No Man’s Sky Review – Symphony Of Exploration And Survival

When I was playing No Man’s Sky, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was just a speck in the huge universe. The size of the observable universe is so vast you cannot even think about exploring the tiniest corner without running out of your lifespan.

No Man’s Sky is built upon the same ideology, with over a million planets and galaxies to explore. And just as the universe is constantly expanding, No Man’s Sky is growing larger than it was upon its release in 2016. But here’s the question – is it still worth playing? Let’s revisit and find out in this No Man’s Sky review.

Story And Setting

No Man’s Sky does not have a traditional story. Instead, you find yourself on an unknown planet with very few resources. The game begins when you come across a crashed spaceship, opening up various opportunities for exploration throughout the galaxy.

Exploration is the heartbeat of No Man’s Sky. It also weaves the game’s narrative by acquiring cryptic messages through these crashed vessels and venturing out to nowhere in search of your identity and purpose.

It gave me the impression that the Universe, despite being infinite and ever-expanding, remains empty, devoid of life and extraterrestrial interactions.

As you communicate and repair the crashed ships on the unknown planet, you gain insight into the alien races and other threats lurking among the stars. It’s like solving a puzzle as you explore a new planet and launch your recently repaired spaceship to follow mysterious coordinates from another planet.

Almost No Signs Of Alien Life And Interactions

I was more inclined towards the exploration and unlocking more secrets about game lore than anything else. The rich canvas of space slowly revealing itself was satisfying as I started jumping planets from planets and gathering intel on numerous lifeform possibilities.

However, I was disappointed to see planets without an Alien population or any hint of civilization except for a few wild creatures roaming around. It gave me the impression that the Universe, despite being infinite and ever-expanding, remains empty, devoid of life and extraterrestrial interactions.

Of course, there are a few Alien NPCs with whom you can interact to progress your mission or even trade for money. But for the most part, planets are unoccupied.

Gameplay

It’s a no-brainer that a game based on exploration would eventually have crafting and scavenging as its core game mechanics. the very first thing the game throws at you after waking up on a planet is a search for salt to refuel your radiation protection barrier. That’s just how the game goes.

As an exploration game at its very core, I have to admit, there were a few moments that blew my mind like revving up your spaceship and blasting out of the planet’s atmosphere to explore space. It was so chill and relaxing that I found myself doing it over and over instead of, you know, doing the whole farming and material extraction thing on planets to progress in the game.

How well the lightning and environmental details create an immersive experience, there is no doubt No Man’s Sky is gorgeous.

I wish there were more cool stuff to do instead of just grinding for resources and making sure your exo-suit has enough oxygen and sodium. The whole game is about exploring and collecting resources, and later on, you get to build your base.

Building a base in No Man’s Sky is pretty neat. Whenever you take shelter, your exo-suit fluids get replenished which is pretty convenient for someone like me who despises farming. It’s pretty funny that No Man’s Sky is sort of like a science-fiction version of Minecraft, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to unsee it now.

Constant Grind Can Deplete Players Of Ambition And Motivation

It seemed pretty clear that my main goal was to uncover the remnants of lost civilization throughout space. The game’s sheer size felt quite intimidating to me, and even after hours, it felt like I was just getting started. For some reason, you are always short on resources and the constant grind/farming can make you extremely tired or bored.

Thanks to the wild creatures roaming in the open area, they proved to be quite handy for traversal purposes since you could pet them with food pellets and ride them. That was cool and helped me long before I could acquire a terrain vehicle. 

Exploration is the heartbeat of No Man’s Sky. It also weaves the narrative of the game by acquiring cryptic messages through these crashed vessels and venturing out to nowhere in search of your identity and purpose.

I believe providing players with more freedom to choose their gameplay style would have made the game more enjoyable. For instance, allowing players to decide whether they want to document new species or embark on a star-faring adventure into unknown territories would have been amazing. Although you do have some freedom, the constant grinding and resource farming can get in the way of enjoying the game.

Every planet I land on seems like the same old thing. Rocks, critters, minerals, and then it’s time to get the drill out. I mean, it would be super cool if there was something different or just plain extraordinary in every planet or system. 

No Man’s Sky Ambient Soundtrack Is a Mood Setter

I was so surprised to see my favorite post-rock band, 65daysofstatic, in the soundtrack credits. That’s where I knew No Man’s Sky would not disappoint me with its OST and didn’t. The ambient atmospheric instrumental in the background while you are stranded alone on the planet is an amazing combination that I didn’t know I needed.

Visuals And Performance

There is a lot to say about No Man’s Sky’s graphical prowess. How well the lightning and environmental details create an immersive experience, there is no doubt No Man’s Sky is gorgeous. It even has a dynamic weather system that changes from day to night and sometimes, the sunrise from a planet far away will cast a shadow on your planet, creating a bioluminescent aura. Absolutely Stunning.

The stunning visuals and vibrant color palette showcase the immense size of the universe. Each planet and destination feels unique due to its distinctive geographic features. Some planets are shrouded in snowfall, while others have large bodies of water flowing through them.

Surprisingly Low Spec Requirements For Open-World Game

I wouldn’t stress about getting an SSD for No Man’s Sky because I can assume that you already have it. But if you don’t, I strongly insist on buying one and saving yourself a lot on loading time. SSD should be the norm these days so I wouldn’t blame the game for high loading times, especially after the visual overhaul it got recently. 

Other than that, No Man’s Sky runs surprisingly smooth on my PC, which boasts an i5 10400 with an RX 6600. These are slightly above-average specs for this game’s requirements, and I was constantly experiencing 80+ fps on the ultra setting without seeing any major drops, even at denser locations.

Verdict

In a universe that begs us to explore, it’s weird how little the game does with this concept. It mostly just makes players grind for resources. I’d still say the best part of No Man’s Sky is discovering new places and, to some extent, spaceship combat, which I’m not crazy about. It’s cool, though.

After all these years, No Man’s Sky is still a delight to play, especially when exploring and visiting new places with friends. However, those same resources require tons of grinding and farming, which is my biggest issue here and could potentially ruin your mood. It is somewhat of a laid-back experience that gets intense at times, but for the most part, I have a fun time in my ship cruising through the dark, uncertain veil of space.

And my No Man’s Sky review has reached its destination, while you are here consider exploring (pun intended) our other articles.

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