I honestly don't even know where to start. This is probably one of the best games I've ever played. I originally played this game one year ago on another platform.

I'm going to preface this by saying this review contains zero spoilers. The game is best enjoyed without any prior knowledge about the various game play mechanics. Length-wise, despite being a rather small Solar System, the game still took me nearly 30 hours to beat.

This game is a essentially a space exploration game where the only way you progress is through information. There are no upgrades or abilities. You have your space suit, a probe launcher, and your ship and you're asked to go out and explore the Solar System. If you want an action game, this isn't for you. If you want a more laid-back space exploration simulator with a very well written story, I definitely recommend it.

There is no ultimate goal of the game besides exploration but eventually an overarching story does begin to form. The story evolves in a way that truly is really unique; go wherever you want and find a story lead. The story is written in a way so that you can start from any angle. There is no marker on a compass telling you where to go next. You read a text log saying "We were doing this thing where you are now but we did something cooler at the south pole of this other planet." You might start your journey by going to Planet A and think the story is about X, but your friend might go to Planet B and think the story is about Y. Eventually separate story threads do begin to overlap. The ability to just go where you want and still get a coherent story is remarkable. No two players are going to uncover the story in the same way.

The characters are surprisingly interesting. Despite very little spoken dialogue, the game really makes you care about characters you never even get to meet through the the aforementioned text logs. You read character's backstories and learn their history, goals, secrets, weaknesses.

Another strong point is the soundtrack. It's phenomenal. I finished the game over eight months ago and I still regularly find myself listening to the OST on Youtube. From the more hopeful sound tracks to the more somber ones, listening to the music had a profound impact on me. I can't put into words how much the Outer Wilds OST means to me.

There can be a few technical issues with the game. The game can stutter occasionally even on high-end PCs, and the whole game space being physically simulated can lead to some wacky physics bugs every once-in-a-while.

In summary, this game is amazing and I definitely recommend buying it if you're remotely interested in space exploration.