No Man’s Sky Review: Monotonous, Frustrating, But Fun

On the surface, No Man’s Sky seems to be a quite alone experience. Even when they attempt to replace the requirements left by the absence of human interaction, numerous single-player video games are nevertheless somewhat isolating.

To be fair, No Man’s Sky doesn’t make any pretenses to friendship, unlike other RPGs like Skyrim or Fallout 4, which have computer-controlled simulacrums attempting and struggling to persuade you of their compassion. Intentionally, it is eerie and alone. In fact, this may be considered the game’s central premise.

The Setting

In an in-game cliche, the player wakes up beside a sunken vessel, which sets the tone for the whole encounter. As a voiceless character with no past, the player takes on the role of an adventurer who sets out to accomplish anything they desire. A seasoned video gamer would feel quite at home with this set-up, which seems to be pretty normal.

Unlike other RPGs, this one makes it very evident that the protagonist isn’t simply a handy clean canvas but rather an intruder when the player interacts with NPCs, discovers forgotten artifacts, and uncovers old secrets. As being one of the game’s key objectives, mastering each of the four species’ dialects is a major way to demonstrate this, as you don’t understand theirs and they don’t communicate yours.

Your protagonist, who is only loosely referenced to as “the traveller” or “the traveler,” is not from around here, wherever that may be. Every time the player comes across anything or anybody that doesn’t share a common language with them, the literature makes a point of pointing this out.

It’s specifically designed to be something out of the ordinary, to draw attention, and to defy expectations. The rest of the cosmos generally treat you as though you’re a pretty self-assured lost kid. Their concern is that you may not have the ability to keep track of yourself in the event of an emergency, but it’s not my concern.

It’s a No Man’s Sky

The Korvax, a species of multi-entity machines, are the most friendly, albeit also the smugger. While the Geek may be the most hospitable, they approach you more like a client than a friend. Finally, the Vykreen are the only race that regards you as though you’re unique because of an old traditional concept that Travellers shouldn’t really be overburdened, however in reality this is kind of a “The Chosen One” as this prohibits them from murdering you and seizing your stuff.’

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All of your encounters with NPCs are intertwined yet distinct in time. You don’t have a history or a connection with this person. Here, you won’t find friendship, romance, or a bond with an artificially intelligent pal. For the erotic cutscene, there is no conversation tree or freebie. You don’t stand out from the crowd. Regardless of where you go, you’ll never be able to call it home.

As a traveler, you’re constantly on the go and never feel at home. That doesn’t make it any more remarkable than every other sky in the world, however. There is no place for anybody. Prefabricated spartan dorms have been scattered across the scenery like glitter, with no towns or perpetual dwellings to be found.

NPCs are the only ones you’ll find at any of the few pubs or lounges. The rules of the game clearly state this. Players communicate with one another, but it’s usually over the telephone or by internet, so it’s not like they’re in the same room.

The World is Beautiful but Get Monotonous With Time

Several of its parts have been painstakingly constructed. In spite of the game’s streamlined fighting system, the controls are enjoyable to use. Even if the PS4 version works smoothly and beautifully, the procedural generation process and little amount of graphical assets mean that every world looks the same. The boulders in every world are the same.

The very same gemstones are used. Those same flowers. Occasionally, there would be a blossom that is a little out of place. They all seem the same… but every now and again you’ll run across an unnervingly long and spindly horror, which is always better avoided than confronted with head-on.

The interface is a direct rip-off of the one seen in Destiny. Straight to the point here. Only they slowed it down and rendered it less user-friendly. The menu is too cluttered with descriptive text, and it only moves at a speed of approximately two-thirds of what it should.

Then there are the internet features. Multiple elements, including solar systems, worlds, creatures, vegetation, and metals, maybe named and uploaded to… someplace by the player when they discover them. It’s not obvious where these transfers end up, however, the player may come across systems that have already been traversed by someone else and have their fingerprints left on them.

It’s nothing major, nothing at all that will change the course of the cosmos or shift the balance of authority in one direction or the other. In your current size, you can’t accomplish any of that. Just as you can’t re-align Planet by trampling on it. At most, you may carve your initials into the bark in the event that something passes by. Apparently, Dan was around. You’re not the only one here.

Where No Man’s Sky Failed

With nearly five years in development, it seems like a videogame that was made in only two of those years. That’s even for a tiny crew. Here’s where it’s really at a loss: It lacks a sense of purpose. It’s a blank slate. It’s lacking in style. One of the most difficult disciplines in the business is design, which typically determines whether a product is excellent or poor. It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing a sandbox survival/crafting game or not.

No Man’s Sky does not have a consistent narrative. The bottom of many supply chains is often a point of no return. There’s nothing to look forward to, and that’s a problem. The core gameplay mechanics concentrate upon meter depletion and replenishment, both of which are made simple by the abundance of available items. Aside from being tedious, this doesn’t seem to contribute to one’s survival in any meaningful way.

There is a sense in which No Man’s Sky is a one-hour adventure with an extra 30 hours of gameplay thrown into the mix. Wish there was more to do with it! I know that’s a common gripe, but it only goes to show how crucial, and solid any game structure is.

The unseen pulse of a title is its layout, which should compel you to keep playing no matter what kind of pleasure it offers. There’s no need to ever think, “Wow, this is a lot of work.” “I’m done playing. I’m done now.”