No Man’s Sky reached and achieved something that has never been done before. To create an entire universe with 264 (18,446,744,073,709,551,616 for those without a calculator handy) unique planets, each with their own unique plant and animal species all available to visit and explore is a feat that deserves immense credit and acknowledgment. Based off of that number it would take 2,526,951,200,000,000 years to explore the entire universe if you spent an hour on each planet, and even if you spent a mere second on every planet in hopes of seeing them all you would still need 584,942,410,000 years to see them all. No Man’s Sky is quite possibly one of the largest games ever created.
Yet despite this, players are continuously complaining about the universe that they find themselves in. While some of the complaints are valid, like the limited inventory system compared to the core mechanic of resource collection, some don’t seem so. One of the most prevalent complaints is that while there is a huge universe to explore in, there isn’t anything to actually do. Multiplayer technically exists, but since all players start on a random planet the chance that you will meet someone is infinitesimal. Crafting is limited to upgrading your ship and combat as a whole seems woefully underdeveloped. However, this would all seem grossly problematic if these were the key points of the game. The fact of the matter is that No Man’s Sky is not a game about building a galactic empire or becoming a starfighter pilot. It’s only about venturing the grand abyss that is presented before you, delving into the mysteries of an ancient civilization left behind, or learning about the animals or flora of the countless worlds. The game at its core is about exploring. You are, for better or for worse, a faceless creature that moves from planet to planet, leaving a legacy of names that no one will ever see.
No Man’s Sky is an incredibly unique game. Not only due to its universe that it created, but with the feeling that it leaves us with. Contrary to most games, No Man’s Sky does not make you a grand hero. There is no kingdom for you to save, no super powers for you to exercise in the name of justice. You simply exist, one small piece of an incredible universe. The amazing part is that it’s not until several hours in, when you’ve explored a few planets and looked at the map that you really begin to realize your situation. You will never explore a fraction of these planets. Even if by some chance someone sees a planet that you named, they won’t care, disappointed that someone managed to beat them to the discovery. No actions that you take within this game will ever matter to that universe. It is a depressing thought, that nothing you will ever do in the game will matter. Video game nihilism at its finest.
This is still only a piece of the puzzle, though.
Why does a single feeling that No Man’s Sky produces to make the game so spectacular? There is a vastness in front of you, threatening to swallow you up.
The realization that you are never going to explore this vast universe before you. It strikes a chord, something deeper than you thought a simple game would. Then you realize that you’ve felt it before, whether it be a fear, a thought, or a known acceptance. You will never explore the earth in its entirety. You are only a single body inhabiting a small space and even if you tried. Even if you spent every waking minute exploring the earth in attempts to gleam all the experiences you could… you would miss it all. There is not a word in the English dictionary that can accurately express this feeling. So I turn to the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, a compendium of invented words written by John Koenig. The word is Onism (n. the frustration of being stuck in just one body, that inhabits only one place at a time, which is like standing in front of the departures screen at an airport, flickering over with strange place names like other people's passwords, each representing one more thing you'll never get to see before you die and all because, as the arrow on the map helpfully points out, you are here).
That is how No Man’s Sky stands apart from other games. Not from a technical standpoint. That will surely be something that other studios replicate in the near future. The feeling onism, that is something that will make it stand apart indefinitely. It is an able reminder of what the universe holds for us to explore, but also one that reminds us of our limits. This is not a game to play if you are looking to find glory for yourself, this is not a game to show off to your friends. It is an experience made only for you. Only you can enjoy the sights and wonders that are presented before you. Sure, the article may make the universe sound bleak and empty, but if that’s the final take away from it then you missed the point. The game is a chance to find something truly unique to your experience. It’s your journey, and that’s what the game is trying to convey.
Now get out there and explore.
Here are some links to some sights I found helpful or amusing while writing this article:
http://www.redbull.com/us/en/games/stories/1331793645482/no-mans-sky-for-pc-and-ps4-statistics
https://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/08/26/exploring-18446744073709551616-planets-mans-sky/
Special shout out to The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows whose youtube channel is found here:
