I finished playing
Outer Wilds (not Outer Worlds, that's a completely different game with an unfortunately similar name and release timing). It's a space-based exploration/adventure/mystery game.
No major spoilers ahead.
You play as a novice astronaut from the planet Timber Hearth, going on your first launch into space and the solar system, investigating an ancient but very technologically advanced species called the Nomai which at one point has mysteriously gone extinct. You will soon discover that space is very dangerous. You will also soon discover that you're stuck in a time loop, so you can toss yourself at any issue an unending amount of times knowing that each death will simply bring you to the start of the loop.
On these premises Outer Wilds builds what is probably the best exploration game I've ever played. Every new venture into an unknown planet is so goddamn thrilling. Every corner of the solar system is inaccessible because you simply lack the knowledge, but as you make new findings the secrets of the universe will slowly be revealed to you. The game poses very little mechanical challenge - it's all about learning what places exist, by reading about them on signs and scriptures left by the Nomai, and then figuring out how to access them by joining dots. This removes a lot of frustration from any individual death - if you know how to reach a place, it's usually trivial to reach it again. This is not to say that deaths are trivial though - the game does a
very good job with imagery and atmosphere that will make you feel some visceral fucking anxiety, to ensure that you value your life at least a slight bit.
Unfortunately I have to say the ending is a little disappointing though. I can't discuss specifics for the sake of keeping this review spoiler-free, but I will say it felt somewhat disconnected, and the resolution of the mystery just wasn't very satisfactory for me.
Overall a solid
8/10 - the exploration sections are nothing short of genius design, and the game really does a good job playing with various uneasy feelings related to the vastness of space and other similarly unsettling topics, but I think it falls short of delivering closure in a satisfying manner, which ends up somewhat cheapening the entire mystery imo. Still worth the price unless you actively dislike space travel or exploration games, and also don't buy this if you're uneasy around mildly anxiety-inducing atmospheres. I'm not even into astronomy and I liked it, so I figure most people will. You do need to put serious focus into this game though, don't get this for a casual relaxing experience.
As a final note, you're allowed to explore the solar system in any which order you like and the game works pretty well regardless of where you start and end, so don't stress yourself about those sorts of choices if you pick up this game.