thanks to everyone who watched, and those who left kind words below! the next couple essays i have planned are on Apex Legends and Omori - both very different to the last two, i know. stick around if that sounds like your thing (or, even if they don't, stick around anyway, they may surprise you).
Got my sub. I’m very impressed with how your quality stands up to those who’ve been doing analysis videos for years. I’m looking forward to everything else you put out in the future.
This may sound childish, and I'm sorry if this is too personal. I lost my dad shortly before playing Outer Wilds. It was a very hard time for me. Most of my family is deeply religious, but I consider myself an atheist. I didn't have those spiritual comforts that the rest of my family did. Outer Wilds helped me to process my grief in a way that I was not expecting or really prepared for. It will remain omong my favorite games for this reason. To this day I can't hear the travelers theme without sobbing.
I hope I'm not bothering you but I wanted to share that I can relate to that despite not having a religious family at all. I played Outer Wilds and it's DLC about a year after my mother's sudden death, facing the inevitable death of my terminally ill father who has since passed away. Outer Wilds and the perspectives it offers certainly helped me coming to terms. I hope you are doing well.
this is gonna sound fucked, but we are literally twinsies, like i played outer wilds right after losing my dad, and the game me so much closure that I didnt think i needed, my family is also very religious so me being an atheist grieving was very hard
I went through multiple stages of grief after beating both, but the DLC in particular. I sobbed and sobbed at first. I don't know how to describe why without spoilers, but let's say I've lost some friends and my step-dad to various causes. there was just... so much more that i wanted to say. I would say that both the base game and the DLC do an amazing job at their own differing approaches of tackling the concept of coming to peace with impermanence, in captivating ways. The memory of the psychological imprint which the game had on me at the time is, to me, almost as good as the dream of having a second and equally blind playthrough of the game would be to many other people. It wasn't until a week or two after I'd beaten both games that I'd really had a chance to sit back and think about what they meant to me. Whether I scaled it up to the universe or down to a single lifespan, it applied.
Outerwilds has literally changed my outlook on life and death. At my funeral I want the service to start with end times, and finish with travelers. I love the line that our owlk friend says before the end. "Whatever happens next, I do not think it is to be feared."
i wouldn't say it really changed my outlook, but it certainly nudged it a bit. I've always been pretty Nihilistic, always having that voice in the back of my mind telling me that nothing i did would be worth anything in time, be it days or years or centuries. But ever since playing outer wilds the tone of that voice has changed, it's now saying those things still, but with an additional "but that's okay, so long as you care and feel content." Life isn't about leaving your ripples in history, it's about creating ripples in the now and not caring about where they end up so long as those ripples are created with joy and excitement and curiosity.
@@bronumero7334 I mean while I agree with what you're saying, for this person it's changed their nihilistic outlook and that's a worthwhile thing that should be appreciated instead of saying oh you didn't understand the game.
When the prisoner left me in the prison by myself, I had the fear that he just pulled an infinity blade on me and locked me down there in place of him. I was freaking out, but coming out and seeing him decide to end his “life” or memory, I sat there wishing I could have sat around a fire with him for just a while longer
I always interpreted it more as he is set free, since the other owlks died presumably from the same ghost matter explosion that killed the nomi, he shouldve been safe since his prison was underwater. thats what i hope at least :(
", he shouldve been safe since his prison was underwater. thats what i hope at least" "since the other owlks died presumably from the same ghost matter explosion that killed the nomi, he shouldve been safe since his prison was underwater. thats what i hope at least :(" no. all theyr bodies died including the stranger ( hes been there for over 200k years). Likely they were dead before the Nomi died. Theyr conciousness were "uploaded" into theyr simulation and they can stay there indeffinitly, even if theyr bodies died, aslong as the fire glowed both in the simulation and in reality. if one went out, then they wake up but if theyr bodies dead then theres nothing to wake up to, just oblivion.
@@captianshredderpeople really underestimate the time difference between the nomai and owlks. The owlks were long dead by the time the interloper exploded.
honestly, death never got less tense throughout the run of the playthrough. at some points it was necessary and I embraced it, but each time I wanted to live for as long as possible because every second mattered. Outer Wilds forces you to embrace the death of the universe and your own impending death but it still does a great job of making you want to live, not only for the knowledge but also just the fear. Ember twin was one of the last planets i explored, and each time I realized I couldn't escape the crushing sand, I still panicked. Maybe it's because I wanted knowledge, maybe it was my monkey brain instinct. either way, BEAUTIFUL VIDEO!! these kinds of videos really keep me connected to this game and what i learned from it
...and then you have myself, who eventually started 'taking breaks' from the investigative work in the game by flinging myself into the sun as quick as I could for several loops in a row. I think that I was proving to myself that I couldn't actually die, albeit in a very visceral manner. It brought me some comfort to see that no matter how self-destructive I was, I would still return just the same as before. It messed me up a bit when I discovered that only my memories were being sent back in time, and that my whole self had, in truth, died a lot.
@@icthyology how close to the end do you think the memories cut off? Do you remember the flesh melting off your bones each time you flew into the sun? Do you remember the ship burning up and dissolving around you as you plunged into a sea of pure energy?
@@TartarusHimself Considering that the player has different waking sounds depending on how they end the loop (one of my favourite sounds is the gasp you have after suffocating), I would argue that you get memories down to the very last moment of consciousness.
You know, I used to think looking at sun station "I reallyyyyyy wanna go there, but I just can't land my ship on it, it must be hard to get on it" And by the end game, when I finally learned that there's a tp for sun, I went there, got through the cactus, and got to sun station, and when the hatch opened, it was the first time in a long time i feared death, only one thought was going in my mind "I have made it this far, please do not die" I knew that even if I die, getting to the station isn't that hard, yet the shear scale of the sun and the setting just made it so tense
I am just now internalizing how mind-bogglingly skilled Mobius was to name your probe in the game the Little Scout. In one instance of the true ending, 14 billion years after the events where your choices as the player character matter, you see the new universe awakening after the end of your everything. Suddenly, in this ocean of unfamiliarity and new life, there is a sound you recognize: your Little Scout, beeping away, searching for you so it may inform you of its position. Of course, it will find nothing. And yet it still searches. It seeks the only home it knows, nestled into your launcher, eager to return the information it found by being sent ahead of you. It has so much to tell, so many images to show! This is what it was built for, after all. It went ahead 14 billion years to ensure that it was safe, to ensure that you, the player character, could survive! And it took a long time, orbiting space dust and then heat and then crushing gravity and then emptiness and then rock, but it found a place for you! It fulfilled its task - followed its namesake. It said, "I'll scout up ahead. You wait here." And then it did. And then everything, save for the trusty Little Scout, ended.
you will not make me cry for the little machine >:'•( theres something sad about little machines that barely have sentience faithfully doing its job even when theres no one left to do it for. or even if there is left, like in walle, its the loneliness of the little metal worker that keeps going on just for you to do its task i cried for walle every time i watched i think. i wanna replay outer wilds
@@bocolicboulevard8386 Reminds me of the Futurama episode "Jurassic Bark" where Fry's dog at the pizza place waits for him to come home for years, and at the end of the episode this is all shown in a montage with the dog sitting there, so pitifully and heartbreakingly hopeful and worried. I have NEVER cried so hysterically at a piece of media in my entire life. You sit down with your college buddies to watch an episode of a zany absurdist scifi comedy and BAM it just blindsides you with this absolute emotional evisceration. Anyway yeah, I'll probably never shoot my scout into the Eye ever again lol, it can die gloriously with me from now on
Before finding the Meditate option, I reset my runs by... saving and quitting to menu. Whoops. If you don't want to de slowly in space, you can also always use your jets to try to get to a planet. Assuming, of course, you haven't been flung away from the system at high speed. No, the worst deaths are crushing deaths in the caves of Ember Twin. That wet crunch is horrifying.
your channel has two videos, they're both about my two favourite games, and they're both the best videos i've seen about them. absolutely phenomenal work, please keep going.
I pray this blows up. It's impressive how new perspectives are still constantly being brought in about a game that has already been this heavily analyzed.
13:35 fun fact! they even considered making the game have that perma-death fail-state. They inevitabley chose not to; I believe they said it was bc it *did* feel too harsh--even if it would be totally justified. Besides...it's not like they can delete your knowledge of what to do. All that would happen is you suddenly lose all of your ship logs. A bitter sting of a punishment...but it would only work once if the player jumped right back into it and some might even say that was enough for them to rage quit anyway.
this is so good 😭😭😭😭😭😭 the point about the poetic nature of the interloper being a literal dead end in your ship log, and the point about the hatchling being the final echo of the eye... as well as the many other profound points you made in this video... fucking awesome
You know, it amazes me to no end that this game will never cease to draw reflection and how countless essays have been written in post. This is easily the first and only game I’ve seen to incite such a response across countless people, demonstrated by the seemingly endless flood of these types of videos. In some eerie understanding, though, I can almost say I’m not surprised, and I’m glad for it. What a unique, touching experience to have in a video game. I’ll never forget about The Outer Wilds.
Cried at the end a bit, beautiful ending to an amazing video - Im not usually a hour long video essay type of person but this video was just everything ive felt in my head about this game and you covered it all so well Seriously cant overstate how good this video was, you did really well
The more I watch videos about this game, the more I realise I will never stop thinking about it. Fantastic video, and with so few views! Looking forward to your next upload
Just bawled my soul out. God this game is so perfect and you capture all of its intricacy so eloquently that, much like the game itself, I'm left not quite sure whether I'm crying from happiness or sadness, or some profound mixture of both. Every video I watch on this game reminds me that, while the universe is uncaring, and that our place in the gaping maw of this uncertain void might forever be lost to the sands of time, we still played our music. We will continue to play our music even if our chords will forever drift unfettered among the cold sea of blackness outside our home, because we play this music for ourselves, and therefore we must listen. Great video, great game. Please continue to make this kind of content because man, more people need to know about these kinds of games which extend beyond just gathering profit but rather into crafting art.
Ahhh! Finally, someone else refers to them as the Strangers! I've always referred to them as that and always saw others refer to them differently. My friend thought calling them that was strange (ironic), yet like you I've always found that it fits them for our character's perspective. Fantastic video and thank you for doing such a great job talking about this games'... Well for lack of a better word, message. The experience of this game is something I'll cherish forever and to see others talk about it in such well thought our detail, always makes me happy. Cheers
It's wonderful to have watched this, you have a very clear and concise way of writing without losing any emotion. Loved how you included and acknowledged other videos on outer wilds but still managed to make a video of your own. I cannot get over "You are passengers of the same river, stargazers, looking into the sky with the same wonder. You are both parts of the universe, witnessing itself".
years of training TH-cam to recommend every Outer Wilds video to me have paid off. an incredible analysis of the game in most of its aspects and probably my favorite video on Outer Wilds overall. i especially love how you incorporate other peoples own takes on this game which gives this video an iterative quality that I can't imagine would fit anywhere better than here. Excited to check out what you had to say on Disco Elysium later, and even more so on what's still to come.
the section about echoes of the eye may or may not have brought a tear to my eye ..... when people compliment you on your video essay about Outer Wilds of all things, you know you've done well, because only the eye knows how many of those there are
I like to think that the signal emitted by the eye of the universe is the melody of creation played by the beings of the previous universe. It would fit the ending’s theme of how your actions affect the world even after your death
I have death anxiety. I have panic attacks almost every day thinking about it. And anxious rumination the rest of the time. This game was a STRUGGLE and put me in front of my worst fear when I wasn't ready for it sometimes. I knew it had lessons to teach so I kept going and it will for sure make me think a lot in the future
I could echo any of the praises of the other comments here, but I haven't seen anybody else mention the supernova at the 22 minute mark and I just wanted to say that it was a nice touch.
Love the aggregate approach of discussing the essays and reviews already made of the game. Feels very fitting along with being an engaging way to interact with more ideas.
Whelp no point in me making a video essay about this game, you’ve already nailed. Side note, err question really. Why does this game make me cry every time I come across it? It’s not even a sad cry, it’s a happy cry, and I’m not that kind of person. Yes I will sometimes cry at the end of something, but then when I come back across it, i won’t, but with this game, the simple playing of the banjo for the main theme will fuck me up. God damn this game was beautiful.
This is like the tenth channel I’ve seen where they’re a small channel, as soon as they make an Outer Wilds video they become popular. Thousands of subs incoming! lol
As always, goosebumps with your work. Please keep going, hearing your work in the bast internet we live is lovely and I hope that more people eventually find your work.
Thank you for making this beautiful video essay about my favorite game ever. Really well edited out, smartly structured, masterfully written and man it even managed to really tug at my heartstrings at the end there (well with this game that seems to be the rule rather than the exception with me tbh but still). I really loved the quotes and references to not only classic literature but other video essays of this game, it feels like an iterative and ongoing conversation that help explain why this game is so good, and no one person can do it entirely, but instead a collective continuous effort is needed to do so (like the Prisoner causing the Nomai to inspire the Hatchling in the game).
Echoes of the Eye strikes me as a master class in "Show, don't tell". It frustrates me to no end that I can't point folks at it without heavy spoilers, but I appreciate your summary of the base experience, as well as the entire scope of Outer Wilds as the adventure. Thank you kindly, and keep up the impeccable work, boss 🐻
I imagine being born at the end of the universe is (would be) an absolutely amazing and honorable position to be in, being able to determine the end a lifeform takes in the face of it all.
You write eloquently, beautifully, dabbing lightness and humor when necessary, yet always forward and thoughtful and unique. I'm impressed by the earnestness you place into your work. I look forward to what you create in the future.
this might just be my favorite video I have ever seen. no youtube video has ever made me this emotional. outer wilds really is the best game ever made. amazing video essay im gonna check out your other works.
Thank you so much, this is honestly my favorite outer wilds essay. You formulated ideas and references so well, you tell the story of outer wilds in a satisfying way! The theme you chose for this brought tears to my eyes. Wonderful job, I hope to see your next essay videos. May the universe smile upon you and knowledge always be interesting. This was an hour so worth my time I could watch it over again 22 times. I hope our great community brings more essays like yours.
I have a vivid memory of finishing Outer Wilds for the first time. I remember this odd, yet beautiful feeling of witnessing pure beauty. I remember just sitting back while the credits rolled, listening to the music, letting my mind run wild, letting all the emotions flow until there were none left and I was just sitting there, at 2AM, quiet, emotionless, peaceful and aware I will always cherish this memory. ...This channel has 1.4 thousand subs... this video has barely 2.6 thousand views but that simply makes me even more grateful I've seen it. It shows that beauty can hide anywhere, just waiting to be found.
Fuckkkkk. I just spent an hour on this masterpiece of a video essay and it feels like I just started it. Words cannot describe how well you did man. You have a real way with words.
I saw this video on my front page and was sure I wouldn't want to watch it, after all it's yet another hour long video essay about a video game. Decided I'd give it a shot and watch a few minutes through the preview player you get when you mouse over. It is now an hour later and I barely noticed. Good pacing, good perspective, and damn good work overall. I'm not usually one for video essays but I'm gonna drop a subscribe for when I get in the mood to watch a good one.
I'm writing this comment as I sit by a slowly dying campfire, and I can't help but get teary-eyed listening to you articulate among other things how we just need to appreciate life in all of it's small comforts and that we are a way for the universe to know itself, even if all we do is look to the night sky in wonder.
Anyone doing a video on Outer Wilds is doing good work. I feel like there’s a stigma where nobody wants to talk about it due to spoilers which is sad, it truly is a once in a lifetime experience
Outer Wilds as a scientific adventure fueled by curiosity is probably the best short description that prevents spoilers yet articulates the essence of its goal as well as the most appealing feature. This helps me share it with others; almost any spoiler is so crucial.
I really find it beautiful how, even though the Prisoner never actually makes it to the eye and neither of you see the new universe, he has hopes that carry through. This time, you're the one with answers to questions that he asks, even if he doesn't stick around to find out. The last you see of him is the projection staff essentially thinking, "Maybe, in another life, we could have been friends." The last image of the game altogether with the DLC is the reassurance that, yes, there will always be another campfire.
When I was eight or so I had a friend who's older brother met an astronaut, can't remember the name of the astronaut sadly since this was nearly 10 years ago. My friends bro asked questions, "how'd takeoff feel?" "You think theres aliens out there?" And "how'd going to the bathroom work?" One of the questions was how'd being out there feel? The answer was pretty simple "It felt lonely, everything is so big and we're so small." That answer just kinda stuck with me.
I haven't watched this yet, but I instantly clicked based on the title. Outer Wilds came at a time in my life when I was about to go through something very hard, and I didn't know it yet, and the game taught me something about grief. Andrew Prahlow and the rest of the Outer Wilds team unwittingly helped change my life, and unwittingly were part of an orchestra of small events that brought me to religious faith, despite thousands of hours in church as a kid which could not. Truly a special game. I can't wait to watch this.
I played this game the last week my grandpa was alive and it truly did make me almost come to terms with it he was very old an he had COPD so he was suffering and he laid next me as i played this game and he was in wonder that this could be on the screen It was beautiful to see him look at the universe one more time i miss him ❤️
I've played The Outer Wild in a very difficult moment of my life, and therefore, this game is extremly personal andimportant to me. Your video put words on what I felt and I thank you for that ! Your essay is very well written, good job !
I've absolutely loved this game in the year or so since I first played it, and it's amazing seeing someone actually capture the feeling of the game in words. This is probably the best outer wilds video, and I have never wished I could subscribe twice more
When I got to the vessel and realized that the nomai were discussing the destruction of the universe, and how they were all falling back to one final starsystem broke me.
Thank you so much for talking about this game. So many people have different outlooks on it and I feel like it gives back something different and beautiful to whoever is willing to experience it.
phenomenal writing, great editing, beautiful video. keep up the amazing job, im definitely staying and waiting for more "The universe is a beautiful place and I'm no longer afraid of dying"
This was a great video about one of the greatest games of all time, fantastic work. I hope you get the viewership and sub count that you deserve some day.
Wow. It's one of the best(if not the best) Outer Wilds essay i've ever seen. This game means a lot to me, like to many other people. And I think that's good. This little shiny gem burried under collosal AAA games like many other beautiful games. But this game is one of a kind. I'm very glad, that you made that video, thank you! It showed me a missing piece in Outer Wilds meaning. Thank you. I'm sorry for my English, but I'm still learning it, I hope that it can be readed and understanded. And again, thank you for this video. Keap up with great work!
This is the most beautiful video ever made. I think you should know that. I was not a man of faith; of ANY faith. But your video gave me a little something to believe in. You and your ideology has become my faith. You gave me the greatest part of myself, something I was missing for years. You gave me faith, even if it's only a little bit. And all we need is a little.
It truly does reduce our grandest ideals and accomplishments to nothing, to see it all end. It truly does give grandiose meaning to the smallest ideals and accomplishments, to see it all end.
beautiful video for a beautiful game. as a very spiritual person who loves space, seeing your video helping me understand outer wilds more, means a lot. :)
amazing video, you put a lot of my thoughts about outer wilds into words! outer wilds is my favorite video game ever and i am so happy whenever a new video essay comes across my feed ^_^ thank you so much for making this video
If there's one thing this game taught me, the title of another analysis video summarizes it pretty well. The universe is a beautiful place, and I am no longer afraid to die. It's not something to be sought out, but it's not something to be feared either. Life goes on, or it doesn't. It's all just part of how the universe works. I hope I have a good 80-some years still ahead of me, but when my time comes, I will welcome death as an old friend.
I find it interesting how so many people thought (at least at one point) that the point of Outer Wilds was to stop the sun from exploding. I just took the supernova model in the museum at face value and assumed that that was what was happening, even past the point where I knew that the Nomai tried to blow up the sun.
thanks to everyone who watched, and those who left kind words below!
the next couple essays i have planned are on Apex Legends and Omori - both very different to the last two, i know. stick around if that sounds like your thing (or, even if they don't, stick around anyway, they may surprise you).
thank you for this amazing video, i will stick around!
Got my sub. I’m very impressed with how your quality stands up to those who’ve been doing analysis videos for years.
I’m looking forward to everything else you put out in the future.
ew Apex Legends
how goes the Omori one? I'm genuinely interested in all your work.
This may sound childish, and I'm sorry if this is too personal. I lost my dad shortly before playing Outer Wilds. It was a very hard time for me. Most of my family is deeply religious, but I consider myself an atheist. I didn't have those spiritual comforts that the rest of my family did. Outer Wilds helped me to process my grief in a way that I was not expecting or really prepared for. It will remain omong my favorite games for this reason. To this day I can't hear the travelers theme without sobbing.
I hope I'm not bothering you but I wanted to share that I can relate to that despite not having a religious family at all. I played Outer Wilds and it's DLC about a year after my mother's sudden death, facing the inevitable death of my terminally ill father who has since passed away. Outer Wilds and the perspectives it offers certainly helped me coming to terms. I hope you are doing well.
@@rostbot2885 I hope the same for you.
this is gonna sound fucked, but we are literally twinsies, like i played outer wilds right after losing my dad, and the game me so much closure that I didnt think i needed, my family is also very religious so me being an atheist grieving was very hard
I went through multiple stages of grief after beating both, but the DLC in particular. I sobbed and sobbed at first. I don't know how to describe why without spoilers, but let's say I've lost some friends and my step-dad to various causes. there was just... so much more that i wanted to say. I would say that both the base game and the DLC do an amazing job at their own differing approaches of tackling the concept of coming to peace with impermanence, in captivating ways. The memory of the psychological imprint which the game had on me at the time is, to me, almost as good as the dream of having a second and equally blind playthrough of the game would be to many other people. It wasn't until a week or two after I'd beaten both games that I'd really had a chance to sit back and think about what they meant to me. Whether I scaled it up to the universe or down to a single lifespan, it applied.
I was in the middle of playing when I lost my grandma. I am also an atheist. This game helped me process that.
As a famous philosopher bricky once said “fuck dark bramble”
Outerwilds has literally changed my outlook on life and death. At my funeral I want the service to start with end times, and finish with travelers. I love the line that our owlk friend says before the end. "Whatever happens next, I do not think it is to be feared."
i wouldn't say it really changed my outlook, but it certainly nudged it a bit. I've always been pretty Nihilistic, always having that voice in the back of my mind telling me that nothing i did would be worth anything in time, be it days or years or centuries. But ever since playing outer wilds the tone of that voice has changed, it's now saying those things still, but with an additional "but that's okay, so long as you care and feel content."
Life isn't about leaving your ripples in history, it's about creating ripples in the now and not caring about where they end up so long as those ripples are created with joy and excitement and curiosity.
Outer wilds is a rejection of nihilism, not an ideologue for it.
@@bronumero7334 I mean while I agree with what you're saying, for this person it's changed their nihilistic outlook and that's a worthwhile thing that should be appreciated instead of saying oh you didn't understand the game.
@@bronumero7334 I think you guys have 180 misunderstood nihilism.
@@kricku nothing to misunderstand about that useless ideology
When the prisoner left me in the prison by myself, I had the fear that he just pulled an infinity blade on me and locked me down there in place of him. I was freaking out, but coming out and seeing him decide to end his “life” or memory, I sat there wishing I could have sat around a fire with him for just a while longer
I always interpreted it more as he is set free, since the other owlks died presumably from the same ghost matter explosion that killed the nomi, he shouldve been safe since his prison was underwater. thats what i hope at least :(
", he shouldve been safe since his prison was underwater. thats what i hope at least" "since the other owlks died presumably from the same ghost matter explosion that killed the nomi, he shouldve been safe since his prison was underwater. thats what i hope at least :(" no. all theyr bodies died including the stranger ( hes been there for over 200k years). Likely they were dead before the Nomi died. Theyr conciousness were "uploaded" into theyr simulation and they can stay there indeffinitly, even if theyr bodies died, aslong as the fire glowed both in the simulation and in reality. if one went out, then they wake up but if theyr bodies dead then theres nothing to wake up to, just oblivion.
@@captianshredderThey didn't, they died of old age from being in the simulation for too long
@@captianshredderpeople really underestimate the time difference between the nomai and owlks. The owlks were long dead by the time the interloper exploded.
I love the detail that the chapter "End Times / Death" ends at minute 22
“It's the kind of thing that makes you glad you stopped and smelled the pine trees along the way, you know?”
honestly, death never got less tense throughout the run of the playthrough. at some points it was necessary and I embraced it, but each time I wanted to live for as long as possible because every second mattered. Outer Wilds forces you to embrace the death of the universe and your own impending death but it still does a great job of making you want to live, not only for the knowledge but also just the fear. Ember twin was one of the last planets i explored, and each time I realized I couldn't escape the crushing sand, I still panicked. Maybe it's because I wanted knowledge, maybe it was my monkey brain instinct. either way, BEAUTIFUL VIDEO!! these kinds of videos really keep me connected to this game and what i learned from it
...and then you have myself, who eventually started 'taking breaks' from the investigative work in the game by flinging myself into the sun as quick as I could for several loops in a row. I think that I was proving to myself that I couldn't actually die, albeit in a very visceral manner. It brought me some comfort to see that no matter how self-destructive I was, I would still return just the same as before. It messed me up a bit when I discovered that only my memories were being sent back in time, and that my whole self had, in truth, died a lot.
@@icthyology how close to the end do you think the memories cut off? Do you remember the flesh melting off your bones each time you flew into the sun? Do you remember the ship burning up and dissolving around you as you plunged into a sea of pure energy?
@@TartarusHimself Considering that the player has different waking sounds depending on how they end the loop (one of my favourite sounds is the gasp you have after suffocating), I would argue that you get memories down to the very last moment of consciousness.
You know, I used to think looking at sun station "I reallyyyyyy wanna go there, but I just can't land my ship on it, it must be hard to get on it"
And by the end game, when I finally learned that there's a tp for sun, I went there, got through the cactus, and got to sun station, and when the hatch opened, it was the first time in a long time i feared death, only one thought was going in my mind "I have made it this far, please do not die"
I knew that even if I die, getting to the station isn't that hard, yet the shear scale of the sun and the setting just made it so tense
I am just now internalizing how mind-bogglingly skilled Mobius was to name your probe in the game the Little Scout.
In one instance of the true ending, 14 billion years after the events where your choices as the player character matter, you see the new universe awakening after the end of your everything. Suddenly, in this ocean of unfamiliarity and new life, there is a sound you recognize: your Little Scout, beeping away, searching for you so it may inform you of its position. Of course, it will find nothing.
And yet it still searches. It seeks the only home it knows, nestled into your launcher, eager to return the information it found by being sent ahead of you. It has so much to tell, so many images to show! This is what it was built for, after all. It went ahead 14 billion years to ensure that it was safe, to ensure that you, the player character, could survive! And it took a long time, orbiting space dust and then heat and then crushing gravity and then emptiness and then rock, but it found a place for you! It fulfilled its task - followed its namesake. It said, "I'll scout up ahead. You wait here."
And then it did.
And then everything, save for the trusty Little Scout, ended.
you will not make me cry for the little machine >:'•(
theres something sad about little machines that barely have sentience faithfully doing its job even when theres no one left to do it for. or even if there is left, like in walle, its the loneliness of the little metal worker that keeps going on just for you to do its task
i cried for walle every time i watched i think.
i wanna replay outer wilds
@@fool4343 God yeah the pet/machine dutifully carrying out orders "just for you!" Even though their master is long gone trope slays me every time 😢😢😢
@@bocolicboulevard8386 Reminds me of the Futurama episode "Jurassic Bark" where Fry's dog at the pizza place waits for him to come home for years, and at the end of the episode this is all shown in a montage with the dog sitting there, so pitifully and heartbreakingly hopeful and worried. I have NEVER cried so hysterically at a piece of media in my entire life. You sit down with your college buddies to watch an episode of a zany absurdist scifi comedy and BAM it just blindsides you with this absolute emotional evisceration. Anyway yeah, I'll probably never shoot my scout into the Eye ever again lol, it can die gloriously with me from now on
Oh god, staph. I dont want to start viewing the little scout as a dutiful pet. You monster..... what a beautiful thought.
That's ridiculous
Yeah, didnt think an essay about my favourite game would make me cry, yet here we are.
Before finding the Meditate option, I reset my runs by... saving and quitting to menu. Whoops.
If you don't want to de slowly in space, you can also always use your jets to try to get to a planet. Assuming, of course, you haven't been flung away from the system at high speed.
No, the worst deaths are crushing deaths in the caves of Ember Twin. That wet crunch is horrifying.
Stars beyond count, worlds beyond measure, stories beyond imagining. Yet I share my star, my world, my story with you and for that I'm thankful.
Where does this quote come from? Who says it?
your channel has two videos, they're both about my two favourite games, and they're both the best videos i've seen about them. absolutely phenomenal work, please keep going.
2019 was an absolute banger
Rhe best game ever made
I pray this blows up. It's impressive how new perspectives are still constantly being brought in about a game that has already been this heavily analyzed.
13:35 fun fact! they even considered making the game have that perma-death fail-state. They inevitabley chose not to; I believe they said it was bc it *did* feel too harsh--even if it would be totally justified.
Besides...it's not like they can delete your knowledge of what to do. All that would happen is you suddenly lose all of your ship logs. A bitter sting of a punishment...but it would only work once if the player jumped right back into it and some might even say that was enough for them to rage quit anyway.
That, and there were some issues with the console versions and deleting saves.
this is so good 😭😭😭😭😭😭
the point about the poetic nature of the interloper being a literal dead end in your ship log, and the point about the hatchling being the final echo of the eye... as well as the many other profound points you made in this video... fucking awesome
You know, it amazes me to no end that this game will never cease to draw reflection and how countless essays have been written in post. This is easily the first and only game I’ve seen to incite such a response across countless people, demonstrated by the seemingly endless flood of these types of videos.
In some eerie understanding, though, I can almost say I’m not surprised, and I’m glad for it. What a unique, touching experience to have in a video game. I’ll never forget about The Outer Wilds.
Cried at the end a bit, beautiful ending to an amazing video - Im not usually a hour long video essay type of person but this video was just everything ive felt in my head about this game and you covered it all so well
Seriously cant overstate how good this video was, you did really well
those words mean a lot to me, thank you.
Made my cry as if I just experienced Outer Wilds again. Thank you for your essay, friend.
The more I watch videos about this game, the more I realise I will never stop thinking about it. Fantastic video, and with so few views! Looking forward to your next upload
It's very very rare that I see such high quality work with such little interaction. Your video had a beautiful thesis and I hope more people see it.
Damn, I've watched outer wilds content for 3 years now and this vid was as good as any. Thank you. This game still hits me with the feels
Just bawled my soul out. God this game is so perfect and you capture all of its intricacy so eloquently that, much like the game itself, I'm left not quite sure whether I'm crying from happiness or sadness, or some profound mixture of both. Every video I watch on this game reminds me that, while the universe is uncaring, and that our place in the gaping maw of this uncertain void might forever be lost to the sands of time, we still played our music. We will continue to play our music even if our chords will forever drift unfettered among the cold sea of blackness outside our home, because we play this music for ourselves, and therefore we must listen.
Great video, great game. Please continue to make this kind of content because man, more people need to know about these kinds of games which extend beyond just gathering profit but rather into crafting art.
Ahhh! Finally, someone else refers to them as the Strangers! I've always referred to them as that and always saw others refer to them differently. My friend thought calling them that was strange (ironic), yet like you I've always found that it fits them for our character's perspective. Fantastic video and thank you for doing such a great job talking about this games'... Well for lack of a better word, message. The experience of this game is something I'll cherish forever and to see others talk about it in such well thought our detail, always makes me happy.
Cheers
This is a wonderful video, but I can't help but be intensely disturbed that you burn every single one of your marshmallows.
it is (regrettably) how i like them in real life
It's wonderful to have watched this, you have a very clear and concise way of writing without losing any emotion. Loved how you included and acknowledged other videos on outer wilds but still managed to make a video of your own. I cannot get over "You are passengers of the same river, stargazers, looking into the sky with the same wonder. You are both parts of the universe, witnessing itself".
years of training TH-cam to recommend every Outer Wilds video to me have paid off.
an incredible analysis of the game in most of its aspects and probably my favorite video on Outer Wilds overall.
i especially love how you incorporate other peoples own takes on this game which gives this video an iterative quality that I can't imagine would fit anywhere better than here.
Excited to check out what you had to say on Disco Elysium later, and even more so on what's still to come.
the section about echoes of the eye may or may not have brought a tear to my eye ..... when people compliment you on your video essay about Outer Wilds of all things, you know you've done well, because only the eye knows how many of those there are
Great video ! Glad people are still making videos about this game.
I like to think that the signal emitted by the eye of the universe is the melody of creation played by the beings of the previous universe. It would fit the ending’s theme of how your actions affect the world even after your death
I have death anxiety. I have panic attacks almost every day thinking about it. And anxious rumination the rest of the time. This game was a STRUGGLE and put me in front of my worst fear when I wasn't ready for it sometimes. I knew it had lessons to teach so I kept going and it will for sure make me think a lot in the future
I could echo any of the praises of the other comments here, but I haven't seen anybody else mention the supernova at the 22 minute mark and I just wanted to say that it was a nice touch.
Love the aggregate approach of discussing the essays and reviews already made of the game. Feels very fitting along with being an engaging way to interact with more ideas.
Whelp no point in me making a video essay about this game, you’ve already nailed.
Side note, err question really. Why does this game make me cry every time I come across it? It’s not even a sad cry, it’s a happy cry, and I’m not that kind of person. Yes I will sometimes cry at the end of something, but then when I come back across it, i won’t, but with this game, the simple playing of the banjo for the main theme will fuck me up. God damn this game was beautiful.
2:56 You are breaking the ship Samir!
This is like the tenth channel I’ve seen where they’re a small channel, as soon as they make an Outer Wilds video they become popular.
Thousands of subs incoming! lol
As always, goosebumps with your work. Please keep going, hearing your work in the bast internet we live is lovely and I hope that more people eventually find your work.
Bravo. Just bravo. Excellent insights. Making me cry again lol
Thank you for making this beautiful video essay about my favorite game ever. Really well edited out, smartly structured, masterfully written and man it even managed to really tug at my heartstrings at the end there (well with this game that seems to be the rule rather than the exception with me tbh but still).
I really loved the quotes and references to not only classic literature but other video essays of this game, it feels like an iterative and ongoing conversation that help explain why this game is so good, and no one person can do it entirely, but instead a collective continuous effort is needed to do so (like the Prisoner causing the Nomai to inspire the Hatchling in the game).
Amazing video! I honestly didn't even notice it was 2.4 loops long until the end, the time just flew by but I loved every second of it
ah, when I clicked this video, i wasn't expected to be blown away by your stellar commentary! Brilliant stuff!
this video made me cry about outer wilds AGAIN. great job.
This is by far my new favourite Outer Wilds essay, you touched on every damn aspect I absolutely adore about this game. Incredible work!
I really loved this, and the Disco Elysium one too! Easiest subscription in a while! Keep it up!
The quality to sub ratio on this channel is insane you deserve way more! Awesome vid
Echoes of the Eye strikes me as a master class in "Show, don't tell". It frustrates me to no end that I can't point folks at it without heavy spoilers, but I appreciate your summary of the base experience, as well as the entire scope of Outer Wilds as the adventure. Thank you kindly, and keep up the impeccable work, boss 🐻
I imagine being born at the end of the universe is (would be) an absolutely amazing and honorable position to be in, being able to determine the end a lifeform takes in the face of it all.
You write eloquently, beautifully, dabbing lightness and humor when necessary, yet always forward and thoughtful and unique.
I'm impressed by the earnestness you place into your work. I look forward to what you create in the future.
Outrageously high quality content for such a small sub count. You're gonna pop off soon. Can't wait to see what you do next.
Really great video! One of the best outer wilds essays i've seen
This was an absolute joy to watch. The music, editing, narration. Job well done!
This was wonderful, excellent work. Looking forward to your future stuff.
Phenomenal. Just like the game itself this shit made me cry
this might just be my favorite video I have ever seen. no youtube video has ever made me this emotional. outer wilds really is the best game ever made.
amazing video essay im gonna check out your other works.
This is a very timely video essay!! I just finished this game a week ago. I can't stop thinking about it
This video essay was perfect and probably My favorite on the game I've seen. Thank you for vocalizing so much of what makes this game so special.
Glad this popped up in my recommended. Lovely stuff
Thank you so much, this is honestly my favorite outer wilds essay. You formulated ideas and references so well, you tell the story of outer wilds in a satisfying way! The theme you chose for this brought tears to my eyes. Wonderful job, I hope to see your next essay videos. May the universe smile upon you and knowledge always be interesting. This was an hour so worth my time I could watch it over again 22 times. I hope our great community brings more essays like yours.
I have a vivid memory of finishing Outer Wilds for the first time. I remember this odd, yet beautiful feeling of witnessing pure beauty. I remember just sitting back while the credits rolled, listening to the music, letting my mind run wild, letting all the emotions flow until there were none left and I was just sitting there, at 2AM, quiet, emotionless, peaceful and aware I will always cherish this memory.
...This channel has 1.4 thousand subs... this video has barely 2.6 thousand views but that simply makes me even more grateful I've seen it.
It shows that beauty can hide anywhere, just waiting to be found.
Holy crap dude this video is the best Outer Wilds video i've seen!! The only issue i have is that you KEEP BURNING THE DARN MARCHMALLOWS!
Fuckkkkk. I just spent an hour on this masterpiece of a video essay and it feels like I just started it. Words cannot describe how well you did man. You have a real way with words.
I saw this video on my front page and was sure I wouldn't want to watch it, after all it's yet another hour long video essay about a video game. Decided I'd give it a shot and watch a few minutes through the preview player you get when you mouse over.
It is now an hour later and I barely noticed.
Good pacing, good perspective, and damn good work overall. I'm not usually one for video essays but I'm gonna drop a subscribe for when I get in the mood to watch a good one.
I'm writing this comment as I sit by a slowly dying campfire, and I can't help but get teary-eyed listening to you articulate among other things how we just need to appreciate life in all of it's small comforts and that we are a way for the universe to know itself, even if all we do is look to the night sky in wonder.
Anyone doing a video on Outer Wilds is doing good work. I feel like there’s a stigma where nobody wants to talk about it due to spoilers which is sad, it truly is a once in a lifetime experience
I love deep reviews of games, or anything. Makes us realize that nothing we do, think, say and feel matters at the end of the day.
Outer Wilds as a scientific adventure fueled by curiosity is probably the best short description that prevents spoilers yet articulates the essence of its goal as well as the most appealing feature. This helps me share it with others; almost any spoiler is so crucial.
I really find it beautiful how, even though the Prisoner never actually makes it to the eye and neither of you see the new universe, he has hopes that carry through. This time, you're the one with answers to questions that he asks, even if he doesn't stick around to find out. The last you see of him is the projection staff essentially thinking, "Maybe, in another life, we could have been friends." The last image of the game altogether with the DLC is the reassurance that, yes, there will always be another campfire.
When I was eight or so I had a friend who's older brother met an astronaut, can't remember the name of the astronaut sadly since this was nearly 10 years ago. My friends bro asked questions, "how'd takeoff feel?" "You think theres aliens out there?" And "how'd going to the bathroom work?"
One of the questions was how'd being out there feel? The answer was pretty simple "It felt lonely, everything is so big and we're so small." That answer just kinda stuck with me.
I haven't watched this yet, but I instantly clicked based on the title. Outer Wilds came at a time in my life when I was about to go through something very hard, and I didn't know it yet, and the game taught me something about grief. Andrew Prahlow and the rest of the Outer Wilds team unwittingly helped change my life, and unwittingly were part of an orchestra of small events that brought me to religious faith, despite thousands of hours in church as a kid which could not. Truly a special game. I can't wait to watch this.
I played this game the last week my grandpa was alive and it truly did make me almost come to terms with it he was very old an he had COPD so he was suffering and he laid next me as i played this game and he was in wonder that this could be on the screen It was beautiful to see him look at the universe one more time i miss him ❤️
This video is easily one of the most jaw droppingly well made things on this platform, you have done such an amazing job. Thank you.
I've played The Outer Wild in a very difficult moment of my life, and therefore, this game is extremly personal andimportant to me. Your video put words on what I felt and I thank you for that ! Your essay is very well written, good job !
I've absolutely loved this game in the year or so since I first played it, and it's amazing seeing someone actually capture the feeling of the game in words. This is probably the best outer wilds video, and I have never wished I could subscribe twice more
When I got to the vessel and realized that the nomai were discussing the destruction of the universe, and how they were all falling back to one final starsystem broke me.
Thank you so much for talking about this game. So many people have different outlooks on it and I feel like it gives back something different and beautiful to whoever is willing to experience it.
phenomenal writing, great editing, beautiful video. keep up the amazing job, im definitely staying and waiting for more
"The universe is a beautiful place and I'm no longer afraid of dying"
One of the most amazing TH-cam videos I’ve ever seen about one of the most amazing games I’ve ever played. Amazing job
This was highly engaging, well written and recalled many emotions I had felt with the game. I greatly appreciated this, thank you!
This was a great video about one of the greatest games of all time, fantastic work. I hope you get the viewership and sub count that you deserve some day.
Wow. It's one of the best(if not the best) Outer Wilds essay i've ever seen. This game means a lot to me, like to many other people. And I think that's good. This little shiny gem burried under collosal AAA games like many other beautiful games. But this game is one of a kind. I'm very glad, that you made that video, thank you! It showed me a missing piece in Outer Wilds meaning. Thank you. I'm sorry for my English, but I'm still learning it, I hope that it can be readed and understanded. And again, thank you for this video. Keap up with great work!
This is the most beautiful video ever made. I think you should know that.
I was not a man of faith; of ANY faith. But your video gave me a little something to believe in. You and your ideology has become my faith. You gave me the greatest part of myself, something I was missing for years.
You gave me faith, even if it's only a little bit. And all we need is a little.
I apprecaite the naming convention of chapters after the OST
It truly does reduce our grandest ideals and accomplishments to nothing, to see it all end. It truly does give grandiose meaning to the smallest ideals and accomplishments, to see it all end.
beautiful video for a beautiful game. as a very spiritual person who loves space, seeing your video helping me understand outer wilds more, means a lot. :)
It is incredible how sensitive my brain has become to the end times sloooooowly fading in.
This might be one of my favorite TH-cam videos of all time good work.
Good essay!
side note: I finished Outer Wilds months ago and even video of floating past the Anglerfish still cause a massive spike of anxiety
amazing video, you put a lot of my thoughts about outer wilds into words! outer wilds is my favorite video game ever and i am so happy whenever a new video essay comes across my feed ^_^ thank you so much for making this video
i can already tell you are gonna go places
43:50 with the "Silent Wiggle of Scientific Joy" 🤣🤣
This was beautiful! What an amazing game, and I love how you gave it perspective on how to find meaning in the universe. Thanks for this video!
This is criminally high quality and profound content for such a small channel! Liked and subbed!
Beautiful video. You moved me to tears my friend. Thank you
you’ve got a very relaxing voice! thank you for adding to my outer wilds essay collection
Beautiful, nothing to say more.
I'm going to be honest, consistently seeing you burn and eat marshmallows over and over in the background footage was hilarious. Great video!
I just have to say that this was a beautiful video and a beautiful script. It gave me a greater, more expanded look at this game
If there's one thing this game taught me, the title of another analysis video summarizes it pretty well. The universe is a beautiful place, and I am no longer afraid to die.
It's not something to be sought out, but it's not something to be feared either. Life goes on, or it doesn't. It's all just part of how the universe works.
I hope I have a good 80-some years still ahead of me, but when my time comes, I will welcome death as an old friend.
I find it interesting how so many people thought (at least at one point) that the point of Outer Wilds was to stop the sun from exploding. I just took the supernova model in the museum at face value and assumed that that was what was happening, even past the point where I knew that the Nomai tried to blow up the sun.
My new favorite video essay on outerwilds