It’s a game about exploring. There is a mystery. There are puzzles. Not much spoon feeding to even find either let alone ‘make progress’. The game expects you to explore to find answers. There is no penalty for dying (it is actually inevitable) other than the time it may take to get back somewhere.
this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2023
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I think I'm wondering if there is more story line or action at some point? I don't need the story spoon fed to me, but a hint of which direction to go, what sort of thing to do next would be helpful. I guess I'll just keep looming around and dying often and see if anything else happens.
Have you tried just surviving? There'll be a pretty obvious hint after some time passes
Not sure what that would be like. Just standing still? When does the fun kick in? I've died and respawned about 20 times so far. I'm good to keep trying, if there's some payoff eventually, as you said.
Well I guess knowledge is power, and power is kinda fun. There's a reason many people say this game is special.
If you don't feel the game right now, that's ok, you can keep it on your list for later. But please avoid spoilers like the plague.
Explore and be curious. Have you visited every planet? Have you been using the ship logs when you're not sure what to do next?
The game is 100% about exploring and learning about the world.
I had to 'fight' at the beginning as well, but after eventually progressing and ultimately finishing the game I can tell you it was one if the, if not THE best experience I've ever had. To this day certain parts soundtrack of the soundtrack make me tear up when I listen to them.
That being said you really need to want to understand the game in order to complete it. I don't think it's a mindless experience that you can just have on while watching something else on a second monitor. If that sounds like a game that you might like I absolutely recommend sticking with it!
I see. Ok, I'll keep that in mind. It seems I need to be more involved myself as I continue to play. Thanks!
It sounds like you're a little bit into it. If at this point you are not curious about the Nomai or why you keep dying and finding answers to those questions, then you should stop playing. The game might not be for you. Because it tells a non-linear story and if you don't care about the story then there's nothing there for you.
That being said, my experience with the game was heavily influenced by recent loss in my life and playing it helped me process my grief. Naturally that is a highly personal experience. But there was one point in particular where I read one bit of text and the realization of the implications just made me sit there and cry until I died.
But I was fully invested in the story. If that isn't important to you the gameplay alone isn't going to carry it.
It sounds like you keep dying early on in your runs, which might be keeping you from seeing the main thing that is going on in the game.
Very Minor Spoiler
The sun is dying and is about to go supernova, you will die in about 20 minutes, even if you don't get yourself killed via dumbness. Your job is to figure out why you keep respawning, why you get to keep your memories when you respawn, what is causing the sun to go nova, and how to stop it.
You should primarily be using the console inside your ship, which keeps track of the web of information you've already learned and helps you figure out where to go next. A lot of the game is using the translator to read ancient writing, so if that's not your thing it may just not be for you.
Actually major spoiler ::(
I mean, it's the main mechanic of the game, and happens in the first 22 minutes of the game. I would not describe that as a "major spoiler" but it is neat when it just happens suddenly.
I didn't mean to offend. But what's a minor spoiler for some might be a major spoiler for others, which is the case for the OP. It'd be pretty sad to miss out on the "when it hits"-moment
Well, OP was talking about putting the game down, in which case they never would have seen it anyway. I'd rather someone know it's coming and stick with the game than not know about it and stop playing
It's definitely interesting but it's totally okay if it's not for you. I really didn't like it personally but it's a bit disappointing when everyone and their mother is recommending it saying it's the best thing ever.
Honestly, the game might not be for you. I had a similar experience with it. I kept thinking it would change up a gear at some point but it never does.
Floating around in that ship and reading bits of text is basically all you do.
Hmmmm.... ok thanks.
I've given it three tries as everyone was raving about it. Just didn't click, guess just not my game which is fine. So perhaps it's not your game either.
Yep, fair point. Keeping this in mind.
You got enough feedback I think but just to add: yeah use ship log, and the game is absolutely incredible. One of my top three of all time. No, there is never any action in the way you prob thinking about it.
I bounced off the game originally too. There’s a lot to take in (and I never quite mastered the spaceship), but once things start clicking it’s an unparalleled experience.
I.... huh. OK. I guess.
Where have you visited so far? Usually I'd think you've encountered something other than the ship within a few hours, and most of the things you can encounter should give you ideas as to what else to explore. Have you literally only floated around in the ship, or is that a way of saying that the things you've found aren't interesting to you?
Mostly the latter. Let's see... I fell into the sun, got eaten by a huge fish, drowned in some water, suffocated on a moon with no atmosphere (and figured out what the suit is for). And just plain gotten my ship into a place it couldn't escape from, mostly by getting stuck in the trees on my home planet nor far from the launch site. But I did talk to the guy on the Attlerock (is that the right name?) who whistles. I guess that's something.
Really, these all just seem like random encounters and I am not learning anything yet. I get the "keep exploring" idea, but I would think there would be some sort of clue by now what I am looking for or why, but everyone I talk to is all, "keep exploring".
Use the ships log computer to give you an objective. It should have some areas filled in now from your exploring. Find something to do from there.
Once you start blasting off with an objective it becomes so much more fun.
You haven't been playing wrong, but the transition from aimlessly exploring to "going out on a mission" is something that loses people.
Talking to people and examining writing will usually drop references to a couple of other places to explore, or to unanswered questions that are worth looking into. Even if they seem minor, these almost inevitably lead to putting together pieces of the larger story, regardless of which pieces you start with. I don't specifically remember what whistling guy talks about, but it sounds like that's the only potential lead you've found so far. It's certainly possible to make progress without ever talking to him, via all kinds of things that can be independently stumbled on, but if you haven't found anything else I bet revisiting his dialogue will give you an idea on where to search next.
(Okay, I checked the wiki and can confirm that, while Esker is not the richest source of new options in the game, his dialogue does include instructions that lead to new threads for you to pull on)
Ok but wow, then those are some subtle hints. I'll start paying way more attention to what people tell me. Thanks!
You haven't visited the ruins on the attlerock it sounds like. That should probably be your next step. They are on the other side of the moon from the whistling guy.
Gotcha, thanks!
Personally I hated the game the first couple of hours before I discovered the autopilot, because I was dying too often too achieve anything interesting. Then I discovered it, and then actually learned to fly, and since then I just loved the game. Maybe consider if you might be in a similar situation, or if maybe it's just not your thing!