Playing A Game Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye PC

So yeah, I've been putting off revisiting - let alone posting about - Outer Wilds DLC Echoes of the Eye for quite a while.

Not because it feels unnecessary or tacked-onto the main game's trippy space mystery; I mean, Outer Wilds was just fine on its own, but the Eye's story integrates itself really well! And not because its new gameplay is a disappointment, although, it is; the spooky segments which earn this DLC's "Horror" tag are more off-putting than the annoying anglerfish were.

But that's not why I've been sleeping on Echoes of the Eye -- my first forays into it, last year, didn't even reach those spooky parts. No, I've been reluctant to return because this DLC is chock-full of the exact "obtuse points" that only occasionally marred my Outer Wilds playthrough.

Dense locations that make specific points-of-interest difficult to locate; timed events that add unexpected schedule constraints to an objective; non-obvious order-of-operations requirements that mean a small mix-up may force you to restart the loop. Echoes of the Eye mashes all of these frustrations together, and even with internet guidance, the new map's navigation challenges and time-sensitive elements make it ... not fun to explore and investigate.

It's a shame that this DLC's fascinating story, which manages to feel fresh while also pairing excellently with the existing lore, is something I only know because I read about it online.

Better than: Fallout 4: Nuka World
Not as good as: Fallout 4: Far Harbor, Outer Wilds
Proposed spinoffs, just to troll on The Outer Worlds: "Outer Words," a space exploration game where ancient ruins are locked by crossword puzzles; "Outer Swirls," a space exploration game with art styled after Picasso's The Starry Night; "Shouter Worlds," a space exploration game guided by NPCs rage-yelling on radio broadcasts. I've got more, guys.

Progress: gave up!

Rating: Meh