After a few weeks of waiting, developer Hello Games has finally given a closer look at what can be expect from the No Man's Sky updates over the years improving the overall experience.
At the onset of a No Man’s Sky playthrough, players are given a ship and largely expected to find their own paths. While some criticize the game for being directionless, others would argue it has theoretically infinite directions, which ultimately adds to its appeal. With the fifth anniversary of No Man’s Sky having ed a few weeks ago, it’s become apparent just how much Hello Games has altered and improved the tile to create a full-fledged space exploration title that stands out. The team released an anniversary video and a teaser for No Man Sky's Frontiers update, which is shaping up to add many highly requested features.
Along with a new trailer, Hello Games has revealed more about one of No Man’s Sky’s most recent features, an Expedition mode that encourages players to complete challenges given certain parameters and objectives, is receiving brand-new content. Expedition 3, called “Cartographers," puts a high focus on “planetary mapping and exploration” in order to “escape the toxic atmosphere of planet Gisto Major.” At the start of the expedition, players receive “a technologically unique starship” with high-powered engines and weaponry. Hello Games shares more about the Frontiers update in the patch notes on its website.
However, settlements are perhaps the most expansive addition coming in No Man's Sky Frontiers. Some of the most well-received parts of any space exploration title involve discovery, and settlements will be expanding on that in No Man’s Sky when the new update drops. According to Hello Games, “These little communities, bustling with life and promise, can now be found on all inhabited planets across the galaxies,” and players will have the opportunity to influence settlements by becoming overseers and taking control over “town planning, treasury management, policy decisions, and conflict resolution.” As is the case with just about everything in No Man’s Sky, all settlements are procedurally generated and come with their own unique buildings and populations.
Procedurally generated settlements boast a lot of potential, but it makes sense why such a complicated task would go five years before making it into the game. While it’s already set apart from other space settings in gaming, No Man’s Sky can potentially cement its legacy with this addition, as the vast universe is often considered a little too fast to accurately portray in a video game. Many games like Mass Effect have predefined settlements and politics, favoring the complexity of narratives over freedom of exploration.
With luck, Frontiers may add extra layers of exploration and life to planets and even whole galaxies. Many of the procedurally generated planets currently run the risk of feeling somewhat barren, as their only buildings consist of landing stations or abandoned outposts. New settlements could make planets feel more lived-in and real. Whereas NPCs felt very disconnected from the universe due to their seeming impartiality towards it, they will now have homes and connections within it.
No Man’s Sky is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.
Sources: Hello Games/YouTube, Hello Games
