Stealth Struggle - Outer Wilds DLC pt.5 (2021-10-08)
0The stealth sections in the game are a complete slog. I’ve been finding it so frustrating that there don’t seem to be any distinct indicators for where the Owls are or where they’re facing. I think that’s one of the key elements that make stealth mechanics work in games. They eschew realism for distinct, knowable, manageable behaviors and mechanics that the player can utilize to get through an area. While I certainly understand the need for mechanics outside of the player’s knowledge and control to drive an emotional response (done especially well in Sundered), typically those types of systems in reality have a somewhat minimal cost for failure. With Echoes of the Eye, you can lose 10-15 minutes of time pretty easily. Strangely enough, the base game chose the knowable/manageable route with the Anglers - once you know how they work, it’s pretty easy and consistent to pass by.
I figured out that the strategy that I used for River Lowlands could also work for Cinder Isles. Taking actual handwritten notes and keeping a timer handy (to plan around the Tower collapsing) ended up helping a lot. However, even with me bypassing the stealth in that area, it’s still like 11-12 minutes of work per attempt just to have 90 Owl-free seconds to sprint the entire way to the Slide Reels and only be able to watch one of the three before the sun explodes and the loop restarts. Of course, it helps if you actually can execute that whole routine without making any mistakes - I had to restart a few times and wasting that much time to miss a 90 second window feels terrible.
At the end of this session, I had one more Slide Reel to reach before hoping Hidden Gorge’s stealth sequence wasn’t as agonizing as Cinder Isles.
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