No Man’s Sky Early Impressions
I’ve heard quite a few people are confused by the concept of No Man’s Sky and as I sit here waiting for the game to install and update, I thought I’d throw in my two cents about what I expect from this experience. This is going to be a game that drops you, alone, into the most incredibly large universe that is quite literally beyond the scope of imagination. Nothing will be handed to you; everything must be earned and managed. I feel like this is going to be the ultimate experience of sci-fi discovery and should make any fanboy of anything sci-fi drool. This whole ‘multiplayer’ aspect, from what I understand, is that everyone’s gathered information will all load into the Atlas and be accessible. I feel like everyone is going to come into this with a different sci-fi theme in mind and everyone is going to find satisfaction. So let’s see what happens when I set foot on my first of many planets.
6 Hours Later…
Having watched far too many trailers, I came into No Man’s Sky not realizing the importance of the ‘survival’ aspect. I started on a planet with a toxic atmosphere (consider it a way to get used to the environmental mechanics) with a jet pack and a broken ship. I learned quickly that inventory space is limited and it’s important to quell my RPG need to gather every resource I can see and focus on what is essential in the moment. Pretty much all of the essential gear was broken and in need of repair, but there was a great sense of pride as each bit of tech became operational due to the hard work of my own two hands.
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“I feel like everyone is going to come into this with a different sci-fi theme in mind and everyone is going to find satisfaction.”
I discovered which resources were critical (mostly isotopes) and soon enough my little ship was repaired and ready to take flight. Having explored a moderate range of the area around the ship while planet-bound, I was not prepared for the scope of the world once I could cruise through the air. I found myself lost, unsure of my next move. I logged the flora and fauna on the planet and enjoyed watching them just exist, thankfully none of them aggressive or carnivorous. I visited a few drop pods and abandoned stations, picking up a few upgrades but the time came to veer up into the sky and out into space. It was another milestone that left me in silent awe: seeing the distant planets in the system, the asteroids floating about, and turning around to see the gargantuan planet I had only moments before been cruising through.
My next planet was similar but still unique. The environment proved to be harsh, but the bright yellow and red sand dunes of my previous landscape were replaced with a radiation filled desert planet dotted with purple stoned tundra. This was where the meat of my experience came from and I encountered my first alien race. As I searched the planet for the coveted hyperdrive which would allow me to finally jump to a new star system, I discovered so much more. Ancient monoliths, ruins, knowledge stones, beautiful caves. It was easy to see how someone could stay on one planet for days at a time to take it all in. All the while I was constantly keeping a vigilant eye for the necessary resources to stay powered up and stay alive. The planets I have encountered so far feel a bit empty but they are, after all, harsh environments. The details of the landscape, the creatures, everything really is just breathtaking. I found myself scaling the towers of ancient ruins just to stop and look at my surroundings. You can’t get the same kind of appreciation flying overhead in your ship.
No Man’s Sky is not the game I expected going in. While some planets may seem bare they are loaded with hidden gems of discovery. You get this sense of being isolated in the universe, as if you’ve been plucked off Earth, given a few months of basic training and dropped on some hell hole, told to survive alone. It almost has a Firefly/ Chronicles of Riddick feeling in the sense that you are removed from civilization and making your own way in the universe by whatever means you deem necessary. With only six hours logged so far, I am positive of two things: I have not even scratched the surface of what I can do, and this game is going to steal my life as I try to unlock the secrets of the universe.
P.S. – Fingers crossed for Godzilla-sized alien monsters. One can hope.