LogFAQs > #979462685

The thing about Outer Wilds though is that it guides your experience a lot better. "There's more to explore here" meant that I wasn't doubting whether I was wasting time or not on something.

While you can skip the hard mode portion, there's nothing in the game that suggests it's optional.

And the idea that it turns from a puzzle into terrain is sorta true, but it still requires more focus to navigate than OW, with likely more unique inputs and more thought in how to get to where you want. I definitely shot past a floor that I intended to visit, partly because I forgot where it was, and partly because I was using the shortcuts the game provided me without thinking about the fact that I'd miss a key floor.