outer_wilds_dlc

Outer Wilds DLC

Obviously, this is full of spoiler content

Things I did like:
- Finding the Stranger from the radio tower & satellite was a perfect entryway challenge to getting back into the swing of things
- The Stranger's entire layout is amazing. It's aesthetically so interesting/breathtaking on your initial jaunt
- Key moments like the dam breaking and the inhabitants dying on each cycle. Even little things like the electromagnetic signal that happens every cycle where your power goes out on your suit
- Getting first access to the secret world is a fantastic moment
- The whole game's puzzles felt mostly very achievable. The log system really helps the player identify what's outstanding
- Storytelling mostly without words is one of my favorite types of storytelling, and this whole experience is mostly that
- I generally liked this game's approach to spookiness. It gradually ramps up but it rarely feels like they're trying to jumpscare you
- Learning about the various techniques, especially the 'place the lantern and walk away for astral projection' is really awesome

Things I didn't like:
- I felt that the cycle timer was much more intrusive during the DLC compared to the base game. It's hard to imagine the base game without the end of the universe- it's extremely important story wise and I never felt like it really got in my way while playing the base game. In the DLC though, it felt like you could waste a lot of cycles entirely, like if you accidentally fell in a water pit halfway through the secret world, you sometimes wouldn't have enough time to go back in and finish what you were doing. It never ruined my experience or anything, but I don't think it's nearly as narratively important to have the end of the universe in the DLC as a whole, and I felt it to be a bit more annoying in the DLC
- The stealth section in the Endless Canyon was my least favorite part by far. I generally thought the stealth sections were OK, because in a lot of cases you could scope out what the areas were before the game asked you what to do for stealth. But the manor in the Canyon really was pushing what they were asking you to navigate in the dark

I got stuck in this twice, which was twice more than the base game. I needed a nudge for accessing the Starlit Grove in a way that allowed the inhabitants to perish from the dam flooding, but let the player still access it (you have to first open a door, then re-enter the secret world and go from another entry way and sail around). I put together that you needed to wait for them to perish but I couldn't figure out what they wanted for accessing that area. I also needed a nudge for the whole "dying by flame to disable the sentries". That one felt more out of reach - I knew I had clues about the impact on the inhabitant's lives from the flame burning out & the clues about the giant bell/gong being related to the sentries, but I couldn't put it together. Otherwise everything else felt achievable with what they give you through the reels

The entire segment with The Prisoner and the conversation you have with the Vision Rod was one of the most beautiful segments in a game I've ever played