Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye

This is an excellent expansion that captures the same excitement and wonder of exploration in Outer Wilds. While many modern games will hold players by the hand with navigation and brainteasers, Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye encourages players to use their ingenuity to figure out where they must go and what they should do. The story and objectives require self-driven determination and frequent reflection to move forward, meaning that shooting in the dark with ideas, and being stumped by what to do next, is par for the course. As rewarding and fun as this can be, it can also become unduly frustrating with some obtuse enigmas and goals to figure out, even if players take their time to try out everything they can think of. Even still, the new spaceship that players explore is a marvel to behold with a great sense of history engrained into its visual design, as well as changing level design that pushes players to refine how they organize and prioritize objectives.

This expansion takes an unexpected turn in tone with horror elements halfway through the story. Players will need to be stealthy and patient to avoid enemies that will chase them, which prevents players from easily reaching new areas. Figuring out how to get past these foes can be stressful and repetitive since players will often be stumbling around in the dark wondering where to go and what to do while being hunted. But players who persist will be rewarded with an unforgettable, thrilling tale that will make them feel like a spacefaring Indiana Jones.