No Man's Sky

 Xbox One
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
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  1. Cubed3
    Aug 23, 2018
    70
    No Man's Sky: Next can be impressive at times. It is dense with features and the sensation of lift off and breaking/entering a planet's atmosphere is genuinely magical. It is a mixed bag of mostly good things, but has some really low lows.
  2. Areajugones
    Aug 17, 2018
    70
    NEXT is the step forward that No Man’s Sky needed since it was made available two years ago, the online options as well as the third person perspective are both well received additions, however, completely redefining the procedural system of the game is a very difficult task that, in the end, makes it aim for a particular type of player.
  3. Xbox Achievements
    Aug 8, 2018
    70
    No Man’s Sky NEXT is certainly a massive step-up from what it was two years ago. With the addition of online multiplayer, base-building and some graphical tweaks it offers quite a bit to keep players busy for hours on end. While it does have a few flaws, No Man's Sky is still a unique and enjoyable game.
  5. Atomix
    Aug 1, 2018
    70
    No Man's Sky is an experience designed for a very specific audience. The gamers who enjoy exploring and admiring the universe will feel happy with the result of Next; however, for another audience it will be boring to repeat the same tasks over and over again.
  6. TrueAchievements
    Jul 31, 2018
    70
    No Man's Sky is tough to recommend because it doesn't nearly have mass appeal. It's a grueling game for far too long and even after that its loop is still too freeform for most players. For the right kind of player, however, it can be an exciting adventure filled with memorable moments and a real sense of discovery. With multiple intriguing storylines that can be chased or ignored, a ton of equipment and upgrades to unlock, and intuitive, easy to use base-building, there's a universe of possibilities to see, provided you can first get off the ground.
  7. Metro GameCentral
    Jul 29, 2018
    70
    The updates have brought definite improvement, but even after two years the huge scope and ambition only serves to hide how simplistic and repetitive the gameplay is.
  8. IGN
    Jul 28, 2018
    70
    It’s mechanically repetitive no matter what planet you’re on, the dull combat should be avoided whenever possible, and bugs are plentiful. But buying new ships and building new things is enough motivation to make it entrancing – for a while, at least.
  9. Digital Trends
    Jul 30, 2018
    60
    Technically, No Man’s Sky delivers the idea Hello Games promised — a massive sci-fi playground for you to explore. However, once you’ve spent some time poking around, it’s hard not to notice that the playground feels fairly empty, even two years later and after massive content additions.
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  1. Guardian
    Aug 4, 2018
    The ability to explore space with a party of up to three friends makes it feel much less lonely than before. And where it once was difficult to return to a previously visited planet, establishing bases allows you to make some small corner of the universe feel like home.
  2. Polygon
    Jul 30, 2018
    No Man’s Sky is arguably close to the game its creators set out to make...But after spending another 10 hours in this galaxy, I’m beginning to feel like another interstellar trip is not for me.

Awards & Rankings

69
#69 Best Xbox One Game of 2018
14
#14 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2018
13
#13 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2018

User Reviews

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User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 294 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 209 out of 294
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 294
  3. Negative: 52 out of 294
  1. Xbox_Alive
    Aug 1, 2018
    8
    Back in 2016 you couldn’t move without hearing something about No Man’s Sky and to say a lot of people were eagerly awaiting its release wouldBack in 2016 you couldn’t move without hearing something about No Man’s Sky and to say a lot of people were eagerly awaiting its release would be quite the understatement. Unfortunately when it did release it failed in a number of areas and some of the promises that were made never came to fruition which led to a number of very angry gamers boycotting the game. Despite all the animosity that was growing I was one of the few that still saw a lot of potential in No Man’s Sky and whilst it was lacking in several areas I was still hoping it would finally make its way to the Xbox One. Thankfully I got my wish and what came with the game’s release on the Xbox One was a slew of improvements over the 2016 release and without a doubt these improvements and new features have made No Man’s Sky relevant again and in a way gained the trust of its fans again. Without a doubt the biggest inclusion in the No Man’s Sky big update is the multiplayer option. Playing multiplayer on this game is a very fun ordeal and it gives the game a lot more replaybility because it makes you want to return back to the game time and time again. You’ll be pleased to know then that in terms of content the game has a huge amount for you to get to grips with and you’ll be very surprised just how big the game is. The game’s world and planets are that big that you’ll very rarely bump into other players during your time with the game and whilst this is fine at first it would’ve been nice to have bumped into a few more players along the way. One of my favourite things about this game was the story that’s been included. Don’t get me wrong the story isn’t massive and there could have been a little more but what you get are characters that are interesting and every now and then the story does throw up a few surprises to keep you on your toes. This is a good thing because at the start you do have to grind quite a lot so the inclusion of the story stops the grinding from being too tedious and in the end it makes you want to carry on. The presentation side of the game has never been a problem in No Man’s Sky because both the visuals and sound design are perfection and really give the game a lot of unique charm and character. At the end of the day with the new update and new release to the Xbox One No Man’s Sky has corrected a lot of mistakes that it made back in 2016 and it’s starting to be the game the developers promised it would be which in turn means it gets a thumbs up from me.… Full Review »
  2. BemaJinn
    Jul 24, 2018
    10
    Beware of reviews from the old version of the game!!

    The game on launch 2 years ago was rocky, to say the least. It a put of people of    Beware of reviews from the old version of the game!!

    The game on launch 2 years ago was rocky, to say the least. It a put of people of people off from trying the game since.

    Which is a shame, as the subsequent updates added a lot to the game, and refined much of the gameplay.

    Now the 'NEXT' update has landed, the biggest one yet, it overhauls a lot of gameplay that people weren't happy with, and adds a ton of new and awesome content.

    One of the best games I've played!    … Full Review »
  3. thefang1212
    Jul 24, 2018
    9
    This game is a calm, exploration based game. Do NOT go into this game expecting huge amounts of action. It has great graphics on the Xbox OneThis game is a calm, exploration based game. Do NOT go into this game expecting huge amounts of action. It has great graphics on the Xbox One port and has stunning clouds and sunrises. You can join your friends, or a random person, or even just go it alone and on rare occasion find another player, and then build a base together. Two bases. Ten bases. A hundred. You can build as many bases as you want, and they can be as big as you want. Mine resources together. Build together. Explore together. Whatever you want, but again, don't go in expecting GTA or EVE.

    Not only that, but it has a large 30 hour story, where you may need to make some tough choices. There are procedurally created missions, and an economy system across many different stars. You can go into space stations and customise your character. And while the developers have been updating the game, the players have been making their own additions. They have made "civilizations" in No Man's Sky. Large groups of players dedicated to roleplaying, farming, or perhaps just documentation are numerous and eager to gain new members.

    That's not to say the game is without flaws, however. As with any procedurally created game, there will always be rare bugs, and this is especially true for No Man's Sky and its 18 quintillion planets. If a planet is designated as the last one in a star system, then you cannot use a quick-travel system called "Portals" to go to that planet. On exceedingly rare occasions, you can fall through the floor when exiting your ship. However, there are plenty of easy workarounds for these glitches.

    And while I did say to not expect action, there is somewhat of a thrill. There is a "Space Police" that doesn't like when you harm a planet's environment or shoot at civilian ships. Certain dangerous animals can hunt you down and attack you. You will sometimes warp into a star system and you will be met with a massive cargo ship under attack from space pirates.

    I would highly recommend this game, with its dedicated community and chilled out gameplay. And again, DO NOT BUY THIS GAME IF YOU WANT AN EXTREME ACTION-THRILLER EXPERIENCE.    … Full Review »
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