No Man's Sky

 PlayStation 4
User Score
4.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 5473 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,123 out of 5473
  2. Mixed: 648 out of 5473
  3. Negative: 2,702 out of 5473
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  1. Mickael486
    Aug 14, 2016
    7
    This game is for a certain type of person that likes to chill and just collect things and who doesn't get entirely upset if something that seems a little unfair kills you and all that inventory you collected and what's more the inventory that you discard just to FIT the inventory that you've found because of such small inventory space...may get people annoyed. This game was changed at theThis game is for a certain type of person that likes to chill and just collect things and who doesn't get entirely upset if something that seems a little unfair kills you and all that inventory you collected and what's more the inventory that you discard just to FIT the inventory that you've found because of such small inventory space...may get people annoyed. This game was changed at the last minute to be more of a survival game but I think they went a little bit too far in that direction. And what's more is the fact that this game BEGS to be online with friends in space to find and yet there's none of that and yet they took what would have been a $20-$30 indie game and made it a full priced game at $60 was just plain wrong. Read all the reviews, not just the numbers and if you're still on the fence, I can recommend this game when it goes on sale at $40, tops. The game is a 6.5 right now and potentially can become an 8 with the right patches but who knows what they'll do. It's just a humble team of 10 developers.… Expand
  2. athorist
    Oct 20, 2016
    7
    Maybe not the game some people feel they were promised (I pretty much ignored the hype), but it's still worth a look, and the soundtrack is excellent.
  3. Ahlgreenz
    Aug 15, 2016
    7
    While this game had potential to be more than it is, it managed to hook me even though I've been down on survival games since the early days of Minecraft. I was initially hesitant to buy the game, even though I had been extremely hyped for it. The 60$ price tag seemed to steep for what I thought I was getting (mind you, I had watched almost no newer trailers because if I was going to playWhile this game had potential to be more than it is, it managed to hook me even though I've been down on survival games since the early days of Minecraft. I was initially hesitant to buy the game, even though I had been extremely hyped for it. The 60$ price tag seemed to steep for what I thought I was getting (mind you, I had watched almost no newer trailers because if I was going to play the game, I wanted to know as little as possible about it), but when my brother told me he had pre-ordered I jumped on the wagon too and I do not regret it.

    The sense of wonder this game offers you for the first 10-15 hours is astonishing. While it all is procedurally generated, some moments manage to stand out and leave you in awe, motivating you to push further into space to see what's next. Coming back to the procedurally generated nature of the game, it also sometimes leaves you with something that feels undercooked. A few times I tried finding and outpost that had no doors, or a marker leading me to something that apparently hadn't been generated at all. Moments like these take you out of the fantasy and makes it apparent to you that you are playing a procedurally generated game.

    If only there was something that could make up for that - and there is. The transition going from a planet and into space is seamless - you just get up into your ship and dart off, and it's amazing. When you warp to another solar system there is a pseudo loading screen where you'll see some yellow colors from the cockpit of your ship, simulating extremely fast space travel, when in reality you are not moving, but just loading the new solar system - but the illusion isn't broken and therefore it doesn't take you out of the space fantasy.

    The space combat is very simplistic, but that is 100% the way it should be in my opinion. Putting layers upon layers on top of steering the starship as well as operating the weapons system would add unnecessary hindrance to traversing the galaxies.

    The game has technical issues though. I don't know how many hours I have played the game for, I am guessing upwards of 30, but during those hours the game has crashed on me more times than Trump has gone back on his word (okay maybe that's an exaggeration, but you get the point) - I estimate somewhere in the late thirties/low forties.

    This game could have been more, and what's there may not be enough for the majority of people. but despite the shortcomings this game still has me hooked and I've spent a multitude of hours flying through space so far, and I definitely won't stop until I get the platinum trophy on PlayStation 4 (which I am close to).

    7/10    … Expand
  4. goliva
    Aug 16, 2016
    7
    This game is exactly what I was expecting, an exploration game. In the first hours I could find different aliens, learn words from their language, gather resources, sell and trade them making money to get more slots in my inventory and purchase a new ship plus creating different improvements that make my life exploring this universe easier.

    There are not loading screens and you can just    This game is exactly what I was expecting, an exploration game. In the first hours I could find different aliens, learn words from their language, gather resources, sell and trade them making money to get more slots in my inventory and purchase a new ship plus creating different improvements that make my life exploring this universe easier.

    There are not loading screens and you can just land in and land off anywhere, but in the negative side I have to admit randomization is not coherent... most things are weird or even ugly and hard to believe they could be real (not to mention physics) so I think a more controlled randomization would have helped to trust what I see.

    It is been taking a while to see planets different from the one I started, but seems it is possible, somehow, from what I could see in other player's media. I had no luck yet but I'm curious. Seems like I need to travel further by improving my ship.

    This game has a lot of potential but many people are complaining about it because they expected more combat, action, maybe even quests and a fast paced progress. It is not and was never expected it to be. You explore a vast universe, it takes time, it is slow… and rewarding.

    Hello Games already announced they will allow you to build things in future patches so, as always in XXI century, this game will never be finished and in continuous evolution.    … Expand
  5. rtkiii
    Aug 11, 2016
    7
    I want to LOVE this game but in the end it is just OK. The planets, to me, look fantastic. There is something to say about flying into a planets atmosphere and not knowing what you are going to see. Some truly cool moments.

    But the creatures lack that same randomness. Sure they are procedural generated and they are different...but only so slightly. I have seen the same dog/deer    I want to LOVE this game but in the end it is just OK. The planets, to me, look fantastic. There is something to say about flying into a planets atmosphere and not knowing what you are going to see. Some truly cool moments.

    But the creatures lack that same randomness. Sure they are procedural generated and they are different...but only so slightly. I have seen the same dog/deer type creature a ton of times and the only difference maybe the width of the creatures legs, or a fin on the back but 95% of it is the same. No lizards? No insects? I understand the creatures on the same planet could be similar...but I have been to 12 different planets in 4 different systems and this creature is on 75% of the planets. But I have seen like 4 or 5 truly unique creatures and when they come along it is a neat site.

    Then the gameplay loop of the planets. Land, scan, find "?", then create override key, scan for the four things everything. Goto sites...learn some words, create warpdrive...and go on to the next planet. The only variable in that process is if you will get attacked by 4 pirates at once or 5 :)

    I do enjoy this game...but I do not LOVE it like I was hoping.    … Expand
  6. Kaniya
    Aug 10, 2016
    7
    It is pretty obvious that the hype around this game was all about the scale that it offers to players. and yes it does deliver the scale Hello games was talking about. Its varied, huge, endless and it gives you the feeling that you are actually travelling the endless space.

    However when it comes to gameplay aspect it pretty much lacks lots of things and it is mainly due to the fact that    It is pretty obvious that the hype around this game was all about the scale that it offers to players. and yes it does deliver the scale Hello games was talking about. Its varied, huge, endless and it gives you the feeling that you are actually travelling the endless space.

    However when it comes to gameplay aspect it pretty much lacks lots of things and it is mainly due to the fact that after a couple of hours the game feels pointless. You start as explorer, only quest you can officially squire is to find center of galaxy. other than that you are just another traveler. There are no other quests that you can obtain. The game is all about exploring planets, gathering material and upgrade yourself in outposts through the galaxy. This feels good for a while as you start to feel more powerful through your journey but in some point it comes to mind what is the point of becoming powerful when there are not any obstacles on the way ? such as small quests, boss battles and so on. Or even some story related quests. Atlas pass and star battles are interesting for a while but they become boring as there are not story and questing aspect in them. So it all comes down to a lonely pointless game! and the reason behind that is that 1. It is a single player but it doest set itself as survivor or an action game, its lost in between because from both of those genres it lacks relevant content! (e.g no quest, no building houses and so on) 2. second reason is that it seems it was not a good decision not to have multiplayer ! you cant complete with others, you cant explore with your friend, you cant do anything with your friend. Only because of this two reason it is easy to understand how much the game is missing in terms of gameplay content.

    just imagine if you could have build space outpost, houses on planet, meet your friends and so on. It would have been amazing. and I hope Hello Games think about updating game with this sort of content. NMS is such a gorgeous game, fantastic visuals, amazing variety and huge scale that is overwhelming at first. but shortly after you will realize its a small game.

    Finally, I believe that NO MAN SKY is a product of technology, a test engine that shows you what future games can hold and how big they can be in scale. other than this unfortunately NMS falls into category of a average game and it is shame to see this has happened to a game that holds an amazing potential in itself.    … Expand
  7. ulukaj
    May 18, 2020
    7
    Edit 05/2020: Much much better game now. Hello games has done a good job repairing the damaged mechanisms and listening to fans feedback. Although the game is far from perfect, it is finally very playable and as a paying customer you no longer feel scammed. Well done!

    Old review: Very similar case to Elite (which I still take as a scam and thus a clear 0/10). I understand what might    Edit 05/2020: Much much better game now. Hello games has done a good job repairing the damaged mechanisms and listening to fans feedback. Although the game is far from perfect, it is finally very playable and as a paying customer you no longer feel scammed. Well done!

    Old review:
    Very similar case to Elite (which I still take as a scam and thus a clear 0/10). I understand what might have been the purpose, yet the actual game.. Well it's not a game. It is an interesting and maybe promising concept alas absolutely out of the reach of a present technology. Such project requires enormous computing capabilities to deliver a truly playable and enjoyable experience. In vast future filled with quantum computers NMS may be given as an example of what our generation had wanted to create but was limited by very ancient technology (simple Turing machine principle). Therefore one simply cannot appreciate NMS as a computer game. I also dont agree presenting this "technological concept" to a broad public as a game. And there is absolutely no excuse for that in creating a "very sophisticated algorithm" for a full price. If an engineer wishes to create and design complex algorithms his place is either at a uni or private company willing to pay him for such activities. But to cover his programming ambitions for high complex algorithms with a creating and selling a computer game it's an inexcusable deception and should not be tolerated. Awarding this weird 'procedural generation algorithm' project 1/10 is therefore a completely and utterly deserved in my opinion.    … Expand
  8. mhay78
    Aug 12, 2016
    7
    7 out of 10, so far.....

    I've put 13-14hrs in so far so not a lot by any stretch of the imagination. Do you like fast paced shooters, lots of RPG elements and interactions with NPC's with branching dialogue? Yes? I do as well but No Man's Sky doesn't exactly have much if any of these elements. After my 3 days of gameplay I'm still in my starting solar system, yet to venture out    7 out of 10, so far.....

    I've put 13-14hrs in so far so not a lot by any stretch of the imagination.

    Do you like fast paced shooters, lots of RPG elements and interactions with NPC's with branching dialogue? Yes? I do as well but No Man's Sky doesn't exactly have much if any of these elements.

    After my 3 days of gameplay I'm still in my starting solar system, yet to venture out into the wider galaxy, so what are my impressions....

    Planets I've visited in the main are varied (hot to freezing cold, empty to packed full of life). As I'm still in the same solar system I'm not expecting to see massive variation in animals but I have been surprised by a small world I'm on now and how much life and variation of life there is.

    NMS has very little if any hand holding, you are on your own in this universe after all and the game (for the most part) leaves it to you to decide what to do when, in what order and to work out how to do it.

    Sunsets, vistas etc can look stunning,

    The day night cycle in my opinion comes around to quickly but I guess that may vary dependent on planet and spin speed?

    The lights (for night time exploration) on your Exo suit are naff and light up about half a meter in front of you .
    So far I've established that one of the NPC races hate the sentinels which are AI/robots that patrol the universe, there's lots to do if you want to farm minerals, trade, explore planets, learn alien languages.

    However as much as I'm enjoying it I would say....

    If you only have 30-60min to play this is not the game for you. you need at least a couple of hours to get anywhere per game play.

    While I'm enjoying the exploration and options to do what I want, trade, steal cargo etc. at the moment from what I've experienced this could become repetitive further down the line.

    I'm not sure what this universe has in store for me but I'm eager to find out.

    Recommended but it's not for everyone ( I prefer this to Fallout 4 though)    … Expand
  9. FogCityRoller
    Oct 27, 2018
    7
    My original review is 2 years old and based off the disastrous release this game had. I am impressed by how steadfast Hello Games has stuck to a title that was so mercilessly critiqued as No Man's Sky. They have continued to improve the game, add substantial content that players actually wanted, and released it all for free. It's admirable in that respect. I have played it since then andMy original review is 2 years old and based off the disastrous release this game had. I am impressed by how steadfast Hello Games has stuck to a title that was so mercilessly critiqued as No Man's Sky. They have continued to improve the game, add substantial content that players actually wanted, and released it all for free. It's admirable in that respect. I have played it since then and found it vastly more enjoyable than the first iteration. I still think it has some of the same flaws centered around procedural generation, but I consider those realities of technological limitations rather than a failure on Hello Games' part.

    The lesson to be learned here is do not boast about a technology before realizing it's pitfalls. Procedural generation is not an engine for creativity.    … Expand
  10. TheTastyPotato
    Aug 23, 2016
    7
    No Man's Sky gets so much hate but not all of that is deserved. To be honest the game is great in the first 10-20 hours but then it gets meh... I think it is a good game but it can be a lot better. If u have a lot of expectations then do not buy it. At least wait for major updates of the game or even a sequel.
  11. johnnymnec
    Aug 22, 2016
    7
    "A mile wide but an inch deep." Most widely used and most unfair criticism for this game. No Man's Sky is a galaxy sandbox with countless planets, that you can go anywhere that you set your eyes on. And it is developed by an indie company, about 10 people. Lets appreciate that for a moment... Whether this game justifies its asking price or lives up to the hype, that's another story."A mile wide but an inch deep." Most widely used and most unfair criticism for this game. No Man's Sky is a galaxy sandbox with countless planets, that you can go anywhere that you set your eyes on. And it is developed by an indie company, about 10 people. Lets appreciate that for a moment... Whether this game justifies its asking price or lives up to the hype, that's another story.

    Most of the disappointment comes from the fact that some important features are nonexistent, that were either implied or mentioned by the devs. These include lack of multiplayer, faction space battles and most importantly; lack of variety, action (by the NPCs) and unfulfilled space physics (planetary rotation etc.).

    If these features are somehow added to the game, this game would become one of all time favorite for me, despite its repetitive nature. But still in its current state, the game has decent graphics, very few bugs (my experience with ps4) and a mystery solving vibe on top of exploration, so it is definitely due some credit.    … Expand
  12. pithing_needle
    Aug 9, 2016
    7
    The game delivers exactly what I thought it would deliver: a slow-paced romp across as vast universe. It's aesthetically pleasing, has an easy learning curve, has an outstanding soundtrack, and has a decent crafting system. It is quite repetitive, as most exploration games are. But I don't mind. I find it quite relaxing. I spend most of my gaming hours these days on DCS World A-10C WarthogThe game delivers exactly what I thought it would deliver: a slow-paced romp across as vast universe. It's aesthetically pleasing, has an easy learning curve, has an outstanding soundtrack, and has a decent crafting system. It is quite repetitive, as most exploration games are. But I don't mind. I find it quite relaxing. I spend most of my gaming hours these days on DCS World A-10C Warthog simulator, so it's nice to shift into low-gear and just go space trucking for a couple hours at a time instead of engaging in a labor-intensive and often nerve-racking bomb and missile spree while trying to remember every function of my Thrustmaster HOTAS.

    I read the reviews, positive and negative. I certainly can't give any merit to the 0's simply because it's not that bad of a game, no matter what some unenlightened and non-objective players may say. On the flip side, it's not a 10, either. Combat, while fun at times, has nowhere near the depth of, say, ELITE: Dangerous. And, as I mentioned earlier, it's quite repetitive. But the term 'procedurally generated' should have clued you in long before your purchase.

    I do agree with the price point criticism. 60 dollars is steep for a game of this nature. It's more like a 40 dollar title, or 30 if you're a cheap-skate. So I took a point off my rating on price alone.

    For all it's short-comings, No Man's Sky is quite addictive. I'm sure I'll tire of it at some point, but I can also foresee myself revisiting it's vast universe after a hiatus or two. Follow the advice of other wise reviewers and watch at least an hour or so of game-play streams before you buy.

    Make no mistake, however, this is a pretty good effort from a modest-sized studio. It's not pretentious at all, unlike some indie 8 bit platform style games that flooded the market in the last few years. It delivers EXACTLY what the developers promised. If you find yourself displeased with the experience, it's not because it's poor title. It just means that No Man's Sky just isn't for you. Learn to separate your feelings from objective criticism. I personally detest Minecraft, but I acknowledge that it's a great game. Try doing the same for No Man's Sky.    … Expand
  13. MFK863
    Aug 10, 2016
    7
    The following is my first impression of the game after day one and playing about 8 hours. First off the lack of inventory space in the early going was a huge pain. I was constantly being alerted about no inventory space and it was extremely annoying. I realised very quickly that this is not a game meant for hoarders and even if you think its a good idea to hold onto that rare materialThe following is my first impression of the game after day one and playing about 8 hours. First off the lack of inventory space in the early going was a huge pain. I was constantly being alerted about no inventory space and it was extremely annoying. I realised very quickly that this is not a game meant for hoarders and even if you think its a good idea to hold onto that rare material at the start of the game, don't, as you'll be able to find plenty more when you actually need it. One of the first things I did was start working towards upgrading my inventory space. I explored some planets, found some suit upgrades, and gradually sold all the things I could find along the way which allowed me to buy a new ship with more inventory slots as well. After eight hours my inventory space had almost doubled and it made the game much more enjoyable when I did as you spend less time trying to organise your stuff. Otherwise the pros and cons so far for me are:

    PROS
    Vast open world with plenty to explore
    Ability to upgrade to a wide variety of different ships and multi-tools
    Transitioning from planet exploration to space exploration is always fun
    Landscape looks amazing on some planets from afar
    Different puzzles to solve to earn rewards is nice
    Wide variety of different alien species is pretty cool

    CONS
    Sprint is mapped to R3 while moving is mapped to L3. Seriously who the hell thought this was a good idea? This was a major issue for me and is totally different from any gaming standard out there and was a terrible design decision. Hopefully it gets patched in a future version as I fail to see why it was done this way.
    While the planets have lots of variety they lack any real depth
    No clear objectives or goals
    No ability to connect with friends to play even as a duo
    Textures are god awful up close (PS2 level textures)
    Draw distance runs into issues when flying low on planets
    No fast travel to previously discovered map markers
    No dialogue or good audio effects make you want to play your own music
    Various outposts and space stations feel small and limited thus far (some doors are locked though so maybe they will expand at higher levels)

    As you can tell I've listed a lot of cons however even with these cons I've been enjoying the game. It is going to be a game that is what you make it to be. The first hump to get over at the start was pretty tough but once you learn to adjust I found it got better. For example I've started to set my own goals, stopped hoarding materials and sell everything, and never stay long on barren desolate planets. I think that is something important to keep in mind as well. If the planet looks like a dump then it is probably going to be as fun exploring as an actual dump would be. Remember there are 18 quintillion planets so if the planet doesn't look like it would be fun to explore then move onto the next one. In the eight hours I explored six planets and I always had the most fun on planets that had everything to offer whereas the barren planets were extremely dull and boring.

    In the end my recommendation would be buy if you really enjoy exploration/survival games, wait for a price drop if you only mildly enjoy exploration or survival, and pass if you don't like those style of games or if graphics and a great soundtrack are really important to you. This game will not be for everyone.    … Expand
  14. Wduarter
    Aug 9, 2016
    7
    The game most tasteless I've ever played. Boring and very sleepy. Graphics poor and weak, estranahas colors. Game crashes all the time, many falls frame rate.
  15. Hogen
    Sep 21, 2016
    7
    Ok, so we all know why you are here looking for a review. The hype and the concept of the game made you want an amazing game but the result have been bashed from here to kingdom come. Can it be true? Is it a bad game? And can it be that bad?

    I think we need to start to talk about the definition of a game first. What is a game (good or bad)? Most people think that a game need to have    Ok, so we all know why you are here looking for a review. The hype and the concept of the game made you want an amazing game but the result have been bashed from here to kingdom come. Can it be true? Is it a bad game? And can it be that bad?

    I think we need to start to talk about the definition of a game first. What is a game (good or bad)?
    Most people think that a game need to have direction… it does not.

    From Merriam Webster we find this.

    Definition of a game:
    activity engaged in for diversion or amusement.
    And
    a physical or mental activity or contest that has rules and that people do for pleasure

    Ok, is No mans sky a game? Sure. it is has a rule set and it is a diversion. The thing that we can take away for the remainder of this review is the part: "…diversion or amusement" and "… do for pleasure".

    This is my opinion. I play No man's sky and enjoy it. I could probably enjoy it a lot more if there were deeper mechanics for trade and crafting… but then again I do not enjoy mine craft for extended periods of time .

    No Man's sky, for me, is all about a sense of wonder. i usually play the game for about an hour at the time before i turn it of. But the game-session stays with me in my mind for days. Last night I entered the atmosphere of a water planet with only small islands here and there, and. When I landed the game prompted me that the planet had abundant fauna. But I couldn't find any animals on the island I was on, and not the three I visited next. I couldn't see any water dwellers or birds either.

    So, since I turned the game of I have been thinking of where they are hiding. There should be plenty, are they all underground? Have I just not found a large enough island? No Man's sky is all about this sense of wonder and mystery. Sure it gets repetitive. I am not chasing the path of atlas anymore, or even try to upgrade my ship. I just walk around, look at things and truly enjoy my self.

    Could No man's sky be more? Sure, and I hope it will. But even when they add I will probably still play sessions for the sense of wonder. And I hope that I never ever get to the center of the galaxy.

    I give this game a 7 because of course there are issues. But this game, for me give me something totally different than any other game I have played for a while. And for that No Man's sky deserve all praise.    … Expand
  16. Loshkosh
    Aug 17, 2016
    7
    "There's nothing in a desert and No Man needs nothing" this quote from Lawrence of Arabia in my opinion precisely explains current condition of the game. Vast, yet blank
  17. Tanvaras
    Jun 15, 2017
    7
    Bought in at the Pre-Release version (To get the extra ship etc) a few dys prior to live. Did not follow the hype train on this game, Since playing through the updates and so forth and being a little disappointed at the beginning, I have come to enjoy No Man's Sky for what it truly is.

    An exploration game, with some side fun of shooting AI pirates and trading. If you enjoy losing    Bought in at the Pre-Release version (To get the extra ship etc) a few dys prior to live. Did not follow the hype train on this game, Since playing through the updates and so forth and being a little disappointed at the beginning, I have come to enjoy No Man's Sky for what it truly is.

    An exploration game, with some side fun of shooting AI pirates and trading. If you enjoy losing yourself in many different worlds exploring for the enjoyment, You will get a lot out of this game, if you impatient and expecting something like a space shooter/RPG look elsewhere.

    For myself and my Kids, we enjoy traversing the galaxy(s) checking out new planets and finding new critters to work out interesting name for. I hope updates continue for NMS, as it has improved out of sight since release. But by now a price reduction I think would help sales a lot more.......    … Expand
  18. Kaprawiec
    Mar 20, 2017
    7
    Well yet another situation like this - I never played this game, but I had a rating of 0 in my profile on "latest low score" - could anybody in Metacritic staff explain to me how did this happened?
    Im giving this 7 only to submit the review and because its near the rating of critic score and Im not really interested in this game.
  19. SuperkenGaming
    Sep 1, 2016
    7
    No Man’s Sky
    vastly underwhelming…
    I went into no man’s sky with low expectations... And at first no man’s sky exceeded these expectations... Everyone starts on a random planet at the edge of the universe, you’re tasked with collecting materials to repair your ship… This is a great tutorial to help you understand the basics of the game… You then go to points in the galaxy you’re in    No Man’s Sky
    vastly underwhelming…
    I went into no man’s sky with low expectations... And at first no man’s sky exceeded these expectations...
    Everyone starts on a random planet at the edge of the universe, you’re tasked with collecting materials to repair your ship…
    This is a great tutorial to help you understand the basics of the game…
    You then go to points in the galaxy you’re in for other parts to give an understanding of the game even more… and the further you go the more intriguing this game gets…
    And once you finally have all of your ship parts, the universe is yours to either explore freely or travel towards the center of the universe…
    To travel towards the center you need materials to craft up to power cells…
    These materials are all reasonably accessible.. some more abundant than others depending on the planet you visit…
    1 power cell will let you travel 100-300 light years at a time to a different planetary system..
    You can also explore these planets for plant and animal species, which is really fun to do initially…
    But it doesn’t take long for the no man’s sky game play loop to get tiring…
    Wide as an Ocean, deep as a puddle…
    I don’t care that animals have different mixtures of body parts or plants have slight variations than plants on other planets..
    Every animal... every plant... they are all the same thing with different skins… that’s it... and the skin isn’t even that different most of the time..
    I find procedural generation to be one of the laziest forms of game design and roll my eyes every time I hear the phrase and no man’s sky is a prime example of why…
    This is 40 hours of the same thing….
    All you do is repeat the first 2 hours of the game 20 times…
    These worlds are not alive... animals aren’t eating, sleeping, fighting, mating… they’re just there..
    walking around looking the animals on earth with parts of other animals from earth…
    doing nothing but occasionally attacking you…
    Don’t get me wrong, I was in a trance for a good 15 hours playing no man’s sky, and 15 hours is well worth $60, but the game was just not intriguing enough to keep me wanting to continue forward…
    I shouldn’t have a planet figured out before I even set foot on it…
    But here I was, I knew what to look for to get certain materials, because again these planets are all the same only differing in color or elemental danger that never really mattered...
    and once you do get sucked into the game, you have to deal with these annoying sentinel creatures that shoot you for mining materials…
    A very unnecessary nuisance that I believe ruins the potential Zen like experience no man sky has going for it…
    you can also find ship and mining tool upgrades on these planets as well as these word stones to help you understand the alien creatures that inhabit a trading station in every star system that you can use to sell valuable materials and purchase materials needed to craft a new item or upgrade…
    These stations also have other galactic travelers that you can sell items to, buy from, or purchase their ship from…
    No man’s sky is a very relaxing and casual experience, simple loop, simple crafting, and may be one of those games you return to every now and then when you’re bored…
    But its uninteresting beyond the first couple of hours and at the end of the day is just another lazy feeling procedurally generated survival game grind fest…
    I give no man’s sky a 7/10    … Expand
  20. MetaRogue
    Feb 10, 2017
    7
    No Man's Sky is truly a wonderous technical achievement in terms of procedurally generated open world gameplay, boasting a seemingly infinite play-space to occupy your time, not to mention the impressive feat of landing on or leaving a planet. The flipside to this gaming marvel is the overall lack of purpose you feel while exploring your 'universe'.

    No matter what you do or how much    No Man's Sky is truly a wonderous technical achievement in terms of procedurally generated open world gameplay, boasting a seemingly infinite play-space to occupy your time, not to mention the impressive feat of landing on or leaving a planet. The flipside to this gaming marvel is the overall lack of purpose you feel while exploring your 'universe'.

    No matter what you do or how much time you invest in NMS, you invariably feel that you're achieving nothing and thus, wasting your time. The problem is that there is TOO MUCH to explore and TOO MUCH to do. The lack of story is sorely felt at every second. Ship and inventory maintenance is tedious in the extreme with a persistent focus on upgrading storage capacity. Even leaving the planet that you're on or just taking off to cruise to somewhere else is ruined by the fact that you need to constantly refuel your landing thrusters. Better yet, if you crash your ship, you're back to square one and need to repair everything like you did at the start of the game.

    I'm happy that I experienced this much touted game, but even happier at the prospect of NOT PLAYING IT AGAIN. Gaming is meant to be fun, but at the same time not feel like a repetitive chore or feel like a seemingly endless task. Hello Games needs to realise this if they want to make another contribution to the industry.    … Expand
  21. goaqys
    Sep 4, 2016
    7
    A game like Godzilla might deserve a score like a 4 or less, but No Man's Sky, albeit far from a great game, is still a decent game. I think exploration is the name of the game by the way of having to craft and craft and craft, and ... Even though the game is procedurally generated, I find the color and the different formations, valleys, cliffs, etc are really beautiful, some more so thanA game like Godzilla might deserve a score like a 4 or less, but No Man's Sky, albeit far from a great game, is still a decent game. I think exploration is the name of the game by the way of having to craft and craft and craft, and ... Even though the game is procedurally generated, I find the color and the different formations, valleys, cliffs, etc are really beautiful, some more so than others. Yes, there is really little if any story to this game and I found the journey to Atlas puzzling, interesting, and lacking of many storybook ideas, which surely was intentional. This game was never meant to be a story as much as it was an exploration. I would have given this game an 8 had I not run into issues with reaching Atlas and the galactic core. But this game deserves a 7 in my view.… Expand
  22. jsnell88
    Aug 18, 2016
    7
    A bit disappointed in this game. It's got a massive universe to explore but can feel a bit empty at times. Inventory management is a pain. But with all that said it has tons of cool moments, lots of variety in planets, and tons of upgrades to be found. Not bad if you're looking for a bit of a laid back experience.
  23. Young_Nacho
    Feb 23, 2017
    7
    Overall, No Man’s Sky was an experience that I’m glad I had. It was an extremely memorable experience in the beginning and it felt truly magical for the first couple hours. Throughout the rest of the game though, it really lost its touch. The lackluster story and gameplay really show as you progress and all the missing features added to the disappointment. Even though I was disappointedOverall, No Man’s Sky was an experience that I’m glad I had. It was an extremely memorable experience in the beginning and it felt truly magical for the first couple hours. Throughout the rest of the game though, it really lost its touch. The lackluster story and gameplay really show as you progress and all the missing features added to the disappointment. Even though I was disappointed with the final outcome, I rate the game on what it is, not what it could have been. So for those who have dreamed of space exploration or just love exploring in general, this is still something I would recommend checking out if you get the chance. But for others who are looking for a more engaging story or characters, you might want to skip it.… Expand
  24. Spidor
    Aug 13, 2016
    7
    This game delivers 95% of what they said it would - the sheer size, the seamless transitions, the mining and survival and combat. It's missing minor features, sure, but overall - it's all there. Seems like everybody else deluded themselves into thinking a very ambitious indie game is going to be what it was never intended to be. That's a damn shame, because underneath there's a decent, ifThis game delivers 95% of what they said it would - the sheer size, the seamless transitions, the mining and survival and combat. It's missing minor features, sure, but overall - it's all there. Seems like everybody else deluded themselves into thinking a very ambitious indie game is going to be what it was never intended to be. That's a damn shame, because underneath there's a decent, if shallow, survival game.

    Given more time, I think they should have added more depth to the plot & the ground/space combat, which requires no skill, only better equipment. Other than that - have fun exploring it while it lasts and, for the love of god, learn to adjust your expectations before getting exactly what you promised and then rating it a 0 in frustration because it doesn't your insane expectations.    … Expand
  25. SuperDuck23
    May 28, 2017
    7
    In my honest opinion, I don't think No Man's Sky is as bad as most people say. Certainly not now that there's been a few content updates. However, it has problems aplenty. Due to its repetitive nature it is best played in short bursts. No Man's Sky is an admirably ambitious title but full of a number of flaws that quickly show themselves. Depending on how lenient you are, you'll either putIn my honest opinion, I don't think No Man's Sky is as bad as most people say. Certainly not now that there's been a few content updates. However, it has problems aplenty. Due to its repetitive nature it is best played in short bursts. No Man's Sky is an admirably ambitious title but full of a number of flaws that quickly show themselves. Depending on how lenient you are, you'll either put up with these flaws or turn off the console and never play it again.… Expand
  26. SamHalls2016
    Sep 7, 2016
    7
    Like CALENDULA, No Man's Sky will get a 7. At first, it feels very impressive that you can visit billions of billions of planets (or simply quintillions of planets). After a few hours of game play, I started to see limitations, we can't even name planets, creatures, and spaceships. And for some reason, we spawn on different plants light-years away, making it almost impossible to meet eachLike CALENDULA, No Man's Sky will get a 7. At first, it feels very impressive that you can visit billions of billions of planets (or simply quintillions of planets). After a few hours of game play, I started to see limitations, we can't even name planets, creatures, and spaceships. And for some reason, we spawn on different plants light-years away, making it almost impossible to meet each other in multiplayer. After about ten hours of game play, it gets very boring.… Expand
  27. Quickstrike
    Aug 11, 2016
    7
    Please don't let the complete lack of nuance of this forum make you overlook this game.
    I'm 20 hours in, most of them spent on a single planet trying to explore it all, If you are into exploration, treat yourself, you won’t regret it.
    This is not for you if you fit in the following: -You are looking for thrills of a shoot em up game -You need the game to hold your hand -You are in a    Please don't let the complete lack of nuance of this forum make you overlook this game.
    I'm 20 hours in, most of them spent on a single planet trying to explore it all, If you are into exploration, treat yourself, you won’t regret it.

    This is not for you if you fit in the following:
    -You are looking for thrills of a shoot em up game
    -You need the game to hold your hand
    -You are in a hurry to finish
    -You hate figuring stuff out for yourself
    -You need instant gratification
    -You have the compulsion to explore everything and open all the doors

    The "story" will not be spoon fed to you
    You choose your path and what you wish to do
    Yes resource management is frustrating
    Not it doesn't have super high end graphics (It's an Indy made game for crying out loud)

    it's an infinite universe! more game need to be made this way    … Expand
  28. jimstallone
    Aug 15, 2016
    7
    It's hard to explain what kind of game No mans sky is and even harder to explain the feelings of discovery and wonder that it offers consistently. The first session of play will confuse you, bemuse you and slowly you will understand the mechanics and you will be off on your adventure. What is the goal, well that's hard to explain, all you really do is fly from planet to planet, system toIt's hard to explain what kind of game No mans sky is and even harder to explain the feelings of discovery and wonder that it offers consistently. The first session of play will confuse you, bemuse you and slowly you will understand the mechanics and you will be off on your adventure. What is the goal, well that's hard to explain, all you really do is fly from planet to planet, system to system discovering and learning more about ancient alien cultures and abandoned structures. If you are expected a tight story and all out action and adventure this isnt the game for you, however if you are after a slow paced often jaw dropping technical milestone in gaming give it a shot. Solid 7 for me… Expand
  29. Gyfaux
    Aug 18, 2016
    7
    Game is enjoyable. Most crashes have been resolved. Sightseeing around the galaxy is pretty cool.

    Sound in this game is superb. Music too. The writing is also excellent.

    Note: This is an amended review. My original score was much lower but with the latest patch the game is a lot more stable and therefore more chill to play.
  30. Rockadial
    Sep 12, 2018
    7
    The game is really fun, If you ever wondered what it was like to venture though space on your own striving to survive them you'll have fun.

    Lots of hate for no real reason at all.
  31. HipsterDufus
    Aug 18, 2016
    7
    Until they patch this to run on the AMD Phenom processors that ALOT of us have in our gaming rigs, I'm gonna have to rate this a 0. I'll change it when I can play it.
  32. JaySilver
    Sep 7, 2017
    7
    Regardless of all the pissed people out there, i've got a platinum trophy, so I've seen a lot of things in this game.

    I grabbed this game for 13 bucks, and altough its really good content for the money, I wouldn't pay more than 20 for it. Why? Its very repetitive and very buggy. After the base building update, you get a lot of new content, but at one point you can't continue. One quest    Regardless of all the pissed people out there, i've got a platinum trophy, so I've seen a lot of things in this game.

    I grabbed this game for 13 bucks, and altough its really good content for the money, I wouldn't pay more than 20 for it. Why? Its very repetitive and very buggy. After the base building update, you get a lot of new content, but at one point you can't continue. One quest sent me to the bottom of the ocean to disable a signal which wasnt there. Quest reset - same **** again. Very annoying.

    Space combat is ok, but nothing special. but the transitions from space to planet are excellent. Its really fun to land on a new planet - the exploration isn't. for platinum I had to scan every species on a few planets and its a pain in the ass. you sometimes walk for hours to find the final species. but it was fun though. 7/10.    … Expand
  33. Pedrap
    Aug 12, 2016
    7
    How a game that allow to explore a nearly infinite universe can be judge so early?
    The game-play is repetitive?b* please you have only scratch the surface and you pretend to know how no man's sky works?
    How is it possible that this game receives "0"? Stop being kids guys if you were disappointed of your new "toy" it doesn't mean that the toy is broken or a total crap. Please! Honest    How a game that allow to explore a nearly infinite universe can be judge so early?
    The game-play is repetitive?b* please you have only scratch the surface and you pretend to know how no man's sky works?
    How is it possible that this game receives "0"? Stop being kids guys if you were disappointed of your new "toy" it doesn't mean that the toy is broken or a total crap. Please!
    Honest judgment :
    No man's sky it's not for anyone BUT it's well done and it deserves min a "5".
    If you like exploration gives it a chance.

    I know , this isn' t a review but you can find many worst no-sense below.

    (sorry for syntax and grammar error )    … Expand
  34. BananaReviews
    Aug 12, 2016
    7
    We waited and waited, and finally the day came when we play, did not meet the minimum of my expectations, plus another set normal survival like any other, despite the massive operation and beautiful scenery, the game piece in frame drops, failures rendering and involvement of history and the universe, but disappointing nonetheless be a good experience.
  35. stellarnomad
    Aug 10, 2016
    7
    What is this game?

    I kept hearing this on the lead up to release, and didn't understand why such an enigma was being made out of a technically impressive, but relatively straight forward game based primarily on exploration and resource collection. Let me be brief. You start on a planet, decide whether to be handheld or not, and then begin the first of many, many hours of resource    What is this game?

    I kept hearing this on the lead up to release, and didn't understand why such an enigma was being made out of a technically impressive, but relatively straight forward game based primarily on exploration and resource collection. Let me be brief.

    You start on a planet, decide whether to be handheld or not, and then begin the first of many, many hours of resource collection. Once you have your ship in good form, you leave for another planet, space station or wander aimlessly--your choice.

    You can head for the centre straight away or not but, regardless, you will continue to upgrade various gadgets that you pretty much had from the beginning, whilst encountering the odd robot, hostile creature or pirates that follow an extremely limited set of behaviours. There is a story line buried in there, but your adherence to it is sporadic and widely-spaced, so it holds little interest in the long term as pacing is a key problem.

    That's it. All the hype of the next miracle of console gaming turns quickly into a small developer punching above their weight with a ridiculously huge sandbox and bugger all to do in it--repetition sets in quickly. It's hard to know who this will appeal to as linear, focused game fans need not apply, and sandbox creatives don't have enough tools to create anything worthwhile. Unless you consider naming species and planets worthwhile, but even then, it's unlikely anyone will ever see it--I hold out hope for Planet Mcplanetyface to surface.

    A huge space to explore with a significantly small, repetitive amount to do. It does seem likely that more will follow as "fans" continue to provide "feedback", lending to a further fleshed out experience in the future, but for now the description fits nicely.    … Expand
  36. setuis
    Sep 15, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. No Man's Sky
    Average User Score: 4.6
    Sep 5, 2016
    6
    No Man's Sky Image This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. No man's Sky fails in a few areas (1). Cannot Scan bird life from ground without killing a bird , there is often no way to target these birds until you find a targeting updgrade which I cannot build due to needing aqua spheres and it means you have to waste a lot of time shooting then finding the thing you killed. (2) cannot take upgrades or stuff on your tools and ships to your new ship or weapon which is rather stupid if its a crafting game as you would have the know how on how to uninstall something you equipped. (3) Rewards from NPCs are not rewards as you can find a better Multi-tool on occasion about 5 seconds after talking to an NPC who upgraeds your multi-tool. (4) cannot buy technology or things to craft. (5) evil glitch that makes planets 100% and even if you have got the creatures on the planet to 100% in the 1.3 patch you can't redeem it meaning my zoology can't go up and stops the platinum trophy already reached milestones for most of the game. (6) No way to mark or map areas. (7) No way to visit previous outposts. 8 Ship combat has no way to lock on enemy currently (unless you need an upgrade of some form), Ship combat also slows down your ship. 9. Sometimes when you scan a new life form it won't register to records. 10. No real civilzations of alien life e.g proper towns. 11. Creatures can feel samely after visting a couple of planets. 12 finding all creatures on a planet is tedious and boring as it took me 8 hours to find all the species on a planet after leaving the first solar system then coming back to it later and then I couldn't upload it to get a +1 to my zoology when a game wastes my time its going to get a bad score. 13 No out posts or beacons marks so you can head straight for one to do 1 of the games 4 boring mini missions (shelter, montolith etc). 14 no way to mark a waypoint for later so crashed ships are often just broken dreams. (It gets a six for it can be relaxing, the annoying birds could be seen as a crap mini game (what i mean by this is if you wanted to play a pacafist is that you can't as you won't be able to scan birds) "Can i hit this" and the space travel is good as Xs do mark where you have been in the universe which makes it seem pirate like if not cliche, I am disappointed in myself however for not waiting for review like I normally do, as it seems a costly mistake considering I got this instead of other games for birthday. In the 1.08 update this game loses a futher point for not fixing my problem with the game after 3 patches so it goes from an okay 6 to a desired pass it by. if it had fixed my problem with the game by now the record glitch then it might have moved up a point but i am not going to further review this game ... decided to review as of 16/09/2016 again and made my mind up that's its a relaxation simulator its fine to play in small amounts when you just want something to look at but very little to do its gained two points as a way to relax in short intervals. The birds can also now be scanned but the 100% zoology glitch is still there I only lost 1 planet but I lost a lot of hours getting it to 100% so i am still a little annoyed.    … Expand
  37. CaeMeninPlays
    Aug 22, 2016
    7
    It's good, but not what I expected, the game is very repetitive, the planets are identical to each other, where are the planets with vegetation? Where are the incredible creatures, where is the content presented at E3? Therefore deserves a 7
  38. CritzGD
    Aug 10, 2016
    7
    This game in my opinion is truly amazing. Is it a system seller to end them all.... no not really. But it has to be said there is true potential and this game has opened a gate to a whole new WORLD of games. First bad things to get them out of my way. There are a lot of bugs for example I flew to an atlas anomaly with the what I call super speed and I went THROUGH it and my only way outThis game in my opinion is truly amazing. Is it a system seller to end them all.... no not really. But it has to be said there is true potential and this game has opened a gate to a whole new WORLD of games. First bad things to get them out of my way. There are a lot of bugs for example I flew to an atlas anomaly with the what I call super speed and I went THROUGH it and my only way out was to use it again which was difficult. My game has crashed about 5 times now. Basically the game is buggy and glitchy and it crashes a lot. Also I feel like you're doing the same thing over and over again find new planet, name new planet, find resources find bases sell resources etc. etc. Anyway bad stuff out the way. I don't know what it is, but even with the repetitive stuff I still find myself playing it It's like the game is addicting and I can't stop playing it's weird. Also there is A HUGE arsenal of ships, multi-tools etc. This game is truly amazing. The alien races have their own languages which you can learn overtime by finding monoliths or knowledge stones which can teach you a word each time. Also I don't exactly know why people are crapping on the FOV (field of view) it honestly is fine in my opinion. I can go on for hours about this game and the good and bad things about it for me it is slightly above average but it is not a system seller for the ps4, but i highly recommend this game.… Expand
  39. AstralDarkstar
    Aug 9, 2016
    7
    Everything I expected and more. I'm not sure what false hope everyone's been thinking, but this lives up to it's expectations. If people would stop letting hype build up so much that they expect a perfect 10/10 game, it wouldn't get the lower reviews being posted. No, this game is not perfect, and it's not THE traveling game with endless possibilities. Many gameplay videos show exactlyEverything I expected and more. I'm not sure what false hope everyone's been thinking, but this lives up to it's expectations. If people would stop letting hype build up so much that they expect a perfect 10/10 game, it wouldn't get the lower reviews being posted. No, this game is not perfect, and it's not THE traveling game with endless possibilities. Many gameplay videos show exactly what this game is and there aren't any surprises. It's exactly what it should be.

    Again, this game is not perfect. But what it does is build new possibilities for the future of gaming! It is a mediocre play-style. Maybe what a 5/10 game would have. But the exploring the endless planets easily adds 3 more points. It's new and different. It's not anything seen before.

    All I would want added to this is the ability to find a friend and explore planets together. Help each other out by repairing each other's gear or weapon, but not trading so you can't break the need of exploring and gathering.

    BREAKDOWN:

    Graphics: 6 out of 10. Nothing to gawk at, but not horrible! Considering the game it's compared to most is Minecraft, it's a change to a positive direction.

    Gameplay: 8 out of 10. Clearly not meant to be a FPS. Don't go in expecting that. You will be disappointed a Master Chief rip-off isn't destroying bad aliens. It's main focus is survival and exploration. With a small nod to a shooter. That said, I've seen worse FPS that didn't play near as good, and that was their main focus! You will be doing a lot of the same. Flying, exploring, mining, crafting, and repeat.

    Sound: 8 out of 10. A great soundtrack with good sound effects. Some animals did make me lower the volume a bit, especially after feeding them, but it's still solid.

    Story: 7 out of 10. Yeah, there's not one. But this game doesn't need one! It's what you make of it. Not having a story is why I rated story so high. A decision to keep a basic been-there-done-that storyline out and to have a focus on what matters for this genre!

    The average would be 7/10. But pushing limits and making breakthroughs for future gaming deserves more! This game is a first of it's kind, and deserves big recognition for what a group of a dozen people created! A lot of sweat, tears, beard growing, and lots of plaid shirts were used in this creation. And it shows. It really does.

    Love the game for what it is, not what others hyped it up to be.    … Expand
  40. AJC3317
    Aug 20, 2016
    7
    Imagine, if you will, that Destiny and Minecraft had a baby. Well that baby would be the most overhyped game in quite a while, rimshot. And yet somehow, both of those statements accurately describe No Man's Sky. No Man's Sky was first announced by Hello Games, to it's own detriment at this point, back in 2013 and it set the internet on fire with it's promise of an entire universe worth ofImagine, if you will, that Destiny and Minecraft had a baby. Well that baby would be the most overhyped game in quite a while, rimshot. And yet somehow, both of those statements accurately describe No Man's Sky. No Man's Sky was first announced by Hello Games, to it's own detriment at this point, back in 2013 and it set the internet on fire with it's promise of an entire universe worth of planets to explore, space battles to fight, and aliens to encounter. The game ultimately delivers on most of it's promises, but unless a game with as much hype as No Man's Sky literally comes down from on high providing simultaneous cures for AIDS and cancer while ending world hunger, it will be panned by the very same people who did the hyping in the first place.

    No Man's Sky starts you out on a random planet with a broken down spaceship and a laser mining tool. You are given the objective to fix the ship so you can get off the planet. After you do that you need to find parts to fix the ship's pulse drive so you can fly faster through space. After that... Well after that pretty much everything is up to you. The game does have an ultimate objective of trying to reach the center of the universe, but whether or not you decide you want to pursue that goal is entirely up to you.

    The planets you discover in No Man's Sky are huge and nicely diverse. One planet is about the size of your typical sandbox game, if not bigger, and then you remember that there's a whole universe of these planets to discover and you start to get a feel of the scale Hello Games was going for. Some planets have lush environments, filled with diverse plant and animal life in every shape and color you can imagine. The animals themselves all belong to different species, with some breeds of animals even belonging to the same species. You could spend hours or even days trying to catalog all the different types of life you find on just one of these planets. Other planets are desolate and barren, with just rocks and minerals waiting for you to come and extract them from the ground. After you finish on one planet and point your ship at the next planet in the sky, a notification comes up telling you that it would take multiple hours to reach it if you decided to take it slow the entire time. Again, the scale of the game comes to the forefront.

    You also meet with three different races of aliens along your travels. The Vy'keen, Korvax, and Gek have all set up outposts on the planets that you are free to come and visit. They also preside over the space stations floating above certain planets. With the help of knowledge stones and monuments that you can find on the planets as well, you will slowly but surely learn the languages of these three races. It's extremely satisfying to go from talking to an alien early in the game and having no idea what he's trying to communicate to you, to learning many of their words and being able to piece together their sentences. The aliens you come across are looking for assistance with something, and if you correctly give them what they need you will be rewarded with a blueprint, which you can use to build better accessories for you, your ship, or your weapon.

    The building of the accessories, however, is where the game's annoyances begin to crop up. The only items that stack in your inventories are the elements such as iron and plutonium. Other non-elemental items will each take up a slot in your inventory space. So if you have a blueprint that calls for, say, 5 of a certain item, you will need to have 5 spaces free for that item PLUS a 6th spot to actually construct the item itself. As you progress through the game and have better and better items taking up valuable inventory slots, you become more and more frustrated at the extremely questionable decision to not allow item stacking.

    Another annoyance is with the aforementioned outposts. The plant and animal life is so diverse on each planet that it's disappointing to see that every outpost is nothing more than a copy/paste of each other on every single planet. There are some variants within the outposts themselves, but really there's only about 4 basic types that you will continue to see over and over. Even the ones that have the potential to unlock something cool are let down by repetition. As an example, you occasionally find observatories that tantalize you into unlocking them and finding a new location among the stars. However, the puzzle to unlock them is ALWAYS the same, and they ALWAYS lead you to a ruin that isn't even on a different planet. The potential for something great was there but it was severely missed.

    If I'm going to continue harping on annoyances then I must mention the game's upload system. When you're exploring a planet you have the option of scanning all the plants and animals and then uploading them, sharing your discoveries with the world. You even get money for doing so, so there's certainly incentive and you want to do it. Yet inexplicably the game doesn't simply upload your finds automatically. There isn't even an option to upload everything at once. So you must tediously go through your entire records page uploading every plant, animal, and save point that you've found. Either that or completely break the flow of the game to pause every 5 seconds after you find something new to upload it. This is a massive oversight that I cannot actually believe got through any sort of quality control.

    Before you decide whether or not you want to play No Man's Sky you must be completely honest with yourself about what type of gamer you are, because ultimately that is what will determine how much enjoyment you get out of the game. Are you the type that craves a story driven narrative, with characters who change over the course of their adventure? Do you like action, with every minute of the game giving you more things to shoot at and blow up? Do you like choosing your own path at your own pace, free from any sort of constraints a game might place you? All these desires are perfectly valid to have, but only those who identify with option 3 will enjoy No Man's Sky. Those people will find hours upon hours of a diverse universe to explore and enjoy.    … Expand
  41. JeffReviews
    Aug 9, 2016
    7
    No Man's Sky has quite the universe to explore and the game mechanics are very solid, albeit not very innovative or new. At it's heart No Man's Sky is a survival game, that's really it. I've played for several hours, bought a new ship and done basically the same thing over and over again. I think the biggest issue with the game is the fact that it is so open ended. The game lacksNo Man's Sky has quite the universe to explore and the game mechanics are very solid, albeit not very innovative or new. At it's heart No Man's Sky is a survival game, that's really it. I've played for several hours, bought a new ship and done basically the same thing over and over again. I think the biggest issue with the game is the fact that it is so open ended. The game lacks substance. They're only a few goals to complete that I've gotten to so far. You really don't feel that sense of accomplishment you do in other games. Your mining tool overheats too quickly and at times it's monotonous and feels like babysitting when you have to collect materials to power your various technological assets. The biggest problem with the game is it spreads itself too thin. There aren't really ant familiar or iconic landmarks to latch onto (due to random generation everything just feels lifeless and dull). Often times I'll just jump hopelessly from planet to planet and mine gold. Then I use the gold to purchase items/tech/upgrades I need. There aren't many difficult enemies to fight (maybe there are but I haven't seen them yet). There's no challenge, just hopping from one place to the next hoping to find excitement and adventure. Due to the openhandedness of the game I feel lost, nothing grabs me and encourages me to dig deeper into the world. Which is because I know I'll never see all there is too see. No one can. There's no focus, no quests (objectives but no real characters or missions or story), not even multiplayer. This game would be more fun if you could play with friends and adventure to new worlds with them. I originally thought everyone around me was a player in a ship flying by. Nope. Those are NPCS. It's boring, and there's no change of pace. This game isn't awful, but I'd advise not playing it in prolonged sessions. 7/10… Expand
  42. steelrock33
    Aug 10, 2016
    7
    Only about 6 hours in but I'm having fun with the exploring and survival elements. I could see me putting a solid 50 hours into this before it starts getting repetitive but at the same time I've been looking for a good a nice change up from the norm of killing aliens, terrorists, and zombies I've been on a streak off.
  43. abba07
    Aug 10, 2016
    7
    I really want to love NMS. I love the concept of an infinite universe to explore, full of unique planets and creatures. And it really is different from anything I have ever played before. But 12 hours in, I am seeing a lot of planets, plants, creatures etc. that aren't all that different from one another. Sure, there are differences in temperature, weather, etc., but the differences in theI really want to love NMS. I love the concept of an infinite universe to explore, full of unique planets and creatures. And it really is different from anything I have ever played before. But 12 hours in, I am seeing a lot of planets, plants, creatures etc. that aren't all that different from one another. Sure, there are differences in temperature, weather, etc., but the differences in the wildlife and plants aren't all that different. And so far, every system seems to have asteroids between the planets, though their composition can vary a little. And while I have encountered three different sentient civilizations, the technology & buildings left behind by them are all identical, from what I can see. Also, I would happily suffer through a few short loading screens to avoid the screen pop-in that occurs on every planet I have visited so far. While I am enjoying my journey so far, it is not living up to my expectations. And they really need to do something about inventory and storage. It is woefully inadequate. I am looking forward to future updates, but for right now, all I can say is that the game is good, but not great.… Expand
  44. Rouxxor
    Aug 10, 2016
    7
    Good job and a great concept but uncompleted. Enjoyable at his first moment, it could be boring with few hours spent on it. Graphics are correct, but the PS4 version suffer right now of late elements spawning, especially when you arrive on the planet. Some planets are full of live and plants, but 75% of them are empty or with few life presence. Even if there is a guided phase at the startGood job and a great concept but uncompleted. Enjoyable at his first moment, it could be boring with few hours spent on it. Graphics are correct, but the PS4 version suffer right now of late elements spawning, especially when you arrive on the planet. Some planets are full of live and plants, but 75% of them are empty or with few life presence. Even if there is a guided phase at the start of the game, this game with no goals at long term will meet problems due to his extreme routine set. A game like Elit Dangerous, even if his exploration phases are just on moons right now is more interesting in a long term perspective.… Expand
  45. VinsonMor
    Aug 12, 2016
    7
    Game Reviews

    No Man’s Sky No Man's Sky is a technological and artistic wonder, but - as a game - it's not very good. I'm sure by now you've heard all the press about the 80Q (Quadrillion) stars out there. That they're all generated by some art-code love-child called procedural generation. People say this is an epic achievement in game design. It is. That's all true. And the    Game Reviews

    No Man’s Sky
    No Man's Sky is a technological and artistic wonder, but - as a game - it's not very good.

    I'm sure by now you've heard all the press about the 80Q (Quadrillion) stars out there. That they're all generated by some art-code love-child called procedural generation. People say this is an epic achievement in game design.

    It is.

    That's all true. And the fact Hello Games does it in a way that is compelling, interesting, and believable should earn them the Academy Award for Technical Achievement (or whatever the game equivalent is).

    But unless you're in The Industry (like me), that is probably hard to appreciate on it's own...especially after you've shelled out $60! But if you've made that poor decision - as I did - you'll have to live with the fact you now own a storied piece of academic gaming history with no real commercial merit. Kinda like owning an OUYA. Also like me. Okay, so I am an epic sucker for unrealized potential.

    And Unrealized Potential is the subscript for No Man’s Sky.

    Right from the get-go, there is very little "game". In order for a game to exist (or at least be interesting) you have to have an objective. At the start, the objective is "fix this busted ass spaceship you're standing next to". Interesting, but far from epic. But as a dutiful gamer, I did as I was told. This led to several hours of fixing this thing or that which was significantly purloined by all the optional side-questing (I'm easily distracted). I really should put "side quest" in quotes, because these shiny objects I was lured toward didn't fit into some grand story arc either. They just were question marks...?...on the map I stumbled upon in my random exploring. Most led to marginal increases in my wealth - achieved through the mind-blowing game mechanic of opening chests - but every once in 2-3 hours I got a much needed upgrade to my limited starting inventory slots.

    Ten-odd hours in and I still had no idea what I was doing or why. Some of this was not undesirable. I had some fun cataloging new discoveries, leveling up my mining tools, and exploring new worlds. Until I realized every world looked like Utah on hallucinogens. Forget that crazy trailer you saw with the brontosaurus and triceratops creatures stomping through flowing fields of purple wheat. Nothing in the game actually looks like that. NOTHING.

    Okay, at least nothing of the 0.00000000000019% of the NMS universe that I saw.

    Instead imagine visiting the Moon, with some plants, odd crystals, and deer-like thingys...all cast in various psychedelic colors.

    Then repeat that. Over, and over. With the occasional generic encampment with 2-3 interactive console and pithy story segments.

    Even the character/item advancement is bland and frustratingly bloated. Instead of earning permanent upgrades, you have to use your valuable inventory slots to hold upgrades for your, weaponry, mining equipment, etc..

    I bet you’re super psyched now huh?

    I shouldn’t be so harsh. It’s not that exploring isn't fun. It is. Marginally so. For the first ten hours. Then the rest is rinse-and-repeat. Again, there is no game here. There's no objective. It's exactly UNlike Skyrim which has layers of story, a tapestry of small-medium-large quests, and honed character advancement. In NMS there is just never-ending exploration among worlds that are kinda all the same.

    Don’t fear: there is one objective in the game. To get to the center of the universe! There’s only one problem: it takes too durn long to achieve. I had spent my first ten hours accumulating my first 5M credits. (We'll put to the side for a second that was achieved through a series of excruciatingly monotonous mining exercises that made Minecraft seem like a day in a forest made of chocolate, rainbow sprinkles, and cherry juice).

    To the Center of the Universe, I came up with roughly 100 hours of gameplay remaining....in a repetitive...boring...wasteland...that looks like Utah...on LSD.

    Keep in mind my estimate was for straight-line space travel, which would make sense given space is a frictionless, mostly empty, vacuum, but in NMS you actually have to backtrack between stars. So assume 100+ hours.

    No thanks.

    You probably never want to play this game now. No, you should! Definitely. In fact, I feel so strongly you should I can easily predict there will be a time - years from now - when you'll be talking with your kids at home or coworkers at the office about the latest VR blockbuster and someone will say it's what NMS should have been. If you don't play this "game", you won't get that reference! And I'm sure that reference will be made as NMS is a notable bookmark in the pages of technical, artistic, and - okay fine - game design.

    So, wait for the inevitable price discount. Feel okay at $40, better at $20, and rapturous at $10.

    But no matter what, play it. It's an achievement.

    (Just not a very fun game.)    … Expand
  46. mixa97sr
    Aug 12, 2016
    7
    Less of a game and more of an experience, No Man's Sky is gorgeous, mathematically constructed, sanctuary that keeps getting you back for short amounts of time.

    It's definitely not suitable for long play sessions, as it can get pretty repetitive in it's gameplay mechanics ( collect materials in order to explore and survive), but the sheer scale and look of the things, and the fact that    Less of a game and more of an experience, No Man's Sky is gorgeous, mathematically constructed, sanctuary that keeps getting you back for short amounts of time.

    It's definitely not suitable for long play sessions, as it can get pretty repetitive in it's gameplay mechanics ( collect materials in order to explore and survive), but the sheer scale and look of the things, and the fact that this humongous and diverse universe is made by mathematics and organised by few humans is impressive in itself. Such an experience is worth checking out, especially if you are a Sci-Fi and Space addict.

    It's not the fun gameplay that drives this game, it's the feeling of insignificance, amazement and curiosity that it evokes.    … Expand
  47. level7
    Aug 29, 2016
    7
    No Man's Sky is amazing for the first 2-3 hours for almost any player. How much and how long you can enjoy the game afterwards depends on your style and mindset. I bought the game without following much of the hype and expecting a "walking simulator" in space with a few added perks. As a result, I really like the game after 20 hours. The colors and landscapes can be beautiful, the faunaNo Man's Sky is amazing for the first 2-3 hours for almost any player. How much and how long you can enjoy the game afterwards depends on your style and mindset. I bought the game without following much of the hype and expecting a "walking simulator" in space with a few added perks. As a result, I really like the game after 20 hours. The colors and landscapes can be beautiful, the fauna and flora intriguing. Transitioning from planet to space to moon, etc is a really nice experience. I don't think they should have charged $60, but I would have felt comfortable paying $40 for this.

    That being said, I fully understand why so many people are disappointed for 2 main reasons - 1) misleading and false advertisement, and 2) shallow gameplay.

    The developers kept the aura of mystery to drive sales but in the process, they flat-out lied about features and displayed a demo that doesn't reflect the actual gameplay. If you're going to use mystery to sell your game I feel that you have a responsibility not to say anything misleading. They are very quiet since release and haven't really addressed any concerns. The reaction from the players would have been largely different if they had released a statement to clarify what would and would not be in the game at release (especially regarding multiplayer)

    The gameplay feels pretty shallow. Mining and crafting is very grindy. The inventory management is a chore. There are only 3 alien races. They don't really feel that unique to each other except their dialogue and your interactions with them are limited. The storyline is pretty meh and the journey to the center of the galaxy is seemingly pointless.

    I hope in the future they add new features to the game and perhaps someday a game will come out that builds on this foundation they have.

    TL;DR If you like exploring, appreciate simple aesthetics and don't get easily bored with a walking simulator you can absolutely enjoy this game. If you want a complex game with a nicely developed and fleshed-out storyline, gameplay system, combat, trading, etc, I wouldn't bother with this one. There isn't much to work towards and you will not find much in the way of rewards for your progress.    … Expand
  48. Redwarrior3
    Aug 13, 2016
    7
    No mans sky is not for everyone but if you are ones of those that does like it you will end up playing it for hours on end...... But for those who are more used to games such as COD or anything that does not involve long hours of grinding and repeating certain actions I give you this warning... "Stay away... very very far away." This also goes to the MMO fans for the time being (maybeNo mans sky is not for everyone but if you are ones of those that does like it you will end up playing it for hours on end...... But for those who are more used to games such as COD or anything that does not involve long hours of grinding and repeating certain actions I give you this warning... "Stay away... very very far away." This also goes to the MMO fans for the time being (maybe they'll put in some form of multiplayer in the future... here's to hoping!).

    I give it a 7/10 for those of us who like to go nuts exploring and just finding every little detail. Its not the best game, but it could have been much much worse.    … Expand
  49. Champion_M
    Aug 13, 2016
    7
    After sorting through the reviews, hearing a ton about the negativity surrounding the launch (especially on PC), and playing the game for myself, I've come to a conclusion.

    I honestly don't think this game is as bad as some think it to be. The game is repetitive, sure, but Hello Games have promised to fix that with future updates with help from the community. Most of the other problems    After sorting through the reviews, hearing a ton about the negativity surrounding the launch (especially on PC), and playing the game for myself, I've come to a conclusion.

    I honestly don't think this game is as bad as some think it to be. The game is repetitive, sure, but Hello Games have promised to fix that with future updates with help from the community. Most of the other problems people have with the game (multiplayer, performance issues, etc) are going to be fixed with future updates and patches.

    Overall, I'd consider No Man's Sky a proof of concept. Hello Games have promised us updates, and this kind of response from the community is going to drive this game to be something better.    … Expand
  50. SerpentNebula
    Aug 13, 2016
    7
    --Pros--
    - Huge number of planets, moons, black holes, space stations, spaceships, species, plants and aliens to find and explore
    - Visually unique and beautiful - Beautiful sounds and music - Space looks beautiful and there's a number of things to do in it such mine asteroids, steal cargo from freighters or defend it from pirates - There are 3 alien species that you find all over    --Pros--
    - Huge number of planets, moons, black holes, space stations, spaceships, species, plants and aliens to find and explore
    - Visually unique and beautiful
    - Beautiful sounds and music
    - Space looks beautiful and there's a number of things to do in it such mine asteroids, steal cargo from freighters or defend it from pirates
    - There are 3 alien species that you find all over planets or space stations which you can interact with. Most of the times talking to them proves useful.
    - Interesting ways of finding out about the lore of the game (learning alien languages and alien history)
    - The goal reaching the center gives an indirect narrative without pushing you to necessarily follow
    - Surviving can be challenging. The main challenges are surviving harsh environments (heat, cold, radiation, toxicity, various types of storms and extreme night temperatures), your inventory capacity will never be enough so you have to carefully choose what is gonna be actually useful for you and of course, reaching the center which requires ship, exosuit and multitool upgrades as well as money (for potentially buying a new ship or buying a rare item or element)

    --Cons--
    - Mining and gathering resources can get repetitive
    - Crafting and upgrading can get really painful. For instance, in order to obtain a certain (and vital) kind of fuel, you have to gather certain elements, which then combine them to create an item, which you then combine it with another element to craft another item, which again combine it with two other elements to create your final desired item. And some of these things are really hard to find sometimes!
    - A lot of similarities between planets sometimes give the impression of discovering the same things over and over. For instance, theres a plant that can be found on every planet. It's just different colour each time. All the hate stems from this downside in my opinion, along with the next point, which is..
    - No multiplayer. This is not a game which you meet up with friends and you go destroy a huge freighter or even space stations and get tons of loot. Though I understand Hello Games of not wanting this to be an MMO, they could add at least some element of interaction with other players
    - NPCs prove useful but the animations of them could be better
    - Numerous issues with PC version
    - While ground and space combat is fun, it could be more elaborate.

    It's not as good as we all thought it would be. But I really don't get all the hate. At the very least this game is gonna give you 20-30 hours of fun until it wears down for most people. I admit I was in the hype train for a long time and I let myself get a bit disappointed but No Man's Sky remains a good game. It's just not the hype level of good. One last thing. In the beginning it can be overwhelming for some, just be patient and understand that the game pushes you to find out how to do things by exploring.    … Expand
  51. RhymingRoses
    Aug 14, 2016
    7
    The fact that the game contains lots of bugs shouldn't be such a big deal. The studio who made this isn't that big and improvements can still be done. The somewhat empty world perhaps would be a bigger issue as your progress more and more. I have had people compare this to Minecraft, but they are not the same. No Man's Sky allows its users to engage in a massive universe, and althoughThe fact that the game contains lots of bugs shouldn't be such a big deal. The studio who made this isn't that big and improvements can still be done. The somewhat empty world perhaps would be a bigger issue as your progress more and more. I have had people compare this to Minecraft, but they are not the same. No Man's Sky allows its users to engage in a massive universe, and although mining is a common factor, this game give a different feel to it as it involves trades and finding your way around the universe given to you. I have to give props to Hello Games for delivering something new to us. It's not action-packed like shooters, nor is it fast-paced like racing games, it's the type of game the gives you a break. No Man's Sky is a game that gives you relaxation, a pause of short breath in the midst of all the organized chaos in gaming. You have to understand that this is something else in order to comprehend the beauty of this game. Otherwise, you'd just see an empty shell. Nevertheless, I think if you're thinking of getting this game, wait for a price drop.… Expand
  52. echobase2002
    Aug 14, 2016
    7
    Yes, this game gets repetitive and there is little to no story. Still, I find it impressive and fun to pass time. I give them a pass because it's made by a small studio. Certainly an ambitious project for them. I agree that it's overpriced as is, however when the price eventually drops it'll be worth it. I don't mind paying $60 to an independent developer if it means we get moreYes, this game gets repetitive and there is little to no story. Still, I find it impressive and fun to pass time. I give them a pass because it's made by a small studio. Certainly an ambitious project for them. I agree that it's overpriced as is, however when the price eventually drops it'll be worth it. I don't mind paying $60 to an independent developer if it means we get more people taking risks instead of the same rehash of FPS' and button smashers. It's a great concept that just wasn't perfected.… Expand
  53. Odysseus3301
    Aug 16, 2016
    7
    No Man's Sky is a space exploration game....It's also a survival game. You need to find Isotopes to keep your suit and gun running, and to fuel your ship, and other elements for crafting or Fuel. Im not saying that this is hard, as you may just need to scan your surrounding and you'll find a deposit of an element one minute away, but i can see how that would demoralize some people to justNo Man's Sky is a space exploration game....It's also a survival game. You need to find Isotopes to keep your suit and gun running, and to fuel your ship, and other elements for crafting or Fuel. Im not saying that this is hard, as you may just need to scan your surrounding and you'll find a deposit of an element one minute away, but i can see how that would demoralize some people to just stay on a planet in a minimal time. When your on a planet, most of the time, the atmosphere there is harmful, and you'll essentially have a set time limit to either find shelter or get back on your ship. Speaking of your ship, if you land on anything that's not a landing platform, when you launch from the surface, then you'll use 25% of your Launch fuel just to fly up. You fuel the launch with Plutonium, which isnt very hard to find, as you can find crystals everywhere. The point is, that No Man's Sky is a space survival game, where most of the planets you walk on will try to kill you, whether it's the animals, the plants, or even the air. Your life is measured by a lowering meter that you can refuel easily, but the fact that the meter doesnt last for about 20 minutes de-insentivises you to explore the planet. BUT, there is a plethora of things to do, and ways to define who you'll be. You can be a pirate, trader, or explorer. I give this game a 7 because it's a huge game with strict rules, and is bound to repulse some audiences. And it crashes. The game crashes ALOT.… Expand
  54. wightlight8
    Aug 17, 2016
    7
    Despite its flaws there is something magical about the game. 18 quintillion planets, all unique. You land on one and there's a good possibility you're going to be the only one that ever sees it. It becomes your planet. I love that sense of solitude, and the environments are often very beautiful. Just wandering around exploring is very good stress relief.

    That said, there are many    Despite its flaws there is something magical about the game. 18 quintillion planets, all unique. You land on one and there's a good possibility you're going to be the only one that ever sees it. It becomes your planet. I love that sense of solitude, and the environments are often very beautiful. Just wandering around exploring is very good stress relief.

    That said, there are many frustrations and disappointments. Inventory management is not fun, and that's a problem because gaining more inventory slots is pretty much the sole form of character progression. You want to craft upgrades, but every upgrade takes up an inventory slot that you can't spare. You want to craft a one time use bypass chip to unlock something, but first you have to destroy things to make room in your inventory. You find a cool looking crashed ship, but it's useless because the inventory is smaller than yours. You find a new multitool with more slots, but you have to craft all your upgrades again only to repeat the whole process an hour later. There's really no point in trying too hard to tune your upgrades until you max out your inventory slots. Gaining inventory slots one by one is a tedious grind, and yet without that, there's almost nothing to strive for.

    Alien and terminal interactions are fun, but you begin to see the same logic problems cropping up over and over. I've used the same number to answer the exact same problem at least 5 times now. And while the landscapes and creatures are procedurally generated, there is a very small subset of buildings and interactive objects that you begin to see over and over again.

    Other than naming things, there is no way to leave your mark in the world. You can't build anything. You can't change anything. I can't think of a single way to influence the world in any way.

    Lastly, there are achievements for scanning 100% of the creatures on a planet, yet there are always 1 or 2 species on a planet that are nigh impossible to find because they are so rare. It took me 3 days of flying around on the same planet before I finally completed this objective just once. Thinking about doing it again makes me want to stop playing.

    It's a fun game to wander aimlessly around. In fact I really enjoy doing that. But the moment you start to try to complete any of the games objectives, anything that makes the game an actual game, it starts to become a boring grind.    … Expand
  55. Microsteve
    Aug 19, 2016
    7
    I like it, the mechanics are good but it's clearly not finished. They need to put a lot more variety in there or I won't be playing for long. Elite Dangerous is a far better game right now but has had significantly more development
  56. torq314
    Aug 21, 2016
    7
    The game was overhyped? Yes it was, possibly.
    Does is stand for the expectation? Well, it depends on what you actually expected.
    I am a fan of open world games that doesn't really force you to do things in a single, predetermined way. No man's sky is an ultimate open world game - you don't really have to do anything specific. Just fly from planet to planet, from planetary system to    The game was overhyped? Yes it was, possibly.
    Does is stand for the expectation? Well, it depends on what you actually expected.

    I am a fan of open world games that doesn't really force you to do things in a single, predetermined way. No man's sky is an ultimate open world game - you don't really have to do anything specific. Just fly from planet to planet, from planetary system to another one and just inhale the scale, the freedom and the subtle diversity of each world.    … Expand
  57. sloeginz
    Mar 20, 2019
    7
    Here to update my original review 2 years ago. After all these patches and improves, the game finally has more features and fun. But because it's an auto-gen universe, everything still looks repeated. The underwater ecosystem is same for all planet doesn't make any scene.

    ------ original ----- Really bad designed and finished. My feeling is the entire universe is not running without    Here to update my original review 2 years ago. After all these patches and improves, the game finally has more features and fun. But because it's an auto-gen universe, everything still looks repeated. The underwater ecosystem is same for all planet doesn't make any scene.

    ------ original -----
    Really bad designed and finished. My feeling is the entire universe is not running without the player. All the aliens, animals in this game are living aimlessly. Not ever two NPCs in game are connected to each other. Basically, it's a Minecraft-like space game without crafting, end dragon, modding and multi-playing, but with extra bugs. I would say it worth 8 score if it cost only $20.    … Expand
  58. Khaar
    Sep 3, 2016
    7
    To summarize the game play in NMS it's farm to jump closer to center, repeat. Of course it's fun to explore etc. but it gets very repetitive and not very engaging. You should play this game but I can't justify a 60$ price tag.
  59. Dietrich_
    Jan 23, 2017
    7
    Expected much, got the smallest. No Man's Sky is a game for a few days. It will not delay you with its atmosphere, the idea, structure. It doesn't offer you all that you need to look for yourself. Routine the road to the center of the galaxy and can not be varied, I agree. But to add at least something interesting and exciting could have been. The game has races, but the dynamics betweenExpected much, got the smallest. No Man's Sky is a game for a few days. It will not delay you with its atmosphere, the idea, structure. It doesn't offer you all that you need to look for yourself. Routine the road to the center of the galaxy and can not be varied, I agree. But to add at least something interesting and exciting could have been. The game has races, but the dynamics between them. For interest you could add some kind of confrontation between races, to pick a side. But no...along the way you'll only learn languages, to get the materials to create the antimatter and play with the thought of how would hurry already to get to the center of the universe.… Expand
  60. Kburd67
    Mar 18, 2017
    7
    I appreciate the update - but I miss learning the alien languages from the Aliens themselves. I also think you should be rewarded with Tech and Nanites equally. I'd also like to see something more with drop pods - they are useless once you max out your exo-suit. How do you get slots added to your ships? How many ships can you have - it seems like 6 is all that is allowed. How aboutI appreciate the update - but I miss learning the alien languages from the Aliens themselves. I also think you should be rewarded with Tech and Nanites equally. I'd also like to see something more with drop pods - they are useless once you max out your exo-suit. How do you get slots added to your ships? How many ships can you have - it seems like 6 is all that is allowed. How about multiple bases? Keep working on it Hello Games - it's getting better - but more improvements/content and versatility would be nice.… Expand
  61. Raytings
    May 9, 2017
    7
    Since the game’s release, Hello Games has made the explorable universe much more “believable”. In the sense that not every planet has fauna and flora, which makes finally finding species much more exciting. I’ve been more inclined to go exploring other planets due to this change, and have found they have unique climates and weather systems. On that note however, planets don’t have naturalSince the game’s release, Hello Games has made the explorable universe much more “believable”. In the sense that not every planet has fauna and flora, which makes finally finding species much more exciting. I’ve been more inclined to go exploring other planets due to this change, and have found they have unique climates and weather systems. On that note however, planets don’t have natural phenomenon as you’d expect on planets. You won’t find Volcanos, waterfalls, or geysers or even rainbows. Solar systems still don’t have Gas Giants, or anything close to realistic scaling. Most caves look the same on every planet and usually contain the same resources.

    Nanites are a new currency players can find throughout the universe in various places, like searching damaged machinery, blasting sentinels and more. At Space Stations, players can trade Nanites with one of three races for blueprints. This seemed to have reduced the previous random chances of finding new technologies by themselves, and relying on trading Nanites with species for technology at Space Stations. The name Nanite implies a microscopic device. Yet for some reason, they take inventory space. It would have been better if they were tracked just like units, in the top UI. In addition to nanites, you require good standing with species to trade with their vendors. I haven’t found getting a higher standing with factions hard, so it seems to be a redundant requirement to buy technology.

    Base Building in combination with the Exocrafts has breathed fresh air into the vacuum of No Mans Sky. I’ve found that it’s so much more rewarding to go exploring for a new, more beautiful base than before. I spent hours even off stream driving over vast terrain and surfing over giant oceans to find huge amounts of resources, put them in my cargo, and bring them back to my base for sorting or future selling. The best part, is you get to make a planet your own. Since most of my friends have moved onto newer games, I haven’t been able to take advantage of base sharing, which allows you and another player to share a base.

    While all this new content really expanded the content and features of the game, the game still struggles with quality control, especially on PC. I’ve encountered multiple blockers like the client crashing, linear quests lines breaking, and more. Even smaller, annoying bugs like not being properly sat in your ship when boarding persist. This may have to do with during development, Hello Games didn’t have an in-house QA team, and relied on Sony’s QA.

    To be fair, the game is really trying to do something no other game has done before. While it lacks in quality control, it makes up for in the sheer beauty of the game and unique gameplay. I really think if No Man’s Sky was released as Early Access, and reduced the price a bit, the game wouldn’t have received such hard criticism. There may have also been an expectations problem. No Man’s Sky was marketed as a AAA game, with an indie developer and publisher. If you can find this game on sale, or you have some extra money on hand, the game is much better than at launch and worth a try.    … Expand
  62. PostDisasterCat
    Aug 17, 2017
    7
    I bought the game back in 2016 and I totally fell for the hype. Like the majority of the playerbase at that time, I was disappointed and felt scammed. I started trying to figure out ways to get my money back, but eventually I just forgot about it and moved on.

    Fast forward to today. The game has had a few updates, the hype is gone, expectations are extremely low. So I re-downloaded it    I bought the game back in 2016 and I totally fell for the hype. Like the majority of the playerbase at that time, I was disappointed and felt scammed. I started trying to figure out ways to get my money back, but eventually I just forgot about it and moved on.

    Fast forward to today. The game has had a few updates, the hype is gone, expectations are extremely low. So I re-downloaded it and started it up on my PS4 Pro, and I was truly surprised. Now, this game is certainly not for everybody, but it is leagues better than the NMS we saw at launch. The updates have added a lot to improve the experience, so if you are in the category of players who likes the concept and aesthetics of No Man's Sky, by all means give it second chance. The photo-mode is an excellent addition and I find myself spending a lot of time setting up those pretty shots.    … Expand
  63. Ilya2017
    Aug 31, 2017
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. С обновлением Atlas Rises игра стала лучше так я мог поставить ей 3.5, а ставлю 7. Строительство, мини задания и хоть какой то мультиплеер добавили. Для ценителей медленных симуляторов и длинных загрузок на манер TS вполне потходит.
    Плюсы:
    Необъятный космос
    Возможность торговать ресурсами и кораблями
    Норм графика
    Можно строить
    Нейтрально:
    Хоть какой-то сюжет
    Минусы:
    Цена
    Загрузка по 5 минут
    В чём-то одинаковые планеты
    Нельзя подлететь к звезде
    Невозможность ходить внутри корабля
    Баги    … Expand
  64. nicholassimon
    Nov 25, 2018
    7
    Playing it again with the Atlas Rises Update (Aug/Sep 2017) and there is actually a game now, much improved over the original and really much more enjoyable. If you are someone that likes free exploration then this is for you. If you were disappointed the first time, try it again, it is much better.
  65. GrandPachoZ
    Apr 24, 2018
    7
    No Man's Sky is not game for everybody, it is explore, it is journey, No Man's Sky is the universe in your hands and you explore it, the planets are beautiful and the sound excellent. We know that the game didn't sell the thing that the people want in the moment due the great hype behind the marketing but it isn't bad game, It is a explore game if you want spend time in a relax andNo Man's Sky is not game for everybody, it is explore, it is journey, No Man's Sky is the universe in your hands and you explore it, the planets are beautiful and the sound excellent. We know that the game didn't sell the thing that the people want in the moment due the great hype behind the marketing but it isn't bad game, It is a explore game if you want spend time in a relax and adventure journey in the space it is the game.… Expand
  66. VahNabooty
    Apr 3, 2019
    7
    A very enjoyable space exploration game with wonderful design, and the game has come a long way from where it was when it released. Its still maybe not worth as much as it's being sold for, but its a lot of fun and I would gladly recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing journey.
  67. Danil_Shtangeev
    Jan 16, 2019
    7
    Awesome potential & cool visual style but gameplay at first look feels not so good as I expected. Waiting for updates.
  68. W0lf_0f_Snyd3r
    Jul 14, 2019
    7
    A lot of potential, but just extremely boring due to the immense amount of info coming in: these minerals, these Flora, need this, need that, need this and that to make this which further, (when added with X) results in object A which you need to further purify mineral F. It's just tried too hard to be complicated. I'm still stuck on the first part of the game because it's boringA lot of potential, but just extremely boring due to the immense amount of info coming in: these minerals, these Flora, need this, need that, need this and that to make this which further, (when added with X) results in object A which you need to further purify mineral F. It's just tried too hard to be complicated. I'm still stuck on the first part of the game because it's boring collecting minerals and building lame gizmos. I just want to lightspeed travel and leave to other places.… Expand
  69. Patrick73
    Jun 29, 2020
    7
    Gioco esplorativo e contemplativo. Soffre di moltissimi bug e generalmente né la trama né i combattimenti riesco a risultare minimamente interessanti. Almeno l'esplorazione dei pianeti con un amico o in solitudine risulta molto appagante ed immersiva.
  70. Burattix54
    Sep 7, 2020
    7
    It got better, but it is still boring. It's an empty game, and the new storyline isn't interesting.
  71. SgtSocks
    May 12, 2023
    7
    No Man's Sky is a Comeback story, once was a lagging, broken, letdown of a game, is now a fun space odyssey unique to you. I find my self coming back to this game and I'm looking forward for future updates. My one complaint is that it crashes, and lags more often then you would like to see, though it is not a experience killing problem.
  72. Exlex
    Mar 8, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's far from perfect that's for sure, but some of the more recent reviews are either made written by gamers who haven't played more than a few hours (shakes beer) or gamers like Ianmack who clearly is lying, because in 100 hours of gameplay, I have never not found an animal. He probably didn't read that it is only found in the north or south emisphere...

    What I miss and hope they will implement sooner or later are cities. What I think is really annoying is that sometimes the game gives you the option to scan a planet from space and right when you activate the scanner the option fades and you have to wait for the scanner to recharge. Another thing I would love to see, are snowy paradise planets. All planets with snow have automatically a harsh environment. What stands out in this game is the community. Never experienced such a helpful gaming community. The game is definitely worth it in 2021 and I am pretty sure that it will be updated a lot in the future, adding many more features.    … Expand
  73. Mastereed
    Jul 1, 2023
    7
    JOURNEY TO THE CORE

    BEFORE WE START: No Man's Sky was developed and published by Hello Games and released in 2016. This title was released under completely adverse conditions compared to those presented at various conventions and fairs, and therefore, it was heavily criticized. After dozens of updates, the game became very similar to what was originally announced. The title has been    JOURNEY TO THE CORE

    BEFORE WE START:
    No Man's Sky was developed and published by Hello Games and released in 2016. This title was released under completely adverse conditions compared to those presented at various conventions and fairs, and therefore, it was heavily criticized. After dozens of updates, the game became very similar to what was originally announced. The title has been fully released on Game Pass PC.

    THE TAKE OFF:
    No Man's Sky, as a pure survival game, instantly throws the player into the clutches of a planet immersed in the infinite universe. This planet can randomly be peaceful or malevolent, making the first steps more or less challenging depending on the type. The initial stages mainly involve learning the basics of survival, as well as constructing a small personal base. After these steps, the player will be unleashed into the universe of the Atlas, a mysterious deity or legend that requires the player to reach the center of the universe. As an interlude, the player can literally explore endless planets, take on dozens of side missions, and build bases on planets or immense frigates.

    STALENESS UNIVERSE:
    The gameplay of No Man's Sky is as varied as it is repetitive. In addition to the mere survival aspect of collecting resources, surviving in hostile planets, and fighting sentinels, players can venture into cooperative missions and raids on frigates and outposts. Furthermore, a small part of the game certainly involves space battles, albeit very simple ones. The true heart of the gameplay in this immense title lies in the exploration of thousands of planets, which often differ greatly, and the various space wrecks. A small mechanic that encourages exploration is the bestiary and encyclopedia of creatures and objects on the planets, offering small rewards in currency.

    WHAT COLOR IS THE SPACE?:
    Graphically, it is rather average, with a wide variety of designs and coloration of the different worlds. Certainly, the imagination behind some plants and creatures is exceptional.

    SCATTERED ECHOES:
    The audio component, like the graphics, is average. However, its great merit lies in creating extremely relaxing and mesmerizing situations, with fitting soundtracks for deep space.

    BUT WHY 7?

    PROS:
    No Man's Sky is currently an extremely enjoyable and relaxing title to play and explore. The vastness and creativity of the game world rarely become tiresome, and the game's writing is unique and detailed, keeping the player engaged. Additionally, the main story, being very philosophical, will certainly stimulate the minds of the most imaginative players.

    CONS:
    The major problem with No Man's Sky lies in the immense repetitiveness that it reaches within a few days of gameplay. Every space station, NPC, planetary base, frigate, and most dialogues will always and uniformly be the same. Moreover, the game's strong survival aspect often leads to tedious farming sequences for normal gameplay actions. All these factors make it a highly enjoyable game even today, but it certainly doesn't lack some issues dating back to its release.

    RATINGS:
    Gameplay: 6.5
    Music: 7.5
    Story: 7
    Survival: 6
    _    … Expand
  74. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    7
    A solid space exploration game that offers multiple timesinks. You can build bases and communities and fleets, you can explore in perpetuity, you can do missions and pursue the main quest, etc. While a lot about this game is incredible and is done so well, it has become an excellent space adventure game, the exploration and gameplay mechanics still leave much to be desired. Animal behaviorA solid space exploration game that offers multiple timesinks. You can build bases and communities and fleets, you can explore in perpetuity, you can do missions and pursue the main quest, etc. While a lot about this game is incredible and is done so well, it has become an excellent space adventure game, the exploration and gameplay mechanics still leave much to be desired. Animal behavior is so simple as to be nealry nonexistant, planets are a single climate each, and significant geological features simply don't exist on most worlds. There is a lot to love about this game but it is not for everyone.… Expand
  75. SchroederRock
    Aug 9, 2016
    6
    Sadly this is not the game I hoped it would be. No Man's Sky has a big vision and large universe to explore but it doesn't keep me interested as the game's sim approach seems to restrict creativity rather than allow it to flourish. There's also the issue of pacing - several hours in this game tests my patience heavily as there's little combat. In addition to the slow pacing, there's aSadly this is not the game I hoped it would be. No Man's Sky has a big vision and large universe to explore but it doesn't keep me interested as the game's sim approach seems to restrict creativity rather than allow it to flourish. There's also the issue of pacing - several hours in this game tests my patience heavily as there's little combat. In addition to the slow pacing, there's a huge frustration with having to gather loads of resources to advance yourself and the inventory control is abysmal at-best. There's also some major bugs that crash the game about once or even twice per hour and it's seizing many consoles outside of my own. All said and done, Sony will probably be very displeased with how this game turned out after knowing it had a PC/PS4 exclusive day 1 - this won't win anyone over to buy a PS4 that doesn't already have one - that's unfortunate given how much this game was hyped by so many people.… Expand
  76. makdrumz
    Aug 22, 2016
    6
    I will update the score when we get what we paid/promised for. HOWEVER! It is a sandbox game like all other of the same genre...and it is a damn good one as well as unique! Its game to lose yourself into. There is no ultimate goal in exploring the universe. Only the journey. Great graphics, framerate, variety, sounds, music although i would prefer a dark/realistic colour pallet like EliteI will update the score when we get what we paid/promised for. HOWEVER! It is a sandbox game like all other of the same genre...and it is a damn good one as well as unique! Its game to lose yourself into. There is no ultimate goal in exploring the universe. Only the journey. Great graphics, framerate, variety, sounds, music although i would prefer a dark/realistic colour pallet like Elite Dangerous. The price tag is quite high but...whatever...wait for a drop in price or a steam sale if you cannot afford it. NMS has GREAT UPDATING POTENTIAL and this is something they definitely had in mind. They built the universe and some good gameplay. No they just have to build upon it.

    If you like space sims, minecraft, journey...THIS IS THE GAME (until Dual Universe is out...well then again they will have added many many things up until then...so it may be comparable).    … Expand
  77. vcca15
    Aug 18, 2016
    6
    Had high hopes for this game, I'm generally pretty easy to please game wise, I appreciate a wide range of games and generally am a glass half full type of person. Despite this game being huge, having virtually seamless ground to space travel, with some awesome visual variations, this game is boring.

    It's as if they've created an awesome game world but haven't added in the actual game    Had high hopes for this game, I'm generally pretty easy to please game wise, I appreciate a wide range of games and generally am a glass half full type of person. Despite this game being huge, having virtually seamless ground to space travel, with some awesome visual variations, this game is boring.

    It's as if they've created an awesome game world but haven't added in the actual game yet, exploring is moderately fun, I'll still play just to see more, different planets and animals but this game won't last long at all with nothing to do.    … Expand
  78. doctuar
    Aug 11, 2016
    6
    A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a review for 'Starbound', where I basically said it was interesting, but flawed. Well, No Man's Sky is flawed, but not very interesting.

    It's a curious release, because this type of space-exploration sandbox hasn't really been made with consoles in mind, yet Sony are the ones who've been beating the drum for this title. It's basically an    A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a review for 'Starbound', where I basically said it was interesting, but flawed. Well, No Man's Sky is flawed, but not very interesting.

    It's a curious release, because this type of space-exploration sandbox hasn't really been made with consoles in mind, yet Sony are the ones who've been beating the drum for this title. It's basically an exploration/survival game, with minimal crafting and adventure elements. If you came to this game expecting an epic, sweeping story, you will not find one. You effectively do the same thing in every star system and every planet, with very small, cosmetic alterations between them.

    Even the much vaunted 'quintillion worlds' feature is a bit of a let-down as, apart from palette differences, most planets are created from the same few templates. Plants (flora) are especially indistinct, as every planet has the same basic types that contain iron, platinum, zinc, etc.

    Also, the graphics are pretty poor; I own several consoles and a PC, and I know a console is never going to be cutting edge in terms of graphics, but this wouldn't look out of place on PS3. And I'm talking early-release PS3.

    I've played the game quite a bit and there is a grim determination to the grind of upgrading, travelling to a new star system, searching for elements, etc. But where does it end? The game has three 'paths', but these are just a clever way of rationalising your gameplay type; explore, head for the end or just wander about randomly. They make no difference to the plot.

    An odd choice for an AAA release, and an even odder choice for a tentpole console game. I can imagine this finding its audience in the Steam community, with mods and the like, but for £45/$60 on the PS4... What were Sony thinking?    … Expand
  79. paddystudmuffin
    Aug 13, 2016
    6
    Well played this for about 30 hrs and I have to agree with meta score 6/7. It's an interesting experience but its just not very much fun. It gets boring very quickly. I think the biggest problem is the lack of danger from most of the wildlife. Games should be fun and this isn't. I've just traded it in got £40 trade in so not all bad.
  80. Junghova
    Aug 10, 2016
    6
    I played last night and it took 3 hours to figure out what I was to do and how my suit/mining tool/resource management worked. Once I got the hang of it, I was moving along but the big issue for me is inventory management. It feels such a chore to spend almost as much time with inventory management as I am doing anything else (I am sure everyone is recharging their envirosuit and healthI played last night and it took 3 hours to figure out what I was to do and how my suit/mining tool/resource management worked. Once I got the hang of it, I was moving along but the big issue for me is inventory management. It feels such a chore to spend almost as much time with inventory management as I am doing anything else (I am sure everyone is recharging their envirosuit and health at the first possible moment just to make space. I think 4-5 more slots to start off with in both your suit and ship would be a lot better (because you need an empty slot to make stuff. Not writing the game off yet, but I do kinda feel like im on the away team in star trek. It's also pretty cool to see the odd space ship fly over the horizon. Fun game to light one up with.… Expand
  81. FinDefaulted
    Aug 18, 2016
    6
    No Man's Sky fails to deliver 60$ worth of content, but is relatively fun game.

    From the beginning NMS was advertised as this huge universe with every planet being different and interesting. This isn't true. There's just not enough different assets to build from and each planet, animal, plant, and rock ends up looking very similar and uninteresting. There's very little new to do    No Man's Sky fails to deliver 60$ worth of content, but is relatively fun game.

    From the beginning NMS was advertised as this huge universe with every planet being different and interesting. This isn't true. There's just not enough different assets to build from and each planet, animal, plant, and rock ends up looking very similar and uninteresting.

    There's very little new to do after you've played for an hour or so, and you'll just spend your time repeating same stuff over and over again.
    I personally like games where you gather resources and build new items, but NMS isn't like that. There's very little to build, your inventory is too small, and mining resources becomes annoying fast.

    All could be forgiven, but one thing really ruins the immersion. NMS has a system, where your weapon and armor require recharging from time to time. This requires you to go to the menu, choosing your weapon/armor piece and then recharging them. This especially annoying when the ships thrusters need to be recharged too... after lifting of the ground 4 times. 4 TIMES.
    You don't want to explore the planet since it's too big to walk around in and you're forced to mine resources just to get of the ground all the time.

    Honestly, as it is now I wouldn't recommend buying NMS.    … Expand
  82. Risax
    Aug 22, 2016
    6
    All in all, No Man's Sky has an interesting galaxy to spend some time in...if you are in the right mood for it, anyway. I enjoyed my time with the game, but it rarely wowed me and I was disappointed to find that I couldn't build a base to call my own or even construct my own ship. It seems like the latter would be easy, seeing as it didn't take too long before I started to find doubles ofAll in all, No Man's Sky has an interesting galaxy to spend some time in...if you are in the right mood for it, anyway. I enjoyed my time with the game, but it rarely wowed me and I was disappointed to find that I couldn't build a base to call my own or even construct my own ship. It seems like the latter would be easy, seeing as it didn't take too long before I started to find doubles of blueprints and there are always enough resources to find. Who knows, stuff like that could be added in later updates. However, right now? It simply is NOT worth the €60 price. If you're interested in a relaxing game where you explore space (and maybe have a few podcasts to catch up on) get No Man's Sky, but wait for a significant price drop first.… Expand
  83. wardevil28
    Nov 14, 2016
    6
    the exploration aspects of this game are decent but the universe is so boring and uninteresting that you may not care enough to finish the game. This game has dropped the ball as far as I can tell, were are the ooooooohh and ahhhh moments, the fact you dont hold our hands maybe your greatest down fall, a few quest to show us something amazing, a epic battle a giant monster a lostthe exploration aspects of this game are decent but the universe is so boring and uninteresting that you may not care enough to finish the game. This game has dropped the ball as far as I can tell, were are the ooooooohh and ahhhh moments, the fact you dont hold our hands maybe your greatest down fall, a few quest to show us something amazing, a epic battle a giant monster a lost civilization would have gone a long way to keeping this game interesting. If you a looking to feel like a space cowboy, rouge mercenary or legendary captain of a fleet you will be greatly disappointed , your discoveries are barely significant, your experiences dont leave a mark and all of your explorations leads to mostly unimpressive and lackluster moments.… Expand
  84. Gamingteacher
    Aug 12, 2016
    6
    There's both good and bad here, I won't lie.

    I like the aesthetic, the sense of wonder and exploration and the whole premise of the game

    I dislike the repetition, bugs (3 crashes and a save data wipe in the last 5 hours, not ideal) and grind-heavy gameplay

    So I'll give it a 6. Once the developers have got a bit more stability and verity in the game I'm sure I'll enjoy it much more.
  85. davidcarloss
    Aug 30, 2016
    6
    É um jogo muito bom no começo, mas com o tempo fica mediano ate ficar chato. O controle da nave não é muito bom, principalmente dentro dos planetas, as batalhas de naves é legal, mas não muito boas, logo enjoa,muitas vezes encontrei animais e plantas iguais, os planetas são diferentes sim, mas você tem que fazer a mesma coisa em todos eles e fica chato depois de 15 ou 20 visitados. DepoisÉ um jogo muito bom no começo, mas com o tempo fica mediano ate ficar chato. O controle da nave não é muito bom, principalmente dentro dos planetas, as batalhas de naves é legal, mas não muito boas, logo enjoa,muitas vezes encontrei animais e plantas iguais, os planetas são diferentes sim, mas você tem que fazer a mesma coisa em todos eles e fica chato depois de 15 ou 20 visitados. Depois de um tempo você só vai jogar com a motivação de conseguir todos os troféus, caso queira pois é muito fácil, porem demorado. Eu por exemplo só vou terminar de platinar no PS4 e depois não vou jogar mais, só se atualizem o jogo realmente como estamos esperando. Recomendo a qualquer um que compre caso tenha alguma promoção muito boa nas lojas ou compra um usado. Acho que a nota 6 esta de bom tamanho para o jogo quando foi lançado e atualmente, vamos ver se no futuro ela pode melhorar.… Expand
  86. Maddness
    Aug 13, 2016
    6
    Pro.
    -massive, full scale galaxies to explore.
    -can be absolutely gorgeous at times. -sound design and in game music is of a very high standard. -Devoleper Hello Games has stated this game won't ever get paid dlc, instead it will support game with regular patches. This is the reason why i won't list the somewhat hefty purchase price as a con. -game has massive potential to evolve over    Pro.
    -massive, full scale galaxies to explore.
    -can be absolutely gorgeous at times.
    -sound design and in game music is of a very high standard.
    -Devoleper Hello Games has stated this game won't ever get paid dlc, instead it will support game with regular patches. This is the reason why i won't list the somewhat hefty purchase price as a con.
    -game has massive potential to evolve over time into something truly special and unique.
    -Awesome retro scifi spaceship designs.

    Cons.
    -game does crash a bit.
    -A.I is very basic, to put it nicely.
    -while the U.I looks nice, it is a chore to use.
    -way too much time is spend in the inventory screen, sometimes during combat, like charging shields in a dogfight for example. It just kills the flow of the game imo. Also, not enough space in this inventory, making it a micro management nightmare.
    -The robotic computer voice cannot be turned off.
    -very basic, text based story telling in which the static characters you meet are very forgettable.
    -The resource collecting part of the game is just not fun.
    -planet and space combat feels very basic.
    -puzzles repeat after a while.    … Expand
  87. Drakon
    Aug 11, 2016
    6
    Let me start bu saying that No Man's Sky does so much right. It has an amazing universe, with endless outcomes and things to find. It is fun at its core and provides a fun memorable experience. Yet for all of its grandeur, it lack longevity, and the experience is a fleeting one. Hello Games has made a empty corpse. Imagine going to a massive party, and being the only one there. For aLet me start bu saying that No Man's Sky does so much right. It has an amazing universe, with endless outcomes and things to find. It is fun at its core and provides a fun memorable experience. Yet for all of its grandeur, it lack longevity, and the experience is a fleeting one. Hello Games has made a empty corpse. Imagine going to a massive party, and being the only one there. For a company with a name that is a social greeting, they mist their opportunity to make one of the most inspiring social experiments yet. They say they want you to feel small and show the scope of reality, and while that is amazing, I also play games to have fun. That said, I always tend to have fun with friends and other people in general. When thinking of what this game could have been at the pinnacle of its hype, I thought about how cool it could be to wage galactic war in a glorious infinite game world. A game where you could make your own faction, your own kingdom. Hello games has some amazing ground work here, but until the shell is filled, they have something just OK. I hope that this game is one that continues to expand. They are withholding one of modern gaming's treasures from us, a social No Man's Sky would be the definitive social experience, if only. So until we can wage war to claim the sky, I will say no to fully recommending this game, although it is fun in bursts, there is nothing long term here.… Expand
  88. pablo2008jedi
    Aug 23, 2016
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've been following the game since the 2014 reveal, I've watched pretty much all the interviews and was very hyped for the game. As person who enjoys Sci-Fi, particular Star Trek, Stargate etc.. I thought this could be the game of my dreams.
    But now after 2 weeks I have come to find the game being shallow. Most of the worlds I have seen have been varied of content, specifically animals, weather and colour pallet. But there is about 50% of the stuff (flora and fauna) you see that are all the same just a different name/colour.
    The gameplay mechanics is very dumbed down from all those videos. The game is nothing like the videos. Now I will say I never expected to see anything like that 2014 E3 video, but I did expect the gameplay to be better. FInding material in the game is very very frustrating, being a Sci-Fi themed game you'd think you'd have the ability to scan for certain materials and not just hope to find some. It's become very tedious. The whole Suit and Ship upgrade system is dull, the space combat is boring. The Story is, missing and broken. All my Atlas way points take me away from the centre.
    And now the actual point of the game, traveling to the centre. It's dull, it's slow and at the centre [spoiler] Its a kick in the teeth[/spolier]
    I really wanted this to succeed, maybe it's my own fault in believing HG were developing a mind blowing engine. But its repetitive, un-exciting and I have no wish to play it any more.
    A AAA price for a indie game, I should have known better.    … Expand
  89. AaronG247
    Mar 10, 2017
    6
    Not as bad as it's made out to be. The game starts off great, this whole universe for you to discover with amazing and strange animals and plant life to find. But getting a little further into the game it becomes more of a chore to do some of the objectives and to accomplish things like upgrading your ship. This really is one of those "game preview" games, I have no doubt that within timeNot as bad as it's made out to be. The game starts off great, this whole universe for you to discover with amazing and strange animals and plant life to find. But getting a little further into the game it becomes more of a chore to do some of the objectives and to accomplish things like upgrading your ship. This really is one of those "game preview" games, I have no doubt that within time it will become a decent if not great game to play. To put it simply I believe this game is an investment, one that could go either way at this point. Still worth a handful of hours to mess around in a spaceship, fly to different planets and destroy and take all of it's natural resources (including the animals).… Expand
  90. Mistval
    Aug 21, 2016
    6
    I am a software developer, I've been a gamer for a long time, and I've followed the development of NMS for a long time. I feel like I have a good general sense for what can be accomplished given X developers and Y years. I never believed that Hello Games (HG) could actually deliver everything they were promising. I went into this game with pretty moderate expectations, I think.I am a software developer, I've been a gamer for a long time, and I've followed the development of NMS for a long time. I feel like I have a good general sense for what can be accomplished given X developers and Y years. I never believed that Hello Games (HG) could actually deliver everything they were promising. I went into this game with pretty moderate expectations, I think.

    Nonetheless I am a bit disappointed. HG failed to execute as well as they needed to on the game's central mechanic: the procedural generation of worlds and lifeforms. They're all only superficially different in terms of appearance, and in terms of what there is to do on each world, there is virtually no difference.

    But the worst part is that each world is entirely uniform. On a real planet (Earth) there are deserts, jungles, alpine regions, ice caps, oceans, etc. In NMS, each planet has exactly one biome and there is no difference no matter where on the planet you go.

    I understand that procedural world generation is a hard problem, but they simply did not do this well enough to give the game lasting replayability. There is obviously no simulation of plate techtonics, solar activity, wind patterns (and the affect mountains, etc have on them), impact events, ocean currents, temperature, or anything like that (community-made map generators for Civilization IV, for example, did all that). It seems like they just roll a die and decide "this shall be a jungle world", then they roll another die and decide "all the trees on this planet will be red or orange", then they roll some more dice to decide what resources the planet has, etc. It doesn't seem like these things have much, if any, effect on each other, and they apply to the entire world equally. If you explore 1 square km of a planet, you've pretty much seen the whole thing.

    There are no mountains or oceans in NMS. The best you're gonna do are big hills and medium sized lakes. And apparently those lakes are filled with something other than water since they are still liquid even when the planet is -40 C.

    But I didn't give it a zero, so what's good? Well, it is maybe 15-30 hours of good fun until the sameness really starts to get to you. There is content here, but it's far from limitless like it was supposed to be. When you find the first planet that you're able to call beautiful, you really do get a great feeling of discovery. It's easy to spend a lot of time just running around and taking screenshots. And that's true on the second and third such planet, too. The fourth? Maybe a little bit. But it's all downhill from there as you realized none of them are actually that different.

    You can tell from pre-release demos and marketing material that the devs were playing builds that had a lot more content than what was released (and their failure to communicate that has justifiably upset a lot of people). The good news there is that perhaps it means we're going to get a more varied experience soon via patches. I just really hope they work on their procedural generation algorithms and give us worlds that are more worth exploring.    … Expand
  91. Kurban909
    Feb 16, 2019
    6
    My experience with this game so far is phenomenal. The gripping from people who think there is not enough equipment slots, try exploring the planet more than just five way points. I have only been to five separate star systems and my exo-suit already has thirty slots. My Spaceship on the other hand only has nineteen but I am saving up for a ship that has twenty-eight. The graphics areMy experience with this game so far is phenomenal. The gripping from people who think there is not enough equipment slots, try exploring the planet more than just five way points. I have only been to five separate star systems and my exo-suit already has thirty slots. My Spaceship on the other hand only has nineteen but I am saving up for a ship that has twenty-eight. The graphics are about as good as your going to get for the scope of the game. The combat is secondary to the exploration so don't go into this game expecting COD style of combat. The resource system is ok given that you will be constantly using them if you take your sweet time exploring a planet (I usually take an hour or two). Since the ships and weapons come with upgrades already built in, you don't really have to worry about building upgrades right off the bat. If you do find upgrades that are better then what are currently on the weapon then just dismantle and craft the better ones, same thing with ships ect. The mix of planets, animals, different aliens make this game enjoyable but still feel like something is missing. For all these people who have been complaining about the game, they need to put more time in before reviewing. It's not fair to the developers and not fair to other gamers coming here for a n honest opinion.… Expand
  92. joaopontesvaz
    Nov 1, 2016
    6
    Graphics: 7.0 Sound: 8.0 Gameplay: 7.5 Fun/Story: 5.0

    A innovate idea badly explored. Great random level design formula but it generates too similar planets with different color palettes with less or more fauna and flora. Very weak combat system and story. Technically poor with low resolution textures and despite the generating formula the deja vu feeling´s always present.
  93. Shuklack
    Aug 11, 2016
    6
    Let me get the negatives out first. A lot of potential that is mitigated by very shallow features. I expect most planets to be boring, I dont mind if life is rare... but I get the feeling that there arent any actual developed planets and the liveliest planets just have more trees. Also, why is outer space so... pink? The odd artistic choice of a pastel colored space really detracts fromLet me get the negatives out first. A lot of potential that is mitigated by very shallow features. I expect most planets to be boring, I dont mind if life is rare... but I get the feeling that there arent any actual developed planets and the liveliest planets just have more trees. Also, why is outer space so... pink? The odd artistic choice of a pastel colored space really detracts from the beauty of the planets/stars and a sense of depth. The map system is lacking, it can be a real hassle to revisit points of interest. Ive also crashed more times in 2 days than any of the other PS4 games I've played - combined.
    That being said, with a few tools and additions, this game could be amazing. The foundation is there. Base building would be a start, but we need better map options, greater customization, more lively advanced lifeforms, and most of all... co-op.    … Expand
  94. allandor
    Aug 9, 2016
    6
    "No Man's Sky" is a really nice game, but only for some players. Don't expect a space opera with a storyline here. It is just a game exploration with survival elements. Well the survival part can be really annoying, because it conflicts with the explorative part of the game.
    Not a bad game, but don't follow the hype for this game, else you will be disapointed if you don't love    "No Man's Sky" is a really nice game, but only for some players. Don't expect a space opera with a storyline here. It is just a game exploration with survival elements. Well the survival part can be really annoying, because it conflicts with the explorative part of the game.
    Not a bad game, but don't follow the hype for this game, else you will be disapointed if you don't love exploration- and survival-elements.    … Expand
  95. Rundusol
    Aug 10, 2016
    6
    Let me startby saying that this is a VERY specific game, not everyone will enjoy it, many will dislike it and others like me will be mesmerised by it.

    I don't really know where to begin. The only thing i can do is describe how i feel playing it. I am fascinated. I am intrigued. I am absolutely relaxed. I have only spent about 9 hours in the game so far, and all of that was exploring    Let me startby saying that this is a VERY specific game, not everyone will enjoy it, many will dislike it and others like me will be mesmerised by it.

    I don't really know where to begin. The only thing i can do is describe how i feel playing it. I am fascinated. I am intrigued. I am absolutely relaxed. I have only spent about 9 hours in the game so far, and all of that was exploring just 3 planets in the system i materialised in. I found myself fascinated by the mystery of these weird aliens, the craziness of the randomly generated worlds and just exploring.

    I cannot describe how relaxing i find playing this game. Nor can i explain how confused my brain gets when i try to fathom just how big it all is. The music is a special mention here, it is SO very relaxing.

    For all its good there are some negatives. I hate having to constantly refuel everything, it is tiresome. The FOV is poor. The popin and low rent texture work along with bad aliasing at times is quite an eyesore. Buti can look beyond these for what the game gives to me.

    I feel as though this is a game i probably should have bought on PC to get rid of fhe visual drawbacks on pS4.

    As i said at the beginning, this is not a game for everyone. People will hate it, there are already a ton of negative comments.

    I for one did not get caught up in any self driven hype, i had no expectations justa desire to experience what this amazing created. And i am honestly happy they made what they have, it is a truly fascinating experience and unique amongst a sea of rehashed genres and "definitive editions". I look forward to exploring this amazing universe for years to come.

    Please be proud of your work Hello Games.    … Expand
  96. hokido
    Aug 30, 2016
    6
    6/10 is the highest i can give this game at the moment fans of this genre of game will have a lot of fun however those that were expecting a game changer will be disappointed a huge amount of grinding is needed to progress in this game which will put off many, however there is a great deal of potential here.

    By the sounds of things Hello Games are going to be constantly updating this    6/10 is the highest i can give this game at the moment fans of this genre of game will have a lot of fun however those that were expecting a game changer will be disappointed a huge amount of grinding is needed to progress in this game which will put off many, however there is a great deal of potential here.

    By the sounds of things Hello Games are going to be constantly updating this game adding new features which i am hopeful will alleviate some of the grind.

    Now for one of the even bigger gripes the price here in the UK i picked this game up for £46 in comparison the most recent Uncharted game cost me only £42, out of all my PS4 game purchases this so far is the worst value for money i honestly can't see myself still playing No Man's Sky in a couple of weeks let alone months.

    Update (30/08/2016)
    Still rated a 6/10 for me but it is pushing up towards a 7/10 i have found the key to enjoying No Man's Sky more is to play in small chunks an hour here and there between other games reduces the frustration that develops after long periods of play which i was finding.

    Hello Games have also been improving the game we are currently up to patch 1.07 hopefully more features will be upcoming in the near future updates.    … Expand
  97. megawavez
    Sep 28, 2016
    6
    This game is really a mess. I was 30 hours in when a bug wrecked my save file and forced me to restart. I restarted the game again, started to play and realized how bored I was. Just for fun, I finished the Atlas path which I found pretty silly, I then started towards the center of the universe - I'm about 150k light years up and am basically going to give up - it's far too long of aThis game is really a mess. I was 30 hours in when a bug wrecked my save file and forced me to restart. I restarted the game again, started to play and realized how bored I was. Just for fun, I finished the Atlas path which I found pretty silly, I then started towards the center of the universe - I'm about 150k light years up and am basically going to give up - it's far too long of a jaunt and there's really nothing exciting to see.

    The procedural generation of planets is pretty cool and at times I've been wowed by what I've come across, but the real problem is the gameplay just kind of sucks. It relies heavily on crafting, but the crafting is pretty meh. There is some fighting, but it's basically the same stuff over and over and the fighting itself is also very meh. The universe, lore, and NPCs are also very meh, so the only really good thing is the procedural generation. I honestly don't think the title is really salvagable (there's talk of base building, but who wants to stay on one planet), and I'm not sure Hello Games will have much cred after this title, so it's probably going to be a interesting one off.    … Expand
  98. Jugalator
    Aug 12, 2016
    6
    Much have been said about this game already, so I'll try to be brief. This is a game in the survivalist/exploration genre and set in space. The universe is near endless and each planet will have wildlife and environment of its own, although it is picked from a palette, so to speak. If you have visited 50 planets, make no mistake, this game will not be a wondrous one where content willMuch have been said about this game already, so I'll try to be brief. This is a game in the survivalist/exploration genre and set in space. The universe is near endless and each planet will have wildlife and environment of its own, although it is picked from a palette, so to speak. If you have visited 50 planets, make no mistake, this game will not be a wondrous one where content will still magically always feel fresh. Soon enough, you will discover similarities.

    It would be a huge mistake to get this game only based in an interest in exploration.

    Even in my first visited planet, I faced a creature of almost identical design that I had previously seen in preview screenshots, and I hadn't even been deep into spoilers. What's worse, the design was weird and really out there. But still -- near identical to the same, strange creature I had already seen before even playing the game. This was a huge disappointment and indicative of what was to come.

    No, this game is not first and foremost about exploration. That is merely the backdrop, only a part of what is meant to keep you going. The main attraction here is survival. Recharging your exosuit by minerals you have mined in quite typical Minecraft sense, only with a gun rather than an axe. Upgrading your weapons and spacecraft, and so on.

    This game feels like 60% about mining/trading/surviving, 30% about exploring and discovering new worlds, and 10% about combat of various beings on planets and in space, combat an afterthought. Please note that exploration would then consitute to a mere third of the game experience.

    You need to love other things than exploring to enjoy this game.

    That is the game's problem.

    It is very shallow in content besides exploring.    … Expand
  99. andrepusey1
    Aug 15, 2016
    6
    Obviously it's huge, obviously it's beautiful, obviously it's ambitious... but it's true that there's not a lot to actually do. I find myself between two frames of mind: either not being bothered to play it because I have no desire to do anything, or being so enveloped and engrossed in the game that I can't stop.

    If you're someone with a short attention span or not much time to play the    Obviously it's huge, obviously it's beautiful, obviously it's ambitious... but it's true that there's not a lot to actually do. I find myself between two frames of mind: either not being bothered to play it because I have no desire to do anything, or being so enveloped and engrossed in the game that I can't stop.

    If you're someone with a short attention span or not much time to play the game, then I wouldn't recommend it. If you're happy farming planets for the same elements over and over, and love the challenges of freeing up inventory space constantly (this does annoy me), then you will love it. There are things to discover and do, but not a lot of it means anything.

    Beautiful and ambitious, but ultimately a bit empty. Hype is a powerful thing, kids.    … Expand
  100. Mabasploom
    Aug 15, 2016
    6
    Have you ever been to a Rock Show before? You get there, the show hasn't started yet, but you can see the entire stage set-up. It looks awesome, with all sorts of cool looking set pieces too look at. But after a while you start to get a little impatient. You just want to show to start. That is what No Man's Sky is right now. It is a great base, with lots of little set pieces thrown in. ButHave you ever been to a Rock Show before? You get there, the show hasn't started yet, but you can see the entire stage set-up. It looks awesome, with all sorts of cool looking set pieces too look at. But after a while you start to get a little impatient. You just want to show to start. That is what No Man's Sky is right now. It is a great base, with lots of little set pieces thrown in. But after about 20 hours, you start to see the same stuff over and over. There is a lot of potential to do more, but they need to starting adding that potential sooner rather than later.

    You built the stage Hello Games, now it's time to be rock stars.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
2
#2 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 96 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 96
  2. Mixed: 54 out of 96
  3. Negative: 1 out of 96
  1. GameCritics
    May 8, 2020
    80
    While I’m sure developer Hello Games is still tweaking things and perhaps even creating more content for No Man’s Sky, the current state of affairs is a strong one. This galactic opus still offers an infinite amount of content for those who want to lose themselves among the stars, but now also contains a concrete throughline that will satisfy a wider array of players. It can be irritating at times, but it’s also full of stunning moments and the satisfaction of building a virtual life among the stars. Four years after launch, it’s finally a journey worth taking.
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  2. BaziCenter
    Feb 10, 2017
    60
    The world of No Man's Sky is insanely vast and beautiful, but there’s nothing to do in it! There’s no goal, no destination, no ending, nothing!
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  3. Easy Allies
    Dec 1, 2016
    60
    While No Man's Sky is engrossing for the first few hours, repetition starts to set in and the proceedings grow dull. The developers stated that they plan to add significant features such as base building which could dramatically change the game for the better. There's a promising foundation present, so it's possible to envision a more substantial game down the line. As it currently stands, though, our excitement to cross the universe faded sooner than we expected.
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