No Man's Sky: Review

No Man’s Sky was promised to be a lot of things when it was announced back in 2013. Some saw it as a remarkably ambitious project that could be a game-changer. Others saw it as a game with a ton of empty space and little content to sustain itself. After spending countless hours with the game and seeing a lot that it has to offer I can safely say it was undoubtedly worth the wait.

Exploring the Universe

No Man's Sky starts off with a showcase of every planet in its vast universe. Each is displayed as a star and each is clustered together to form a galaxy. As it pans over the colorful universe for nearly 5 minutes you begin to get a sense of just how big the game really is. It's the kind of scope you've only read about in sci-fi novels and heard explained in movies, but instead of reading words on a page or listening to an explanation from a character, it springs to life itself on the screen to show you just how gigantic space really is.

After the impressive display of the universe a fade to white occurs and before you know it you find yourself standing on one of the many massive planets. You realize your ship is broken from a crash and you must fix it in order to leave. This is where the game does an excellent job of teaching you how to survive in its world. With the goal of fixing your ship you get a sense of how mining, crafting, and exploring work. You must walk around the planet’s surface to get a feel for your surroundings. As you do this you start to notice that each plant, rock, and substance on the planet is made up of an element that you need to fix your ship. You mine these elements and take them back to your ship for repair. Once you have the elements you’ll learn how to form them into cohesive parts. It’s a complex system with a lot of intricacy and depth.

When you leave the atmosphere and see the enormity of space for the first time it is truly breathtaking. For me, this will be one of the most memorable moments in gaming. Taking in the vastness of space and knowing that you can travel to any part of it is a harrowing feeling, one that is not easily forgotten. It is rare that games have these types of awe-inspiring moments, but No Man’s Sky has many like that. At this point you are free to do whatever you like. The beauty of that promise is that it allows the game to adapt to a various amount of play styles. For example, I decided I wanted to become familiar with the different elements to be a trader and make money, so I landed on a planet and started mining away. I sought to know how each element complimented one another and see what I could craft with them. I then decided to check out an outpost where I could trade the material for currency.  Its activities provide adaptability.

Space Pioneer

 Although you can play how you want, mining and crafting is at the heart of No Man’s Sky. This is how you will make money, upgrade items and equipment, and overall survive on the extreme conditions of various planets. Personally, I do not like mining or crafting in most games. I think it takes way too much time and by the time you’re finished you still don’t have what you need to build what you want. Luckily that isn’t the case in No Man’s Sky. Because crafting is so vital to how the game operates it makes it quick and easy while keeping it fun and engaging.  I will go out seeking to find specific material just to pick up multiple elements I didn’t need just to see what I could do with them. It’s a blast learning all the different recipes and combinations that elements have. The further I explore the more I find, and the more I find the more possibilities that open up. Mining is a large part of the game, and it is hands down the most fun I’ve ever had doing it.

The game isn’t just all mining though. There are various outposts on and off the planets you can visit where you’ll meet aliens who run them. This gives the world a sense of history and lore. Each alien you meet has a unique encounter with you. While they don’t speak English you are encouraged to try and decipher what they are telling you. Depending on how you react you could gain favor with their race, or end up being disliked and become less favorable in their eyes. It is really quite dynamic. In order to speak their language you must find monoliths scattered throughout the landscape of each planet. This helps flesh out the universe of No Man’s Sky in a distinct way and gives its world a feeling of life out among the stars.

Although there is a narrative in the game it’s sparse and isn’t forced. The main goal is to get to the center of the universe, but it keeps that more as a backdrop allowing for your creativity and exploration to take first place. It does do a neat job of moving you through certain points. It is only there if you want it, but it is presented in an intriguing enough way that it makes the journey worth the effort.

There is still so much to touch on. There is space and ground combat which offers many different outcomes and intense firefights, blueprints and recipes to seek out that teach you how to construct certain items and gear. There is also a visor that allows you to scan each being or fauna on the planet that will allow you to name plants and animals. You can also name planets and solar systems. Because the game is near endless there is a constant stream of things to participate in and learn. If I started playing the game a year from now I would still be learning new things and finding new secrets to try. It is just that enormous.

The game does so much right and makes all of its activities super fun and engaging while mixing an unparalleled sense of adventure. There are only a handful of issues that sometimes bog the experience down. There is the occasional bug or glitch. Nothing major, but it is noticeable when it happens. Most games this size have a ton, but No Man’s Sky was polished considerably before launch, which is astounding for a game of this size. There is also a bit of a lack of variety in some of the animals, plants, and planets. While each is procedurally generated and different from each other, the same assets are used giving a similar look to some things. Not a huge issue, but an issue worth mentioning. The only other issues I can think of is the possibility of the game getting a bit repetitive and there is not quite as much combat as I was expecting. While the dogfights in space are grand and intense, the on planet combat leaves a bit to be desired. Shooting feels tight and responsive although simple, but there aren’t enemies roaming the planets to fight aside from the sentinels and the occasional angry animal. Most of the time you only engage in combat if you shoot first. I personally didn’t find any of the issues detracted too much from the game, but they do make the game a bit slow and repetitive when they do occur.

 Verdict:

No Man’s Sky is the kind of game sci-fi fans have only dreamt about. A game where one could not only explore space endlessly, but where one can exist in a universe that is as big, if not bigger than our own. It draws inspiration from many big games like Minecraft, Mass Effect, and Destiny, but uses that inspiration for a sci-fi experience that feels more epic and personal in scope. It is similar to some, but unlike all games. It is an incredible experience and one that offers an infinite amount of content. As soon as I put the controller down I instantly want to start playing again. It is that great! It will be hard for me to pick up another game in this lifetime knowing that No Man’s Sky is sitting on my shelf waiting to be explored. That is one of the highest marks of praise I could ever give a game, and No Man’s Sky takes that claim proudly.

9/10

Written by Kelton Rice