Almost five years to the day ofNo Man’s Sky’s original release, the game is completely unrecognizable from what players first saw in 2016. Not only hasHello Games implemented promised featureslike multiplayer that were absent from the original launch, but the developer has continued to add new content that keeps players coming back, and draws in new fans every day.
With new features having come toNo Man’s Skyas recently as June’s Prism Update, there is always something new to discover among the several quadrillion planets that was a selling point for the original game. While the released version of the game didn’t match up with what players had originally hoped it would be, now is the best time for apprehensive onlookers to finally take the dive into the near-infinite expanse the game now offers.
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No Man’s Sky’s Beta Phase
It would be impossible to look at how farNo Man’s Skyhas come without first examining how this whole five-year experience started. The best thing most fans say about the 2016 version of the game is that what launched was closer to a beta orEarly AccessNo Man’s Skyas opposed to the final product Hello Games intended to create. This era of the game is mired by promises for procedurally generated unique planets and multiplayer, with the uniqueness quickly wearing thin and the title being solo at launch.
On top of broken promises, this period of the game also came with tons of bugs and a severe lack of things to do, with little reason to keep playing outside of flying through random space and discovering new worlds. There was little in the way of missions or objectives to keep players invested outside of the more intrinsic desire to explore space. However, it doesn’t do too well to dwell on this section of the game’s history, as eventually the Foundation and Atlas Rises updates gave players a reason to exploreNo Man’s Sky’smany planetsand play with friends.
Travelling No Man’s Sky’s Galaxies Together
Considering how longNo Man’s Skyhas had multiplayer, it’s hard to believe there was ever a time when the game was only available to be played solo - even if two people managed to find the same planet at the same time. Now, players can do anything from hunting downNo Man’s Sky’s special shipstogether to racing against each other from star system to star system until they find the center of the galaxy. To cap off the ability to fly around and experience the majority of the game in multiplayer, the eventual inclusion of the Space Anomaly has given players even more ways to play together.
Nexus Missions are some of the most rewarding activities for players to interact with, giving more items, units, and nanites in exchange for more difficult tasks. While these missions are generally more demanding than the ones players can find in regular Space Stations, they are also given the ability to join other players to combine their efforts and finish them faster. Then there isNo Man’s Sky’s daily currency quicksilverwhich can only be earned through these Nexus Missions, giving players more incentive to play together.
A New Storyline Among No Man’s Sky’s Stars
As far as incentives to continue playing go, the additions made from 2017 on did a lot toadd a story toNo Man’s Skythat gives players another reason to continue moving forward. A new mystery has been added to the Euclid galaxy where players start their game, and it is up to each Traveler to hunt down and find the source of these strange occurrences. Some of the twists and turns are obvious or cliche in different ways, but the major emotional beats do resonate as players uncover the fates of the friends and allies they earn along the way.
Along with the main narrative, there is also a much deeper backstory built into the three races that propagate almost every star system known as the Gek, the Korvax, and the Vykeen. This new lore, and even some extra stories brought from side missions like the ones created by the base terminals, help flesh out theliving world ofNo Man’s Sky. There are points where some of this storytelling falls short, especially with how closely the alien races follow their own stereotypical characteristics, but it still adds a new layer to engage with outside of flying aimlessly through space.
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New Companions To Adopt, Ride, and Take to the Skies
One impressive recent addition came withNo Man’s Sky’s Companions Updatein February 2021. This update added the ability for players to adopt up to six creatures from different planets, some of which can be ridden as a mount from world to world. Altogether, this has given players a whole new outlook on the procedurally generated creatures that inhabit each planet, with each one being a possible pet or sturdy mount to ride across the ground or sky.
Later on inNo Man’s Sky’s Prisms Update, which arrived this June, new creatures were added that can fly and be ridden. This means players can ride some of their alien pets in the air, flying away from sentinels and cutting over rough terrain instead of through it. When it comes to taking living creatures into the skies, there are few things that can top the Living Ships that offer their own unique version of flying through space in a creature that doesn’t necessarily follow the player’s commands, but adheres to suggestions.
No Man’s Sky’s Newly Altered Economy
Another section Hello Games completely changed recently is the newly enhanced unit economy thanks to the addition ofmaterial mining inNo Man’s Sky. Among other ways to quickly farm units, the ability to mine hotspots on different worlds has given players ways to quickly earn hundreds of millions of units, essentially opening up access to late game content for new players after roughly a dozen hours of playtime. It makes diving all the way into the game and engaging in the same type of content that veteran players are working with easier for new players, inviting them to keep coming back.
After all of these updates, additions, and expanded features, there’s never been a better time to get intoNo Man’s Skythan in 2021. While the initial launch is still a lesson in hype and overpromising for developers, Hello Games has spent the last five years getting the game to its current state. Better still, it doesn’t look like the latest update is expected to be the last, and there are always interesting new things likeNo Man’s Sky’s Living Shipsand special multitools to keep players engaged.
No Man’s Skyis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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