No Man’s Sky (PS4) Review

There has been hype building around this one since it was initially previewed in 2013. The

hype train of the gaming world is one of those things that is an animal unto itself, and the

fervor that has built and built over the past couple of years is one of those things that took

on a momentum all its own. Whenever that happens, the entire situation around the web

becomes heavily polarized. Now, rather than diving into that debate and taking sides with

one group or the other in the ongoing flame war, I want to take a step back and have a

good long look at what indie developed Hello Games has provided the gaming community

in No Man’s Sky.

The Story:

As far as story goes, there really isn’t all that much to know. You start out on a random

planet next to a ship that is in need of a certain amount of repairs in order to get you off

and moving. Also, you receive a notification from a being referred to only as the Atlas that

provides you with a bit of direction, a path, as it were, toward a final destination. That more

or less wraps it all up. There are at least 3 sentient alien races that you can come in

contact with throughout your travels, and a pair of these are willing to aid you in speeding

your journey to the center of the universe and your ultimate goal.

The Gameplay:

No matter what the game was advertised as, no matter what the hype has attempted to

convince people to believe, the game is honestly and simply an extraterrestrial exploration

and adventure game with all that that entails. You have to run around various planets to

collect resources for your suit, your equipment, and your ship. You have to collect

resources in order to construct upgrades for your equipment. You have to find the nodes

that will provide you the knowledge so that you can begin to communicate with the alien

races that you come into contact with. You work to earn the units necessary to purchase

the parts that you cannot construct for ship upgrades like core components of your

hyperdrive or cannons. You can also use units to upgrade your multi-tool and your exosuit

as you find the places along the way that allow that sort of thing.

Overall Impressions:

So, given all of that, you may be wondering what my overall view on the game is. Well, I’m

going to attempt to avoid adding more fuel to the already furiously burning fire on this one.

The game is no more and no less than I was expecting it to be. It is the second major

release by an indie game studio, it is a highly over-ambitious venture for them to have

undertaken, it incorporates some innovative and intriguing concepts in the building out of

the universe as you explore, and it provides a good bit of fun if this particular type of game

is something you enjoy. Any time you’re thinking about dropping money for a new game,

do your research. Don’t bother with the hype, that’s just denizens of the net hoping and

dreaming. Take promises from the developer with a grain of salt. After all, they wouldn’t be

doing their jobs properly if they didn’t do everything within their power to sell you on a

game. Go hunting for beta gameplay footage and videos to see if it is what you were

expecting it to be.

A few concise points to examine before you dive into this one: Did it live up to the hype?

Not even close. Did it deliver on all the wild promises made in the years since it was

originally previewed? Not at all. Is it a cleanly put together project considering the source

studio? Most definitely. Is it something you can play with friends and run around exploring

planets together? Nope. Is there room for improvement and expansion? Absolutely. Do I,

personally, feel that I got ripped off by pre-ordering this title? Not for a second.