r/outerwilds • u/Pancwake_UwU • 14h ago
DLC Appreciation/Discussion DLC question
I've read a few posts about this but can't really find a definitive answer.
I'm about halfway through the game (according to my playtime anyway, which is 10h), and I just learned that the game has dlc.
I've seen that the dlc is integrated into the main game, but also that its seperated from the main game. So I assume its one or a few new planets added to the base game which have their own disconnected story.
Now I see a lot of people saying that you can both play it seperately, or play it with your main playthrough. But since Im already halfway through, I feel like its better if I wait to beat the game, and then buy the dlc, as to not disrupt my current experience with suddenly new planets.
Would that be the best way to go about it? Can I just reload my save if I beat the game and do the new content?
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u/Qwerty1418 14h ago
Yeah, it's pretty normal to pick up the DLC right after beating the base game. Just make sure you play on your finished save file, since your log can slightly affect some stuff in the later parts of the DLC.
Some people also like to recommend starting the DLC right before you actually go through with finishing the base game, which can also work fine.
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u/finny94 13h ago
I feel like its better if I wait to beat the game, and then buy the dlc, as to not disrupt my current experience with suddenly new planets.
I would personally recommend this. Though I have seen people have good playthroughs where DLC was integrated from the start. The DLC experience is very disconnected from the base game's mystery, and is basically its own thing, especially where gameplay is concerned.
Can I just reload my save if I beat the game and do the new content?
You can.
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u/tehfarmer 13h ago
You can continue on your existing save after finishing the main game.
If you want to make sure you avoid the DLC before finishing it (minor spoiler ahead): just make sure to not follow any clues related to the radio tower on Timber Hearth. If you accidentally stumble on the DLC, all I can say is you will almost certainly know it when you see it.
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u/altaproductions878 13h ago
If you listen to these people remember to beat the game again after doing the dlc as it does add some things to the ending
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u/HavocIP 13h ago
Totally reasonable. DLC is amazing but personally I think each should be done MOSTLY independantly so you have the clues/story for each fresh in your mind and not switching back and forth. The one caveat I'd add is that just before you beat the game, doing the DLC then might be the best call, but the problem is I cannot tell you when that point would be without spoilers lol 😅
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u/Sprite_SCD 13h ago
When you finish the game, your progress isn't lost, so I recommend playing through the main game first and then playing the DLC. I don't want to give away too much, so I'll just say:The DLC adds supplementary information to the main story; it's something that has always been there.
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u/Carcer1337 13h ago
FWIW, the DLC is integrated into the base game in that you don't start a separate DLC game or anything, but in such a way that it is extremely unlikely that you will stumble across it by accident; so if you want to get it, don't have any anxiety about it spoiling your base game playthrough. All you'd need to keep in mind is that the DLC additions show up on the bottom right of the log board in blue, so if you happen to find a clue that relates to it you know to put it off for later. And as others have said even once you finish the game you can continue the save and it just starts you off in another loop with all your progress intact.
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u/schumannator 13h ago
Either is fine. My preference is to have the DLC separate (it’s like extra OW in addition to my regular OW). But other people prefer to have it be included. And that’s totally valid. It’s still just as good. And it’s not my journey: it’s yours.
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u/ConflictAgreeable689 13h ago
I think the best thing is to get RIGHT to the end of the game, then do the DLC
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u/National-Bathroom-63 13h ago
The DLC is like a completely different game, but with some similarities in design philosophy and in the same game universe. Play it after the main game.
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u/steveirwins_2nd_son 13h ago
I just finished the DLC about a year after completing the base game. I used it as a way to jump back into a world I loved after the fact, and I think I would have enjoyed it less if I had played it's contents during my first playthrough. I would recommend playing the base game first, and then the DLC from your save. I don't think you're going to go super wrong either way though.
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u/SheepskinWulf 13h ago
It wouldn't be disruptive to own the DLC right now. If it goes on sale pick it up but otherwise I generally recommend to start the DLC after the main game.
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u/J-Zane 12h ago
Personally i played both simultaneously. If I got tired of the base game i'd work on the DLC for a bit. If I got tired of the DLC I'd go back to the base game. Personally I feel like it didn't affect how I experienced the story so it's up to you.
Luckily you have to really go out of your way to find the DLC area so if you buy it already your chances of encountering it are slim if you still decide to stick with base game.
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u/HawkSquid 12h ago
Owning the DLC will not disrupt your main game. You will get a tooltip with an explicit hint after installing it (basically saying there's a new thing you should check out), but you're unlikely to even notice anything unless you follow that trail.
However, as others have said, finishing the main game first works fine. That's what I did. I'd only buy the DLC early if it's on sale.
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u/True-Post6634 10h ago
You can play them concurrently, and you should play on the same save file. Some people will strongly argue to play them together, others to finish the base game and go back.
It's part of the same story, but a disconnected part, and the gameplay is very different, so I'm personally more in favor of doing it afterward. For me, it would have been an unwelcome interruption in the overall experience of the story. But you can also just see if you find it and explore it if you do 😁
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u/JoojooAbu 9h ago
Most start right after beating thr first game, but I think it could be a better experience if you go just before you finish it for the first time
Maybe. Idk.
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u/Gabbro-fan 6h ago
You won’t notice new planets suddenly appearing, if that’s what you’re worried about
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u/LateConsideration903 13h ago
Id say the best time to do it is either after beating the main game once, or just before beating the game. MASSIVE SPOILER YE BE WARN'Dbefore deactivating the ash twin project by taking it's core to the Nomai ship inside dark bramble
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u/BenKenJohnJones 14h ago
I personally waited until after I beat the game. I knew the DLC existed from the start but did this intentionally and I’m glad I did. The Outer Wilds solar system and story are all very tightly connected; you can’t beat the game until you’ve explored a majority of every planet. While the DLC story does connect to the base story in certain ways, it is basically a completely standalone story. I think playing both at the same time can be overwhelming and diminish your experience with both stories. Playing one and then the other allows you to completely focus on and immerse yourself in each individual story.