I find myself drawn to games that try to redefine video games or ‘break the mould’ as they say; games that push the very limits of our imagination and perform things that we just never could have envisioned. Hello Game’s new FPS survival game, No Man’s Sky is looking to embark in directions that gaming has never gone before.
No Man’s Sky’s game world is a scaled version of our galaxy; thanks to an in-game algorithm, there are 18 quintillion potential worlds for players to discover — that’s right, quintillion. It would take you 5 million years to visit each planet. The universe is so big that it’s mathematically impossible for humanity to visit every planet within our lifetime. While it’s geared as an open-world multiplayer experience, Hello Games reported that it’s unlikely you will be able to run into anyone, considering the size of the game. While there has been a lot of speculation on whether or not Hello Games can deliver on such a grand scale I am confident that not only will they deliver but they will blow minds in the process.
It’s All About The Details
Everything is taken into consideration here, if the planet’s closer to the sun it will be hot and lifeless. If the planet is further then it will have a colder climate. Certain planets are more dangerous than others; if you land on a radioactive planet you won’t last long. Travelling across the galaxy will be seamless, with no loading times so whatever you see in the distance, you can go there. Zipping to the centre of the map can take 40 hours real-time and you have to balance the logistics of fuel and cargo in order to reach your destinations.
Discover and Name Fauna
With such a large selection of planets, there’s also equally diverse inhabitants. If a player is the first to find a species, they will get to name their new found discovery. When other players eventually land on that planet and see that animal, the name will appear as what the previous player called it. This will be interesting to see what lifeforms we can uncover. Expect some criteria to what’s acceptable to name your species — don’t expect to run into any creatures with too colorful a name. Sorry all you pre-pubescent pimple farmers… no Ass Kicker, Panty Muncher (well, this might escape the filters), Don Kee Puncher, or, well you get the drift.
Chart Your Own Path
Traverse the open ended universe on your terms; meaning there’s no central story. Instead, Hello Games have created a deep enough world for us to create our own adventure. Some may want to boldly go where no man has gone before, others might want to hunt exotic game, the choice is up to you. With such an expansive sandbox at your fingertips, it’s a virtual nightmare for completionists. While there are other players exploring the galaxy, you may have very limited interactions, but where the community comes into play is when reaching a new planet thats already been found, it will show the players name who found it first and give you vital information about what you’ll find on the surface.
Upgrade Everything
The universe no doubt will be filled with peril, in order to successfully survive encounters in unknown systems, you will need to upgrade. You’ll collect resources that will upgrade your ship, weapons and suit. Ships will vary in types ranging from small stealthy crafts to full blown battleships and you’ll be able to land on trading posts to restock.
When it’s all said and done, No Man’s Sky is looking to revolutionize the sandbox experience, creating a seamless universe that will let us depart on a boundless space odyssey. No Man’s Sky launches June 2016 for PlayStation 4 and PC.