It should be noted that I had purchased the PC version released August 12th as opposed to the console versions which released on August 9th. Because of that, my experience playing the game may’ve slightly differed from those who played on console.
“No Man’s Sky” is a highly ambitious sci-fi survival game that has been in development from Hello Games for the last couple of years. After consistent delays (mostly as a result of the actual game studio being flooded TWICE), many were starting to lose hope that the game would ever be released. But lo and behold, it has finally come. So, did this game live up to all of the hype?
No. But that isn’t really the fault of the developers. Hype trains are an interesting double-edged sword because it can usually make or break a game in the eyes of most critics. Hello Games, though having promised several elements that were never fully realized in the final release, did as much damage control as they could to set realistic standards for the game. While many believed the game to be a vast multiplayer experience with never-ending layers of activities, Sean Murray subtly denied some of these features being in the game over time.
One of the key features of “No Man’s Sky” is that it has over 18 quintillion planets to explore. Yes, 18 quintillion. No human on Earth will ever be able to fully explore everything this game has to show. Certainly one of the most ambitious features I have ever seen in a game in my life, and an admirable one at that. Unfortunately, that is where the interesting aspect of this game ends. Other than the 18 quintillion planets to explore, there is really nothing much left this game has to offer.
The combat in this game is lackluster. If you’re looking for an action game, look elsewhere. Hell, even if you’re looking for a challenging survival game, I’d say there are better ones out there. For every genre of game that exists, I could safely say there are probably better options out there in each category
“No Man’s Sky” is essentially an advanced walking simulator in space. Though there are survival elements, I truly never found them to be challenging in the slightest. It is one big repetitive process of finding resources on a planet, flying off, landing on another planet, rinse and repeat.
However, that all being said, I did find my experience with the game mostly enjoyable. “No Man’s Sky” is a fun experience that really can’t be mirrored by many other games in the industry right now. But it is a fun experience for a very selective audience. If you are the kind of person that just wants to explore, then this game is for you. Despite some of the negative things I had to say about the game, there is no denying the awe of discovering interesting locations that maybe no other player will ever see. There is a certain sense of wonderment about the game that sticks true to the idea of space travel and all of the mysteries that may be hidden in the ever expanding universe.
I only recommend this game to people who are looking for a chill experience, those that just want to explore. But for everyone else, there are better games out there for what you may specifically be looking for, other than exploration.
