This Game Gave Me an Existential Crisis

[@Evanz111]

Literally every time I see a video about this game, I click on it. No matter who it’s from, no matter the size of their channel - I click on it. That alone says enough about the effect this game has on people. Thanks for sharing your story

[@nellkellino-miller7673]

Well it takes a certain kind of brain to appreciate why this game is so special. I know that sounds like a rick and Morty is for smart people comment, but I mean it. Few games respect the player's intelligence and time as much as this game.

[@Squagem]

Outer Wilds is one of if not THE best indie game ever made. Such a wonderful experience from start to finish - I wish I could do it again.

[@EarsoftheWolf]

This and Return of the Obra Dinn are the two games I would love to wipe from my memory completely. Hoping I get dementia later in life so I can play them again.

[@maxderrat]

You could certainly make that argument, and I might be inclined to agree. I'd say it might have the best story in an indie game ever made. Trying to think of others... Omori, To the Moon, Inside, What Remains of Edith Finch...

[@EarsoftheWolf]

@maxderrat INSIDE is absolutely haunting. I'd love to play that for the first time again.

[@ps2progamer814]

One of the best games period

[@PopcornMax179]

​@@maxderratundertale?

[@ScottBarthelemy]

When you get to the sun station very late in the game, you don't face the struggle of finding purpose as the mystery remains. The game turns into something else like grieving and acceptance. Quoting someone else "This was never about saving the universe. It's about letting it go." This game is really about the path and not the arrival. We all make our own path to this truth. Thx for sharing your path and struggles.

[@Cernunn0s90]

Probably the greatest game I¨ve played, and the best example of the medium doing something no other medium can. A revolutionary title with so much heart poured into it.

[@Lesandira]

Watching the ending of The Outer Wilds gives me goosebumps every time. Great to hear your thoughts on it.

[@Juxss]

i cry every time. 3 notes and i'm done

[@Kurtonator]

This has to be one of my favourite videos you've done. Truly hit on another level, good work!

[@maxderrat]

Wow! Thank you! The feedback I am getting from people watching this video is blowing me away. I honestly thought that this was one of my lesser works... although that might have to do with the fact that putting this particular video together was pretty stressful. Thanks for the reassuring words and your kindness, Kurtonator! :D

[@BinaryDood]

The Quantum Moon was almost as intriguing a mystery as the Eye of the Universe itself. The feeling of wonder and discovery this game lighted in me is second to none.

[@cokepickle]

I was always intimidated playing it, i have that fear of open spaces like deep water and space exploration even if made fun just kinda strikes me the same. But I watched to the end, and was brought to tears. Thank you Max

[@maxderrat]

Thank you, coke. I wasn't sure how people would respond to this video. Your comment was encouraging.

[@creed22solar123]

@@maxderrat dude your videos are always well-produced and profound, keep up the great work.

[@Remembering1453]

​@@maxderrathave you read on thomism or aristotelianism? It would be very interesting for you to read and you may like it, given how well read you are on existentialism and the horrors of the XX century. Edward Feser is a very good introduction to it

[@Remembering1453]

​@@maxderratkeep up the good work and may God bless you my friend. ❤❤❤

[@maxderrat]

@@Remembering1453 I've read a little bit into Thomism, mostly when I am doing general research of Christian symbolism and ideas and he randomly comes up. It is interesting seeing how much he influenced the Western mind regarding the understanding of Christianity. Same with Aristotle, but not regarding Christianity and to a lesser extent (which I know is weird, given that he's Aristotle). God bless you too, dude!

[@Exciya]

Max, I've yet to watch the video but your title had me jump up and think "He had the exact same experience as I did". The more I learned in this game, the more it went from a fun adventure to learning a truth that in all honesty, frightened me to my core. Edit: The video didn't disappoint. You truly had the same experience mentally as I did. It helped me to come to terms with one of my biggest fears.

[@Gavski1809]

Please play the DLC if you haven't already; it'll complement your interpretation of the game. I don't want to go into spoiler territory; I'll just say that the DLC explores the eye and its signal more. If you do play it, I hope you make a follow up video :) Awesome video, as always. I always look forward to your insights, even on games or topics that I haven't played or wasn't interested in; you often make me interested in such stuff.

[@sgbench]

The video includes footage from Echoes of the Eye, so I think he's played it :)

[@user-dp1bf3eg8j]

How does the dlc integrate in the game? I finished my first playthrough so if I start a new one, would the dlc fit into the game seamless or would it be its separate story?

[@lais6303]

@@user-dp1bf3eg8jThe best I can say without spoiling main elements is that is adds to the story without taking away. The main game seems perfect yet the dlc fits into the gaps to make it even better, without compromising the main game and fitting in a place that makes sense. Such as how where the dlc takes place isn't like it spawned new content on all the planets that for no reason wasn't there before, but appears in a way that makes complete sense as if it was there to begin with, but obviously unless your buy the dlc it isn't actually there. Highly reccomend buying it and playing through it, although it is slightly shorter then the main game, it is an amazing addition.

[@msampson2286]

i was iffy on buying it but i honestly should’ve figured if a game was gonna go big on story implications in a dlc it was going to be outer wilds bc god damn it’s like a whole sequel inside the main game

[@KJellyBeanut]

I'm in constant chronic pain, which I fear is only going to get worse. Yet here I still am, living, existing. I've often thought about the meaninglessness of life prior to my condition but always came back to the idea that I should live, doing the things I love and helping people, animals and all life essentially, where I can. I do believe life is precious and we as the, perhaps unwilling, custodians of life on the planet should do what we can to preserve it. I see consciousness as something that should be celebrated. It's been difficult to come to terms with the fact I will be in pain for the rest of my life and limited in what I can do. The direction I thought my life was headed in, now impossible. Your channel Max has given me hope that I can do something similar and share my thoughts and experiences with anyone who cares to listen, to share my art and hopefully I'll find purpose once again in this and maybe even provide something meaningful to someone one day.

[@vaporstacktools9515]

your existence, and consciousness, is valued

[@notsocrates5979]

I love Outer Wilds so much. I think it was one of the first times I saw a game and simply felt it in my bones that I was looking at art.

[@rvre]

Glad you did a video on this game. Was very touching to me Definitely one of the top indie game experiences out there

[@KeytarArgonian]

This is the only game I ever played that made me cry, not a single tear but absolute floods. I don’t know why, but as my wife and daughters slept I sat on the sofa balling my eyes out at 1:30am. Something about that moment, creating a new universe. Being so immersed and frankly terrified of what was going to happen at the end. Like a pure joy of sacrifice to create so much. It just completely broke me.

[@adriencoudray2585]

I am glad you played that game, and I'm glad you found some meaning in it. I think Outer Wilds is one of the most important artistic creation of its decade.

[@MohanSupportsYou]

Thank you for covering Outer Wilds. Even a game this amazing rarely gets worthy enough coverage, like it is now.

[@SereKabii]

I can even add a tiny bit to what you mentioned about looking to the Eye as a "God" and in the end finding the value in your consciousness by saying that... By embracing your consciousness and curiosity you *became* a god, and shaped the next universe from your memories. All these aspects of you, the eventual acceptance of your fate, your willingness to step forward no matter the odds, the Eye could easily be seen as the universe itself giving you the right to play the next section of the neverending song of the Ancient Glade.

[@tntradernox3654]

Max’s videos are like a wonderful treat that I crave more of once I’m finished

[@aku896]

you sounded so happy in the end 😄 the only way you can see is to live

[@thetalantonx]

21:45 - Yet again I am in tears from one of your videos, but feel cleansed and another set of wounds washed and mended. Thank you.

[@alfredolopez9642]

This was truly inspiring 😢 Thanks a lot, Max! I really needed that.

[@Fenrisson]

Thanks a lot for kicking out on my existential dread. That's what I really love about this channel!

[@TheC3lso]

I had megalophobia for 4, 5 years, and i couldn't look at sky (the sea too, but the sky was the worst) without feeling some sort of agony, and this game helped me!!! i don't know how, but looks like the game made me feel space as my home or something like that. Today i'm way better, i can look at the sky (and the sea) without feeling anything bad! (I had to put this out of my chest, this game is important to me.)

[@vargladful]

Thank you. I only recently came to the same conclusion. Having spent all my life being afraid of living and wondering how to do it. I realized that there really is no other way then to just.. do it. Siting around philosophizing and thinking about life won't lead me to actually living it. I love your words " I owe it to myself to see how far I can go" This video came at the prefect time for me, reaffirming my new fond resolve to live. Thank you :)

[@twhittygames]

This became my favorite game if all time when I played it last year, something I never expected to happen this late in my gaming career. Thank you for this video. Your flavor of analysis on this game is something I have been eagerly anticipating.

[@cres_music]

One of the biggest misunderstandings in our society is that we think we are somehow separate from the rest of the universe. And the existential dread we experience seems to come from a (learned) feeling of being flung here on probation without our prior consent. However, the hidden secret is that we are the energy of the entire universe concentrated in a single point that we call here and now. Coming to this realization is what I imagine reaching the eye of the universe is all about... the universe coming back to itself so that it can complicate and forget itself again later.... (to then remember itself again and continue going on in the most extraordinary game of hide and seek).

[@jonathanc3555]

God I love every time a new outer wilds analysis comes out! Am still in the middle of the video and this is a mostly irrelevant point, but when you’re describing the quantum physics, no scientists have theorized or believed that consciousness changes the state of the electron (or any other similar outcome), that’s actually a common misunderstanding (heavily capitalized on by people trying to sell you something lol). While it’s true that the state before measurement exists in all possibilities at once, what causes it to behave as a particle upon measurement isn’t the conscious part of the observation, but the observation part itself. At the quantum level, things are so small that, to measure/observe them, you’re basically hitting them with another particle. Observation is an active thing. Imagine when you look at something, what you’re seeing is photons that have physically bounced off of that object. It’s a physical interaction, and that forces the state to collapse into one possibility. But yeah the game favors the scientific misinterpretation in the name of amazing storytelling and I’m all for it! Just wanted to share some context for the physics of it!

[@ReverendTed]

The message I took from Outer Wilds (not "The" Outer Wilds, as the devs are quick to point out) was that all things ultimately end, and our struggles may seem fruitless, but there is lasting value in the pursuit. Outer Wilds echoes this message on a few different levels: On the personal level, death is inevitable and each of your "lives" accomplishes very little. Many of them produce more questions than answers. However, they build upon each other, each one bringing you just a little bit closer to your goal. On the societal level, the Nomai died believing their project had failed, their entire society wiped out before accomplishing their goal. Everything they'd been striving toward was for naught. However, their work ultimately made it possible for someone who came later, for you, to complete their search. Without the work they had done, the universe would have simply gone cold. On the cosmic level, the universe eventually and inevitably goes cold and dies out, but we are able to take a little bit of the previous universe through to influence a new one to follow. Ultimately, these messages are a comfort in the face of our inevitable fate. We die, but the work we do echoes into eternity. The choices we make, the actions we take, the connections we form, influence everything that comes after us in ways both small and grand. It it worthwhile to strive, regardless of whether or not we expect to see some ultimate success within our lifetimes. A couple of notes on the video: - You ask why "God" would care about our tiny little slice of the immense universe. Questions regarding the existence or non-existence of God notwithstanding, for the Christian interpretation of God, this is part of the wonder: that the same omnipotent God who created everything that exists, who orchestrates the movement of the planets and galaxies as well as every microscopic subatomic particle in all of creation, simultaneously cares deeply about the intimate nature of your life and soul specifically. We often apply human limitations to our interpretation of God, including the idea that our attention must be divided as more things are added to our list of concerns. - I believe your interpretation of the Nomai's difficulty locating the Eye is somewhat incorrect. The Eye is a _source_ of quantum uncertainty, but itself appears to have a static location in orbit around the Hearthian sun (which is why the Probe was able to determine a specific set of coordinates).

[@radiofloyd2359]

The eye does not have a statistic location. However, upon recording the coordinates of it, it is being observed to be there. Likewise when the probe shoots places it's not

[@flibbityfloid4344]

No game has made my jaw drop while my brain couldn't comprehend to pick it up during specific points or endings. Like, being mind blown is an understatement and I firmly believe it's the unique medium video games give us - Experience. We don't watch it, read it or hear about it. We are "there." We get to experience whatever is happening as close to being there can be. All it takes is immersion.

[@LETIshNick]

Great video as always! Just a minor comment: our Solar System’s size is merely 0.013 light years. Maybe you’re confusing it with the distance to the nearest star (Proxima Centauri) which is 4 ly.

[@PolarBenjamin]

It’s about 4 light hours across. Perhaps that’s what he was going for.

[@BasilOmori234]

You know, I see a lot of people saying in the comments the solar system can't possibly be 4 lys in diameter, but I think it depends on how you define the solar system. If you define it by, the distance that objects are still affected by the sun's gravity and therefore rotate around it, rather than how far out Pluto is, then it very likely is 4 lys in diameter. If you go to the Wikipedia page for our solar system, you will see that the hill sphere radius, how far out objects are still dominated by the gravitational pull of our sun, is 1 - 3 lys. So, if you double the middle estimate of this radius by 2 to get the diameter, you get a diameter of 4 lys. Also, keep in mind the Oort cloud which is a vast cloud of icy planetesimals surrounding the Sun as far out as 1.58 lys to 3.16 light years. Double this distance and you easily can arrive at the 4 ly estimate given in the video for the diameter of our solar system.

[@TTVTarzn]

I knew that sooner than later you were gonna make a video about this game. Unbelievable storytelling and extremely good on my book. I think this game drives home feelings and thoughts harder and deeper than any other game in the past 13 years. Thank you for covering it

[@davidbrami2437]

It's amazing to see the videogame medium still can offer such deep experiences. unfortunately i didn't have the time to get too deep in it for lack of time (I did the intro and explored a couple of planets). Kudos for providing another in depth analysis, Max ! I would never have suspected this to be that intense an intense a game !! And your references, notes and style makes it yet again a unique way of getting to the bottom of how great this is.

[@IdoN0TneedTherapy]

To me the biggest surprise of Outer Wilds was - it left me with a sense of "it is going to be ok". I am now patiently waiting to forget enough of the game that I can play it again.

[@zianawind2970]

Max your work is really worth of praise 🎉 Thank you for taking the time and effort to create deeply contemplative videos with meaningful encouragement in them❤

[@hurmzz]

Wow. As always the video is very well done. But this is also something else, something very special you have created here. The message at the end, thank you!

[@briandawolfman]

Man that was deep, and really got to the core of the struggle that has been going on in my head lately. Thank you so much for the video!

[@divad7137]

Incredible man, your channel has really helped grow as a person since I discovered your videos and I thank you sincerely for content like this

[@allourvice]

This was such a good video. I had started the game, but not yet finished it, but now I hope to. Thank you once again, Max. 👏

[@ricardoja1000]

I've been struggling a lot with the same existential questions, and the end message of this video helped me placate some of them. I consider myself a curious person, so it makes sense to me, to keep living just to see where I can take my consciousness to and where it will take me in response. Thanks a lot for your video!

[@lucas_fferrari]

Those final words of the video really resonated with me. Going through a existencial crisis myself, i found confort and food for thought in your work. Thank you so much ❤

[@papayafish8519]

Great video Max. This game came out while I was still in college studying astronomy and physics. As I kept learning more about the universe as a whole many of these existential questions kept pushing themselves to the forefront of my mind and I couldn't come up with any answers to them that I found satisfactory. Then the Outer Wilds came out and I avoided playing the game initially because I was not sure if whatever answers the game gave me would make my feelings better or worse by the end. But the ending ended up being one of the few times a video game was able to make me cry and definitely has given me a more positive outlook in the field I love. And I absolutely love how many people have been touched by this game and enjoy hearing about their experiences as well. That always brightens my day so thanks for sharing!

[@SirSblop]

I can't keep bookmarking these videos 😂 There's so much good stuff in them I don't want to stop watching. Alas your words have put this game on my radar

[@AdaraFukuchi]

i had this game on my wishlist for awhile. it looked like a pain to play (in a good way, but i would never have the pacience and time) im really glad i saw this video. thank you ^^

[@Oliverph0enix]

Max is back with a banger

[@arcaneworkshop4323]

This was a joy to watch! One of your finest. Thank you for this, Max!

[@DavidMGiles]

Thank you. As someone who went through the same thing while playing this game, it feels comforting to see people share this emotional reaction.

[@MyNameIsThe_Sun]

Great video! Just to clarify, an observer in quantum mechanics doesn't need to be "conscious". Observe can be replaced with the word interact to drive the point home. The collapse of wave function does not depend on a conscious observer, it collapses when the object interacts with its environment.

[@jaelin9107]

Yeah, "observe" is a bit of a misleading term irl but in outer wilds, it's pretty clearly a conscious observer that makes the difference considering you can throw your little scout into the eye and it not only doesn't collapse the possibilities, the scout persists into the next universe.

[@BasilOmori234]

You know, I see a lot of people saying in the comments the solar system can't possibly be 4 lys in diameter, but I think it depends on how you define the solar system. If you define it by, the distance that objects are still affected by the sun's gravity and therefore rotate around it, rather than how far out Pluto is, then it very likely is 4 lys in diameter. If you go to the Wikipedia page for our solar system, you will see that the hill sphere radius, how far out objects are still dominated by the gravitational pull of our sun, is 1 - 3 lys. So, if you double the middle estimate of this radius by 2 to get the diameter, you get a diameter of 4 lys. Also, keep in mind the Oort cloud which is a vast cloud of icy planetesimals surrounding the Sun as far out as 1.58 lys to 3.16 light years. Double this distance and you easily can arrive at the 4 ly estimate given in the video for the diameter of our solar system.

[@MetalGamely]

Finally! Outer Wilds literally changed my life, great to hear your take on it.

[@yvancluet8146]

Great video ! Just a quick interjection on real world quantum physics : No scientist believes that consciousness has anything to do with quantum physics. The phrase 'the electron's position is determined when observed" is misleading - it seems to suggest that the simple fact of observing from a conscious observer has an impact, which would mean that consciousness is somehow linked to it, but no. At the quantum level, you can't "observe" something without physically interacting with it. In order to observe something, that thing must emit light (or another physical signal that we can detect but ket's go for light for the example). And for it to emit light, a photon must bounce off of it, into our retinas (or rather, measuring instrument). At such a small scale, having a photon bounce off a particle is a physical interaction. Therefore observing a particle means physically interacting with it. Consciousness has nothing to do with it :)

[@Cornier_]

After beating Outer wilds I've always tried to think about the specific ways the game changed me but it took me till this video to realise that it's changed everything it changed my view on every little detail.

[@tommyb9711]

Great video about the best game ever made! I like to think about the philosophy you describe in the end as a sort of optimistic nihilism. Nothing has intrinsic value, nothing really matters, and... that's okay. Because we can *make it matter*. To us, at least. Which in turn brings us in a full loop back to more zen-like philosophies about appreciating the little things in life, and as the expression goes, "to bring life to your life".

[@hubguy]

YESSSSS AN OUTER WILDS VIDEO FROM YOU! I love this game more than I could ever say and it hurts that I can’t experience this (and other games with such impact) with fresh eyes again

[@XGhostGamerX8]

The Outer Wilds is one of the greatest games ever made

[@tydendurler9574]

No, it's not.

[@n30gn0sis9]

Hey....like i legit broke and cried a little at the final revelation. Thank you for that....and what a gods damned beautiful game.

[@n30gn0sis9]

After some time I came back to this. And yeah it stands the same. Thank you sir for choosing to keep at this.

[@najunix]

Someone else talking at length about a game I can never play again. 😭 Every "new" experience I hear about brings me to tears again. Thank you, friend, for your thoughts.

[@d33dr0]

"Choose life and then live." It reminds me so hard of the Metal Gear Solid ending from Dr Naomi. I think that's her name.

[@arlom5132]

It's such a beautiful game. I wished you had touched on how all the learning and trial and error (often resulting in death) were necessary for your ascendance. (You did a little, I guess). Anyway, I loved the video, and hope you do an addendum video about The Echos of the Eye.

[@tronlady1]

Ascension to what exactly? Death? People make such a big fucking deal about life and their opinions and ambitions (myself included!) but absolutely NONE of it matters except legacy (I don’t have one except for my YT channel)…..and even that fades away eventually. Majora‘s mask was the first game that introduced me to existentialism….also I am a musician so the music element touches me very deeply. Sadly lacking now in the Zelda franchise 😢. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the makers of outer wilds weren’t inspired by that game ❤

[@dan_san_vids]

Beautifully said. This game helped me find so much peace in the vast meaningless of space, too. So happy it could resonsate with you too!

[@fou-luthedragonemperor8648]

This one made me cry. Thanks for the hard work.

[@joojoonior]

What a pleasure it is to see one of my favorite youtube channels talk about my favorite game! I can only hope for the best in this script as you're one of the few that i know who is able to put in words the beauty of this spectacular piece of art! Love to see it Max. Cheers from 🇧🇷

[@jinxhabermas2377]

I was watching this video alone at night and it made me feel like existential philosophy and the search for the profound (like max says) is somewhat part of my core, a part of my being. Loved the video Max !! amazing work and beautiful narration.

[@Myszon4]

I finished this game very recently myself and since I experienced pretty much everything the game had to offer i keep watching a lot of commentary, interviews and history about it, so this video is a very pleasant suprise :) I can fully relate to the feelings you had while you played since i too often torture myself with these questions. An absolutely mind blowing experience this game is, from a narrative as well as game design perspective, and it instantly jumped to one of my - if not even the - favorite games of all time. Thank you for the video

[@RedeemerNDestroyer]

Actually a bit surprised this is the first time you are making a video on Outer Wilds, one of the deepest bitterest and sweetest gaming experiences out there, too bad you cannot play it for the first time ever again

[@JK-dv3qe]

TRUE TRUE TRUE. still good on the second run though

[@RedeemerNDestroyer]

@@JK-dv3qe been about 7-8 months since i played it for the first time together with the expansion and now i am waiting to forget at least a bit about it, at least how it feels to play it, so i can revisit it again and pretend i cant beat it in 20 mins 😃

[@KevinBrooks_c]

It never gets old seeing/hearing people talking about what they learned from Outer Wilds, and the final explosion scene is just so impactful that I almost wanna cry everytime when it somehow pop up in my head. My realization hits when at the last campfire when Solanum says "This song is new to me, but I am honored to be a part of it." I had been trapped by regrets in life and couldn't forget or move on, and it troubles me so much that I really didn't have confidence at al. After the 25hr of trying to leave no regrets, saving the universe, it eventually dies. But it's Solanum's line that tells me not just that what we gain from the experience is important, sometimes things will just walk away no matter how hard we try to grab on it, but it's also ok to let go of the old, cause new things will come, and they'll all be beautiful. Definitely going to remember this gave even I myself expire. Such an masterpiece.

[@DanSheffo]

Always a joy to be immersed back to that very specific Outer Wilds feeling after having played it - thank you.

[@QuantuMyre]

Literally passed on this video when you put it out simply because I had not finished the DLC and I wanted no spoilers. Well today I finally finished it, so now I get to watch!

[@wolfgangromine8341]

I love your interpretation, it’s very hopeful. When I first played it I had a bit of existential dread that eventually settled into your view, seeing it positively.

[@nickcurrant2254]

Great video! Makes me want to play the game, to experience it. However, I must be 'that guy' and point out that no respectable scientists thinks consciousness has anything to do with the collapse of the wave function, other than the fact that conscious beings tend to manipulate objects in space. I know you preemptively said 'just go with it', but I have to point out for the rest: A lot of it comes from the misunderstanding of the term 'observe' in physics (which in standard English denotes consciousness), and the very act of observing something small requires interaction with the thing.

[@BasilOmori234]

There are some respected scientists though who do or did think consciousness plays a big role in the collapse of the wave function. Just look up the von Neuman Wigner interpretation, It From Bit from John Wheeler, and the conversation about the moon between Niels Bohr and Einstein. Not to mention, quotes about the primacy of consciousness from Max Planck and Schrodinger. Many scientists disagree and didn't think consciousness played a role, like Einstein, but many other respectable scientists did think it played a role. What matters, though, for the sake of the video, is the game seems to take creative liberties and go with the theory consciousness does collapse the wave function and effect quantum objects.

[@duffman18]

Yep, exactly. Lay people think "observation" means "a sentient being looking at it", when that's not what it means at all. You can't measure something without interacting with it. The way we measure individual atoms and molecules is to bounce other atoms or molecules or even photons off it. And that inevitably pushes the thing we're trying to measure in a different direction, at a different speed. Even photons can push atoms this way. Technically when we look at something with our eyes, we're simply absorbing the photons that bounced off and object and moved it (imperceptibly small distances, when it comes to macro size objects being pushed by photons, but still moved all the same). But yeah at quantum level, at atomic level, bouncing things off the atom we're trying to measure pushes it a lot. Imagine it like someone is throwing a baseball and the only way to find out where the baseball is and where it's going and at what speed, is to throw another baseball at it so they collide in mid air. That will inevitably change the direction and speed the first baseball is travelling in. So of _COURSE_ observation changes the behaviour of individual molecules and atoms and photons, because we cannot measure a thing without physically interacting with it. Observation happened long before the first life in the universe was born. Observation happens regardless of whether it's a human (or other sentient being) or a completely lifeless computer/machine that's not some kind of sentient AI or anything like that. It happened before life ever existed, and it'll continue to happen long after life goes extinct in the universe. It happens everywhere in the universe, not just locally to earth. It has absolutely nothing to do with consciousness. "Observation" is a pretty terrible name for it really because it's led to so much confusion, and so much BS quantum "woo" where people try to use quantum mechanics (when they don't understand it and aren't even physicists) to try and claim it proves that "souls" exist and all sort of similar hippie new age nonsense.

[@metalhead635098]

No way, I finished this game 2 weeks ago. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.

[@benfrancois7856]

Another great video frome one of my favorite KZbinrs thank you

[@glowlog]

Your channel is the only thing that makes youtube interesting for me, thanks for your work

[@djszal]

So happy you did a video on this game! I loved playing it!

[@AcencialAMV]

Guys, if someone didn't play this game and is reading the comments before watching the vid - please play the game first. It's considered the best game by many people for a reason.

[@cedrikblais6673]

Its funny, the ending of the outer wilds always gave me an immense sense of dread, a reminder of my irrelevance in this unfathomable expense that is the universe, and for a while I couldnt fully resolve my feelings on the matter, until i came to a similar conclusion to yours, the chance of our existence is so slim already, since we happen to exist, might as well try our best with it, whatever form that takes for us, or as you said : lets find out how grand a life we can live by choosing it!

[@N1rOx]

I am SO happy you covered this game. After Deus Ex, I was wondering what other game I'd love you to cover. For some reason, I kept coming back to The Outer Wilds. It's an amazing experience, I wish I could experience it for the first time, again and again.

[@trinitymark521]

Outer Wilds is one of my favorite games! It’s so cool hearing you discuss it!

[@therealforestelf]

such a legendary game. something about your voice over with this one - the sharp z+e+d's dramatically placed really leave some impact! sounds crafty, keep experimenting with that, love it!

[@kartashuvit4971]

I'm such a party pooper about this so I apologize in advance but the idea that conscious observation impacts the quantum properties of particles was always "woowoo". Particles behave differently when we measure them because they're so tiny that our instruments literally interfere with their mechanics on a quantum level. There is no consciousness involved. You can leave the instrument in a room with no humans present and a camera and you'll observe particles "behave differently". Nice video tho! :)

[@DonCurrywurst]

This isnt my type of game I like to play, but the soundtrack is something Ill always come back to. So much emotions, melancholly and hope.

[@Legolas3228]

I just felt the need to say thank you for this video. I've been struggling with an anxiety linked to the themes that you so thoughtfully put on display here and the way that every part of your story came together just made something click in my mind, it really helped me figure some things out. First video of yours I have seen, I look forward to watching more, thank you again

[@RoopaDudleyPaintings]

As you get older, you will come to an understanding that we are here to experience a range of emotions unique to only us humans, and BEAUTY is the ultimate truth. Once this sinks in, you will be free from feeling lost and sorry for your lonely existence but instead filled with deep joy and a zest for living you thought you never could. Your heart will be filled with gratitude and contentment.

[@hunmg3769]

BE AWARE spoilers can very much ruin your experience. Knowledge is everthing in this game if you know you lose the experience

[@MyNameIsThe_Sun]

The first time I entered Giants Deep was such an overwhelming moment. The Nomai conversation, and the core of Giants Deep, those 3 moments were probably the most memorable for me

[@brandoncruz9798]

This video was delightful. Thank you Max.

[@Domdizzle33]

So happy you made a video of this game. Thank you!

[@remykaderwin]

The video is 22 min long(ish). Well played :) I have a fear, that i will not have enough time in my life to do things i want. Outer wilds helped a bit with this. (I'm french sorry for bad english)

[@claudioalmeidabezerrajunio7662]

Thank you max, for real... i was in need of this.

[@Sixhopefulstars-pz5gf]

As someone who always have thoughts/philosophy like this but never knew how to communicate it in a way that makes sense to anyone who cared to listen outerwilds hits it dead on and holds a special place in my heart glad to know I’m not alone about this stuff. And I’m glad that I get to live in such a universe that’s fulls me with wonder and sorrow where nothing universally matters and just is as we are it’s up to you to decide what matters. ( I do hope this rant makes sense :p )

[@nkyxyz]

the solar system is not 4 light years in diameter wtf

[@FallenPears]

I think one of the most subtly complimentary things about this game is how just about every video essay you see on it's themes and impressions on the player is different. Every person perceives it differently, take different lessons from it, some even calling it outright life changing in their specific case, and every time it brings me a new appreciation for the game. At this point I don't think Outer Wilds has one message, so much as it is a vehicle for the worldview of the developers, which the players can then explore. I still can hardly believe the devs made such a thing, let alone twice with the DLC. What a masterful piece of art this game is, and thank you for the excellent video!

[@danielkostov9489]

Amazing video, Max Thank you for the ride

[@dougcarey2233]

I think you should do a quick examination of the occult and gnostic elements in Destiny 2.

[@maxderrat]

I think so too, dude. I also wish I had a couple hundred hours to properly go through it.

[@ricoarmstrong7440]

Outer Wilds is truly profound. Great game and i am glad you made a video on it.

[@Arvak]

This game is my absolute favourite, I've never felt so profoundly impacted by any piece of media in my life. It has altered my overall world view; I think about its messages at least weekly and I played it 3 years ago. If I could recommend just 1 game for the rest of my life, I would choose Outer Wilds.

[@PixelOverload]

13:33 oh i'm confused, but not because of any quantum shenanigans, rather because this has _nothing_ to do with why they can't find the eye. The _only_ reason they can't find it is because they can't find it's signal anymore (because it's been blocked, but they didn't know that), at no point was it's quantum nature ever inhibiting their ability to find it nor was that suggested by the game in any way. The Nomai can easily identify and track quantum objects, that's what half of their technology does, they just can't locate a signal that isn't emitting anymore Edit: actually thinking about it, it's pretty clear the eye _isn't even quantum_ , at least not in the same way as it's moon or those shards, there's no need to visually lock it in place to go to it, it in fact appears to be at a fixed point (possibly not even "orbitting" the star or anything). The only thing in the game suggesting it might be is Solanum's hypothesis that it might be similar to it's moon, but as the only being that actually arrives there _you_ know that it's not really much like the moon so that theory doesn't quite hold up. It certainly appears to impart some manner of quantum behaviour upon objects near it (somehow selectively), but itself displays none 🤔

[@robertanderson7186]

The outer wilds makes me wish I could forget everything about it just to experience it all over completely fresh

[@tronlady1]

Oh yes! Happy hours reliving the same music and reverse memorieshundreds of times. Oh what fun I had, never ever being able to control my ship. Oh how joyous to keep checking in with the NPC’s and hearing the same things over and over, just in case they might throw a bread crumb or two out there. Landing on giants deep and Brittle Hollow and being caught up in what I could only describe as utter chaos, frustration and terror. Intriguing though and might re visit with a new mindset 😊

[@shayZero]

I discovered this game at about 11pm one saturday night and was hooked till midway thru sunday. It was such a hidden gem and im so happy it's now S tier indie game level

[@DjimonMoz]

I have waited a long time to hear you speak about this game, my man. Hope you get around to playing the DLC too. It doesn't disappoint.

[@zzasserzz]

I fully cried watching this video to the end what a beautiful game story and message