Outer Wilds rekindled my love for exploration. i used to explore a lot in games when i was just starting out, but my play style changed to more by-the-book because i didn’t find anything rewarding by exploring in most games. and over time i forgot how to love exploration. so when i picked up Breath of the Wild, i was completely paralyzed. as soon as i got off the Great Plateau, there was no path to follow. i set it down soon after that.

i heard Outer Wilds recommended to me a lot, so i decided to try it, even though i didn’t have much faith in my ability to enjoy it. but after my first few discoveries, it clicked. there are paths, so so many paths that i can follow. there was no more decision paralysis, and i went to try and follow them all. for the first time in a long time, i explored. i looked around just because. it didn’t take long for me to finish the game, and it was the best experience in gaming i ever had