A lot of people remember No Man’s Sky marketed as a visually beautiful game that didn’t need to focus on a plot and promised an open space exploration. It was conceptual, and the novelty of exploring an infinite number of planets grabbed people almost instantly. Unfortunately, many also remember how the game failed to deliver due to issues like graphical problems and lack of features. At one point, the game had one of the most negatively reviewed games on Steam, until today.
To mark No Man’s Sky 2-year anniversary, Hello Games released a free update titled “NEXT” which they say on their release log is “an important next step on our journey,” and it is proving to be the case. For the past few days, the story of this game has been turning from failure into redemption.
The “NEXT” update
I’m all for single player games, but having an infinite number of places to go to with limited things to do alone does little to diversify the game. Thankfully, the “NEXT” update introduces a multiplayer feature, which lets players explore and build a base together, or fight each other to survive.
Speaking of bases, players can now build bases in any planet with an additional selection of base parts to make way for creativity. The freighter gets an upgrade too, enabling players to assemble and upgrade fleets. Crafting also becomes more immersive on the sci-fi aspect of the game as resources used to grow more realistic.
The update also included several significant improvements and quality-of-life aspects such as the graphical details added to the landscape of planets as well as a better UI and a more efficient menu system. If that’s not enough, Hello Games has also planned to have weekly content and community events to be available for free without microtransactions after the release of the update.
Gamer reception
The events will start shortly after the update, but there has yet to be concrete news on what the events will be. Until then, the response regarding the update has been positive due to the massive improvements to the game.
As of this writing, the current overall review score of No Man’s Sky on Steam has now changed from “Mostly Negative” to “Mixed.” Players have also responded positively over Reddit, expressing how the developers are finally showing their intended vision for the game.
Also on consoles now
No Man’s Sky “NEXT” update was released on July 24, 2018, for PC and PS4. For others, it may be time to jump back in. If you haven’t played it yet, you can get the Xbox version which was also released on July 24, 2018, with the update. There’s also a Steam discount with 50% off on the title as part of “MIDWEEK MADNESS” and that offer ends on 30 July.
While it still has ways to go, the game certainly has more depth and potential than it was first released. Hopefully, Hello Games can ride this momentum.
YouTube: No Man’s Sky Next Trailer
Photo credit: All images and graphics used are owned by Hello Games.
Source: Sherif Saed (VG247) / Hello Games / Steam / Reddit
