wow. until this video, i didnt even know the probe itself was like... a tangible thing in the game that had a model. i thought it was just a ball of light, and that you definitely couldnt even *find* it by time you got into your ship, let alone go chasing after it.

Outer Wilds had a magical hold on me at all times. Even when speeding up time at the bonfire, I didn't use my phone or get all that distracted while waiting for the time I needed.

Outer Wilds feels like what life was supposed to be. Space travel is as easy as throwing together a wooden and glass box with dome thrusters. The universe is still nihilistic and interesting, but it's so approachable and inviting in contrast to real life. Going across the solar system takes like 60 seconds. Black holes and other rare phenomenon arent just something to speculate about, they're right there, ready to be explored! You don't need a team or funding or paperwork to answer questions or try stuff out, you just go for it. The Hearthians and the Nomai both seemed to achieve so much in small teams and short time. In OW, it's okay to spend a whole day on a bit of a wild goose chase or on a hunch! Yes, there's nuance and challenge that goes missing when things are made so approachable, but things can feel so bleak when the most you feel you'll ever achieve in life isn't building a whole spaceship, but instead filling out one of the hundreds of forms of paperwork that approved one particular draft of how one panel of a spaceship could have been used, but ended up rejected.

sable is amazing too

I loved bioshock infinite the art style is amazing

I admire you and envy you at the same time, I have 500 in just my Steam library and it is difficult for me to complete the games without leaving them halfway, because I cannot disconnect from life, anxiety dominates me.

How much of Sea of Stars did you actually end up playing. That game was overhyped to hell, and was not worth finishing at all.

I got through a majority of this game while I was trying to distract myself from an offline friend I was worried about. I believe it was brittle hollow where I then found this message: PLUME: The pain of your absence is sharp and haunting, and I would give anything not to know it; anything but never knowing you at all (which would be worse). I can only hope that you are safe, Keek, wherever you are. I had actually been in a call with someone when I read it, and I remember I completely stopped listening, I wasn’t even aware I was in a call anymore. The game reminded me of how I was feeling, when I had gone to it for a distraction, and I thank it for that.

I wish I could dislike more

Favorite moment is removing the emergency exit from the escape pod on Brittle Hollow and staring into the depth below. "Wait, is that a black hole?". And then of course later on removing the hatch at the sun station. Magnificent!

About finding friends: Follow your heart! Sounds dumb right? Hahaha! But it's true in the sense that you need to follow your passions and interests. You'll organically find friends in the places connected to what you love. In classes, clubs, workshops, online communities... you'll be surprised how quickly you end up with a whole friend circle just by engaging with others in your beloved fields.

I did exactly this.

what a rollercoaster of emotions, so much action and drama! Im at the edge of my seat!

I wish I learned to slow down on my playthrough of outer wilds.

Real good stuff! This is now my favorite moment of outer wilds as well. 👍

oh dang, hearing the instruments fo the Outer Wilds Ventures disappear one by one during the supernova hit me...

I remember my first time reaching the probe. I looked for an entance around the entire thing. I was messing with it and at some point I accidentally pointed my signalscops to the sun. I was so amazed, I spent the rest of the time just listing to the music.

*spoiler* My favorite moment was landing on the quantum moon. Finally getting the solution and putting it into practice just felt so, so good. After that, I couldn't put the game down until it was done.

a video about games played in february uploaded in may just for me to watch in june, how cool.

I can't stand a 1h30 movie but here I am watching Raz's 1h55 games of 2023 for the third time this week

The probe is also a reminder of the frustration the Nomai felt for being able to find the eye. All their work and they didn't find it

dude, this was a great little three minute video. i loved it. super cool to be inspired by something, to have a thought about it, to provide some insight on it, and then send it out without trying to over-extrapolate more CONTENT to provide. i think this felt like a real jolt of thought. thanks for sharing man!

Unbelievable bullshit video

Thanks for sharing that It felt so good to watch really

What a perfect video

y u make me cry razzy

this game is about our existence as much as it is about the nomai's story. the most impactful aspects of this game are the epiphanies you will have about your own world and your place in it

I just wanted to pop in and say "thank you" for making these videos. I find that my gaming interests heavily overlap with yours, so these videos are a great for discovering new things to add to my wishlist. I've had my eye on Penny since Sonic Mania, but the other two are fast adds for me, thanks!

I played this game a lot in the early 2000s. I still to this day haven’t fully beat the game. I’ve been on a Zelda video binge and it made me pull the ole dusty n64 out of storage and play this game again. Going to try and beat it after all these years

It really captures that early morning feeling as well when it transitions from night to dawn

You captured that feeling perfectly. I was 14 when this came out and I borrowed it from my friend after he got stuck on some part I can't remember. And I absolutely remember being in bed at night when I booted it up for the first time and that title screen hit me, and I could never put into words that feeling I got. You nailed it perfectly. Awesome video!

Outer Wilds truly has a fantastic story, with so many different threads that all weave together beautifully. And yet, I kinda ended up hating the game by the end. The sheer tedium of only having one way of actual plot being delivered to you- by Nomai writing on walls everywhere- Got old so quickly, and by hour 10 it had been the exact same gameplay loop for too long

The flame effect around the logo is not supposed to look like that. Check your emulator.

Thank you Raz for pointing me to Chants of Sennaar. Such a great game.

i love dredge ! couldnt get through it the first time for whatever reason, but on my second run i played peaceful because i couldnt handle the cosmic horror in my lil fishing game idk. the fear of getting hit was debilitating, even with just traversing the waters i would bump into rocks a LOT so i know i would probably be running into monsters on my last legs.

Great intro, but watch it all the way to the end and you're greeted with a sudden cutscene that spoils the Spirit Temple. Always wondered how could they do that for us..

I remember following the probe myself, it was one of my favorite moments as well, in a game packed with many reflective quiet moments. I loved every moment i spent with the other Outer Wilds crew roasting marshmallows, listening to their tunes and eventually piecing together that they're all playing one part of a larger theme and that even I had a role to play in their chorus as someone had to be there to observe it. I loved the little moments when a secret I stumbled on finally had payoff hours later as I found the piece of information I lacked to move forward.

Rain world mentioned

Pennys big breakaway looks amazing

OoT was a masterpiece for it's time. Now while the Wind Waker is truely a really good game, it can't compete with the atmosphere of this. Now imagine this exact atmosphere in a GameCube Zelda - like they teased us with as a tech demo long before release. BotW and TotK have so much more to offer, but I would stick to the same argument, that they can't compete with this atmosphere.

A pitch -perfect micro essay, it's always a treat to hear about how this title screen hits differently for people. For me, as soon as I hear the sound of Epona's hooves I'm instantly taken back in time as all the memories of the game and my childhood come flooding back. I also never clocked song uses the same melody from the original Zelda until now - thanks for shedding some light on this!

Damn, how long was your February? 😂

The best title screen ever.

Very nice reviews, as always!

i didnt even played this game in my childhood, but listening to the starting song gives me so much nostalgia anyway

I bought a crt TV so I can come back to this anytime and it like the radio in my room, and I truly recommend it

We love this series Raz ❤

Title screens like Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Banjo-Tooie, Ys VIII, Psychonauts and Kingdom Hearts signaled to me that I was about to play one of those life-changing games...

This and the opening to Oracle of Ages on GBC are both core childhood memories of mine.

BotW and TotKs title screens are such a downgrade