Echoes of the Eye uses these small pieces of time forgotten in a way that feels like a mix of the two and contains just the same powerful “aha!” moments found in the core game.
This nostalgic device already has a firm place in popular culture, whether it be through the scares of Stephen King’s It or the iconic speech given by Don Draper in Mad Men. While the story of Outer Wilds’ main game was gleaned through translating ancient texts scattered throughout the cosmos and creating your own mental timeline of events, Echoes of the Eye unravels its tale through an array of slideshow photographs that you discover and view through devices that resemble the Kodak Carousel. Finally wrapping my head around the nuances of this transformation and how it impacted nearly every part of the world was immensely satisfying. Like the Hourglass Twins and Brittle Hollow, there’s a core mechanic to this new location that makes it clear that certain places can only be explored early on in the 22-minute cycle, while others are only accessible near the tail end of the loop. Careful observation and the cobbling together of environmental context clues are pretty much all you need to solve the puzzles that are thrown your way. Like the core game, Echoes of the Eye does an excellent job of sticking to the “show, don’t tell” rule of game design and storytelling. The setting is easily the biggest and most complex in Outer Wilds’ solar system, and the second you see this new playground, you’ll get a sense for the kinds of challenges that are packed in this 7-hour adventure. The first time I stepped foot on it, I let out an audible gasp. Suffice to say, you eventually make your way to this object to discover that it’s actually something else entirely. Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye is framed around a new exhibit that pops up at your local Timber Hearth museum, one that leads you to the strange discovery of a massive object out in space that seems to be visible one moment and then vanish the next. Part of the game’s joy is that feeling of discovery and surprise, so I’ll try to keep spoilers to a minimum.
Well, it turns out there’s a reason that Mobius is making the games and I’m just playing them, because Echoes of the Eye is a thrilling, awe-inspiring, and sometimes-terrifying addition to the universe that makes perfect sense inside the story of the original game, while adding new layers to the mystery and highlighting a path that Mobius might be taking for its future projects. What could possibly be added to this small pocket galaxy that wouldn’t disrupt the incredible balance of the whole thing? The original 2019 game from Mobius Digital is pretty much as perfect of a game as you can get in my book - an expert blend of powerful exploration, fascinating archaeological mysteries, smart puzzle design, and a satisfying conclusion that all gelled together with one of my all-time favorite soundtracks to create a generational experience. Before jumping into Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
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