Outer Wilds in immaculate experience, expertly paced, beautifully rendered, and perfectly realized. It's one of the most intricately crafted puzzle boxes ever made, a labor of love, and a outstanding example of what interactivity can add to storytelling. I can count on two hands the number of entertainment experiences that have made me earnestly, truly, deeply cry in over 30 years on this planet and Outer Wilds did it more than once. This game is beautiful and sad, extraordinary and bitter-sweet. You'll be swept from marveling the vast and infinite possibilities of the universe, straight into contemplating the cold uncaring loneliness of existence, and just about anything on the gradient of emotion in between.

The only thing I will caution potential buyers on is that you're only going to get out of this experience what you're willing to put into it. There are myriad locations to explore, puzzles to solve, and a broad narrative to piece together, but beyond the first few minutes the player is never handheld to any destination or conclusion. There's no voice acting, no movie-like cutscenes, and no main story quest prompts. This game will frustrate you. You have to honestly want to explore, read, and contemplate what you've learned. It is impossible to write a walk-through for this game that doesn't simply ruin the experience of attempting to complete it yourself. Reading the wiki is something best reserved for after you've concluded your journey - piecing the story together on your own will be much more rewarding, trust me.

There's nothing anyone can tell you about this game that wouldn't ruin the experience of entering it with a blank slate. Playing Outer Wilds without knowing anything about it beforehand is something you'll only ever be granted once in a lifetime. Don't let anyone or anything take that from you.

Stick to the ship log, and if you get stuck, simply look where you haven't yet. If you simply immerse yourself in the experience and approach it in earnest, it will reward you in kind. I promise.