Out There: Oceans of Time
- May 26, 2022
- Mi-Clos Studio
- 34h median play time
Travel the cosmos trying to stop, potentially, the end of the universe.
Get on Steam"Out There: Oceans of Time" is a space survival game where you explore a procedurally generated galaxy as Commander Nyx. The game features a new oxygen management system, class skills, consumable items, and various ways to explore maps. Your mission is to find the Archon, a powerful villain threatening the galaxy, while encountering and interacting with alien lifeforms and building a coalition to defeat them. The Redshift Update brings new expedition types, overall difficulty balancing, and more.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features improved graphics and a more polished approach compared to the previous version, enhancing the overall experience.
- New gameplay mechanics, such as ship management and expeditions, add depth and variety to the gameplay, making it more engaging.
- The game captures the essence of exploration and resource management, appealing to fans of the original Out There: Omega Edition.
- The game suffers from frequent crashes and save issues, leading to lost progress and frustration for players.
- Many players find the gameplay repetitive and tedious, with a lack of meaningful challenges and engaging narrative elements.
- The writing and character development are criticized for being bland and uninteresting, detracting from the overall experience.
- story82 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it unengaging and poorly executed, often describing the characters as unlikable and the plot as shallow or nonsensical. While some appreciate the initial concepts and potential for branching narratives, the overall execution feels repetitive and lacks depth, leading to a sense of frustration rather than immersion. Players express a desire for more substantial storytelling and character development, as well as hopes for future updates to enhance the narrative experience.
“Quite a neat story/narrative on a grand, epic scale.”
“It provides an intriguing story with a great initial resource management system, however, it at points turns into a chore just to finish the story.”
“I enjoyed the storyline of this game.”
“The story makes no sense at all, and frankly I don't even get it.”
“This sequel, unfortunately, not only lost all the charm of the first, but added clunky unnecessary unappealing 3D characters and a story that failed to capture my attention.”
“Things I don't like: dropping the original's comic book style, the morale system is an unnecessary chore because the characters are void of personality, the character writing is really bad (apparently this game's dialog was written by a professional screenwriter, but you wouldn't know it), the character models are ugly, the planet models don't look near as cool or varied as they did in the original, planetary exploration is repetitive, the labyrinthine star path you have to follow feels arbitrary, the story is generic space opera stuff... but the core of this is still a resource grinding game so there's little narrative depth or a conflict.”
- gameplay60 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Gameplay in the game is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the new ship management and expedition mechanics, while others criticize the repetitive and monotonous nature of core gameplay elements. The user interface is streamlined, but bugs and occasional softlocks detract from the experience. Overall, while there are enjoyable aspects, many feel the gameplay lacks depth and challenge, leaving a sense of wasted potential.
“The expedition mechanic is a really fun addition to the game.”
“It is simple and relaxing, with gameplay being straightforward.”
“Better graphics, more things to do, and the added expeditions mechanic really gives the game more weight as well.”
“The game is riddled with bugs, is incomplete, is poorly developed (major last minute changes leaving incomplete/broken core game mechanics in place) and frankly it's both a) totally unchallenging and b) a boring slog of highly repetitive, pointless endeavors as you go back and forth through the same game loop chasing the plot.”
“Character progression is nonexistent as you complete the game with characters at level 2, with none of their skills or classes adding anything to gameplay.”
“The gameplay is slow, what I've seen of the writing is bland, and the UI is clunky.”
- graphics31 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the detailed planets and vibrant animations, while others criticize the overall quality as mediocre and not meeting modern standards. Many appreciate the game's ability to run smoothly on lower-end systems, but there are reports of graphical bugs and performance issues, particularly during specific gameplay scenarios. Overall, while some find the visuals appealing, others long for the artistic style of previous titles in the series.
“I really tried to like this game, so let's go with the positives: the graphics are great.”
“The graphics are great and it all works very well on my Steam Deck!”
“The graphics are gorgeous and the gameplay is familiar enough.”
“Graphics are mediocre but functional.”
“Graphics are less cartoonish and stylized, but can't cope with today's standards, feeling like a huge downgrade.”
“Lots of bugs, boring gameplay, and poorly optimized graphics.”
- music11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it atmospheric and pleasant, others feel it lacks the impact and flair of the original soundtrack. Many appreciate the music as a nice background element, but some express a desire for a return to the original compositions, suggesting that the current score feels dull in comparison. Overall, the music is generally seen as a decent accompaniment, though not a standout feature.
“Music is atmospheric and fitting.”
“The game has nice graphics and music, and these issues are fixable.”
“Music is nice; I'm no connoisseur on game music, however, it's pleasant to listen to.”
“The music and sounds are just dull in comparison to the thumping swagger of the originals.”
“Seriously, could they not just release a modded version with all the original music and sound effects?”
“This game doesn't have the elegant simplicity of the original game, nor the artistic and musical flair, but for all that, this is still an authentic out there experience.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and unfulfilling, with players feeling that resource collection detracts from the overall experience. Many find the repetitive nature of tasks, such as anomaly hunting and planetary exploration, to be a chore rather than an engaging element of gameplay. Overall, the grinding mechanics are criticized for lacking meaningful rewards and narrative depth, making the experience feel more like a burden than an adventure.
“It can become quite grindy, but once you find the capital ship, it's rather breezy but repetitive though.”
“You quit the game - you lose all your grindy repetitive progress.”
“The original game is about getting home & grinding resources because you have to, this game is about saving humanity (or something) & exploring, but with no straightforward objective & expecting you to enjoy grinding resources & taking care of your unlikable crew for the fun of it.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including visual glitches, frequent bugs, and unresponsive mechanics, which can lead to lost progress if players need to restart. Many users recommend waiting for patches before playing, as the current state is described as frustratingly unstable.
“The game has visual glitches that require you to quit to the title screen to fix, but if you didn't save your game, you lose all your progress!”
“As you might expect, there are a metric ton of bugs, from freezes to non-working buttons.”
“It's buggy and has several mechanics that are just annoying rather than being fun.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, optimization in the game shows mixed results; while some players report smooth performance at high frame rates, others experience significant bugs and subpar graphics. Many users agree that further optimization is necessary, particularly to address performance issues and enhance gameplay experience.
“No performance issues, running at a buttery smooth 144fps. The lowest mine has dropped is 90fps, with graphics on the highest setting, and it's only happened briefly.”
“It's better than it was before in the beta, but could use a little more optimization.”
“Lots of bugs, boring gameplay, and poorly optimized graphics.”
“The game really needs a performance update, ASAP.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Otoe is effectively crafted through random events that evoke feelings of dread, wonder, and helplessness, complemented by a fitting and atmospheric soundtrack. The game captures a moody essence reminiscent of its predecessor, Out There, enhancing the experience with themes of existential struggle and body horror.
“In Otoe, the random events that happen when you jump to a new star do a great job of setting the atmosphere of the game — the dread in the face of the unknown, the wonder of the universe, the helplessness of flinging oneself into the void using utterly inexplicable alien technology, and the struggle to tread the fine line between functional and lunatic, mixed with a healthy dose of body horror.”
“The music is atmospheric and fitting.”
“I was a huge fan of the original Out There for its moody atmosphere and depressive protagonist.”
“I was a huge fan of the original for its moody atmosphere and depressive protagonist.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Users indicate that the game lacks strong replayability due to the accessibility of all content from the start, diminishing the incentive to replay. However, there is a suggestion that assisting different races could potentially lead to varied endings, which might enhance replay value.
“And since you have access to it all, there really was no desire for replayability.”
“Perhaps helping the different races might lead to different endings and enhance replayability.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game largely stems from its absurdly small ship inventory, which adds a comedic element to the gameplay experience.
“The ship inventory is hilariously small.”
