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. Enforcer122
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    No Man's Sky really a different type of game. It's the anti-establishment sort of game which doesn't follow the norms and did its own thing. That's why I hate the fact I find it utterly boring. It's a cool game, the fact that a small team created this is incredible and I think everyone is in amazement of the sheer size and scale of the game.

    But unfortunately it comes down to the simple    No Man's Sky really a different type of game. It's the anti-establishment sort of game which doesn't follow the norms and did its own thing. That's why I hate the fact I find it utterly boring. It's a cool game, the fact that a small team created this is incredible and I think everyone is in amazement of the sheer size and scale of the game.

    But unfortunately it comes down to the simple fact that the game gets very boring, one dimensional and repetitive. Borderline frustrating at times. No quests, no set out character, no interesting aliens, nothing that keeps the game interesting. When you enter a new planet, the initial thrill of seeing what it looks and its composition dies off soon when you realize that every planet really is a dead planet. There isn't anything particularly specific to do except discover some animals, which gets old very fast. Yes, they have different things to mine but unless you want to stand there and fire a laser beam at rocks for 2 hours, it really isn't interesting. The complete lack of direction doesn't help, what am I doing? Why am I doing it? Give me some motivation to keep playing it. It may be harsh but this is really a glorified indie arcade game that shouldn't cost anymore than £20.    … Expand
  2. willerkiller
    Aug 9, 2016
    1
    All planets only have one climate/biome each. Planets are miles away (note some trailers show short travel to moons, not planets which are much further away). Can rename any creature/planet, but doing so is completely redudant given the fact there's no reason to stay on a planet and chances of another player seeing said planet is almost 0. The online "multiplayer" is extremely misleading -All planets only have one climate/biome each. Planets are miles away (note some trailers show short travel to moons, not planets which are much further away). Can rename any creature/planet, but doing so is completely redudant given the fact there's no reason to stay on a planet and chances of another player seeing said planet is almost 0. The online "multiplayer" is extremely misleading - players cannot bump into each other in the world; rather, actions they do (like renaming things) will take effect in an asynchronous manner. The "quests" shown off were literally to gather matetials or defend/attack a faction.
    NPCs have no AI whatsoever, only a select few scripted events to trigger the above. Less than 10 actual climates seem to exist in the game, with recolours being their compromise for looking like more. Due to the insanely high number of apparent planets in this game, statistically the chances of you seeing many unique ones is miniscule - rather, you're more likely to see a planet with tall mountains in red, then one with slightly shorter mountains in blue, then in green with a lake.
    The more permutations in a procedural structure, the less different they are to one-another. "Combat" appears to only be basic gunplay (one of the easiest things to implement to make what would otherwise just be a simulator into a game, since implementing guns just requires basic raycasting). Optional weapon upgrades that are """crafted""" by dumping random collectibles on it. Trees, creatures, and NPCs shown off so far already have duplicates in promotional material, which is quite an antithesis to all the "there's so many permutations!" point they hammer-in    … Expand
  3. kiubier
    Aug 10, 2016
    3
    This game is absolutely massive, and has a decent idea, unfortunately that's all that it has going for it. This game has quintillion planets randomly generated in the vastness of space. However having that huge amount of planets to explore is undoubtedly **** useless when I got bored at the first planet I spawned on. It's very repetitive, the games crafting system is confusing, and thisThis game is absolutely massive, and has a decent idea, unfortunately that's all that it has going for it. This game has quintillion planets randomly generated in the vastness of space. However having that huge amount of planets to explore is undoubtedly **** useless when I got bored at the first planet I spawned on. It's very repetitive, the games crafting system is confusing, and this game will leave you with nothing to do after just a few hours into it. Also worth mentioning one of the directors of the game said that the chances of two players meeting are "close to zero" but in reality two players already met on the same planet, but couldn't see each other, which just proves this game has no idea what it's doing. I just want to end by saying it's not a bad game, it really isn't, but it's not worth buying. If this was a free game similar to some other space based games my rating would be higher, but since this game is worth 60 **** dollars, I wouldn't recommend anyone to go and get it, unless you think an hour of gameplay is acceptable for that price tag.… Expand
  4. mrgeebaby
    Aug 9, 2016
    5
    NMS can be described as a surprisingly SMALL game inside an immensely BIG sandbox. It appears that there is a debilitating void between the two that makes the player feel uneasy and impacts negatively on the overall experience. Whether this can be remedied via future updates and so the introduction of additional mechanics (such as the promised 'base building') remains to be 'Sean. (sic)
    I    NMS can be described as a surprisingly SMALL game inside an immensely BIG sandbox. It appears that there is a debilitating void between the two that makes the player feel uneasy and impacts negatively on the overall experience. Whether this can be remedied via future updates and so the introduction of additional mechanics (such as the promised 'base building') remains to be 'Sean. (sic)
    I think it a shame that this indie title got drowned in so much hype which led to many unrealistic expectations.......i suspect it also led to mistaken belief by Sony/Hello that £40 was an acceptable price tag.
    If the game costs the price of an AAA title, then i am going to judge it as an attempt at such = 4/10    … Expand
  5. 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
  6. Matt1128Y
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    There is less content and options available to the player in No Man's Sky than Minecraft back in 2011, let alone the latest version of Minecraft.

    I wonder how much effort and money was invested into this game versus the amount of money that will be made by Hello Games. The people calling this a philosophical experience are hilarious. They're akin to a hipster going to a modern-art    There is less content and options available to the player in No Man's Sky than Minecraft back in 2011, let alone the latest version of Minecraft.

    I wonder how much effort and money was invested into this game versus the amount of money that will be made by Hello Games.

    The people calling this a philosophical experience are hilarious. They're akin to a hipster going to a modern-art museum and intently looking at a jar of urine, trying to figure out the meaning behind such a piece of art while simultaneously fearing the notion of accidentally letting their fellow hipsters know that they don't see anything but a jar of urine.

    The emperor has no clothes.    … Expand
  7. USarmygamer
    Aug 10, 2016
    3
    What appeared to be beautiful at the initial reveal at E3 2014, is not. The games textures are inconsistent. There is a nice amount of alien life to be found if you can get close. The fact that I couldn't crash my ship even when I try is ridiculous. This game has turned out to be one of the most boring ones I ever played. I guess one could argue it isn't a bad game as it is what it is. NoWhat appeared to be beautiful at the initial reveal at E3 2014, is not. The games textures are inconsistent. There is a nice amount of alien life to be found if you can get close. The fact that I couldn't crash my ship even when I try is ridiculous. This game has turned out to be one of the most boring ones I ever played. I guess one could argue it isn't a bad game as it is what it is. No MP? Ok, they never claimed there would be but with the gameplay being so repetitive and monotonous, maybe there should have been? I am sorry I believed in this. Its boring and weak.… Expand
  8. Luciella
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    The game is boring to a fault. There is no story o direction to really follow, other than -go to the center of the galaxy- You can't customize anything physically, you cant create or name your character, you can't build anything in the world(s), you have to share upgrade inventory space with regular inventory which is pretty small. When you do said upgrades, nothing changes in your suit orThe game is boring to a fault. There is no story o direction to really follow, other than -go to the center of the galaxy- You can't customize anything physically, you cant create or name your character, you can't build anything in the world(s), you have to share upgrade inventory space with regular inventory which is pretty small. When you do said upgrades, nothing changes in your suit or ship or weapon (only the shooting, be in laser or in small rounds or augmented time). The alien life is plain, aliens don't move and animals come from crappy cardboard nightmares. The first 2 hours might be fun, but after those everything is the same, on similar looking planets with no soul.
    This game is to me unfinished and a waste of money.    … Expand
  9. SimpleReviewz
    Aug 13, 2016
    2
    If you break a review down to its most simple components, it gets its point across as whether or not you should buy a certain game and why. Typically with my game reviews, I have played a great deal and have collected my thoughts nicely for a, hopefully, well-written review. Let me say that I have played 5 hours tops of No Man's Sky. However, I can fully explain to you why you should notIf you break a review down to its most simple components, it gets its point across as whether or not you should buy a certain game and why. Typically with my game reviews, I have played a great deal and have collected my thoughts nicely for a, hopefully, well-written review. Let me say that I have played 5 hours tops of No Man's Sky. However, I can fully explain to you why you should not buy this incredibly disappointing game. Not only is it so disappointing, it's actually quite horrible.

    Wasted Potential
    No Man's Sky is a sandbox survival game where you are placed in a vast universe of 18 quintillion planets. The main part of the gameplay is exploration. That's great! A game like this should bring back fascinating exploration with unique discoveries that you can actually make. But here's the other side to that coin (it's ugly): EVERY PLANET IS THE SAME. Yes, it is true that the scenery on every planet is different. However, the terrain, materials, surface, and special locations are all virtually recycled. Plus, the stuff you do on every "unique" planet is the same. What do you do on these planets? Well, for the love of God, it doesn't even deserve to be called gameplay. IT'S A WALKING SIMULATOR. There's gathering of materials (like Minecraft), yes, but you know what that goes to? TO KEEP YOU FROM DYING AND KEEP ON WALKING. Not only that, but the movement of your character is painfully slow and clunky. Now that brings me to the only thing in this game that I really, REALLY like. Flying around in your spaceship is awesome. This might be the best spaceship simulator in a video game. It really gave me a true sense of scale and discovery, like I was on the Enterprise. But who really cares about that when the rest of the game is so boring? Let's also not forget to mention that there is absolutely no guidance as to what you're supposed to do in this world. I don't want hand-holding in a game like this! However, I hear there's a "story" in this game. Not in my experience of playing! Nothing pointed me towards a "story" or set goal. There aren't even procedurally-generated quests.

    Inventory Management/Crafting/Trading
    This is a big part of the "gameplay", but this will be fast to say what I think about this. The challenge and possible fun of inventory management is completely wasted since you barely have any inventory slots. I swear, you will hear "INVENTORY FULL" at least thirty times every hour. Also, the crafting is too simple and never feels worthwhile. So does trading. I could never find anything that sparked my interest. It's so stupid to know that a "big" part of this game almost always feels meaningless. Shooting, of course, doesn't fit very well into this part of the game, but it's still worth mentioning that it's terrible. The shooting is so bland and boring.

    What Did I Like?
    TWO THINGS. Two VERY SMALL things that I pretty much forget about by looking at how painfully bad the rest of the game is. As I said before, one of them is flying in the spaceship. The other one is uploading your discoveries to the game's world. However, this gets old fast, mainly because of how there's no way to see what other people have uploaded in the game.

    What Else Did I Hate?
    Allow me to explain how the planets in the game are "procedurally generated". Imagine going to 2 different planets in the game. The scenery and such is different! However, if you just switched the 2 planets' scenery...it would be the EXACT same. It's so pathetic. What really pisses me off is that this game thinks it can charge $60 for the 18 quintillion planets on display. You know what this game is? A non-free tech demo. If I had a physical copy of this game, I would stomp on it like the freaking Hulk. Okay, maybe I wouldn't do that, but if I could sell it immediately, I would.

    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!!!    … Expand
  10. MariusUnd
    Aug 12, 2016
    0
    I have bought a very big and unfinished sandbox game at 60$. In my opinion the developer built up the hype so that players will buy the game as a premium one and not an unfinished indie that worth 20$ tops. The main feeling that this game left me until now is that I was SCAMMED (as with Aliens Colonial Marines).

    Advice: Don't buy games that give little info before the reviews! :)
  11. Vvrax12
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    Sure it's fun during first 5 hours as you explore the huge universe in your ship and mine resources but it all gets repetitive quickly as you realize you are doing the same thing over and over. The game does not have a plot nor any interesting characters, all the game tells you is "reach the center of the universe". The story is not interesting at all and you'll forget about it. And withSure it's fun during first 5 hours as you explore the huge universe in your ship and mine resources but it all gets repetitive quickly as you realize you are doing the same thing over and over. The game does not have a plot nor any interesting characters, all the game tells you is "reach the center of the universe". The story is not interesting at all and you'll forget about it. And with no multiplayer or a nice story this game is not worth $60. Most of the planets that I visited are dead, empty and depressing, finding life on some planets was cool and interesting at first, but the interaction with the animals isn't fun, you can feed them, analyze them, or kill them. I didn't find any interesting characters and when I reached the center of the universe I was very disappointed by what I saw, possibly the worst ending in a video game. There is not much you can do and you'll get bored after 5-7 hours of mining resources, craft/upgrade, sell your resources, go to another planet and do the same thing over and this is bad for a $60 title.… Expand
  12. awolcz
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    First, I was really excited about the game. It was really fun for first couple of hours, but then it get really repetitive. You are basically doing same routine on every planet. Discovering same outposts, with same aliens in it. Mining same resources just to warp to another solar system, where you go on similar planets, to discover same outposts and mine resources, to get to another solarFirst, I was really excited about the game. It was really fun for first couple of hours, but then it get really repetitive. You are basically doing same routine on every planet. Discovering same outposts, with same aliens in it. Mining same resources just to warp to another solar system, where you go on similar planets, to discover same outposts and mine resources, to get to another solar system... Also, the diversity of planets is not what I expected. First couple of planets were somehow different, but then I started to discover planets, which were just re-skinned versions of basic planet archetypes. Toxic planets, radioactive planets, ice planets? Only difference is logo above the shield and exosuit alert message. Behavior is all same - it just reduces protection level continuously. Every animal and every flower is almost same and acts the same. On planet 1, you get cow body with dog head, on planet 2 you get cow body with chicken head. On planet XY you get cow body with head XY etc. What is the point of discovery, when everything you can discover is just some randomly generated stuff with no logic in it? What is the meaning of discovering caves, when there is no secret at the bottom? From technical point of view, game is really good. I really enjoyed views on some planets. But as I said, it is fun for couple of times, but really boring after a while. This game totally lacks diversity and meaning.… Expand
  13. yourherojames
    Aug 10, 2016
    4
    I've tried finding good in this game and the only way I can is the concept; the emphasis was on exploration, but predominantly it seems survival is the main focus. So many things you must keep active and recharge just to survive. And because of this, it takes away from the fun factor of exploration.

    The best way I could describe the feeling is that it feels like a 'play to play' game    I've tried finding good in this game and the only way I can is the concept; the emphasis was on exploration, but predominantly it seems survival is the main focus. So many things you must keep active and recharge just to survive. And because of this, it takes away from the fun factor of exploration.

    The best way I could describe the feeling is that it feels like a 'play to play' game ... you are forced to play this game and mine materials and do exactly how the game wants you to or else you're out of luck and can't advance at all even if you just wish to roam the planet looking for stuff.

    This game isn't for the majority of people. The fact that Sean Murray said it has 'hundreds of hours' of gameplay and I barely made it to 2, makes me question just what they were doing when they made this. If you enjoy this game, good for you, but the repetition for many will set in early, and if you're like me, you'll see the non-vibrant planets and the non-intelligent creatures that just feels tacked on and for all intents and purposes, falls flat.    … Expand
  14. noquarter
    Aug 10, 2016
    3
    This feels like they built a world for a game but haven't built a game in it yet. There is nothing to do except wander through a repetitive landscape, and when you realize there is nothing to do you fly to another world with another repetitive landscape and nothing to do.
  15. JamesW9797
    Aug 9, 2016
    5
    The scale and idea of this game is incredible, i cant say the same about the actual gameplay though, i was so hyped and excited, but few hours later i realised how repetitive it is; Search for rescources repeat, repeat, repeat.The creatures are dull and act the same, thw traders do absolutely nothing at all. This game would be fun with friends. I fell for the hype for this game, i wasThe scale and idea of this game is incredible, i cant say the same about the actual gameplay though, i was so hyped and excited, but few hours later i realised how repetitive it is; Search for rescources repeat, repeat, repeat.The creatures are dull and act the same, thw traders do absolutely nothing at all. This game would be fun with friends. I fell for the hype for this game, i was dissapointed after 5/6 hours with it. Its repetitive, gets boring fast :( I wanted it to be worth the wait and hype so much, i wanted hellp games to make a revolutionary game but its not that :( id say its this years 'Destiny': Great idea and promisimg and exciting at first, but VERY boring after a few hours. So dissapointed with it. If you want to try this for yourself, wait for a price drop, it is not worth £45/$60 at all… Expand
  16. qLu
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    The first few hours are the honeymoon period in which you have virtual ♥♥♥♥♥♥s of coolness and art and retro-urban-hipster color schemes. After that, you realize a few things:

    1) The assets are very low quality. I mean, visible pixels and all. 2) It is nowhere near being optimized. Let me just say this: the console is the nexus of optimization. They spend hours and hours making it    The first few hours are the honeymoon period in which you have virtual ♥♥♥♥♥♥s of coolness and art and retro-urban-hipster color schemes. After that, you realize a few things:

    1) The assets are very low quality. I mean, visible pixels and all.

    2) It is nowhere near being optimized. Let me just say this: the console is the nexus of optimization. They spend hours and hours making it look good on these because they have a limit of hardware. Don't get me wrong: it will look much better on the PC than on the console, but the resource cost will probably be much higher than you expect. Also: wouldn't be surprised in the lease if it is FPS capped like it is on the playstation.

    3) You see most of the available assets on the first few planets you are on. After that, the assets repeat over and over and over again. On one planet, gold looks like gold, on another planet, it's the same but BLUE! And they weren't even thorough enough to make all of it cohesive. When you see the little gold bits flying at you (collecting them) suddenly they turn from blue to GOLD again! #SCIENCE!

    4) It's really cool that you want to name that animal after your son, but you will probably be the only person who ever sees it. With the repetition of assets means that there are NUMEROUS iterations of things that look the same, but don't keep the name that you gave them. Even in the same SYSTEM, you go to another planet and that blue flower that gives you Platinum? It looks exactly the same, but it's an entirely different species.

    5) It's not an exploration game. I was told this game was going to be an explorer's wet dream. The thing that is so agonizing (like, blue balls level agonizing) is that it COULD be that! The problem is that you will spend so much time acquiring resources that allow you to survive long enough to explore that you won't be able to actually enjoy the exploration that you want to do! Remember when the food/water timers were WAYYYY too fast in Rust and H1Z1? Yeah, it's that bad. It may not be food/water in this game: it's protection and life support. Something something a rose by any other name....? TL:DR - it's a survival game with exploration elements, not an exploration game with survival elements.

    5a) I sure hope you like busywork - because that is pretty much all the game is! Tag plants and animals on one planet, do it again on the next!

    6) The biggest thing for me is all of the evidence that Sean Murray totally lied to us for a long time (see places like reddit, if you can stand the fanboism for long enough). Remember this last week when he started tweeting and blogging about how we shouldn't get upset if the game is totally different than he presented it? Yeah. How can I trust a team that has billed the game as one thing for so long (OK lets be honest, it took him 4 years just to say what you even did in the game so I guess that we can't go too hard on him here) and then pulled the ole bait and switch.

    7) He is still an indy developer even though he's backed by sony. So let's say that he actually intends to fix the things he says that he wants to - it will take the team FOREVER to do it because of how small the team is, and how many platforms they must update all at once. Do the math.

    8) It is a buggy mess. There are so many examples of clipping and things just not working right that I couldn't even list them all. Sometimes when I take off in my ship, I hover nicely above the ground like I should, other times I am catapulted across the solar system with no way to get back to the planet because I'm out of fuel lol.

    9) They pretty much plaigurized Rodina for exploration mechanics.    … Expand
  17. twtgoblin
    Aug 22, 2016
    0
    Horrible. I feel cheated and I want my money back. I've not felt this lied-to in a long while and that's saying something. This game is about 1% of what was promised and falls well short of even reasonable expectations.
  18. Demonik420
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    I give this game some credit. For a game designer and lead programmer like myself, it's a fantastic demonstration of procedural generation. But its nothing more.. It's not a game, it's just a massive tech demo not really meant for game players. This should be a lesson to devs out there. It's fine to create a system like this to show off your mathematical prowess... But you need toI give this game some credit. For a game designer and lead programmer like myself, it's a fantastic demonstration of procedural generation. But its nothing more.. It's not a game, it's just a massive tech demo not really meant for game players. This should be a lesson to devs out there. It's fine to create a system like this to show off your mathematical prowess... But you need to take a page from games like Dwarf fortress. Just because your game is a technological marvel and a programming masterpiece doesn't excuse you from the actual GAMEPLAY side of development.

    This game was made to impress developers and show what could be done, but I can't recommend for any gamer who isn't in the game design industry to buy it, because the time wasn't taken to make the game an enjoyable experience for them.    … Expand
  19. 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
  20. barce1ona
    Aug 10, 2016
    0
    this is the 2016 version of The Sting and all the fools fell for it. If you go to the developers premises there will be nobody there just an empty building! hahaha
  21. DaapDaap
    Aug 10, 2016
    6
    Well 1 hour of the game is fun and i have played alot of the game and it seems to be the same thing over and over again. it is not a bad game at all it is just kinda boring, but if you are into such exploration well this game is a game for you.

    For me it is okay just an okay game it is nice to pick up if you just wanna play a relaxing game and i like that you can travel to every planet    Well 1 hour of the game is fun and i have played alot of the game and it seems to be the same thing over and over again. it is not a bad game at all it is just kinda boring, but if you are into such exploration well this game is a game for you.

    For me it is okay just an okay game it is nice to pick up if you just wanna play a relaxing game and i like that you can travel to every planet you see, other that having new stuff on the new planets you find they still look the same with different texture and outlay    … Expand
  22. TicTacToad
    Aug 9, 2016
    3
    No Man's Sky seems like an exhilarating idea on paper, but the final execution is very lackluster. It doesn't take very long before the gameplay gets stale and repetitive. While the size of the game may certainly be impressive, it doesn't mean much if it No Man's Sky doesn't offer much to keep you entertained with the game. If you really want to pick the game up, I'd recommend waiting forNo Man's Sky seems like an exhilarating idea on paper, but the final execution is very lackluster. It doesn't take very long before the gameplay gets stale and repetitive. While the size of the game may certainly be impressive, it doesn't mean much if it No Man's Sky doesn't offer much to keep you entertained with the game. If you really want to pick the game up, I'd recommend waiting for a price drop, but otherwise, I would skip it.… Expand
  23. Niko_Seagull
    Aug 9, 2016
    2
    The game should have been called "Search for Minerals." You travel to virtually identical planets and fire your magic mining gun at rocks and plants. Incredibly dull and lacking the sense of wonder the developers were hoping to engender.
  24. Ebonsignori
    Aug 9, 2016
    2
    The extremism in these reviews should be taken into consideration. They are perhaps the result of those still high on the hype, or those disgruntled by the games lack of living up to the same hype. A more accurate review of this game falls somewhere in between.

    Cons: Emphasis on survival lessens the creative sandbox/exploration elements. Lack of multiplayer shrinks the vastness of the    The extremism in these reviews should be taken into consideration. They are perhaps the result of those still high on the hype, or those disgruntled by the games lack of living up to the same hype. A more accurate review of this game falls somewhere in between.

    Cons:
    Emphasis on survival lessens the creative sandbox/exploration elements.
    Lack of multiplayer shrinks the vastness of the world.
    Procedurally generated worlds eventually create feelings of a non-genuine universe.
    (Inventory space becomes manageable a dozen hours in, and FOV should be updated in future patches)

    Pros:
    Visually and auditorily beautiful in a unique way.
    No loading screens give illusion to a vast game universe.
    Switching between land/space settings keeps gameplay fresh.
    Overarching goal to reach center of galaxy gives some purpose to gameplay.

    Procedurally generated worlds are nothing new in the gaming world. Yet advertised as such, the universe sounded more appealing in the hype than what is reflected in the experience. The lack of loading screens makes the game universe feel vast, but the feature is nothing more than a novelty after a dozen or so worlds.

    Beyond that, this game is a survival game with standard-unimpressive yet captivating enough to earn a 7/10- features: gathering, upgrading, trading, and of course, exploration. The distinguishing factor is the worlds where these features occur, and the overarching (though not game ending) goal to reach the center of the galaxy.

    In imagined scale the game measures up to its name. However in perceived scale, "No Other Man's Sky" may be more fitting, as the game lacks multiplayer in every sense that matters. In retrospect the creator seemed purposely vague in this area, one of the many advertising strategies that added to the games hype.    … Expand
  25. dam1730
    Aug 10, 2016
    3
    Many people have legitimized high review scores by discounting the low review scores that many others have given. A common rebuttal to negative commentary seems to be "Well, this is an exploration game, you obviously don't get it and Hello Games told you how it was going to be." That's not a valid rebuttal in the slightest. Exploration is about finding new things, and while each planet isMany people have legitimized high review scores by discounting the low review scores that many others have given. A common rebuttal to negative commentary seems to be "Well, this is an exploration game, you obviously don't get it and Hello Games told you how it was going to be." That's not a valid rebuttal in the slightest. Exploration is about finding new things, and while each planet is technically unique many of them feel extremely similar. Each planet is of a single biome. While Hello Games told us this would be the case, it doesn't excuse the fact that it makes planetary exploration fairly dull. While there are certain outposts placed on many planets for you to find (once you've seen one outpost, you've seen all of them). A level of diversity on the planets, mountains, rivers, deserts, etc. accompanied with varied wildlife for each of these biomes would give more reason to explore a larger amount of the planet. Currently, once you land on a planet you pretty much know how the rest of the planet looks like. Since everything you find is pretty similar, it's hard to even call this game an exploration game, and if it is it's most certainly a poor one.

    The combat mechanics of this game, both on land and in space, are absolutely abysmal. Framerates drop during combat, making aiming even more difficult than it already is. Space combat is boring, simply turning in circles and shooting at each other with each pass. The survival portion of this game serves mostly as a nuisance. With all of the resources that you need being incredibly common, there is no struggle to survive, which is not interesting at all. Since there is no struggle to survive, it's pretty difficult to call this a survival game, and if it is it is a poor one.

    Since No Man's Sky both of its genres poorly (exploration and survival) if at all, I question whether this is really a game at all right now. At the moment, this seems like a very elaborate procedural technology demonstration with very undeveloped gameplay elements. There is limitless area for you to fly around in, but there's really not a lot to find. Unfortunately the way people will view this game is a function of the hype surrounding it and it's AAA price. Without the hype and the $60 price tag, I think you'd see a lot of 6's or 7's for review scores, but when you build it up and you charge this much and fail, the fall hurts a lot worse. To me, I view this as being a bad product regardless of the price and hype. 3/10    … Expand
  26. Rozzm
    Aug 9, 2016
    9
    Its not for everyone. I can't stop thinking about going back to it. 4 hrs after release and I had to force myself to go to bed. It is like Elite in the sense you have to use your own imagination a bit while exploring and kind of narrate your own story. Has some issues but the sense of awe and enjoyment of discovery are still there for me. This is a love it or hate it game for sure.
  27. 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
  28. Euknowia
    Aug 13, 2016
    4
    I’m not entirely sure what the foresight was with regards to steadily incentivizing exploration- or even if there was one. With no real story, borderline nonexistent multiplayer, and a baffling lack of player implemented creativity (i.e. structures/bases, ship designs, and character designs) I found myself struggling to maintain the willpower to discover. Even though a bit of my journeyI’m not entirely sure what the foresight was with regards to steadily incentivizing exploration- or even if there was one. With no real story, borderline nonexistent multiplayer, and a baffling lack of player implemented creativity (i.e. structures/bases, ship designs, and character designs) I found myself struggling to maintain the willpower to discover. Even though a bit of my journey was exciting and immersive in and of itself, my entertainment was exceptionally temporary as the looming realization of stagnant progress encroached evermore on my fleeting happiness.

    Further still:
    -There are several mechanical bugs/glitches, render distance/pop-in issues, texture and clipping bugs, screen tearing, frame drops, UI and AI problems, and audio glitches
    -Frequent game crashes
    -Game saves can occasionally fail to load/do not load properly
    -Unstable 30fps
    -Simple RNG, even at the beginning, weighs too heavily on game difficulty (balancing issues)
    -Cannot change (a remarkably zoomed) FOV, and options in general are fairly limited
    -Text “puzzles” are excessively easy
    - Inventory space is bizarrely small (and ease of management could be improved)
    -Combat (in space and on the ground) is exceedingly awkward- as are the controls in general
    -Planet, alien race/monster, structure, and ship designs too quickly exhibit their “copy and paste” similarities (perhaps inspect/change how planets in proximity are generated or add further biomes/textures/structures/races, etc.)
    -Proper trading (with price forecasting per location) is contradicted by procedural generation (which further conflicts with inventory management)
    -Interactions with aliens is simple, repetitive, and often completely trivial
    -Indications of player taking any damage too closely resembles typical indications of player taking fatal damage
    -Weather phenomenon is sometimes an underwhelming spectacle
    - And many, many more issues

    I personally would not value the game at $60, even with the proposal of future updates (most notably base building). I would recommend waiting until the price drops (by at least 50%), and several patches iron out the more detrimental bugs. To really determine whether or not my criticisms would be sufficiently reflected in others, however, I’d encourage one to watch streams or pure gameplay footage (as opposed to tailored marketing videos/trailers). Surely, I would expect some to find this experience much more enjoyable and valuable than I have.

    (Written after 18-19 hours of gameplay)    … Expand
  29. James_Blanco21
    Aug 9, 2016
    4
    Honestly at first I was hooked, but then realized 4 hours later I was doing the same thing on another planet. Most animals don't do anything except for help drop the warm generic items that all help do the same thing. The only I can say for this game is that is was disappointing, it's like so much content but a lot of that content has very little depth. Also of course the framerate is badHonestly at first I was hooked, but then realized 4 hours later I was doing the same thing on another planet. Most animals don't do anything except for help drop the warm generic items that all help do the same thing. The only I can say for this game is that is was disappointing, it's like so much content but a lot of that content has very little depth. Also of course the framerate is bad in most fight scenes and the textures are pretty bad for a Ps4 game. Also the ship combat is a little dissatisfying and it seems like the game really doesn't want you to crash, even if you want to.

    It is almost like an ocean wide game that is only a pond deep.    … Expand
  30. 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
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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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