzle, I kinda lost focus of the people in the game. Thank you! Also thanks for sharing your life's story. I guess many people find themselves in this dark spot. You put it greatly into words: "The world moves around us, while we remain still." I've learned the best thing you can do is keep moving. Anytime you're unhappy, make a step. Many people complain about their shitty job, but are afraid to change. I changed and it was a good step. Also stay open for new people. Dont cling to people that are not good for you, just to have people. This is important to! First priority is yourself. You'll have to live with you for a long time 😅 Thank you once more ❤
Outer Wilds was a big cornerstone in my lack of faith. I know that sounds really bad on a surface level, but walk with me: This is the game that taught me it's okay to live on your own terms, without an overarching faith. That every action you take is your own, removed from a God or Goddess or Creator. That, even at the end of the universe, your actions can matter to you... even if they don't matter to others.
Oh, Outer Wilds hit me as I was realizing I wasn't religious anymore. It's odd how that can sneak up on you, but for me it totally did. And Outer Wilds was there to give me a framework for a lot of the feelings I used to hang on the idea of God. To quote my good, good, space friend "The universe is, and we are."
Personally, I think that if there are gods, That this is how they'd want us to live. As much as they're capable of *wanting* anything. What good does it do for a being that far beyond us for us to be living in a specific way? What good is moral virtue if it's put upon us from up high? I think that if gods exist, And you could ask them that question of what meaning we should take from existence, That they'd say they can't decide the answer for us. Because that's something we have to make for ourselves.
If something, this game might be a great explanation of the philosophical/religious belief known as "Pantheism". One that sees the Universe itself as a deity... and us sentient beings as a "meaningful" part of it, because we give it meaning though conscious observation. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism
I'm glad you've found your way. I know that feeling of not having a reason to exist. Feeling out of place and unnecessary to anyone is horrible. I loved this game so much but something about the size of the planets and the short distances between them continually trigger some kind of existential dread in me. Ended up watching a playthrough on TH-cam so I could see how it completed. There's so much heart poured into it and so much excellent design in the mechanics of each planet that I had to see what happened. The way that music brings the new into existence is such a joyful thought. I hope life continues to get better and better for you. Thank you for the beautiful video essay and thank you for sharing your own journey. Truly inspirational. 🤟
You earned a sub from me with the last few minutes of your video. I think one of the best things we can do in our lives is inspire and instill hope in other humans. Knowing that you’re not alone, and that it can get better is sometimes all someone needs to hear. I look forward to your next videos, keep up the good work.
Thanks for this. I’m in a stage of life where I’m staying still, watching everything move around me. So to have someone who has been in my shoes use my favorite game to remind me that it’s going to be okay really helps. I wish you all the best, friend. ❤️
I only recently found this channel. But I absolutely love your format. Knowing that I can always expect some unique perspectives is amazing. And I love how you never put too much focus on the negatives. You’re an incredible content creator and I’ll be watching for a long time!
This was a beautiful video… thank you for sharing your life and view in the only way you can. I don’t ever comment on videos, but I watched this at the right time. I’m glad I subscribed 😌
Outer wilds is an art piece of a game, when i beat it for the first time, I legit cried, its the only game to have made me cry, and it was not just tears of happiness for a kinda happy ending but also tears of sadness, knowing i could never experience it the same again, and that is the only downside of outer wilds, its just too good to experience it the same again.
Man, this video was amazing You got me crying during it like three or four times, especially at the last 10 minutes Thank you for making this and for being here
I made this comment on the Traveler song they play at the end of the game when they sit around the campfire. "I thought this when i finished the game Such a cheerful tune echoing out into the lonely void. A brief flicker of fire in the eternal night. But when all that exists is that brief flicker, it is the only thing that matters in all of eternity of darkness."
This is the magic of this game, ut changes you, not by telling something new, or by bringing an earth shattering truth, but by reassuring you and with that experience makes you connect with nee people and learning to love though a shared experience. Its beautiful
I can definitely relate to feeling bereft of purpose, like there's no place in the world for me. I really wish I could say Outer Wilds cured me of that, and to a certain extent I do accept that the universe exists and so do we, we make our own purpose and take life how we wish, slow down and experience life, etc etc. But I'm still scared. I'm still really scared to... try. To try and fail and be disappointed and be affirmed that I really just have no purpose in life. Hearing your story though, and how Outer Wilds didn't end up having the effect on you that was advertised, I feel a little less self-conscious about all that. Seeing someone succeed from a similar position in life makes me wanna keep going. So... thanks for that.
Ship's fuel tank can be damaged and empty out in inconvenient spots, trust me! My ship goes bounce bounce bounce Did not expect to be crying at the end of this video but here we go. Great video
You actually can hear everyone (minus Solanum) playing the music together if you use the signaloscope while sitting on the Interloper at its last apoapsis from what I heard. Apparently the planets align for a moment there and everyone plays in harmony. It's a neat touch!
Heck yeah, awesome review. Thanks for taking the time to (mostly) gender the hearthians correctly. I think it's almost funny how in some people's rush to explore the universe they forget to listen in and pick up things about the people around them. As an enby as obsessed with space and exploration as the hearthains timber hearth feels like home to me in a way no where else in gaming does and felspar is kind of a hero to me. Someone who can be the very best, plunge forth into danger, and learn to take time for themselves. That seems like a pretty good role model to me 😅❤
6:39 The ship actually have a limited fuel! If you skip the intro where u link with the statues, and get to ship (check out outer wilds speedrun, they have a way to get to ship without launch codes) and then if u fly it, it'll take time but the ship would be out of fuel, it just takes more than 22mins so we don't notice that!
This was a very enjoyable video to watch, it’s great that outer wilds resonated with you, it is truly a game to cherish. I love your message at the end that it doesn’t necessarily fix things or change things, sometimes it can just get you to reflect on what you’ve already done. Anyway, I enjoyed ::) And some notes of course, a staple of my comments. 6:36 it can actually run out of fuel, but it takes more than 22 minutes (or a break in the fuel tank) so think of that how you will! 17:14 yes, a healthy obsession, even if this isn’t subtle humour, if it is i appreciate it.
this was great. I have just been watching tons of outer wilds content this last month or two. finding several great smaller creators. one is Becca Bytes, when she got to the end of all things and esker is there and he gets to get the band back together she said "he didnt have to be alone!" and man i cried lol. really good watch.
I’ve seen a LOT of video essays on Outer Wilds and this was definitely one of the best… i’m very excited to see what you come out with next! If I could recommend three games for you I would say Titanfall 2, Stray and Chants of Sennaar have a HELL of a lot to offer :) (Titanfall 2 has a WONDERFUL campaign and incredible gameplay, Stray has impeccable art direction and Chants has STUNNING puzzles!!
Hey, really dig the video and I will say, the dlc is also really incredible and covers some great themes that tie back to the game. I was definitely one of those people the game really affected, and for similar reasons to what you said. I love all the characters and their stories, but something else that really hit me was part of the Hearthian art style. Earlier in the video, you likened it to cottage core, but for me it was like being a part of the Boy Scouts again. Growing up I had so many great memories camping with my friends and usually attempting things that didn’t work, but that never mattered, the experience always mattered more. That last scene reminds me to this day of my last camp out with them. I was lucky enough to go to this great forest in New Mexico and around a small fire pit me and my friend brought some instruments and made some music through the late hours of the night. This game is really beautiful, and every now and again I play it just to go back to those times. I’m glad you got to a place you like in life and I wish it for everyone really. Keep on keeping on, even if the sun is going to explode.
Wow, this was amazing - you totally captured a lot of the way I feel about this game. Hopping over to your channel now - I have to see what other games you’ve covered!
Thank you for the amazing video. I had similar gripes when academics (lit major) burned me out on creative endeavors. Still trying to find that groove back. Outer Wilds is one of my favorite games of all time due to what you mentioned: it’s so stylized and it’s such a curated experience. There’s a certain level of confidence that shines through when devs can deliver such an experience. The music, the writing, and the gameplay all complement each other phenomenally. And it’s so deceptively simple, too: fly and explore. Thank you, again, for taking the time to write another great script and put together a wildly entertaining video.
I resonate with you a bit with your ending, I've never hit a low as deep as yours, but I've also not hit an equal high either. Outer Wilds cut me to the core and helped heal some parts of me, but I'm not out of the woods yet.
Hi Thane, idk if i should say this on the internet or what but I literally just almost gave up on everything. I already put the rope and almost ending it all but decided that today is not the day. So i ended up watching some youtube and i looked up on outer wilds video essay. I stumbled upon yours and you know, hearing your story at the end makes me think that maybe everything will be okay. I think you saved my life today. I can't stop crying. Thank you, Thane. I should call my friends after this so i can get help.
I think the game has two messages, personally. The first is as you say: It’ll be okay. Having gone through some shit not unsimilar to your own, I too had learned that already. But the second message is what really got me. My Mom had just been diagnosed with breast cancer when I played, and I was scared of losing her. But then this game came along and made me cry like a baby with a smile on my face in the last 10 minutes. As Solanum said: The universe is, and we are. Nothing lasts forever. Not moments, not people, not nations, worlds, stars or even the universe itself. Everything will eventually die… Nothing lasts forever, and that’s okay.
One of the saddest facts ive ever heard is that the majority of men who off themselves arent truly depressed. They are just objectively looking at their situation and making the cold calculated and logical decision that they have no reason to exist. The truth is that life is neither logical nor calculated. You might feel like you have no reason to exist. But the Infinite possibilities of the future and the very nature of humanity is precious and beautiful. You might feel like you have no reason to exist but the fact that you exist at all is reason enough.
Hey man just wanted to say good video as usual. Been watching since the dishonored video and always love your take on things. This one hit home though. Your discussion near the end about life, existance and meaning I feel that. The past few years has been rough for most people and I think we're all trying to figure it out still. One of the reasons I loved games so much is it allows us to confront those feelings in a more controlled environment. For me it was the game Journey that helped me to confront it. The 'journey' in that game and its conclusion just seemed to put things in perspective and helped me see things more clearly. It's great seeing and hearing what helped others do better. Looking forward to whatever you have coming out next. Keep up the great work man.
Yep, Outer Wilds changed me, destroyed the last bits of "energy" (whatever this is) inside of me, when i was already half broken by Rain World, being born is the worst fate no matter how beautiful something can be.
I relate to your story at the end of the video so. hard. It sounds like we've had identical experiences. I really needed this. Outer Wilds is all about acceptance in the face of fear. It's why I'm here watching video essays on the game. Hang in there bro. Liked, shared, subscribed,
I’m convinced if I ever got memory loss, getting the chance to play Outer Wilds for the first time again would make news more bearable.
I need a contingency plan where my friends and family know to recommend Outer Wilds to me if I ever have catastrophic memory loss.
If you got memory loss, you probably wouldn't know what Outer Wilds is, thus the news that you would get to play it again would probably be a little bit frustrating rather than reassuring....
@@bennettdrowned6193 Yeah fair. Until I played it again I'd be frustrated that it was just another thing I forgot. I also wouldn't be in the same mental place as the first time I played it. I still think the game's message of "everything will be okay" would impact me enough to be happy I got to play it twice. It's just a message that I find really, really inspiring and warm.
The outer wilds interested me and I did the horrible mistake of watching a youtuber play all of it. It was still nice, but it could have been so much more epic for me if I did it. I know for a fact if I got memory loss, I would sadly do the exact same thing instead of playing it.
@@bennettdrowned6193 Though if someone told me that there was a game out there that I liked that much that it would make me happy with memory less then I'd be hella hyped for it.
The first time I played it was the night I discovered my dog was dying. He was a ruby king charles spaniel, and I played it to stay awake with him until the vet opened. After Chewy died, I found the “end of the game” (I refuse to spoil anything) and I haven’t been touched by a piece of art like that before or since. It had a sense of optimism to what came next and was a lesson about mortality that I won’t forget. I miss that little rascal punching me in his sleep with his paw...
thats real tbh- like not to trauma dump but i was very much in my initial outer wilds obsession when my grandfather died and not to get too open but [SPOILER WARNING!!] the ending helped me cope with his death a lot and it comforted me greatly
Take care bud!
oh god, why did that make me tear up, you reminded me of how it felt when i played it as well. While i played it alone it made me miss playing with my brother almost every evening, with my brother and I switching with eachother when the other got a bit tired or wanted to go get a snach (pausing first and then continuing when the person returns), with him sitting on his bed and myself sitting on a dining chair next to him. The warm cozyness of his room as he could never tolerate the cold whilst i always had my room at a maximum of 10C as i tend to struggle with the heat. Somehow something about even though his room, now apartment has been so nice and comforting, i always ended up almost falling asleep if we played games for a few hours, always needing to get something to keep me awake as he had the controller/keyboard, like a cup of tea or something like that, maybe some embroidery etc. to keep my hands busy. We still play games together every now and then, but we're both so busy now and i hardly have time to play myself, anymore. Even now when watching this video, supposedly relaxing, I am working on something. It made me miss playing terraria, or some of the early souls games together, or when Elden ring came out and he bought it on the day of release and came over so we could play together every-evening for about a week. Both of us making sure to keep our evenings as clear as possible after 7pm so we could play un-interupted.
Sorry about such an odd rant I guess i may be feeling a bit emotional this evening, i fear I may have had a slightly melancholic conversation with a family member about some old memories and about one of our dear relatives that died oh so many years ago to cancer, his warmth never forgotten even as he died at 55-6, only a year after retirement, to cancer. I can guess it may have made me slightly despondent when realising that my brother lives so many hours away, and that is either of us were to ever get a car (it's incredibly expensive in our country), via. public transport it takes almost double as long.
I love that every character is a strong contender for your personal favourite because that's how I feel too.
I came to the comments to say the same thing as soon as i noticed the gag. I love my fellow frog cosmonauts. I love my hometown. I love my quantum superposition space goat pal. I love my dead space goat pals. I love my space owl-elk pal. I love his weird mean friends even though they're weird and mean. I love them all.
Minor Spoiler Comment (fewer spoilers than the video)
There's another way to hear everyone play music together. It was probably the first time I touched that reverence that you speak of: if you fly your ship as if you're trying to fly to the edge of the universe, and then keep flying, you can turn backwards and everything is so far away that their signals all converge into one, and you can hear everyone playing their music - separate, but together.
And then you can keep going, until the planets are so far away that they're barely dots, and they stop being planets because all you can detect of their presence is the continued signal of all the explorers, still playing. That moment was sublime.
A good space game will make you feel how small you are compared to the vastness of space, but in Outer Wilds, it was the enormity of People that enveloped me in my own significance.
There's a really moving moment connected to this, I think, where if you're far away enough to hear all the signals at once when the Sun goes nova, you can actually time when planets get hit because single instruments will suddenly disappear from the mix.
ᛏᚺᛖ ᛖᚤᛖ ᚲᚨᛚᛚᛋ. ᛏᚺᛖ ᚱᛁᚾᚷᚹᛟᚱᛚᛞ ᚠᛚᛟᚨᛏᛋ ᚢᚾᛋᛖᛖᚾ
Aye, was going to mention this, one small note however is this version is still slightly incomplete as Solanum is not actively playing (and neither is our broken-horned Owlk friend), so it's kinda the Outer Wilds Ventures exclusive cut
That’s pretty much what happened to me and was what made me “get” the game. It was one of my first cycles and the first one where I visited Broken Hollow. I picked up pretty quickly on the “try not to fall” thing but then I happened to be standing right in the middle of one of the first bits of crust to get flung downward. I’d heard mention of the White Hole Station before playing so I knew quickly that I wasn’t completely screwed but I hadn’t fully figured out the thruster controls and goobered my attempt to land on it. Instead I managed to fling myself around it at an angle and velocity that meant I just flew past most of the system on the edge of it and just kept going well away from any orbits. So after a moment I went “screw it” and decided to see how far out it would let me fly and just burned the rest of my fuel accelerating out.
After a minute or two drifting like that I realized that the devs had 100% accounted for half-assed attempts at finding the map edge like this and resigned that I’d just float out like that until the timer or my O2 ran out, so I just started kind of idling and in the process pulled out the signal gun, which I’d barely used yet and didn’t fully grasp the importance of. At that point I could tell where one outer planet was by its signal being slightly separated from the cluster I could see around the sun, and then it hit me that all the others were so close together I could hear two at once. Then three at once. And after a moment I’d drifted far enough that I could hear the full melody together and I just kind of… understood it. It’s hard to explain but I felt this sense that even a dumb mistake like that still revealed something subtle and beautiful about this place they’d crafted, and that it didn’t really matter if I even could find a way to stop the supernova, because this experience was unique enough of a moment that as long as it existed for an instant, it was worth it.
im pretty sure on the moon or elsewhere somewhere during the loop they also line up.
"It's gonna be okay" is the main message I got out of this game, too, to be honest. There's something profound about watching the end of a universe that you invested so much time and energy into and just.... being okay with watching it go. Things will be alright.
If you havent gotten the chance to play the DLC, I'd highly recommend it. It's equally incredible as the main game and offers a bit of a different.... perspective, about The Eye. :]
The game taught me "Enjoy the little things while you have time"
Because once the game is over, you can't enjoy it (like the way it was meant to be) again
Amazes me how many different interpretations can be derived from the ending, truly a rare phenomenon in recent gaming history
I havn't played this yet, it's been installed on my steam deck since I got it, so I'll play it first and come back to this video
Ill be waiting for an update
Definitely do that
Good choice!
@@hardcore_gamer6362 They have finished with development, but there is a DLC.
remember to stop and smell the pine trees- its the little moments that matter in thie game :3
To this day, the music of this game remains special to me. It just hits differently.
It is fantastic. I think of the main tune as “the song at the end of the universe.”
All it takes is 3 notes on a banjo and i go all misty eyed now
Outer Wilds is the dictionary definition of a masterpiece. One of those "I'm blessed to live in the same time period where this game exists," games.
outer wilds is one of the few pieces of art that's legitimately changed the way i think about my life. it's hard to talk openly about just how special this game is, because the community rightfully guards the secrets of this game like they're the nuclear launch codes. but if anyone reads this that hasn't played it yet, please just trust me and play it.
thank you for making this video, and especially thank you for putting your story out there at the end. i don't feel comfortable telling mine here, but suffice to say i found it *very* relatable.
The name "Outer Wilds" has been spoken, and thus the community is summoned to bear witness to another's first experience of the game we so love ::)
Loved the summary of your experience, and fully agree that the characters and the writing are what really sell it. I went into it with certain expectations of it being a life-changer too, which I think can spoil the experience a bit and is why the community is so insistent on keeping silent on spoilers for newbies. But even still, by the end I was in emotional shambles because despite my best efforts to rush through it and find meaning, I still fell in love with the characters, the setting, and the music of it all. I'd already been through my "dark night of the soul", as it were, like you, but having that existential acceptance retold and validated to me by a deeply emotional piece of art was like having balm applied to a wound that life continually re-agitates and inflames. It was a reassurance I didn't even know I'd needed at the time.
Would be curious to get your take on the DLC, if you played it or ever intend to! For me it hit home in a number of ways unique to my life up to that point and made a game I already adored even better, but as with anything that requires a scare warning on the start screen, ymmv and I don't blame anyone who decided the DLC was not for them.
Science compels us to explode the view count!
"Timber Hearth is Home, you are welcome back here at any time."
IT HASN'T BEEN FOUR MINUTES YET AND IM ALREADY CRYING
There's also the Echoes of the Eye DLC, which fits in almost seamlessly and has a character who might be a strong contender for personal favorite.
Fun Fact, if you start a new game and exhaust all of Hals dialogue in the museum, they will tell you that the nomai statues are made of a material that can store information, and that your ships computer was built using a piece of the museum statue that was chipped off. This explains how your ships log stays updated.
Interesting, I did not know this :)))
"is the kind of thing that makes you glad you stoped to smell the trees"
Outer Wilds offers it's players a post-nihilistic view on life. If you have already gone through something similar, it might not be as powerful of an experience, but, instead, it can serve as a vehicle for you to recontextualize your own personal journey. And that is also meaningful in itself.
In any case, a game that achieves something like that is special... and deserves to be celebrated and shared with others. Oh! And so does it's DLC, in case you have yet to try it.
Every video I watch on outerwilds makes my heart ache and wish that I could replay it for the first time.
Same, watching lets plays of people’s first times can be a treat
we are all Outer Wilds Vampires together having played all the game has to deliver us 😭
Thane Bishop and the Quantum Favorite Character.
I'm glad you're here telling your stories, man, and thank you for not spoiling it too much. I'm really curious about the next one, as I don't recognize the game at all.
@@amaurylaunay the room doesn't feel familiar, but that gun sure does
I want to say it's GTFO but I could be wrong
25:50
stay strong brother. we're here.
I was watching this video expecting just another excellent video essay on a great game. And, to be clear, for most of this video, that's what it was, which is in no way a bad thing. I love your videos, and I hope you are able to continue making them long into the future. But at the end, once you were done talking about the game itself, and you talked about you? That was different. I have, for years, struggled to cry. The last time I had cried was a year and a half ago, freshman year of university, at one of the lowest points of my life. But today, hearing you talk about your own struggles and continuing on in spite of them, I was full-on sobbing. For the first time in a long time, I felt like there really was a point, that there was a reason to keep going. Thank you for everything you do. I appreciate you and your videos more than I could ever hope to express.
It's always hard to express how much these sorts of comments mean to me, because text alone is such a limited format, but I want you to know that I have a small, but growing, screenshot collection of comments that really hit me, and I look to them a lot when I don't feel confident or happy with my work.
Hearing things like this is a huge part of why getting to do this means so much to me.
What you said at the end, about depression and the hopelessness. I feel you, man. I have and am down that road for the last 16 years of my life.
But a quote that well and truly resonated with me from my favorite author Brandon Sanderson.
"You told me it will get worse."
"It will," Wit said, "but then it will get better. Then it will get worse again. Then better. This is life, and I will not lie by saying every day will be sunshine. But there will be sunshine again, and that is a very different thing to say. That is truth. I promise you Kaladin: You will be warm again."
I still think of it every week after I read the book for the first time.
What book is this? I would love to read it
@@lovekittyforever rhythm of war. It is the fourth book in the stormlight archive series.
It is a very good series that I recommend strongly.
6:30 just a heads up, the ship DOES have limited fuel. But there's so much that it will basically never run out without A) damaging the fuel tank or B) running your engines for basically the whole loop
Outer Wilds was truly something special. It, for some reason, evoked warm and nostalgic memories I have of games I played when I was younger. For example, I remember the excitement of pre-ordering Portal 2, running to my local GameStop on release day, and spending long summer nights immersed in its world. Outer Wilds is the first game since then to recreate that magic for me. In a way, it stirred emotions I thought were long gone. I know I'll cherish the memories I made while exploring the Outer Wilds.
The ship requires in fact fuel, you just don't have the time to spend it all, but it can leack
IIRC one of the endings specifies that you run out of fuel, drifting in space.
Look there may be a million downsides to my neurological issues.
But ONE of them is that i can consume reviews and even HOURS Long in depth breakdowns of games, movies, books, shows, ...
then give it a short while, and consume the media myself.
And every twists still hits me out of nowhere.
even if i'll remember that i already knew it was coming the second it happens xD
it's one of the very very few upsides.
I'm curious as to what your condition is because I'm exactly the same way 😂
7:15 I've always felt that the games style is a wild west sci fi style. The ramshackle style and homley vibe that is reminiscent of the true idea that space is the final frontier, and that outer wilds ventures and the hearthans as a whole are the explorers of the final frontier at the end of the universe.
i remember when i first got the warp core and realized that i needed to take it to the ship and this was the end i was so sad and scared
i had happily walked home everyday for weeks to explore and learn more, i though about this game when i left for school and when left it to go to bed
I was going through a rough period and to be fair ive been going through a rough spot for 5 years but life is a roller-coaster im slowly moving up (very slowly). but i had relapsed and was closest to square one i had ever been. but this game made me so happy and i just couldn't say goodbye
so i stalled, looking around at everything even though i had learnt everything possible, teased the owls admired the art of this game, but i had to let it go.
gabbro saying that they were glad they got to stop and smell the pine trees changed me. i did stop and enjoy every second of this game and i needed that for my best life, i needed that to even live a life.
i still have bad days even right now ive fallen back down a few steps but learning to enjoy how beautiful life is and to enjoy other people helps to get me through everyday.
this game is amazing and changed me and made me write a cheesy comment xd
Goddamnit, how do you manage to make every video somehow relevant to my life and then drop it at the exact moment in which the video is most needed? You are a wizard.
One term i've heard described Outer Wilds style with is "Space Exploration as a Boy/Girl Scouts Summer vacation Adventure" and i think that's extremely fitting for the artstyle and atmosphere.
Also yes, Solanum is best Girl. She managed to be a top contender for my personal list of favourite Sci Fi Characters.
I've gotta say, i really like Outer Wilds Video Essays and my TH-cam Algorithm knows that, so this video just randomly appeared on my front page today and it didn't dissapoint. You've apparently already made video essays about a few of my favourite games ever (Stellaris, Prey, BG3, Halo Reach and Cyberpunk 2077)so i guess i've got a bit of a backlog to watch while i eagerly await your next video essays, as this video absolutely convinced me to subscribe.
6:30
your ship has far ample fuel, but it does have a fuel tank (and guage)
and if you're an ace pilot like I'm trying to be, you may find your fuel tank damaged if the top of your ship bonks the wrong way.
and if you're as careless about the integrity of your ship as I am, you may find out what it's like to have a ship without any maneuverability.
(yeah I did this on purpose because I wanted to see what would happen. I also wondered about the ship's fuel since it seems limitless.)
There's something about the game that just encourages that kind of experimentation. I got really good at doing zero-G repairs. 😅
That ending hit hard and was more relatable than I think anyone was expecting, thank you for having the confidence to put your work out here for us to enjoy and congrats on finding something you love that you can help to make an impact on others. I look forward to seeing the next video.
I'm glad you found your way friend.
Your personal story at the end of the video is almost exactly to the same thing I feel I am going through at this point in time. I also currently feel like I’m just…existing. My work pays well but the hours are weird so I rarely see my family.
I don’t think I’ve found my purpose yet, but I think it’s out there somewhere. I know it is somewhere.
That’s why I love this game so much. It helped me come to terms with the fact that things will move on and that’s ok. It’ll be ok in the end. There is always hope.
And while I’m here, in the moment where I’m watching the world turn without me…I’ve come to enjoy it in a way.
It’s like being an observer, the way one might spectate a video game.
It’s nice sitting back and relaxing as you watch the world go by
Hey, Thane. As someone who has gone through much of what you described at the end of this video, I can say that I feel many of the feelings that you felt and came to the same conclusions. Just wanted to say in the most sincere way possible given the parasocial aspect and the fact that we're strangers, You are loved. You are appreciated. Your effort is seen. Thank you for a great video.
I really appreciate that, man. It's obviously too little a thing to just say 'yeah, you too!' here, but I cherish the ability to have the human connection and care about another stranger's existence. Thanks for being here
Thank you for that ending. I needed to hear it. It hurt. But I needed to hear it
Keep up your awesome work
I dont think anyone else has said it yet, but i'm 99% sure the next video is on GTFO, that looks just like the Shelling S49, and the complex. Also that ending hit way harder than i was prepared for, thank you
I had this exact same thought, I came down to the comments to look for someone mentioning this, it just has that vibe
as someone who has been unknowingly suffering from mental health issues that cost me a lot of problems and had me drifting through various professions, due to my EU country healthy benefits and such I was never fearful of like starvation and ending on the street but I had never accomplished anything worthwhile in my own view, until I met a random kid I had been a substitute teacher for who had a really great impression of me and just wanted to say hi and be nice, and although I had been thinking about teaching and such I wasn't mentally ready to do it full time. that small meeting was enough for me to realize the truth behind a quote I heard years ago;
"the meaning of life is the warmth of a sweater you knit yourself"...
The personal commentary is really sweet, Thane. This is why i love your videos.
Outer Wilds is my favorite game of all time and it’s one of those media that fundamentally altered my personal philosophies and view on life. I actually just played it again recently, and while it definitely wasn’t like my first playthrough it felt like I was returning home after a long time away. Seeing these familiar faces again, re exploring all of these places, solving these puzzles again, it was great. I love outer wilds so deeply and I’m so glad that so many others do as well.
No matter how often I see the game, its end or the conclusion of the DLC, it always makes me cry. Masterpiece. Criminally underrated and under appreciated... it deserved so much more success than it got..
One of my favorite little details is that the end of the universe. In a museum dedicated solely to the last civilization, who only one person gets to see. There is a note from the universe itself calling the angler fish the universe is least favorite child
I'm going through one of the darkest seasons of life right now. This video was just what I needed. It's gonna be ok.
Im going through my "failure" phase right now.
Im so tired of people telling me to try, I know I have to keep trying but im so tired of failing sometimes i just wanna.... quit so to speak.
You're a bit at the end of going through the exact same thing means a lot to me and makes me feel a little bit better.
Thank you.
My dad died suddenly 2 months ago and I have been coasting through life since then. I feel real in the moment but when I look back on things, I realise I wasn't truly there. It's hard, any time people ask how I'm doing, I reflexively say I'm good or I'm alright, but because everyone knows what's happened, there's that brief pause as we both come to the same conclusion: I'm lying. Why am I saying this?
I played Outer Wilds alongside my brother, or rather he played and I excitedly reacted and helped him figure out the puzzles. Every planet, every mystery, every person we spoke to was a core memory. The ending, we adored it just as much as we mourned all the first experiences we would never get to relive. We stared at the menu when the game was done in silence for a couple minutes, grappling with a lot of complicated emotions. We played Outer Wilds in my family home, a home my brother and I will be moving back to soon. We played when my brother and I both were still living at home, with my parents. We played before he moved out and I got the bigger room but also had to come to terms with him not being there every day. We played before COVID, before my grand plans for my own higher education fell down around my ears, before I moved out of home and had to learn what it meant to be an adult, to be my own person. This game has stuck with me, and everything you said at the end of this video hit me like a truck.
I needed to hear it's going to be okay tonight, not because if I didn't I was going to spiral, but because everything you said, the emotions in your voice and your words cut through the static and the dissociation. I am going to be okay. Right now I am very not okay, and I am comfortable with that. I've heard plenty of people tell me it will be alright, and I've told myself that, too. Hearing it from you, from someone who has known the uncertainty and what it means to have your life rattled so completely and utterly, I'm starting to believe it.
It doesn't fix everything, I'm still very not okay. But I will be. I will be okay. Thank you, I hope when I'm on my feet again I'll be able to subscribe to your patreon or something as a small way to repay you. To anyone reading this, thank you for your time as well; as many have said before me, it's precious and fleeting. And if you need to hear it one more time, from someone who finally believes it: it will be okay.
All that remains is to collapse the innumerable possibilities before us.
The universe is and we are. Thank you for this beautiful video. It meant a lot that you put yourself out there without fear
My brother gifted me the game and said "Don't look anything up." Luckily, I'd never even heard of it before, so I experienced the entire game + DLC with 0 plot spoilers (I admit I looked up how to cheese the horror parts of the DLC lol.)
Best experience I've ever had with a game. There were so many moments where I just stopped and looked around and...felt things. Like - taking everything in.
I also got stuck for 2 hours because I missed a super obvious switch, but that's not really the game's fault, so...
I teared up at the end. I also know what it’s like to sit and feel the universe pass me by. Thanks for sharing your story.
When I was playing this game a rule I had was that if the sun was soon to explode, I'd find one of the astronauts and just sit down at the campfire and wait for the nova.
Thats the first time Ive ever heard someone describe how I feel, and felt, as depression. Not sadness, not anger, not lonelyness or isolation; Just apathy, and what it feels like to watch the world spin on without you, knowing you have no part to play in it.
I have a few games I categorize as “you can only play once”
And outer wilds is up there as one of the ones that impacted me the most
And I really think it’s what you call…..an experience
I had already learned the lesson too. It didn't change me exactly. But I found it meaningful to my core at a level beyond anything else. After it all happens and is coming to an end, sometimes just sitting with someone to watch the stars die is enough. Having been there is enough
Hey Thane: We all really appreciate your videos, and are glad you decided to start making them. There’s not many people who do video essays, and you’ve got a great way of making them. Keep it up!
I rarely watch videos from small channels when they are recommended to me. There is already so much stuff to watch from channels I already like and small channels are less likely to create videos of high quality, mostly because these creators have less time/people to invest in the creation of said video. But I have one exception to this and that's Outer Wilds because I could listen to anyone talk about this game. More precisely, I'm actually interested in what anyone has to say about it.
This is the most on point video essay I've seen of about OW, despite some of my favorite youtubers talking about it, despite Nerd3 describing the atmospere of this game like no one else could. Real nice work
This is a strong contender for my personal favorite video
I'm really amazed what you put together here. I was playing the game so eager to solve the puzzle, I kinda lost focus of the people in the game.
Thank you!
Also thanks for sharing your life's story. I guess many people find themselves in this dark spot. You put it greatly into words: "The world moves around us, while we remain still."
I've learned the best thing you can do is keep moving. Anytime you're unhappy, make a step. Many people complain about their shitty job, but are afraid to change. I changed and it was a good step.
Also stay open for new people. Dont cling to people that are not good for you, just to have people. This is important to!
First priority is yourself. You'll have to live with you for a long time 😅
Thank you once more ❤
Love how with every other outer wilds adventurer, you say that they are a contender for your favorite.
I love how you subtly said that every character is your favorite
Thane, you're a strong contender for my personal favorite character. This game is so fucking incredible, thank you so much for talking about it.
Outer Wilds was a big cornerstone in my lack of faith.
I know that sounds really bad on a surface level, but walk with me: This is the game that taught me it's okay to live on your own terms, without an overarching faith. That every action you take is your own, removed from a God or Goddess or Creator. That, even at the end of the universe, your actions can matter to you... even if they don't matter to others.
Oh, Outer Wilds hit me as I was realizing I wasn't religious anymore. It's odd how that can sneak up on you, but for me it totally did. And Outer Wilds was there to give me a framework for a lot of the feelings I used to hang on the idea of God. To quote my good, good, space friend "The universe is, and we are."
Personally, I think that if there are gods, That this is how they'd want us to live. As much as they're capable of *wanting* anything. What good does it do for a being that far beyond us for us to be living in a specific way? What good is moral virtue if it's put upon us from up high? I think that if gods exist, And you could ask them that question of what meaning we should take from existence, That they'd say they can't decide the answer for us. Because that's something we have to make for ourselves.
If something, this game might be a great explanation of the philosophical/religious belief known as "Pantheism". One that sees the Universe itself as a deity... and us sentient beings as a "meaningful" part of it, because we give it meaning though conscious observation. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism
@@DryymThat is actually very true, bc to God all paths lead back to him in some way or another.
I'm glad you've found your way. I know that feeling of not having a reason to exist. Feeling out of place and unnecessary to anyone is horrible. I loved this game so much but something about the size of the planets and the short distances between them continually trigger some kind of existential dread in me. Ended up watching a playthrough on TH-cam so I could see how it completed. There's so much heart poured into it and so much excellent design in the mechanics of each planet that I had to see what happened. The way that music brings the new into existence is such a joyful thought. I hope life continues to get better and better for you. Thank you for the beautiful video essay and thank you for sharing your own journey. Truly inspirational. 🤟
You earned a sub from me with the last few minutes of your video.
I think one of the best things we can do in our lives is inspire and instill hope in other humans. Knowing that you’re not alone, and that it can get better is sometimes all someone needs to hear.
I look forward to your next videos, keep up the good work.
Thanks for this. I’m in a stage of life where I’m staying still, watching everything move around me. So to have someone who has been in my shoes use my favorite game to remind me that it’s going to be okay really helps. I wish you all the best, friend. ❤️
I only recently found this channel. But I absolutely love your format. Knowing that I can always expect some unique perspectives is amazing. And I love how you never put too much focus on the negatives. You’re an incredible content creator and I’ll be watching for a long time!
Thanks for not giving up. The video was truly inspirational.
This was a beautiful video… thank you for sharing your life and view in the only way you can. I don’t ever comment on videos, but I watched this at the right time. I’m glad I subscribed 😌
Outer wilds is an art piece of a game, when i beat it for the first time, I legit cried, its the only game to have made me cry, and it was not just tears of happiness for a kinda happy ending but also tears of sadness, knowing i could never experience it the same again, and that is the only downside of outer wilds, its just too good to experience it the same again.
Man, this video was amazing
You got me crying during it like three or four times, especially at the last 10 minutes
Thank you for making this and for being here
I love how you chose a title without "Outer Wilds" in it. So mostly only people who played the game already will stumble upon it.
I made this comment on the Traveler song they play at the end of the game when they sit around the campfire.
"I thought this when i finished the game
Such a cheerful tune echoing out into the lonely void. A brief flicker of fire in the eternal night. But when all that exists is that brief flicker, it is the only thing that matters in all of eternity of darkness."
I just thought i'd watch a cozy little video before work
And now i'm a sobbing mess again, thank you for this video
This is the magic of this game, ut changes you, not by telling something new, or by bringing an earth shattering truth, but by reassuring you and with that experience makes you connect with nee people and learning to love though a shared experience. Its beautiful
You are awesome and epic and I’m glad you’re happy so you can continue making these. One of my favorite video essay guys. Thanks Mr. Bishop.
I've been waiting for him to make a video on this for so long
I'm so glad I found your channel. That last portion was amazing. Thank you.
I can definitely relate to feeling bereft of purpose, like there's no place in the world for me. I really wish I could say Outer Wilds cured me of that, and to a certain extent I do accept that the universe exists and so do we, we make our own purpose and take life how we wish, slow down and experience life, etc etc. But I'm still scared. I'm still really scared to... try. To try and fail and be disappointed and be affirmed that I really just have no purpose in life. Hearing your story though, and how Outer Wilds didn't end up having the effect on you that was advertised, I feel a little less self-conscious about all that. Seeing someone succeed from a similar position in life makes me wanna keep going. So... thanks for that.
Ship's fuel tank can be damaged and empty out in inconvenient spots, trust me! My ship goes bounce bounce bounce
Did not expect to be crying at the end of this video but here we go. Great video
You actually can hear everyone (minus Solanum) playing the music together if you use the signaloscope while sitting on the Interloper at its last apoapsis from what I heard. Apparently the planets align for a moment there and everyone plays in harmony. It's a neat touch!
Heck yeah, awesome review.
Thanks for taking the time to (mostly) gender the hearthians correctly. I think it's almost funny how in some people's rush to explore the universe they forget to listen in and pick up things about the people around them. As an enby as obsessed with space and exploration as the hearthains timber hearth feels like home to me in a way no where else in gaming does and felspar is kind of a hero to me. Someone who can be the very best, plunge forth into danger, and learn to take time for themselves. That seems like a pretty good role model to me 😅❤
you are a great writer, there is for sure demand for it, keep it up man
I needed this today. Thank you.
6:39
The ship actually have a limited fuel! If you skip the intro where u link with the statues, and get to ship (check out outer wilds speedrun, they have a way to get to ship without launch codes) and then if u fly it, it'll take time but the ship would be out of fuel, it just takes more than 22mins so we don't notice that!
I like to describe this game as heartbreakingly beautiful, and devistatingly fun
Thank you so much for sharing your personal story at the end
This was a very enjoyable video to watch, it’s great that outer wilds resonated with you, it is truly a game to cherish. I love your message at the end that it doesn’t necessarily fix things or change things, sometimes it can just get you to reflect on what you’ve already done. Anyway, I enjoyed ::)
And some notes of course, a staple of my comments.
6:36 it can actually run out of fuel, but it takes more than 22 minutes (or a break in the fuel tank) so think of that how you will!
17:14 yes, a healthy obsession, even if this isn’t subtle humour, if it is i appreciate it.
Thank you for this video, and especially for the outro(personal) story. You put into words what haven't been able to. So, sincerely thank you
this was great. I have just been watching tons of outer wilds content this last month or two. finding several great smaller creators. one is Becca Bytes, when she got to the end of all things and esker is there and he gets to get the band back together she said "he didnt have to be alone!" and man i cried lol. really good watch.
I’ve seen a LOT of video essays on Outer Wilds and this was definitely one of the best… i’m very excited to see what you come out with next! If I could recommend three games for you I would say Titanfall 2, Stray and Chants of Sennaar have a HELL of a lot to offer :)
(Titanfall 2 has a WONDERFUL campaign and incredible gameplay, Stray has impeccable art direction and Chants has STUNNING puzzles!!
(close bracket)
and Oh. my God PORTAL 2 is hands down my second favourite game of all time after Outer Wilds!!!
Hey, really dig the video and I will say, the dlc is also really incredible and covers some great themes that tie back to the game.
I was definitely one of those people the game really affected, and for similar reasons to what you said. I love all the characters and their stories, but something else that really hit me was part of the Hearthian art style. Earlier in the video, you likened it to cottage core, but for me it was like being a part of the Boy Scouts again. Growing up I had so many great memories camping with my friends and usually attempting things that didn’t work, but that never mattered, the experience always mattered more. That last scene reminds me to this day of my last camp out with them. I was lucky enough to go to this great forest in New Mexico and around a small fire pit me and my friend brought some instruments and made some music through the late hours of the night. This game is really beautiful, and every now and again I play it just to go back to those times. I’m glad you got to a place you like in life and I wish it for everyone really. Keep on keeping on, even if the sun is going to explode.
Got to love seeing more Outer Wilds content. One of the best works of art I've ever experienced.
Wow, this was amazing - you totally captured a lot of the way I feel about this game. Hopping over to your channel now - I have to see what other games you’ve covered!
Thank you for the amazing video. I had similar gripes when academics (lit major) burned me out on creative endeavors. Still trying to find that groove back.
Outer Wilds is one of my favorite games of all time due to what you mentioned: it’s so stylized and it’s such a curated experience. There’s a certain level of confidence that shines through when devs can deliver such an experience. The music, the writing, and the gameplay all complement each other phenomenally. And it’s so deceptively simple, too: fly and explore.
Thank you, again, for taking the time to write another great script and put together a wildly entertaining video.
I resonate with you a bit with your ending, I've never hit a low as deep as yours, but I've also not hit an equal high either. Outer Wilds cut me to the core and helped heal some parts of me, but I'm not out of the woods yet.
Hi Thane, idk if i should say this on the internet or what but I literally just almost gave up on everything. I already put the rope and almost ending it all but decided that today is not the day. So i ended up watching some youtube and i looked up on outer wilds video essay. I stumbled upon yours and you know, hearing your story at the end makes me think that maybe everything will be okay. I think you saved my life today. I can't stop crying. Thank you, Thane. I should call my friends after this so i can get help.
I think the game has two messages, personally. The first is as you say: It’ll be okay. Having gone through some shit not unsimilar to your own, I too had learned that already.
But the second message is what really got me. My Mom had just been diagnosed with breast cancer when I played, and I was scared of losing her. But then this game came along and made me cry like a baby with a smile on my face in the last 10 minutes. As Solanum said: The universe is, and we are. Nothing lasts forever. Not moments, not people, not nations, worlds, stars or even the universe itself. Everything will eventually die… Nothing lasts forever, and that’s okay.
At some point I came to accept that this game will be with me for the rest of my life.
One of the saddest facts ive ever heard is that the majority of men who off themselves arent truly depressed. They are just objectively looking at their situation and making the cold calculated and logical decision that they have no reason to exist. The truth is that life is neither logical nor calculated. You might feel like you have no reason to exist. But the Infinite possibilities of the future and the very nature of humanity is precious and beautiful. You might feel like you have no reason to exist but the fact that you exist at all is reason enough.
Hey man just wanted to say good video as usual. Been watching since the dishonored video and always love your take on things. This one hit home though. Your discussion near the end about life, existance and meaning I feel that. The past few years has been rough for most people and I think we're all trying to figure it out still.
One of the reasons I loved games so much is it allows us to confront those feelings in a more controlled environment. For me it was the game Journey that helped me to confront it. The 'journey' in that game and its conclusion just seemed to put things in perspective and helped me see things more clearly. It's great seeing and hearing what helped others do better.
Looking forward to whatever you have coming out next. Keep up the great work man.
I appreciate hearing all that man, thank you. I'm really happy you liked this one
Yep, Outer Wilds changed me, destroyed the last bits of "energy" (whatever this is) inside of me, when i was already half broken by Rain World, being born is the worst fate no matter how beautiful something can be.
I relate to your story at the end of the video so. hard. It sounds like we've had identical experiences. I really needed this. Outer Wilds is all about acceptance in the face of fear. It's why I'm here watching video essays on the game. Hang in there bro. Liked, shared, subscribed,
I had the exact same experience with outer wilds that you did, your video finally made me realize what I had missed