You’ll have to excuse my voice in this one. We just got a cat and we moved to a place with a lot of trees / flowers so my hayfever has gone out of control and this is just my default now. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the first video of 2022. Can’t wait to see what this year brings for the channel
Fantastic video man! You really managed to put words to what I felt playing the game, but never was able to say myself. Out of curiosity, since you didn't mention the DLC, have you played it yet, and do you plan on making a video on it?
Great essay about this masterpiece of a game. Hope you do one about the DLC too, for me it was a game in itself, better than most games nominated for GOTY last year. Also, spoiler about one ending: get the core and run away from the system, far enough to be safe from the kaboom and to sync the instruments trough the scope, then wait the end while listening the music... It's the saddest ending, I did it almost unaware and couldn't help but tear up
Thanks for an awesome video that only furthers my appreciation for one of my (if not the one) favorite games of all times. I saw this video pop up in my feed and wasn't sure if the TWI reference was intentional. Now I can put to words the connection I feel to the music and honestly almost feel silly that I hadn't made that connection myself. This game just can't leave my head. I know it sounds too gushy but I truly think this game might be the near the pinnacle of games as "art". And not in the "oh this game is depressing and deals with heavy stuff so therefore it is art" way. But the perfect culmination of using the unique attributes that games have as a medium to create a lasting piece of art that only works in that medium.
I've seen a lot of videos about Outer Wilds and it's hard to make them appealing for audiences that haven't played the game and at the same time, interesting for those that already have. I hardly ever connect with what I find. Congrats on this one, it's so far my favourite.
I never get tired of video essays on Outer Wilds. God that game is one of kind and I loved the music so much, but could never understand why it stood out compared to others. I think your nailed it with the film style scoring and emotional beats instead of the usual background music. Every song has a moment, a place or a person to attach it to and makes it unforgettable.
I am also loving the video essays and reliving the best moments of the game vicariously through other people's commentary - can you list a few of your favorites?
@@ghableska ua-cam.com/video/sdfIEmPjbGU/v-deo.html&ab_channel=ManleyReviews Less Essay, more review-like with a great intro ua-cam.com/video/H-yTZFi-_eY/v-deo.html&ab_channel=JacobGeller Centers around Death in Outer Wilds and How it pushes Exploration ua-cam.com/video/ifTMC7ybZDc/v-deo.html&ab_channel=ChrisDavis The first video I watched about Outer Wilds and got me to buy it ua-cam.com/video/LbY0mBXKKT0/v-deo.html&ab_channel=Noclip-VideoGameDocumentaries A documentary of how they made Outer Wilds
Becoming a ghost is a part of having played Outer Wilds, isn't it? It leaves you happy, but longing; alive, but haunted. I finished the game and DLC on week 1, and not a month goes by without me suffering from accute nostalgia and browsing through videos and articles and streams about it. This right here is one of these moments.
I'm trapped watching them cuz the replayability so low🥲 I was so happy when echoes of they eye was released but now I beat that so now I keep watching video essay
@@lamboking8able Echoes of the Eye was an amazing surprise. I'm glad that I recorded my playthrough so I can relive it every once in a while. Sad that I didn't do it with the base game, so those specific memories will eventually fade overtime.
Lucky you! I've been trying to get my own partner to play it, because I know she will absolutely adore it, but she's just not really into videogames. This game is a fundamental part of my identity now, and to share it with the most important people in my universe would mean the world to me.
Great video! I just started Outer Wilds, have been following your videos for a little while now, but I was especially stoked to see the title, since I sing in the band The World is a Beautiful Place & I am no Longer Afraid to Die :)
Hi! So... I've never heard of your band, nor any midwestern emo bands apparently. I'm interested to learn more about it, though. Do you have any favorites or must-listens you might recommend to someone new? It would be greatly appreciated!
Another song that merges the two different civilizations is "The Search", which is one of my favorite songs off the soundtrack. It plays in the Southern Observatory and the Orbital Probe Cannon, both places that contain important information needed for finding the Eye of the Universe. For the most part it's a quintessential Nomai song, with spacey synths, otherworldly percussion, and a piano playing the main melody. However, around the two minute mark you begin to hear the faint plucking of a familiar banjo. To me, that's you, the Hearthian, following the trail of crumbs that the Nomai have laid out before you. It's also amusing to me how you only hear the banjo right at the end of the song, which ingame means right before it loops... just like the Hearthians themselves, the banjo that represents them shows up right at the end of everything, before everything resets. I'm also surprised you didn't mention the actual final track you hear playing the game, "Morning". It's a short little Cello track that plays over the post-credits drawing of the bug civilization that has evolved in the new universe. It's the same melody that plays at the beginning of Timber Hearth, but with an unfamiliar instrument that isn't used as a lead instrument anywhere else in the soundtrack iirc: it's home, but it's home for someone else. I also like how it starts off as a lonely solo cello for the time that we only see stars and faraway planets, but more instruments come in to harmonize as the planet with the bug people comes into view, it's like a reminder that there's still companionship to be found in the cold vastness of space, or something like that.
You mean the Probe Tracking Module for the second location, yeah? Also, beautifully written! I hadn't noticed that banjo bit in The Search. Ohhhh noooo, I have to go listen the Outer Wilds soundtrack AGAIN what ever will I doooo... ;)
I don't know if you forgot or simply omitted the fact, but the cello in "Morning" is actually one of the leading instruments in "14.3 Billion Years". In fact, it's a rather popular consensus among the community (AFAIK) that the cello in those tracks represents the player character and their input to the new universe (much like each of the travelers has their own associated instrument). BTW, you're *not* wrong about the second location where "The Search" plays. It plays in the control module of the OPC, the only module that's both intact and still attached to the cannon, so it's valid to just refer to it as the cannon.
Did you know that "The sun station" is just "The search" in reverse? One stood for everything the nomai believed in and the other was the opposite, so it's quite symbollic
Talking about this game, and hearing people talk about this game is basically my favourite part of being awake these days. This is a topic I would've been improperly equipped to talk about beyond "it good, eh?" so thanks for showing me a whole new angle to a game it seems like I can't stop analyzing and absorbing to death. This was wonderful.
My favorite song from this game has got to be "Morning". Only 26 seconds long, but it's such a beautiful sendoff. Just a simple violin rendition of Timbre Hearth, with the implication that this new universe can be, if not your home, somebody else's. What an incredible game.
Me too homie. But I will point out that the instrument playing that song is actually cello, very similar to the violin but with a more deep tone and lower range that make it the single most beautiful instrument in existence.
Btw, the song that plays when you take out the warp core is actually "Final Voyage"! When I first heard it I thought it was "End Times", too but I quickly came to notice that it feels more intimidating, stronger, and turned out it was indeed a different song based on End Times.
I remember sitting down outside listening to Timber Hearth. I closed my eyes to enjoy the music and visualized being on the planet again. What I came to realize was that I was actually visualizing Andrew playing the song. I could literally see his fingers running across the strings when it makes that rubbing sound during the opening section. I had been listening to so much rap and lofi that was clearly made in a beat maker I forgot that people actually PLAY music on instruments. I am now borrowing my dad's guitar and trying to learn to play that song. I have made some progress on TLOU theme but the first couple notes of Timber Hearth have evaded me, but I don't want to give up. I have also returned to a lot of old rock music and jazz that I enjoyed as a kid and just get lost in the act of performance, it's something a lot of modern music lacks. I can't visualize a electronic music, but I can with a guitar/piano/drums etc.
After hearing about all the praise this game received for the past 2 years, I finally picked up the game 2 weeks ago. Here I am now, still in awe of the game and desperately trying to hold off playing Echoes of the Eye because I know I can only experience it once.
Same. I dipped my toes into echoes but now im hesitant to dive into it. A big part of me wants to wait for a VR headset to play echoes with the VR mod so I can have the absolute maximum immersion, yet theres a deep yearning to continue exploring
There is only one thing I can say “It’s tempting to linger in this moment, while every possibility still exists. But unless they are collapsed by an observer, they will never be more than possibilities.”
If you haven't finished it already, just be aware that Echoes is quite a different experience. First half is similar, if a tad unnerving cause it plays with light. Second half however, that I genuinely struggled with because it's scary and I am a coward.
Of all the video essays and analyses of Outer Wilds out there, I think I connected with yours the most. Even after playing the game, I still find myself listening to the soundtrack to relive the emotions I felt while playing the game. When I hear End Times, it's like the game is telling me, "Time's up. But hey, you had a good run, right?" It somehow informs you of your inevitable death, yet it also comforts you at the same time. The first time I heard Final Voyage, I had the stupidest smile on my face. It's like for some reason, I understood what the game was trying to tell me. It's like it was telling me, "You got this! You figured it out! You're almost there!" Anyway, I just wanted to ramble about this masterpiece of a game. Great video btw.
You talking about that tight feeling, that anxiety and trying to play it in a hard time. Struggling to start it and missing a connection until it finally clicked. I relate v well because I've gone through that loop (heh) as well. And just like you I also, always had that feeling that I would one day come back, conquer my anxiety and fear and finally see the end. I ended up doing that and I feel like your video is definitely one of the best I've seen about Outer Wilds.
the thing that really got me about outer wilds ... is how everything felt unstable. planets all spun super fast, and you were always connected to a planet somehow, so even if you were in a single room, your sense of orientation always felt like it was moving. then the more I thought about it, the more I realized the earth is kind of the same way (albeit way bigger, much more reliable & not rotating nearly as fast). it gave me a huge sense of existential dread that no game, or piece of art really, has ever given me.
Outer Wilds is very special to me. I played and finished it last year a day before my grandfather passed away. We were extremely close and he was the closest thing I ever had to a dad. Now, every time i here music from the Outer Wilds, I think of him, how much I love him, and how much I miss him. Hell, I'm crying right now as I write this lol. This is a great video man. Very well done. Thank you so much for making it and sharing your experiences with one of the best game sever made.
This video kinda summarised everything I love about Outer Wilds music, except the bit about midwestern emo which I’ve never really heard. The music and the game cannot be taken apart, they are 2 components that can’t be separated. When I look at an image of Outer Wilds I think of the music, when I listen to the music I remember everything I played during those tracks so deeply. This is most apparent with Timber Hearth, Castaways (which cemented itself in my mind permanently after the interloper grave which was even mire tragic than Dark Bramble), and Travellers and End Times. I will never hear Travellers and not be transported back to that campfire at the end of time, and End Times instantly evokes a memory of floating in the void with just my spacesuit, watching a grand display of beauty in a lonely world. And you know what? I’m also transported to lonely nights looking at the stars with music I love so much playing in the background. My favourite music ever
As someone who has a master's in ludomusicology, the part about you not liking video game soundtracks hurt me. I haven't really seen a video going through the actual music of Outer Wilds. I really enjoyed your connecting the music to the midwest emo genre and mood. The analysis of the timbre of the different songs were great as well! Really good stuff!
"ludomusicology" I had no idea we already have a field dedicated to this study! I love it! Video game music is definitely one of my favorite parts of games.
It’s impressive how much this album emotionally resonates with so many people, for so many diff reasons. Defo one of my fave albums (and games) of all time
The importance of the music in this game cannot be overstated. It almost spoils other games in that it underscores how often music ends up being an afterthought, or not as thoughtfully integrated into the experience. Great video, subscribed.
This was a beautiful video. As somebody who doesn't know anything about music beyond 'This I like' and 'This I don't like', this was such an interesting watch, the marriage of theory and sentiment.
The base game OST and the DLC are amazingly good, it’s uncanny how well scored this game is. I simply cannot listen to 14.3B years later or Travelers Encore without crying a bit. And both Ash Twin Project and Into Shadow gives me the chills.
This game is indescribable in its entirety so I appreciate videos like this that focus on a single aspect and show just a fraction of what makes this game so, so special.
Idk if you still check comments for this video, but it brought me to tears multiple times. I've always considered the music to be one of the most underappreciated aspects of the game, because there's just so much essence to it, like you perfectly articulated in the video. Thank you for spreading so much love to such an incredible piece of art
Reading the title alone I knew what you were going to talk about. And I couldn't be happier with your explanation of the soundtrack's purpose in the game. I subscribed
15:22 This moment felt so weird. I loved how the music sounded there. It was reminding you that the world was about to end even tho you were in the inside of that place. That's why the music has that effect inside Dark Bramble.
I clicked on this as a massive Outer Wilds fan because the name of the video reminded me of The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die. I dis not expect this to go into an actual discussion on midwest emo and post rock. The soundtrack had such a profound effect and it's so nice to see someone who appreciates the genre and the game dive into it. Great video dude, just subbed and can't wait to see more!
At risk of sounding like a sound byte from a Jacob Geller video, I also recently finished Outer Wilds and still think about it a lot. Super happy to see you cover it.
This essay was phenomenal, thank you so much for making this and expressing it the way you did with the focus on the music. I am a musician whose favourite game is also Outer Wilds so this really hit with me
This was one of the best outer wilds video essays I've ever watched. Seeing the title I never clicked on a video as fast as I have with this one as not only is outer wilds on of my favorite video games ever but The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die is one of my favorite bands ever. Its like I was meant to see this video, thank you.
‘Let there be light’ is quite honeslty one of the best pieces of music i have ever heard. That moment is truely something i will treasure for my entire life. Thanks for being able to express my love for this game in an area that i found difficulty in doing so.
End Times and Final End Times invoke something that I can't explain well. A mix of serenity, hope, and existential dread, just like the game itself. Echoes of the Eye's soundtrack is stellar too btw.
You perfectly put into words why I love this soundtrack so much. Aside from the emotions attached to the game itself, I fuckin love Midwest emo, and synths so much
I’ve watched a handful of videos reviewing/discussing outer wilds and I couldn’t believe none of them were mentioning the music at all. The music does so much for this game.
Absolutely fantastic to see a video on one of my favorite games of the last decade that was such a joy to play. This video was so nostalgic to watch and its great you were able to take so much away from this game and its soundtrack.
I've completed this game multiple times and seen so many reviews but I've never seen a review that went in depth about the music. Usually Andrew Parhlow's music is mentioned as a compliment to the game in reviews but no one has ever talked about how and why it makes the game impactful and I thank you sir for covering it. Please play and cover the game's dlc echoes of the eye. I think the music in the dlc offers some interesting things to discuss.
Oh I LOVE this! Hearing the music in one of the teaser trailers was what convinced me this game was going to be special and I am constantly amazed at how much it still managed to surpass my expectations. Awesome video, loved getting a new perspective on the game
Yes! Yes! Yes! This is an amazing game and the soundtrack is what turned it from great gameplay and story into something wonderful. Sometimes I was just flying around for 22 minutes and revisiting sites I already knew for their beauty and sound. And then, after 22 minutes when Endtimes starts I just waited for the end, trying to get a view on the sun, enjoying the moment. The soundtrack is one of my favorites to listen too, and whenever I do start the album, those first notes on the Banjo just make me smile. Andrew Prahlow really created a masterpiece here!
The best way I can think to describe the title track is the feeling of leaving home for the first time. More or less the epitome of bittersweet, it's equal parts sombre and comforting. You bid farewell to your friends and family on Timber Hearth they all wish you good luck as you head out to "The Wild Blue Yonder" for the first time. The Outer Wilds, if you will. Going out into space for the first time is equal parts scary and exciting. Just like leaving home for the first time. The title screen captures those emotions so perfectly for me. Andrew really did something phenomenal with the soundtrack, I know it's one that will stay with me forever.
This is really interesting to me because I’ve been having the same experience you had with Outer Wilds. For some reason I feel guilty about not playing it even though it made me anxious? I think this video might be what pushes me to play it. Thanks Mitch your vids are great.
I remember writing a bit of an essay for outer wilds but just stopped midway. This is a nice motivator. This game is just truly one of a kind. The music, the atmosphere, everything about it just makes me feel so...hopeful.
You've managed to perfectly explain why I love this game, I am quite literally in tears rn. It's something I can go back to, it's like home. It has been 2 or 3 years since I beat this game, and I still come back to it when I'm sad, or angry, or bored, just to float around, maybe orbit the black hole in brittle hollow, or vibe with Gabbro for a bit. I'll never get the feeling of the first playthrough back, but I will always enjoy coming back.
This is probably my favorite video essay on outerwilds so far. I love that you focused on the homely vibe of the music and explained why it resonates so deeply. The section on the ending made me cry, I’m gunna go replay it for the fifth time lol
I've been recommended various video essays on Outer Wilds, and they are all great. Such a great community brought together from this game's work. Didn't expect specifically an analysis on the music, but a welcome surprise.
I beat Outer Wilds last night. And this morning, I was listening to the OST, and I didn’t really know why the soundtrack specifically dug its hooks in me-- but you gave voice to that. Thank you.
Everything you say makes so much sense. Whenever I felt lost in Outer Wilds, I would tune in to Gabbro and listen to him play. I latched onto him a bit, partly because he is the only other person stuck in the loop and partly because he, like me, plays a woodwind instrument. Knowing that he was there, on Giant's Deep, not too far away, always gave me a sense of calm
Very good video and opinion 🥂 I started the game 2 years back, and played it around 30 hours before my laptop fried. I recently reinstaled it, with the DLC. This game is a master of details. Is so simple and yet it has layers upon layers of understanding, lore, multiple simple mechanics that in conjunction make super huge mechanics....that you don't even interact with. I am so fortunate I couldn't finish this game and to forget half of what I played !!! I immediately started the game and looked down at my feet...and before I put my space suit on, I saw our little hatchling astronaut has his coat stitched. This is the most simplest and emotional experience that happened to me in a video game. Everything in the beggining is wispering you that you are about to uncover the biggest universe mystery, and yet you come from a world and a culture so simple, so lovely and so childlike. I will get back and watch the spoiler part of the video after I finish this masterpiece
That bit about the music creating a sense of yearning for a place that you may not have even been to is something I got really strongly from the soundtrack of Unravel. Of course that game does it with much more traditional Swedish folk music, but the effect is the same. They even have a name for it, "vemod".
The Music was what started my curiousity for the game, specifically the Song 14,3 Billion Years, i just had to know why it made me feal the way it did, even before playing the Game, now after playing the base game and only putting my toes into the dlc, i know what i fealt in that song. After finishing this Journey i fealt a great sadness, yet appreciation for what is yet to come.
Same. Came across some reel on insta few months ago and felt instant nostalgic feeling for some reason. I knew at that moment i will have to play the game, and that it will leave great impact on me :)
Traveler's Encore as part of the DLC made me fuckin cry...the beautiful sad alien string instrument hit me in the core. The deep innocence and beauty of it really struck me. I go back to that song every once in awhile to instill that same beautiful feeling. The whole concept of being able to find your friends and hear their song no matter how hard and dark and scary your journey got...was so deeply touching and profound to me. I love this game so very deeply.
I agree with literally everything you said in this video. I fell in love with this game's music the second the main menu loaded up. The moment I heard the main menu song I knew it was special and I knew it would be special to me. I never knew why some of the songs in the soundtrack connected with me in such a strong way, but I think that you worded it perfectly. So, thank you for this video and thank you for putting you interpretation out here for all of us.
I hope one day I can overcome my anxiety (and fear of heights) and play the whole game. I did 3 runs. The 1st was the only I got to 22min, the other two just desperately dying in space. Awesome video once more.
What a banger week for video essays haha. This RULES. I've been thinking about this game's OST a lot, but you put so much of its beauty in context in the best way. (Spoilers below) - - - - - I'll never forget finding the ATP by accident. Removing the Warp Core, the music kicking in, and suddenly - I realized within seconds that I was out of my depth. It was like a little nudge from Prahlow: "It's not time yet, but it will be." So I put it back. Spent the rest of the game looking forward to hearing the rest of it in all its glory, the other themes pushing and pulling me along. And finally... that triumphant last run, the new rendition of End Times... perfection.
This is the first time I’ve heard someone get there early but that’s such a cool and unique experience! It took me longer than I am proud to admit haha but cool the song could do that for you in your own way
One of the things I'll always love about OW is the breadth of different experiences players had; discovering things at radically different junctures, creating their own narratives, yet still bonding over the underlying themes. It's honestly a masterclass in design, and it blows my mind that such a young team produced it.
ngl i started tearing up right as soon as the video started. this game means so much to me n the already fantastic music just hits even harder cause of that. as another big midwest emo fan myself, i had no idea prahlow was influenced by that, but man does that make a lot of sense now.
I had a similar experience with outer wilds. It was intimidating at first and I couldn’t get around to it, until I found the soundtrack on Spotify and started listening to it. The soundtrack made me want to finish the game, and I’m so glad I did. Great work on this video, I loved it.
Just finished the game and was watching videos essays about it, yours is really touching just like the game, really in love with this soundtrack and to know how it was thought about to really fell the way im felling just make it more precious...This game and this music will be in my heart till the end of this universe and till 14 billions to the next one...thank you
One of my favorite things to do towards the end of the game, was to fall through the black hole and just drift farther away from the edge of the universe, until I could see every planet against the backdrop of all the dying stars, until I could listen to everyone playing together in the distance, aware that they cant hear eachother, that they dont even know theyre all playing in time, and just listen and watch the beauty of it all as my air would run out and the universe would fade away
I have never played Outer Wilds or really paid much attention to it at all quite frankly. However, watching the non-spoiler part of this video has definitely made me want to play it all the way through if I ever feel like actively playing games again!
Midwest Emo kid here too. Grew up in Salem Wisconsin. I love the music in this game. When I first installed the game I sat and listened to the opening song for a half an hour. It was late at night when I first started playing the game and the stars were out and when the music started playing I felt a massive amount of nostalgia rush through me.
I had a slight understanding of why the outer wilds soundtrack made me feel so much. This put so much more depth to it. She'd a few tears by the end from full realization. Thank you.
While other essays have mentioned the soundtrack before, this is the first time I see a video that is explicitly about the ost and its place in the game. I believe the fact that people who dont usually have ingame music on decide to have outer wilds' music turned on is a testament to how good of a job Prahlow has done.
I have not watched the whole video yet but I just needed to comment about the music. Traveler's theme hit me like a sack of bricks and nailed in this melancholic vibe for me that made me feel so small in this ending universe. I'm prone to emotion in video games and normally I can get teared up at a heartfelt scene but that song, when I went and got the sources to play in tandem made me break into an actual cry. There is something so beautiful about that arrangement that grips an emotional part of me in a way very few ever have. The composer was absolutely brilliant in his work.
Fantastic video on a fantastic game with a fantastic soundtrack. This is a game where every part matters is an equal part of the whole. Completely agree about the final statement. Chills at the last scene, well done. Now, you never mentioned the DLC. I hope you experience that as it somehow matches the base game, soundtrack and all.
I grew up in the mountains where bluegrass music played by the local radio station was always on, everyone knew everyone, and sitting by a campfire on a cool summer night was an ordinary occurence. This game connected with me on a spiritual level.
The way you show kind of how the different tracks of the game build the last tracks, it reminded me one of my favourite album (maybe same kind to Panic! and others) : Mariannas Trench 's Masterpiece Theatre. All the tracks make a patchwork in the last track, with a feeling of overview, calming big picture. By the way, great video, thanks for sharing your interesting thoughts :)
I first played Outer Wilds during my first semester of uni, in 2020. As you can imagine, due to the pandemic worsening here in the UK at that time, it was a very isolating period of my life. This game gave me a twinge of hope, but I still to this day can’t listen to some tracks, like ‘Space’ or ‘14.3 Billion Years’, without breaking down a little bit inside. What a masterpiece of a soundtrack.
Great video. I too had a little trouble getting into the game. I can't really tell you why, but I had a similar "moment" when I became hooked. Thank you!
Outer Wilds was the best game I played in 2021, and one of my favorite games ever. It's a diamond in the rough, and definetly deserves more attention. I get so happy that people are still making great videos like these even almost 3 years after the game's release.
The music from this game has been given such power. Hearing that end of loop swell up in a video essay at the right time says paragraphs without a single word
The final run music is fucking GOLDEN. It's the same song you always hear when times up, but you can immediately tell that somethings different, that this is the last chance you get.
Great band, great game - can't listen to the soundtrack without inconsolably crying. I knew this game was special simply from that menu music. A lovely detail is that the logo breaks apart over the course of ~10mins much like Hollow Bastion
You’ll have to excuse my voice in this one. We just got a cat and we moved to a place with a lot of trees / flowers so my hayfever has gone out of control and this is just my default now. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the first video of 2022. Can’t wait to see what this year brings for the channel
Any amount of allergies is worth it for a floofy cute cat
Fantastic video man! You really managed to put words to what I felt playing the game, but never was able to say myself. Out of curiosity, since you didn't mention the DLC, have you played it yet, and do you plan on making a video on it?
Great essay about this masterpiece of a game. Hope you do one about the DLC too, for me it was a game in itself, better than most games nominated for GOTY last year.
Also, spoiler about one ending: get the core and run away from the system, far enough to be safe from the kaboom and to sync the instruments trough the scope, then wait the end while listening the music... It's the saddest ending, I did it almost unaware and couldn't help but tear up
Thanks for an awesome video that only furthers my appreciation for one of my (if not the one) favorite games of all times. I saw this video pop up in my feed and wasn't sure if the TWI reference was intentional. Now I can put to words the connection I feel to the music and honestly almost feel silly that I hadn't made that connection myself.
This game just can't leave my head. I know it sounds too gushy but I truly think this game might be the near the pinnacle of games as "art". And not in the "oh this game is depressing and deals with heavy stuff so therefore it is art" way. But the perfect culmination of using the unique attributes that games have as a medium to create a lasting piece of art that only works in that medium.
You know, that I know, you sound like that because you cannot hold back the TEARS this game causes!
I've seen a lot of videos about Outer Wilds and it's hard to make them appealing for audiences that haven't played the game and at the same time, interesting for those that already have. I hardly ever connect with what I find.
Congrats on this one, it's so far my favourite.
Padre Felipe 🙏
Felipe, llevo 3 meses con un problema existencialista desde que jugué a este juego porque no parabas de recomendarlo. Te amo y te odio.
Felipe nunca seré capaz de agradecerte por haber hecho que juegue a esta obra de arte, muchísimas gracias
Dile al otro español con gafas y barba que se lo termine
@@bloky2747 estoy casi seguro de que se lo paso fuera de camaras
I never get tired of video essays on Outer Wilds. God that game is one of kind and I loved the music so much, but could never understand why it stood out compared to others. I think your nailed it with the film style scoring and emotional beats instead of the usual background music. Every song has a moment, a place or a person to attach it to and makes it unforgettable.
I am also loving the video essays and reliving the best moments of the game vicariously through other people's commentary - can you list a few of your favorites?
@@ghableska ua-cam.com/video/sdfIEmPjbGU/v-deo.html&ab_channel=ManleyReviews Less Essay, more review-like with a great intro
ua-cam.com/video/H-yTZFi-_eY/v-deo.html&ab_channel=JacobGeller Centers around Death in Outer Wilds and How it pushes Exploration
ua-cam.com/video/ifTMC7ybZDc/v-deo.html&ab_channel=ChrisDavis The first video I watched about Outer Wilds and got me to buy it
ua-cam.com/video/LbY0mBXKKT0/v-deo.html&ab_channel=Noclip-VideoGameDocumentaries A documentary of how they made Outer Wilds
Becoming a ghost is a part of having played Outer Wilds, isn't it? It leaves you happy, but longing; alive, but haunted.
I finished the game and DLC on week 1, and not a month goes by without me suffering from accute nostalgia and browsing through videos and articles and streams about it. This right here is one of these moments.
I'm trapped watching them cuz the replayability so low🥲 I was so happy when echoes of they eye was released but now I beat that so now I keep watching video essay
@@lamboking8able Echoes of the Eye was an amazing surprise. I'm glad that I recorded my playthrough so I can relive it every once in a while. Sad that I didn't do it with the base game, so those specific memories will eventually fade overtime.
My partner and I love the soundtrack so much that we're going to have the song Travellers play during our wedding ceremony.
This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard
Gonna bring on the tears. It's gonna be beautiful. I can't even listen to the soundtrack without getting choked up
My partner and I just recently made the decision to get married in a few years and I must admit, I've been thinking about this too.
Lucky you! I've been trying to get my own partner to play it, because I know she will absolutely adore it, but she's just not really into videogames.
This game is a fundamental part of my identity now, and to share it with the most important people in my universe would mean the world to me.
Ohh man, i'd love to have that tooo!!
"A constant reminder that you may be lonely, you are not alone" A perfect summary of why I love Death Stranding so much
Great video! I just started Outer Wilds, have been following your videos for a little while now, but I was especially stoked to see the title, since I sing in the band The World is a Beautiful Place & I am no Longer Afraid to Die :)
Oh my god I love your band so much and never expected to see you here haha thank you so much!!
BRO WHAT
David you are such a friggin legend. Always Foreign will forever hold a special place in my heart. Enjoy the ride Outer Wilds takes you on.
omg. so happy to see you comment here! i knew this title sounded familiar
Hi! So... I've never heard of your band, nor any midwestern emo bands apparently. I'm interested to learn more about it, though. Do you have any favorites or must-listens you might recommend to someone new? It would be greatly appreciated!
According to Spotify's Wrapped, Andrew Prahlow was my #1 artist of 2021 (the year I played the game). I couldn't agree more with your essay!
He is going to be number 1 on my wrapped for 2022 for SURE
He was mine too, and "Campfire Song" played over at least 30% of the whole thing xD
Another song that merges the two different civilizations is "The Search", which is one of my favorite songs off the soundtrack. It plays in the Southern Observatory and the Orbital Probe Cannon, both places that contain important information needed for finding the Eye of the Universe. For the most part it's a quintessential Nomai song, with spacey synths, otherworldly percussion, and a piano playing the main melody. However, around the two minute mark you begin to hear the faint plucking of a familiar banjo. To me, that's you, the Hearthian, following the trail of crumbs that the Nomai have laid out before you. It's also amusing to me how you only hear the banjo right at the end of the song, which ingame means right before it loops... just like the Hearthians themselves, the banjo that represents them shows up right at the end of everything, before everything resets.
I'm also surprised you didn't mention the actual final track you hear playing the game, "Morning". It's a short little Cello track that plays over the post-credits drawing of the bug civilization that has evolved in the new universe. It's the same melody that plays at the beginning of Timber Hearth, but with an unfamiliar instrument that isn't used as a lead instrument anywhere else in the soundtrack iirc: it's home, but it's home for someone else. I also like how it starts off as a lonely solo cello for the time that we only see stars and faraway planets, but more instruments come in to harmonize as the planet with the bug people comes into view, it's like a reminder that there's still companionship to be found in the cold vastness of space, or something like that.
You mean the Probe Tracking Module for the second location, yeah? Also, beautifully written! I hadn't noticed that banjo bit in The Search. Ohhhh noooo, I have to go listen the Outer Wilds soundtrack AGAIN what ever will I doooo... ;)
I don't know if you forgot or simply omitted the fact, but the cello in "Morning" is actually one of the leading instruments in "14.3 Billion Years". In fact, it's a rather popular consensus among the community (AFAIK) that the cello in those tracks represents the player character and their input to the new universe (much like each of the travelers has their own associated instrument).
BTW, you're *not* wrong about the second location where "The Search" plays. It plays in the control module of the OPC, the only module that's both intact and still attached to the cannon, so it's valid to just refer to it as the cannon.
Did you know that "The sun station" is just "The search" in reverse? One stood for everything the nomai believed in and the other was the opposite, so it's quite symbollic
Talking about this game, and hearing people talk about this game is basically my favourite part of being awake these days. This is a topic I would've been improperly equipped to talk about beyond "it good, eh?" so thanks for showing me a whole new angle to a game it seems like I can't stop analyzing and absorbing to death. This was wonderful.
My favorite song from this game has got to be "Morning". Only 26 seconds long, but it's such a beautiful sendoff. Just a simple violin rendition of Timbre Hearth, with the implication that this new universe can be, if not your home, somebody else's. What an incredible game.
Me too homie. But I will point out that the instrument playing that song is actually cello, very similar to the violin but with a more deep tone and lower range that make it the single most beautiful instrument in existence.
@@cornifer5261 Thanks for the musical knowledge! I dont know much about instruments lol
@@cornifer5261 agree, the cello is my fav string instrument
Never cried so much watching an Outer Wilds video before. And I cry in EVERY SINGLE ONE of them… Good job man
1:46 i agree, the music in outer wilds is the most beautiful thing in the world. I think Outer Wilds is the best game ever made.
THIS VIDEO RULES AND I SWAER I'LL PLAY OUTER WILDS ONE DAY LMAO
ITS BEEN 7 MONTHS HAVE YOU PLAYED IT YET ???????
it's been 2 years have you played outer wilds yet
It’s been 2 years please play Outer Wilds
Fuck it, I'll join in on this 😄 Play it! Nah but fr, cool to see you in these comments. Your vids are dope.
Btw, the song that plays when you take out the warp core is actually "Final Voyage"! When I first heard it I thought it was "End Times", too but I quickly came to notice that it feels more intimidating, stronger, and turned out it was indeed a different song based on End Times.
I remember sitting down outside listening to Timber Hearth. I closed my eyes to enjoy the music and visualized being on the planet again. What I came to realize was that I was actually visualizing Andrew playing the song. I could literally see his fingers running across the strings when it makes that rubbing sound during the opening section. I had been listening to so much rap and lofi that was clearly made in a beat maker I forgot that people actually PLAY music on instruments. I am now borrowing my dad's guitar and trying to learn to play that song. I have made some progress on TLOU theme but the first couple notes of Timber Hearth have evaded me, but I don't want to give up. I have also returned to a lot of old rock music and jazz that I enjoyed as a kid and just get lost in the act of performance, it's something a lot of modern music lacks. I can't visualize a electronic music, but I can with a guitar/piano/drums etc.
This video is fuckin great man, holy moly
After hearing about all the praise this game received for the past 2 years, I finally picked up the game 2 weeks ago. Here I am now, still in awe of the game and desperately trying to hold off playing Echoes of the Eye because I know I can only experience it once.
I envy you so much, I wish I could play for the first time again! take your time you wont regret it
Same. I dipped my toes into echoes but now im hesitant to dive into it. A big part of me wants to wait for a VR headset to play echoes with the VR mod so I can have the absolute maximum immersion, yet theres a deep yearning to continue exploring
Same, I heard so much good and ended up impulsively buying it with no backround info. Absolutely loved it and now I'm sad!
There is only one thing I can say “It’s tempting to linger in this moment, while every possibility still exists. But unless they are collapsed by an observer, they will never be more than possibilities.”
If you haven't finished it already, just be aware that Echoes is quite a different experience. First half is similar, if a tad unnerving cause it plays with light. Second half however, that I genuinely struggled with because it's scary and I am a coward.
As someone who listens to American Football / Andrew Prahlow on repeat, this is like Christmas. Great Video. Thank you.
Of all the video essays and analyses of Outer Wilds out there, I think I connected with yours the most. Even after playing the game, I still find myself listening to the soundtrack to relive the emotions I felt while playing the game.
When I hear End Times, it's like the game is telling me, "Time's up. But hey, you had a good run, right?" It somehow informs you of your inevitable death, yet it also comforts you at the same time.
The first time I heard Final Voyage, I had the stupidest smile on my face. It's like for some reason, I understood what the game was trying to tell me. It's like it was telling me, "You got this! You figured it out! You're almost there!"
Anyway, I just wanted to ramble about this masterpiece of a game. Great video btw.
You talking about that tight feeling, that anxiety and trying to play it in a hard time. Struggling to start it and missing a connection until it finally clicked. I relate v well because I've gone through that loop (heh) as well. And just like you I also, always had that feeling that I would one day come back, conquer my anxiety and fear and finally see the end. I ended up doing that and I feel like your video is definitely one of the best I've seen about Outer Wilds.
the thing that really got me about outer wilds ... is how everything felt unstable. planets all spun super fast, and you were always connected to a planet somehow, so even if you were in a single room, your sense of orientation always felt like it was moving. then the more I thought about it, the more I realized the earth is kind of the same way (albeit way bigger, much more reliable & not rotating nearly as fast). it gave me a huge sense of existential dread that no game, or piece of art really, has ever given me.
Outer Wilds is very special to me. I played and finished it last year a day before my grandfather passed away. We were extremely close and he was the closest thing I ever had to a dad. Now, every time i here music from the Outer Wilds, I think of him, how much I love him, and how much I miss him. Hell, I'm crying right now as I write this lol. This is a great video man. Very well done. Thank you so much for making it and sharing your experiences with one of the best game sever made.
This video kinda summarised everything I love about Outer Wilds music, except the bit about midwestern emo which I’ve never really heard. The music and the game cannot be taken apart, they are 2 components that can’t be separated. When I look at an image of Outer Wilds I think of the music, when I listen to the music I remember everything I played during those tracks so deeply. This is most apparent with Timber Hearth, Castaways (which cemented itself in my mind permanently after the interloper grave which was even mire tragic than Dark Bramble), and Travellers and End Times. I will never hear Travellers and not be transported back to that campfire at the end of time, and End Times instantly evokes a memory of floating in the void with just my spacesuit, watching a grand display of beauty in a lonely world. And you know what? I’m also transported to lonely nights looking at the stars with music I love so much playing in the background.
My favourite music ever
This game and this soundtrack is just perfect. The nostalgia and the emotions evoqued by the songs will always have a good place in my mind
2:17 genuine psychopath behaviour right there
As someone who has a master's in ludomusicology, the part about you not liking video game soundtracks hurt me.
I haven't really seen a video going through the actual music of Outer Wilds. I really enjoyed your connecting the music to the midwest emo genre and mood. The analysis of the timbre of the different songs were great as well!
Really good stuff!
"ludomusicology" I had no idea we already have a field dedicated to this study! I love it! Video game music is definitely one of my favorite parts of games.
It’s impressive how much this album emotionally resonates with so many people, for so many diff reasons. Defo one of my fave albums (and games) of all time
The importance of the music in this game cannot be overstated. It almost spoils other games in that it underscores how often music ends up being an afterthought, or not as thoughtfully integrated into the experience.
Great video, subscribed.
This was a beautiful video. As somebody who doesn't know anything about music beyond 'This I like' and 'This I don't like', this was such an interesting watch, the marriage of theory and sentiment.
The base game OST and the DLC are amazingly good, it’s uncanny how well scored this game is. I simply cannot listen to 14.3B years later or Travelers Encore without crying a bit. And both Ash Twin Project and Into Shadow gives me the chills.
This game is indescribable in its entirety so I appreciate videos like this that focus on a single aspect and show just a fraction of what makes this game so, so special.
Idk if you still check comments for this video, but it brought me to tears multiple times. I've always considered the music to be one of the most underappreciated aspects of the game, because there's just so much essence to it, like you perfectly articulated in the video. Thank you for spreading so much love to such an incredible piece of art
Reading the title alone I knew what you were going to talk about. And I couldn't be happier with your explanation of the soundtrack's purpose in the game. I subscribed
15:22 This moment felt so weird. I loved how the music sounded there. It was reminding you that the world was about to end even tho you were in the inside of that place. That's why the music has that effect inside Dark Bramble.
The base game music is really good and the dlc and music also bangs. Echoes of the Eye is my stuff
I clicked on this as a massive Outer Wilds fan because the name of the video reminded me of The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die. I dis not expect this to go into an actual discussion on midwest emo and post rock. The soundtrack had such a profound effect and it's so nice to see someone who appreciates the genre and the game dive into it. Great video dude, just subbed and can't wait to see more!
At risk of sounding like a sound byte from a Jacob Geller video, I also recently finished Outer Wilds and still think about it a lot. Super happy to see you cover it.
This essay was phenomenal, thank you so much for making this and expressing it the way you did with the focus on the music. I am a musician whose favourite game is also Outer Wilds so this really hit with me
This was one of the best outer wilds video essays I've ever watched. Seeing the title I never clicked on a video as fast as I have with this one as not only is outer wilds on of my favorite video games ever but The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die is one of my favorite bands ever. Its like I was meant to see this video, thank you.
‘Let there be light’ is quite honeslty one of the best pieces of music i have ever heard. That moment is truely something i will treasure for my entire life. Thanks for being able to express my love for this game in an area that i found difficulty in doing so.
End Times and Final End Times invoke something that I can't explain well. A mix of serenity, hope, and existential dread, just like the game itself. Echoes of the Eye's soundtrack is stellar too btw.
You perfectly put into words why I love this soundtrack so much. Aside from the emotions attached to the game itself, I fuckin love Midwest emo, and synths so much
I’ve watched a handful of videos reviewing/discussing outer wilds and I couldn’t believe none of them were mentioning the music at all. The music does so much for this game.
Absolutely fantastic to see a video on one of my favorite games of the last decade that was such a joy to play. This video was so nostalgic to watch and its great you were able to take so much away from this game and its soundtrack.
I've completed this game multiple times and seen so many reviews but I've never seen a review that went in depth about the music. Usually Andrew Parhlow's music is mentioned as a compliment to the game in reviews but no one has ever talked about how and why it makes the game impactful and I thank you sir for covering it.
Please play and cover the game's dlc echoes of the eye. I think the music in the dlc offers some interesting things to discuss.
Oh I LOVE this! Hearing the music in one of the teaser trailers was what convinced me this game was going to be special and I am constantly amazed at how much it still managed to surpass my expectations. Awesome video, loved getting a new perspective on the game
Yes! Yes! Yes!
This is an amazing game and the soundtrack is what turned it from great gameplay and story into something wonderful. Sometimes I was just flying around for 22 minutes and revisiting sites I already knew for their beauty and sound. And then, after 22 minutes when Endtimes starts I just waited for the end, trying to get a view on the sun, enjoying the moment.
The soundtrack is one of my favorites to listen too, and whenever I do start the album, those first notes on the Banjo just make me smile. Andrew Prahlow really created a masterpiece here!
The best way I can think to describe the title track is the feeling of leaving home for the first time.
More or less the epitome of bittersweet, it's equal parts sombre and comforting.
You bid farewell to your friends and family on Timber Hearth they all wish you good luck as you head out to "The Wild Blue Yonder" for the first time.
The Outer Wilds, if you will.
Going out into space for the first time is equal parts scary and exciting.
Just like leaving home for the first time.
The title screen captures those emotions so perfectly for me.
Andrew really did something phenomenal with the soundtrack, I know it's one that will stay with me forever.
This is really interesting to me because I’ve been having the same experience you had with Outer Wilds. For some reason I feel guilty about not playing it even though it made me anxious? I think this video might be what pushes me to play it. Thanks Mitch your vids are great.
I remember writing a bit of an essay for outer wilds but just stopped midway. This is a nice motivator. This game is just truly one of a kind. The music, the atmosphere, everything about it just makes me feel so...hopeful.
You can't tell me to stop at the spoiler section when the video is this good Mitch!
I finally was able to watch this video and what a wonderful examination and reflection on the incredible ost of a staggeringly beautiful game.
You've managed to perfectly explain why I love this game, I am quite literally in tears rn. It's something I can go back to, it's like home. It has been 2 or 3 years since I beat this game, and I still come back to it when I'm sad, or angry, or bored, just to float around, maybe orbit the black hole in brittle hollow, or vibe with Gabbro for a bit. I'll never get the feeling of the first playthrough back, but I will always enjoy coming back.
Very nice video, the music is definitely something that deserve it's own attention. Also, love the TWIABPAIANLATD reference!
This is probably my favorite video essay on outerwilds so far. I love that you focused on the homely vibe of the music and explained why it resonates so deeply. The section on the ending made me cry, I’m gunna go replay it for the fifth time lol
Those 20 seconds of the finale always give me frisson and brings me to tears, what a powerful moment! what a great video man!
I've been recommended various video essays on Outer Wilds, and they are all great. Such a great community brought together from this game's work.
Didn't expect specifically an analysis on the music, but a welcome surprise.
Outer Wilds is by far our favorite video of all time. Really enjoyed this video!
I beat Outer Wilds last night. And this morning, I was listening to the OST, and I didn’t really know why the soundtrack specifically dug its hooks in me-- but you gave voice to that.
Thank you.
Excited to watch the rest when I get to the game! Think I'll be moving that up to the top of the list to play.
Everything you say makes so much sense. Whenever I felt lost in Outer Wilds, I would tune in to Gabbro and listen to him play. I latched onto him a bit, partly because he is the only other person stuck in the loop and partly because he, like me, plays a woodwind instrument. Knowing that he was there, on Giant's Deep, not too far away, always gave me a sense of calm
I love how your videos consistently make me reevaluate how I look at games. I look forward to every one.
Very good video and opinion 🥂 I started the game 2 years back, and played it around 30 hours before my laptop fried. I recently reinstaled it, with the DLC. This game is a master of details. Is so simple and yet it has layers upon layers of understanding, lore, multiple simple mechanics that in conjunction make super huge mechanics....that you don't even interact with. I am so fortunate I couldn't finish this game and to forget half of what I played !!! I immediately started the game and looked down at my feet...and before I put my space suit on, I saw our little hatchling astronaut has his coat stitched. This is the most simplest and emotional experience that happened to me in a video game. Everything in the beggining is wispering you that you are about to uncover the biggest universe mystery, and yet you come from a world and a culture so simple, so lovely and so childlike. I will get back and watch the spoiler part of the video after I finish this masterpiece
That bit about the music creating a sense of yearning for a place that you may not have even been to is something I got really strongly from the soundtrack of Unravel. Of course that game does it with much more traditional Swedish folk music, but the effect is the same. They even have a name for it, "vemod".
The Music was what started my curiousity for the game, specifically the Song 14,3 Billion Years, i just had to know why it made me feal the way it did, even before playing the Game, now after playing the base game and only putting my toes into the dlc, i know what i fealt in that song. After finishing this Journey i fealt a great sadness, yet appreciation for what is yet to come.
Same. Came across some reel on insta few months ago and felt instant nostalgic feeling for some reason. I knew at that moment i will have to play the game, and that it will leave great impact on me :)
Andrew's score is definitely what hooked me on the game, even way back in the pre-alpha days when they released a demo on their website.
Traveler's Encore as part of the DLC made me fuckin cry...the beautiful sad alien string instrument hit me in the core. The deep innocence and beauty of it really struck me. I go back to that song every once in awhile to instill that same beautiful feeling.
The whole concept of being able to find your friends and hear their song no matter how hard and dark and scary your journey got...was so deeply touching and profound to me. I love this game so very deeply.
I agree with literally everything you said in this video. I fell in love with this game's music the second the main menu loaded up. The moment I heard the main menu song I knew it was special and I knew it would be special to me. I never knew why some of the songs in the soundtrack connected with me in such a strong way, but I think that you worded it perfectly. So, thank you for this video and thank you for putting you interpretation out here for all of us.
I hope one day I can overcome my anxiety (and fear of heights) and play the whole game. I did 3 runs. The 1st was the only I got to 22min, the other two just desperately dying in space. Awesome video once more.
What a banger week for video essays haha. This RULES. I've been thinking about this game's OST a lot, but you put so much of its beauty in context in the best way.
(Spoilers below)
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I'll never forget finding the ATP by accident. Removing the Warp Core, the music kicking in, and suddenly - I realized within seconds that I was out of my depth. It was like a little nudge from Prahlow: "It's not time yet, but it will be."
So I put it back. Spent the rest of the game looking forward to hearing the rest of it in all its glory, the other themes pushing and pulling me along.
And finally... that triumphant last run, the new rendition of End Times... perfection.
This is the first time I’ve heard someone get there early but that’s such a cool and unique experience! It took me longer than I am proud to admit haha but cool the song could do that for you in your own way
One of the things I'll always love about OW is the breadth of different experiences players had; discovering things at radically different junctures, creating their own narratives, yet still bonding over the underlying themes. It's honestly a masterclass in design, and it blows my mind that such a young team produced it.
ngl i started tearing up right as soon as the video started. this game means so much to me n the already fantastic music just hits even harder cause of that. as another big midwest emo fan myself, i had no idea prahlow was influenced by that, but man does that make a lot of sense now.
I had a similar experience with outer wilds. It was intimidating at first and I couldn’t get around to it, until I found the soundtrack on Spotify and started listening to it. The soundtrack made me want to finish the game, and I’m so glad I did. Great work on this video, I loved it.
Did you really have to make me cry at the end (amazing video, thank you)
Just finished the game and was watching videos essays about it, yours is really touching just like the game, really in love with this soundtrack and to know how it was thought about to really fell the way im felling just make it more precious...This game and this music will be in my heart till the end of this universe and till 14 billions to the next one...thank you
I have been waiting for a video like this. I don’t listen to any other game music than this and it really makes the experience special.
One of my favorite things to do towards the end of the game, was to fall through the black hole and just drift farther away from the edge of the universe, until I could see every planet against the backdrop of all the dying stars, until I could listen to everyone playing together in the distance, aware that they cant hear eachother, that they dont even know theyre all playing in time, and just listen and watch the beauty of it all as my air would run out and the universe would fade away
The montage at the end was holy! Thanks for that.
I have never played Outer Wilds or really paid much attention to it at all quite frankly. However, watching the non-spoiler part of this video has definitely made me want to play it all the way through if I ever feel like actively playing games again!
Midwest Emo kid here too. Grew up in Salem Wisconsin. I love the music in this game. When I first installed the game I sat and listened to the opening song for a half an hour. It was late at night when I first started playing the game and the stars were out and when the music started playing I felt a massive amount of nostalgia rush through me.
I had a slight understanding of why the outer wilds soundtrack made me feel so much. This put so much more depth to it. She'd a few tears by the end from full realization. Thank you.
While other essays have mentioned the soundtrack before, this is the first time I see a video that is explicitly about the ost and its place in the game. I believe the fact that people who dont usually have ingame music on decide to have outer wilds' music turned on is a testament to how good of a job Prahlow has done.
Thank you for emphasizing the music, it means so much to me and always eases my existential dread
I have not watched the whole video yet but I just needed to comment about the music. Traveler's theme hit me like a sack of bricks and nailed in this melancholic vibe for me that made me feel so small in this ending universe. I'm prone to emotion in video games and normally I can get teared up at a heartfelt scene but that song, when I went and got the sources to play in tandem made me break into an actual cry. There is something so beautiful about that arrangement that grips an emotional part of me in a way very few ever have. The composer was absolutely brilliant in his work.
I have not finished the video yet but man that title alone is very impactful and I love this game
Fantastic video on a fantastic game with a fantastic soundtrack. This is a game where every part matters is an equal part of the whole. Completely agree about the final statement.
Chills at the last scene, well done.
Now, you never mentioned the DLC. I hope you experience that as it somehow matches the base game, soundtrack and all.
I grew up in the mountains where bluegrass music played by the local radio station was always on, everyone knew everyone, and sitting by a campfire on a cool summer night was an ordinary occurence. This game connected with me on a spiritual level.
You explained the feeling extremely well. Thank you for making this
I have seen this video multiple times and cannot express how much it means to me
GOT DAMN. What a beautiful video. Really loved you using your music knowledge to cover this wonderful game. Big love dude
The way you show kind of how the different tracks of the game build the last tracks, it reminded me one of my favourite album (maybe same kind to Panic! and others) : Mariannas Trench 's Masterpiece Theatre. All the tracks make a patchwork in the last track, with a feeling of overview, calming big picture.
By the way, great video, thanks for sharing your interesting thoughts :)
I first played Outer Wilds during my first semester of uni, in 2020. As you can imagine, due to the pandemic worsening here in the UK at that time, it was a very isolating period of my life. This game gave me a twinge of hope, but I still to this day can’t listen to some tracks, like ‘Space’ or ‘14.3 Billion Years’, without breaking down a little bit inside. What a masterpiece of a soundtrack.
This game really is more than the sum of it’s parts which is very nicely portrayed with the different instrument creating the song of the universe
Great video. I too had a little trouble getting into the game. I can't really tell you why, but I had a similar "moment" when I became hooked. Thank you!
Felt a shiver down my back and dropped a tear :C
Holy shit the outer wild soundtrack and midwest emo are two of my favorite things so it blew my mind when you made the connection. Love that
Outer Wilds was the best game I played in 2021, and one of my favorite games ever. It's a diamond in the rough, and definetly deserves more attention. I get so happy that people are still making great videos like these even almost 3 years after the game's release.
The music from this game has been given such power. Hearing that end of loop swell up in a video essay at the right time says paragraphs without a single word
The final run music is fucking GOLDEN. It's the same song you always hear when times up, but you can immediately tell that somethings different, that this is the last chance you get.
Yo dude this makes me cry, because i love this video and game so much. Good job 👍
Great band, great game - can't listen to the soundtrack without inconsolably crying. I knew this game was special simply from that menu music. A lovely detail is that the logo breaks apart over the course of ~10mins much like Hollow Bastion