It was primed to be one of the biggest games of the year on PS4 and PC, but sadly No Man’s Sky left many video game fans with a bitter taste in their mouths. Actually, the game was even the target of a false advertising claim in late 2016, and also got into trouble earlier for allegedly making use of a patented formula without permission…
And according to most critics this failed to deliver the all-encompassing space exploration and combat experience its creators Hello Games had promised, meaning No Man’s Sky surely ranks as one of 2016’s most disappointing games.
Fortunately though, Hello Games has endeavoured to improve the game, releasing several small and not so small patches for the game over the years. Actually, a big update in March 2017 added all sorts of new features including planetary vehicles and 4K support, while 2016’s Foundation Update added a comprehensive base building component to the game.
But all previous updates pale in comparison to the recent NEXT update, which is such a throughout overhaul of the base game that it should almost count as a sequel.
For starters, the game is now fully playable in both first-person and third-person (both on foot and when riding vehicles), meaning players will now be able to enjoy their exploration of the galaxy in whatever point of view they prefer.
Another big change is that the way the game generates planets has been reworked too. This means that planetary environments (such as cave systems) should now be more diverse, meaning that one of the biggest complaints many had about the original (planets not being different enough that is) could now be a thing of the past.
Aside from planet diversity, No Man’s Sky NEXT should also look quite a bit better thanks to new graphical effects like tessellation and a more vivid colour palette too.
Also, the game’s much touted multiplayer side (which was largely absent from the original when it launched in summer 2016) is now a reality, and you’ll be able to explore No Man’s Sky universe with friends or go after other players for fun and profit as well…
Add to this character customization, hundreds of new base-building components, and several in-game gestures to communicate with others in multiplayer, and it’s likely that this update will be bringing a slew of new players to No Man’s Sky for sure. Actually, according to PC Games Insider the PC version has already seen an influx of players, with the number of concurrent players on Steam surpassing 50,000 hours after the update was launched.
Despite the breadth and wealth of this update though, it’s hard not to forget that it has taken Hello Games almost two years to deliver something close to what was promised at launch in 2016, so it’s likely many who bought into the company’s space epic back then have not forgotten what a mess the original game was at launch, while this is also still selling at full price on Steam despite it being a 2-year old game at its core.
It’s better late than never as they say though, and given that Hello Games is now also planning weekly updates for No Man’s Sky for the coming months, it might just be time to dive into this sci-fi epic video game if you’ve been one those players sitting on the fence regarding whether to make a purchase until now.