No Man’s Sky is Exhibit A for one of the worst releases of a game to date. With so many promises and trailers that had an open-world space game with vibrant planets and the freedom many players desire, the game had overwhelming backing. The release of the game was a disaster lacking the mechanics and planets that were promised, instead providing a game with many, many problems. Instead of starting the media outburst that would come after a game release like this, Hello Games instead went quiet. Hello Games, the developer of No Man’s Sky, started to map out all the promised mechanics and began making sure they made it to the game. Since then, the game has had a large number of updates providing promised mechanics and new mechanics alike and all for the combined price of free.
Updates
Foundation
Introduced base building, allowing players to construct their own structures and establish a home on planets.
Added the ability to create and manage farms.
Improved the user interface and added new game modes.
Pathfinder
Included planetary vehicles called Exocraft for faster exploration.
Added photo mode for capturing and sharing in-game screenshots.
Introduced various quality-of-life improvements and visual enhancements.
Atlas Rises
Enhanced the game’s storyline and lore.
Introduced a new mission system and a limited form of multiplayer.
Overhauled the procedural generation of planets and creatures.
Added portals for faster travel.
Next
Introduced full multiplayer support, allowing players to interact, trade, and build together.
Added third-person perspective.
Improved graphics, terrain generation, and base building.
Introduced a weekly community event system.
Beyond
Introduced No Man’s Sky Online, significantly expanding multiplayer gameplay.
Added the ability to manipulate and build VR-compatible bases.
Included a new social hub called the Nexus.
Improved the game’s overall performance and visuals.
Synthesis
Focused on quality-of-life improvements.
Added the ability to upgrade and customize starships and multitools.
Introduced a more detailed terrain editor.
Expanded the inventory system.
Living Ship
Added the ability to obtain and grow organic, living ships.
Introduced new, strange worlds to explore.
Included the ability to communicate with NPCs using a new language system.
Desolation
Introduced derelict freighters as a new type of spaceborne dungeon.
Added new horrors and rewards within these derelict freighters.
Improved the game’s visuals, audio, and gameplay.
Origins
Significantly expanded the variety of planetary biomes and landscapes.
Added new creatures, weather types, and flora.
Introduced sandworms and other mysterious phenomena.
Companions
Added the ability to tame and adopt creatures as companions.
Included the ability to train and customize companions.
Improved the overall creature variety and behaviour.
Expeditions
Time Events – various missions to reach milestones.
These Events provide exclusive rewards.
Star Ship appearances and UI improvements.
Prisms
Various new visuals and lighting changes.
Introduction of more flying companions/pets.
Frontiers
Planet Settlements and Management.
Base Building Overhaul.
Sentinel
Changes to sentinel types and combat.
Introduction of Sentinel Pillars
Multi-tool visual improvements
Outlaws
Introduction of the outlaw station
Outlaw missions
New ship type: Solar Sail Starships
Squadrons
Endurance
Freighter Overhaul
Improvements to space environments and visuals
Waypoint
Nintendo Switch Release
Massive game mechanics overhaul
Custom Games
Fractal
Huge overhaul for VR performance and compatibility
New Ship: Utopia Speeder Starship
Utopia Expedition
Added “Wonders” section of the discovery catalogue
Interceptor
Corrupted Planets
Interceptor Ships
New Sentinel Jetpack
Quality of life improvement for VR
Echoes
New Race: Autophage
Pirate Faction
Space Overhaul
Freighter Overhaul
How about you? Have you played No Man’s Sky? We’d love to hear from you.
Other things you might want to know:
What do you actually do in no man’s sky?
No Man’s Sky allows players to explore a massive procedurally generated open world in a space environment. Players can explore various planets and build bases on said planets. The game includes exploration, survival, mining, combat, trading and basic building.
Can you find Earth in no man’s sky?
There are many planets that have the same features as Earth does, however, it isn’t a distinct planet.
Why is no mans sky map so big?
The space map is procedurally generated to give the immersive reality of flying and exploring space.
