“Embark on an epic voyage to the
center of a boundless universe, and be the first to discover entire
galaxies teeming with life. Survive hazardous environments, where
alien civilizations seek their fortune and outlaws take it by
force...
...Your universe awaits.”
That's what it says on the back of my
newest game... No Man's Sky. Following lots of media hype, and a
terrible post-launch crisis, No Man's Sky is still standing, and
though it lacks many features promised by the developers, it's not a
bad game. Also, now that No Man's Sky is going to begin releasing
updates, players are calming down. I have been waiting since August
to get to play this, and it pretty much lived up to my expectations.
But what do you actually DO in No
Man's Sky?
Most of all one shoots rocks. Yup. It
is a game mostly based in resource extraction and mining. And now
that you can build colonies (recent update) it is a lot easier to
'Avatar'* the hell out of planets. So, now that I think about it, the
player isn't exactly a good guy. You can also scan and upload
planets, solar systems, animals, minerals, plants, and pretty much
everything you discover, and for that you receive credits.
What is the game LIKE?
Visually, it is quite alarming. Many
planets have bright neon grass, or glowing rocks. But there is an
interesting mixture of complex and simple graphics. Ships and space
stations have pretty basic textures, but planets have strange detail
and beauty. Other planets look just ugly.
Would I recommend it?
Honestly, maybe not. I really like it.
But it is a game that can be hated or loved by really similar people.
It is a slow paced and calm game that requires a lot of patience. It
is not a war game. So if you are expecting that, don't bother.
However, if you enjoy naming things, running away from weird animals,
and accumulating rocks, this is the game for you.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
The ending sucks. You have been
searching for the center of the galaxy for a REALLY LONG TIME, and
then when you finally get there... you are mysteriously pushed away
from the center with increasing speed, and have to start all over
again in a crashed space ship. I can't say much about the story line,
because I haven't actually finished. For that just look it up on the
wiki.
Rating time!
Overall, even though it is simple, No
Man's Sky, WAS made by fewer than 16 people, which is TINY compared
to Halo, or Destiny, each of which was made by a team of more than
300 people. Plus, No Man's Sky is being updated regularly. So it will
change, hopefully for the better. Overall, I give this game 4 stars.
Hey, remember that review I did of the
Early Access version of Subnautica? Well the game is almost
officially out. If you want me to do an updated review, or even an
update of the early access one, please say so.
