How do I get into the game?

[bur]

From the reviews it sounds like a great game. I like the atmopshere and the dialogs and really want to enjoy it. I just can't. Maybe I do something wrong or maybe the game isn't for me.

Here's how my attempts of playing usually go:

Wake up at the launch pad. Ok, done that a dozen times, but here goes the elevator ride again. Checking the computer where I should go. Lift off. Rotate a couple of times and try to locate any planet. Engage autopilot to go there. Land the ship. Talk to someone, accidentally walk into ghost matter. Die.

Wake up at the launch pad. Elevator. Again. Lift off. Try and locate the planet I just wanted to visit. Oh no, I didn't go high enough and crashed the ship so awkwardly, I can't get into the beam to enter it again. Jump off a cliff to restart.

Wake up at the launch pad. Elevator. Lift off. Ok, let's just see what's on this planet. Fly into a geysir. Get stuck under water. Leave ship to die and restart the loop.

Wake up at the launch pad, elevator, lift off. Back to the geysir, managed to land, actually finally being able to do some gaming and progress in a cave. Back to the ship, lift off, land on another planet, forget to wear the suit. Die.

Wake up at launch pad. Quit the game.

Is that just how it is, do you guys simply stick with it, do the launch pad every time and slowly but surely progress? Or are you very careful not to die? Do you go back to the same location every time you restart the loop?

Basically, I'm not sure if I do something wrong, if this is actually the game and it's just not my kind of game or if it gets better after a while when you know a bit more`?

[Quillithe]

You probably shouldn't be dying quite that often - it sounds like you're having a bit of trouble getting used to the controls.

A couple things

- You can mark planets from the map to help find them for autopilot

- It can help to put the suit on that it's actually in a direct line from where you start the game. You start facing the elevator, your ship, and the suit. Put it on then and don't take it off.

- It's usually best to use the ship to get to general parts of planets and go on foot from there, especially if you aren't great flying it. That can help avoid the problem where you got it stuck a few times.

[Bobywan]

I tried to go to one location for each loop at first, but for instance location like Ash Twin only uncover after a while so if you think you have explored a location but still have some time, you could go there.

Very small spoiler: there is a "skill" you can learn by talking to gabbro on Giant's Deep which unlock a way to quickly end the loop, instead of trying to kill yourself or exiting the game. Just talk to him and exhaust all option.

[LooniestNut14]

I just started this game 2 days ago so here are the best tips I have for another new player.
1.) Just get used to dying. The controls take some time getting used to and you will just die repeatedly in that ship. I've noticed that I can hold space bar which brings the ship to the planets velocity and makes it easier for you to enter a planets gravitational force and ultimately land.
2.) Gravity. Gravity. Gravity. While flying you have to pay attention to how close to other planets you are and when on planets you can experience different gravity levels which change how you can move and explore
3.) Put that suit on ASAP. I have abruptly been under bodies of water and in space without my ship. That suit will be your savior
4.) Check out your ship log. it will make notes of leads and information that you have found while exploring. sometimes it hints at planets that have more information/indicates you should be doing something.
5.) Autopilot blows. it doesnt factor in potential collisions and will absolutely just send you flying into the face of the sun or other planets
6.) Embrace the time loop. It can feel annoying and like you arent going anywhere but its looping for a reason. Some planets have mechanics that appear like you need to use multiple loops in order to fully uncover the information
7.) Good luck out there in the wilds

[Quillithe]

Originally posted by LooniestNut14:

5.) Autopilot blows. it doesnt factor in potential collisions and will absolutely just send you flying into the face of the sun or other planets

Autopilot is usually fine IMO, just...make sure the sun isn't in the way.

In particular when you first launch, you can safely autopilot anywhere with the planet start locations. After that it can be tricker.

[Red Sabre]

Outer wilds is great but like many have told you already you need to get used to die. I know it is counter-intuitive but if you want to advance you'll need to take risky steps sooner or later. This game shares the same problem Zelda MM had but much worse, so if you already had a problem with time loops this game won't do it for you.

[Sylxeria]

Originally posted by Red Sabre:

Outer wilds is great but like many have told you already you need to get used to die. I know it is counter-intuitive but if you want to advance you'll need to take risky steps sooner or later. This game shares the same problem Zelda MM had but much worse, so if you already had a problem with time loops this game won't do it for you.

Yep, this! I knew exactly TWO THINGS about this game going into it:
1. There was some spooky angler fish monster
2. "Looming Calamity and Timeloop, kinda like LoZ:MM!"

So I guess I rolled into it fairly easily as I already had an idea of how this would flow... I just didn't know how or when (haha at the first time I died randomly in my ship from said calamity, it was another hour or so before I realized what happened since I was so engrossed in my explorations)

[sillybrian]

Originally posted by bur:

From the reviews it sounds like a great game. I like the atmopshere and the dialogs and really want to enjoy it. I just can't. Maybe I do something wrong or maybe the game isn't for me.

Here's how my attempts of playing usually go:

Wake up at the launch pad. Ok, done that a dozen times, but here goes the elevator ride again. Checking the computer where I should go. Lift off. Rotate a couple of times and try to locate any planet. Engage autopilot to go there. Land the ship. Talk to someone, accidentally walk into ghost matter. Die.

Wake up at the launch pad. Elevator. Again. Lift off. Try and locate the planet I just wanted to visit. Oh no, I didn't go high enough and crashed the ship so awkwardly, I can't get into the beam to enter it again. Jump off a cliff to restart.

Wake up at the launch pad. Elevator. Lift off. Ok, let's just see what's on this planet. Fly into a geysir. Get stuck under water. Leave ship to die and restart the loop.

Wake up at the launch pad, elevator, lift off. Back to the geysir, managed to land, actually finally being able to do some gaming and progress in a cave. Back to the ship, lift off, land on another planet, forget to wear the suit. Die.

Wake up at launch pad. Quit the game.

Is that just how it is, do you guys simply stick with it, do the launch pad every time and slowly but surely progress? Or are you very careful not to die? Do you go back to the same location every time you restart the loop?

Basically, I'm not sure if I do something wrong, if this is actually the game and it's just not my kind of game or if it gets better after a while when you know a bit more`?

Honestly, this isn't that much difference from my experience. I see how many rave reviews this game gets... best story ever told! things like that.
I am finding this game to be a complete snooze fest. So incessantly boring. Nothing about it has grabbed my interest. Is there a good story in there somewhere? Must be.... but my gosh, how many hours of boredom do I need to sink in order to see it?
I'm not bothered by the death cycle... I'm loving the crap out of Hades right now! And I like slower games too... I'm playing through a number of them.

This one though... I just don't see anything, anywhere in it that holds my interest. I have stopped playing it at this point, and I never feel the urge to pick it up. Probably just dead in the water for me.

[Quillithe]

Originally posted by sillybrian:

Originally posted by bur:

From the reviews it sounds like a great game. I like the atmopshere and the dialogs and really want to enjoy it. I just can't. Maybe I do something wrong or maybe the game isn't for me.

Here's how my attempts of playing usually go:

Wake up at the launch pad. Ok, done that a dozen times, but here goes the elevator ride again. Checking the computer where I should go. Lift off. Rotate a couple of times and try to locate any planet. Engage autopilot to go there. Land the ship. Talk to someone, accidentally walk into ghost matter. Die.

Wake up at the launch pad. Elevator. Again. Lift off. Try and locate the planet I just wanted to visit. Oh no, I didn't go high enough and crashed the ship so awkwardly, I can't get into the beam to enter it again. Jump off a cliff to restart.

Wake up at the launch pad. Elevator. Lift off. Ok, let's just see what's on this planet. Fly into a geysir. Get stuck under water. Leave ship to die and restart the loop.

Wake up at the launch pad, elevator, lift off. Back to the geysir, managed to land, actually finally being able to do some gaming and progress in a cave. Back to the ship, lift off, land on another planet, forget to wear the suit. Die.

Wake up at launch pad. Quit the game.

Is that just how it is, do you guys simply stick with it, do the launch pad every time and slowly but surely progress? Or are you very careful not to die? Do you go back to the same location every time you restart the loop?

Basically, I'm not sure if I do something wrong, if this is actually the game and it's just not my kind of game or if it gets better after a while when you know a bit more`?

Honestly, this isn't that much difference from my experience. I see how many rave reviews this game gets... best story ever told! things like that.
I am finding this game to be a complete snooze fest. So incessantly boring. Nothing about it has grabbed my interest. Is there a good story in there somewhere? Must be.... but my gosh, how many hours of boredom do I need to sink in order to see it?
I'm not bothered by the death cycle... I'm loving the crap out of Hades right now! And I like slower games too... I'm playing through a number of them.

This one though... I just don't see anything, anywhere in it that holds my interest. I have stopped playing it at this point, and I never feel the urge to pick it up. Probably just dead in the water for me.

It's more of an immersive exploration game than a narrative one - there is a narrative but it's more something you discover/experience than one the game tells you for the most part. It's kinda like Dark Souls in this.

[sillybrian]

Originally posted by Quillithe:

Originally posted by sillybrian:

Honestly, this isn't that much difference from my experience. I see how many rave reviews this game gets... best story ever told! things like that.
I am finding this game to be a complete snooze fest. So incessantly boring. Nothing about it has grabbed my interest. Is there a good story in there somewhere? Must be.... but my gosh, how many hours of boredom do I need to sink in order to see it?
I'm not bothered by the death cycle... I'm loving the crap out of Hades right now! And I like slower games too... I'm playing through a number of them.

This one though... I just don't see anything, anywhere in it that holds my interest. I have stopped playing it at this point, and I never feel the urge to pick it up. Probably just dead in the water for me.

It's more of an immersive exploration game than a narrative one - there is a narrative but it's more something you discover/experience than one the game tells you for the most part. It's kinda like Dark Souls in this.

Yeah I mean I am so glad people loved it. And even if I don't choose to keep playing it, I won't refund because I like to support Indie games.
That said... I can see what you mean about it being an immersive exploration game, but I just never found anything interesting while doing so. For me.
I feel like a game needs to hook you... just like a good book, or a good blog, or an article, or even a movie to some degree... you have to build interest. You have to hook the reader/player and make them want to learn more.
This game gives you basically nothing. It promises story-telling glory, but you have to kind of just go on faith. I don't really like that, because I have no idea how much of my life I'm going to have to sink in order to find a nugget of this story, and even then I have no idea if I will actually like it.
It doesn't help that I don't like the character designs... I find them a bit awkward and strange, and not in a good way. But that is very personal, I'm sure people love them.
The physics are fun but that lasted about... 5 to 10 mins. Then I found myself kind of just sitting back, one hand on the controller and daydreaming about other games while doing random circles in orbit around a rock.
I even found some type of gravity well thing, in some kind of alien ruin? It had my walk down to the end and... die, I guess? I dunno. But even that was just not interesting. It didn't say anything, it was just there and without context.

I'm glad for people that loved this game, but my main point here was just to try and support the OP who seems to want to love this game (like I did) and is struggling a bit with that.

[Quillithe]

Originally posted by sillybrian:

Originally posted by Quillithe:

It's more of an immersive exploration game than a narrative one - there is a narrative but it's more something you discover/experience than one the game tells you for the most part. It's kinda like Dark Souls in this.

Yeah I mean I am so glad people loved it. And even if I don't choose to keep playing it, I won't refund because I like to support Indie games.
That said... I can see what you mean about it being an immersive exploration game, but I just never found anything interesting while doing so. For me.
I feel like a game needs to hook you... just like a good book, or a good blog, or an article, or even a movie to some degree... you have to build interest. You have to hook the reader/player and make them want to learn more.
This game gives you basically nothing. It promises story-telling glory, but you have to kind of just go on faith. I don't really like that, because I have no idea how much of my life I'm going to have to sink in order to find a nugget of this story, and even then I have no idea if I will actually like it.
It doesn't help that I don't like the character designs... I find them a bit awkward and strange, and not in a good way. But that is very personal, I'm sure people love them.
The physics are fun but that lasted about... 5 to 10 mins. Then I found myself kind of just sitting back, one hand on the controller and daydreaming about other games while doing random circles in orbit around a rock.
I even found some type of gravity well thing, in some kind of alien ruin? It had my walk down to the end and... die, I guess? I dunno. But even that was just not interesting. It didn't say anything, it was just there and without context.

I'm glad for people that loved this game, but my main point here was just to try and support the OP who seems to want to love this game (like I did) and is struggling a bit with that.

The big hook is mainly just supposed to be figuring out why the sun is exploding and killing you and why you're in a time loop - and what this has to do with all the ancient alien ruins.

I felt like that was a pretty good start for me, especially since I'm big into exploring anyway, and there's a lot of stuff you can find out at any location.

I think the biggest difficulty it probably throws at people is the minimalism - a lot of modern games are maximalist and will throw a mess of systems and mechanics at you. Outer Wilds has exactly one thing it's doing. No combat. No crafting. No levels. Not even really 'puzzles' so much. Not a lot of dialogue or exposition.

[Chibi@rts]

If you like the general Idea of a Universe free to explore with some interesting mysteries this game should click for you.
Otherwise it depends... Its nice that the tutorial is easy skipable, tho i think its very important to learn all the stuff to survive later in space. (It really covers everything you have to know about 0-gravity, Ghostmatter, listening to good music, ect.)
The next smart step is that in the observatory you getting asked what YOU want to do. And that is the big thing, there is no one telling you to do something.

After i opened my Map and saw that there is one astral body that doesent move like the others i was: "This is is special! I wanna go there!" From there one than i found the other Hearthians and all the History of an Alien Race from long Time ago. And it just went on. Dying to different things is normal, usually you will learn from you death, so patience is the key.

After some deaths i was just lying there, looking at the Stars, at Giants deep... Thinking about what i found, thinking about this Universe and sometimes even about our Universe... Well. And sometimes i eat an Marshmallow and moved on. Or told Slay that the Ship is a death trap. (The Autopilot tho is genius, brings you STRAIGHT to your destination, no unnecassary detours! ;))

So yeah after all i think this Game is about explaration, about the Charackters and about our unique experience. Its not about rushing the Game to the end.
It is about finding out where this journey is actually going and how you will find your way in it.

Your Planet and your Moon are the more safe places in the Universe. Brittle Hollow and Giants Deep are the next less lethal ones. But it really depends on the player. I loved Brittle and Hourglass Twins while Giants Deep just awakens some fears in me. Maybe sticking to these Planets first will help you tho.
If all this doesent help maybe its not the time. Maybe in the future the game clicks with you, life is always changing and so are the Games we enjoy to play.

P.S "Forget to wear the suit" A classic one. Happened to all of us. Sometimes the impatience wins, the best thing is laugh about the silly mistake an move on. (And to always put the suit before flying on)