There’s a lot of depth and variety to the weapons and skills made available to you, and each time you think you’ve seen everything this game has to offer, it surprises you with even more. Thankfully, IGA and the development team proved that they were willing to listen and adapt to fan feedback, and the resulting game is nothing short of a masterpiece.īloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an incredible Metroidvania game that will undoubtedly make Castlevania fans very happy. Reviews Editor Zhiqing Wan: As one of the biggest success stories in Kickstarter history, there was a lot of pressure on Koji Igarashi and his team to make sure Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was going to live up to fan expectations. It’s emotive synthy soundtrack, the sense of satisfaction you get every time your hints map fills out that little bit more, the fact its planets are so densely-packed with things to see. I could bang on about Outer Wilds for hours, and honestly, there’s so much more I haven’t touched on here. I wrote them!), this is a recurring space adventure you cannot miss. If you’re willing to put in the grind or resort to looking up the occasional thing online (if you need a hand, check out our guides. To the point its vague hints system can sometimes just paint out the bleeding obvious. Random cactus ramblings aside, Outer Wilds’ sheer intelligence shouldn’t be understated. These two mechanics combined means that despite Outer Wilds’ peaceful, often lonely state, you’re in a hurried, frantic dash through it so you can get through that darn door before the sand drops too much and you’re impaled on THAT GOD DAMN CACTUS! If you know, you know. Resulting in you waking up on your home planet, ready to explore that solar system all over again. That’s because the sun explodes, obliterating all planets and causing a time loop to occur. The next part of the fun comes in trying to do all of this in 20-minute segments. Uncovering each planet’s unique mechanics is all part of the fun. A comet made of ice slowly melts the closer it gets to the sun.
One planet’s sandy surface slowly dissipates, revealing the mysterious alien ruins underneath. Each planet, over time changes in one way or another. What makes Outer Wilds so ingenious though is the way in which its solar system is ever-evolving. You do this by exploring planets and using a translator to decipher the Nomad text scrawled on walls. Your mission: Explore the other planets in the solar system and learn as much as you can about the mysterious alien Nomad race. You’re the latest recruit of the Outer Wilds Ventures Space Program. A handful of puzzle-like planets, and the vast emptiness of space. No enemies for you to eviscerate in tight, responsive combat. Upgrades: Build your farm up from the ground until it runs like clockwork.Guides Editor Chris Jecks: Outer Wilds isn’t just my favorite indie to release in 2019, but one of my favorite games of the year period. Improve your farming, fishing, and fighting skills over time with up to 4 friends.Īnnual Events: Take part in plenty of yearly events and festivals for rare items.Fight battles in dungeons as you delve deeper, each level bringing more precious loot.