Ambitious effort that won’t be for everyone
NO MAN’S SKY is a game that has found it difficult to live up to the gargantuan expectations prior to its launch. Developed by Hello Games – a tiny indie outfit – No Man’s Sky is a thoroughly impressive feat of video game engineering that never truly takes off.
For all intents and purposes, you can consider the amount of planets in No Man’s Sky to be infinite. They aren’t, of course, but there are such a mind-boggling amount that you will never explore every single one in your lifetime. In fact, you would not be capable of exploring every planet in No Man’s Sky in a million lifetimes. The sheer number of possible variations of worlds and wild species is too large to fully comprehend, but beccause the variety is defined by a computer pulling from a restricted pool of options, animals appear more like slapdash creations than thoughtful constructions. No matter how immediately strange and amusing your first dozen encounters with nature are, these sightings start to feel rote after only a few hours.
Of course, the diverse biology isn’t the only pull factor present in No Man’s Sky. You can spend your days mining planets for valuable resources that can be sold to other traders in space stations, or can be mixed in order to craft simple goods and accessories. With your mining tool, you’ll spend hours tearing through rocks, plants and asteroids in search of commodities. Planets, however, are not guaranteed to have what you are looking for. Some will be barren landscapes, while others will offer bountiful resources. The majority of planets fall somewhere in the middle.
While there is a definite thrill in constantly upgrading your spaceship and making the journey towards the centre of the galaxy, there are a generous handful of issues in No Man’s Sky that very nearly spoil the experience. Chiefly, No Man’s Sky is – as almost all of us expected – simply too ambitious a project for such a small independent game studio.
Thankfully, the inclusion of a narrative in the form of the Atlas storyline saves No Man’s Sky from total failure and elevates it back to being a worthwhile and delightfully curious experience. As you continue to travel the stars, you encounter peculiar space stations housing two scientists. These individuals help you acquire equipment upgrades and can point you toward black holes or illuminate the path to Atlas stations.
No Man’s Sky won’t be for everyone. If you are prepared to enjoy everything this game has to offer while forgiving some of the less savoury aspects then this is a very worthwhile experience.