No Man's Sky

 PlayStation 4
User Score
4.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 5454 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,104 out of 5454
  2. Mixed: 646 out of 5454
  3. Negative: 2,704 out of 5454
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  1. willerkiller
    Aug 9, 2016
    1
    All planets only have one climate/biome each. Planets are miles away (note some trailers show short travel to moons, not planets which are much further away). Can rename any creature/planet, but doing so is completely redudant given the fact there's no reason to stay on a planet and chances of another player seeing said planet is almost 0. The online "multiplayer" is extremely misleading -All planets only have one climate/biome each. Planets are miles away (note some trailers show short travel to moons, not planets which are much further away). Can rename any creature/planet, but doing so is completely redudant given the fact there's no reason to stay on a planet and chances of another player seeing said planet is almost 0. The online "multiplayer" is extremely misleading - players cannot bump into each other in the world; rather, actions they do (like renaming things) will take effect in an asynchronous manner. The "quests" shown off were literally to gather matetials or defend/attack a faction.
    NPCs have no AI whatsoever, only a select few scripted events to trigger the above. Less than 10 actual climates seem to exist in the game, with recolours being their compromise for looking like more. Due to the insanely high number of apparent planets in this game, statistically the chances of you seeing many unique ones is miniscule - rather, you're more likely to see a planet with tall mountains in red, then one with slightly shorter mountains in blue, then in green with a lake.
    The more permutations in a procedural structure, the less different they are to one-another. "Combat" appears to only be basic gunplay (one of the easiest things to implement to make what would otherwise just be a simulator into a game, since implementing guns just requires basic raycasting). Optional weapon upgrades that are """crafted""" by dumping random collectibles on it. Trees, creatures, and NPCs shown off so far already have duplicates in promotional material, which is quite an antithesis to all the "there's so many permutations!" point they hammer-in    … Expand
  2. Enforcer122
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    No Man's Sky really a different type of game. It's the anti-establishment sort of game which doesn't follow the norms and did its own thing. That's why I hate the fact I find it utterly boring. It's a cool game, the fact that a small team created this is incredible and I think everyone is in amazement of the sheer size and scale of the game.

    But unfortunately it comes down to the simple    No Man's Sky really a different type of game. It's the anti-establishment sort of game which doesn't follow the norms and did its own thing. That's why I hate the fact I find it utterly boring. It's a cool game, the fact that a small team created this is incredible and I think everyone is in amazement of the sheer size and scale of the game.

    But unfortunately it comes down to the simple fact that the game gets very boring, one dimensional and repetitive. Borderline frustrating at times. No quests, no set out character, no interesting aliens, nothing that keeps the game interesting. When you enter a new planet, the initial thrill of seeing what it looks and its composition dies off soon when you realize that every planet really is a dead planet. There isn't anything particularly specific to do except discover some animals, which gets old very fast. Yes, they have different things to mine but unless you want to stand there and fire a laser beam at rocks for 2 hours, it really isn't interesting. The complete lack of direction doesn't help, what am I doing? Why am I doing it? Give me some motivation to keep playing it. It may be harsh but this is really a glorified indie arcade game that shouldn't cost anymore than £20.    … Expand
  3. kiubier
    Aug 10, 2016
    3
    This game is absolutely massive, and has a decent idea, unfortunately that's all that it has going for it. This game has quintillion planets randomly generated in the vastness of space. However having that huge amount of planets to explore is undoubtedly **** useless when I got bored at the first planet I spawned on. It's very repetitive, the games crafting system is confusing, and thisThis game is absolutely massive, and has a decent idea, unfortunately that's all that it has going for it. This game has quintillion planets randomly generated in the vastness of space. However having that huge amount of planets to explore is undoubtedly **** useless when I got bored at the first planet I spawned on. It's very repetitive, the games crafting system is confusing, and this game will leave you with nothing to do after just a few hours into it. Also worth mentioning one of the directors of the game said that the chances of two players meeting are "close to zero" but in reality two players already met on the same planet, but couldn't see each other, which just proves this game has no idea what it's doing. I just want to end by saying it's not a bad game, it really isn't, but it's not worth buying. If this was a free game similar to some other space based games my rating would be higher, but since this game is worth 60 **** dollars, I wouldn't recommend anyone to go and get it, unless you think an hour of gameplay is acceptable for that price tag.… Expand
  4. mrgeebaby
    Aug 9, 2016
    5
    NMS can be described as a surprisingly SMALL game inside an immensely BIG sandbox. It appears that there is a debilitating void between the two that makes the player feel uneasy and impacts negatively on the overall experience. Whether this can be remedied via future updates and so the introduction of additional mechanics (such as the promised 'base building') remains to be 'Sean. (sic)
    I    NMS can be described as a surprisingly SMALL game inside an immensely BIG sandbox. It appears that there is a debilitating void between the two that makes the player feel uneasy and impacts negatively on the overall experience. Whether this can be remedied via future updates and so the introduction of additional mechanics (such as the promised 'base building') remains to be 'Sean. (sic)
    I think it a shame that this indie title got drowned in so much hype which led to many unrealistic expectations.......i suspect it also led to mistaken belief by Sony/Hello that £40 was an acceptable price tag.
    If the game costs the price of an AAA title, then i am going to judge it as an attempt at such = 4/10    … Expand
  5. FogCityRoller
    Oct 27, 2018
    7
    My original review is 2 years old and based off the disastrous release this game had. I am impressed by how steadfast Hello Games has stuck to a title that was so mercilessly critiqued as No Man's Sky. They have continued to improve the game, add substantial content that players actually wanted, and released it all for free. It's admirable in that respect. I have played it since then andMy original review is 2 years old and based off the disastrous release this game had. I am impressed by how steadfast Hello Games has stuck to a title that was so mercilessly critiqued as No Man's Sky. They have continued to improve the game, add substantial content that players actually wanted, and released it all for free. It's admirable in that respect. I have played it since then and found it vastly more enjoyable than the first iteration. I still think it has some of the same flaws centered around procedural generation, but I consider those realities of technological limitations rather than a failure on Hello Games' part.

    The lesson to be learned here is do not boast about a technology before realizing it's pitfalls. Procedural generation is not an engine for creativity.    … Expand
  6. Matt1128Y
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    There is less content and options available to the player in No Man's Sky than Minecraft back in 2011, let alone the latest version of Minecraft.

    I wonder how much effort and money was invested into this game versus the amount of money that will be made by Hello Games. The people calling this a philosophical experience are hilarious. They're akin to a hipster going to a modern-art    There is less content and options available to the player in No Man's Sky than Minecraft back in 2011, let alone the latest version of Minecraft.

    I wonder how much effort and money was invested into this game versus the amount of money that will be made by Hello Games.

    The people calling this a philosophical experience are hilarious. They're akin to a hipster going to a modern-art museum and intently looking at a jar of urine, trying to figure out the meaning behind such a piece of art while simultaneously fearing the notion of accidentally letting their fellow hipsters know that they don't see anything but a jar of urine.

    The emperor has no clothes.    … Expand
  7. USarmygamer
    Aug 10, 2016
    3
    What appeared to be beautiful at the initial reveal at E3 2014, is not. The games textures are inconsistent. There is a nice amount of alien life to be found if you can get close. The fact that I couldn't crash my ship even when I try is ridiculous. This game has turned out to be one of the most boring ones I ever played. I guess one could argue it isn't a bad game as it is what it is. NoWhat appeared to be beautiful at the initial reveal at E3 2014, is not. The games textures are inconsistent. There is a nice amount of alien life to be found if you can get close. The fact that I couldn't crash my ship even when I try is ridiculous. This game has turned out to be one of the most boring ones I ever played. I guess one could argue it isn't a bad game as it is what it is. No MP? Ok, they never claimed there would be but with the gameplay being so repetitive and monotonous, maybe there should have been? I am sorry I believed in this. Its boring and weak.… Expand
  8. Luciella
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    The game is boring to a fault. There is no story o direction to really follow, other than -go to the center of the galaxy- You can't customize anything physically, you cant create or name your character, you can't build anything in the world(s), you have to share upgrade inventory space with regular inventory which is pretty small. When you do said upgrades, nothing changes in your suit orThe game is boring to a fault. There is no story o direction to really follow, other than -go to the center of the galaxy- You can't customize anything physically, you cant create or name your character, you can't build anything in the world(s), you have to share upgrade inventory space with regular inventory which is pretty small. When you do said upgrades, nothing changes in your suit or ship or weapon (only the shooting, be in laser or in small rounds or augmented time). The alien life is plain, aliens don't move and animals come from crappy cardboard nightmares. The first 2 hours might be fun, but after those everything is the same, on similar looking planets with no soul.
    This game is to me unfinished and a waste of money.    … Expand
  9. SimpleReviewz
    Aug 13, 2016
    2
    If you break a review down to its most simple components, it gets its point across as whether or not you should buy a certain game and why. Typically with my game reviews, I have played a great deal and have collected my thoughts nicely for a, hopefully, well-written review. Let me say that I have played 5 hours tops of No Man's Sky. However, I can fully explain to you why you should notIf you break a review down to its most simple components, it gets its point across as whether or not you should buy a certain game and why. Typically with my game reviews, I have played a great deal and have collected my thoughts nicely for a, hopefully, well-written review. Let me say that I have played 5 hours tops of No Man's Sky. However, I can fully explain to you why you should not buy this incredibly disappointing game. Not only is it so disappointing, it's actually quite horrible.

    Wasted Potential
    No Man's Sky is a sandbox survival game where you are placed in a vast universe of 18 quintillion planets. The main part of the gameplay is exploration. That's great! A game like this should bring back fascinating exploration with unique discoveries that you can actually make. But here's the other side to that coin (it's ugly): EVERY PLANET IS THE SAME. Yes, it is true that the scenery on every planet is different. However, the terrain, materials, surface, and special locations are all virtually recycled. Plus, the stuff you do on every "unique" planet is the same. What do you do on these planets? Well, for the love of God, it doesn't even deserve to be called gameplay. IT'S A WALKING SIMULATOR. There's gathering of materials (like Minecraft), yes, but you know what that goes to? TO KEEP YOU FROM DYING AND KEEP ON WALKING. Not only that, but the movement of your character is painfully slow and clunky. Now that brings me to the only thing in this game that I really, REALLY like. Flying around in your spaceship is awesome. This might be the best spaceship simulator in a video game. It really gave me a true sense of scale and discovery, like I was on the Enterprise. But who really cares about that when the rest of the game is so boring? Let's also not forget to mention that there is absolutely no guidance as to what you're supposed to do in this world. I don't want hand-holding in a game like this! However, I hear there's a "story" in this game. Not in my experience of playing! Nothing pointed me towards a "story" or set goal. There aren't even procedurally-generated quests.

    Inventory Management/Crafting/Trading
    This is a big part of the "gameplay", but this will be fast to say what I think about this. The challenge and possible fun of inventory management is completely wasted since you barely have any inventory slots. I swear, you will hear "INVENTORY FULL" at least thirty times every hour. Also, the crafting is too simple and never feels worthwhile. So does trading. I could never find anything that sparked my interest. It's so stupid to know that a "big" part of this game almost always feels meaningless. Shooting, of course, doesn't fit very well into this part of the game, but it's still worth mentioning that it's terrible. The shooting is so bland and boring.

    What Did I Like?
    TWO THINGS. Two VERY SMALL things that I pretty much forget about by looking at how painfully bad the rest of the game is. As I said before, one of them is flying in the spaceship. The other one is uploading your discoveries to the game's world. However, this gets old fast, mainly because of how there's no way to see what other people have uploaded in the game.

    What Else Did I Hate?
    Allow me to explain how the planets in the game are "procedurally generated". Imagine going to 2 different planets in the game. The scenery and such is different! However, if you just switched the 2 planets' scenery...it would be the EXACT same. It's so pathetic. What really pisses me off is that this game thinks it can charge $60 for the 18 quintillion planets on display. You know what this game is? A non-free tech demo. If I had a physical copy of this game, I would stomp on it like the freaking Hulk. Okay, maybe I wouldn't do that, but if I could sell it immediately, I would.

    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!!!    … Expand
  10. MariusUnd
    Aug 12, 2016
    0
    I have bought a very big and unfinished sandbox game at 60$. In my opinion the developer built up the hype so that players will buy the game as a premium one and not an unfinished indie that worth 20$ tops. The main feeling that this game left me until now is that I was SCAMMED (as with Aliens Colonial Marines).

    Advice: Don't buy games that give little info before the reviews! :)
  11. Vvrax12
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    Sure it's fun during first 5 hours as you explore the huge universe in your ship and mine resources but it all gets repetitive quickly as you realize you are doing the same thing over and over. The game does not have a plot nor any interesting characters, all the game tells you is "reach the center of the universe". The story is not interesting at all and you'll forget about it. And withSure it's fun during first 5 hours as you explore the huge universe in your ship and mine resources but it all gets repetitive quickly as you realize you are doing the same thing over and over. The game does not have a plot nor any interesting characters, all the game tells you is "reach the center of the universe". The story is not interesting at all and you'll forget about it. And with no multiplayer or a nice story this game is not worth $60. Most of the planets that I visited are dead, empty and depressing, finding life on some planets was cool and interesting at first, but the interaction with the animals isn't fun, you can feed them, analyze them, or kill them. I didn't find any interesting characters and when I reached the center of the universe I was very disappointed by what I saw, possibly the worst ending in a video game. There is not much you can do and you'll get bored after 5-7 hours of mining resources, craft/upgrade, sell your resources, go to another planet and do the same thing over and this is bad for a $60 title.… Expand
  12. awolcz
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    First, I was really excited about the game. It was really fun for first couple of hours, but then it get really repetitive. You are basically doing same routine on every planet. Discovering same outposts, with same aliens in it. Mining same resources just to warp to another solar system, where you go on similar planets, to discover same outposts and mine resources, to get to another solarFirst, I was really excited about the game. It was really fun for first couple of hours, but then it get really repetitive. You are basically doing same routine on every planet. Discovering same outposts, with same aliens in it. Mining same resources just to warp to another solar system, where you go on similar planets, to discover same outposts and mine resources, to get to another solar system... Also, the diversity of planets is not what I expected. First couple of planets were somehow different, but then I started to discover planets, which were just re-skinned versions of basic planet archetypes. Toxic planets, radioactive planets, ice planets? Only difference is logo above the shield and exosuit alert message. Behavior is all same - it just reduces protection level continuously. Every animal and every flower is almost same and acts the same. On planet 1, you get cow body with dog head, on planet 2 you get cow body with chicken head. On planet XY you get cow body with head XY etc. What is the point of discovery, when everything you can discover is just some randomly generated stuff with no logic in it? What is the meaning of discovering caves, when there is no secret at the bottom? From technical point of view, game is really good. I really enjoyed views on some planets. But as I said, it is fun for couple of times, but really boring after a while. This game totally lacks diversity and meaning.… Expand
  13. yourherojames
    Aug 10, 2016
    4
    I've tried finding good in this game and the only way I can is the concept; the emphasis was on exploration, but predominantly it seems survival is the main focus. So many things you must keep active and recharge just to survive. And because of this, it takes away from the fun factor of exploration.

    The best way I could describe the feeling is that it feels like a 'play to play' game    I've tried finding good in this game and the only way I can is the concept; the emphasis was on exploration, but predominantly it seems survival is the main focus. So many things you must keep active and recharge just to survive. And because of this, it takes away from the fun factor of exploration.

    The best way I could describe the feeling is that it feels like a 'play to play' game ... you are forced to play this game and mine materials and do exactly how the game wants you to or else you're out of luck and can't advance at all even if you just wish to roam the planet looking for stuff.

    This game isn't for the majority of people. The fact that Sean Murray said it has 'hundreds of hours' of gameplay and I barely made it to 2, makes me question just what they were doing when they made this. If you enjoy this game, good for you, but the repetition for many will set in early, and if you're like me, you'll see the non-vibrant planets and the non-intelligent creatures that just feels tacked on and for all intents and purposes, falls flat.    … Expand
  14. noquarter
    Aug 10, 2016
    3
    This feels like they built a world for a game but haven't built a game in it yet. There is nothing to do except wander through a repetitive landscape, and when you realize there is nothing to do you fly to another world with another repetitive landscape and nothing to do.
  15. JamesW9797
    Aug 9, 2016
    5
    The scale and idea of this game is incredible, i cant say the same about the actual gameplay though, i was so hyped and excited, but few hours later i realised how repetitive it is; Search for rescources repeat, repeat, repeat.The creatures are dull and act the same, thw traders do absolutely nothing at all. This game would be fun with friends. I fell for the hype for this game, i wasThe scale and idea of this game is incredible, i cant say the same about the actual gameplay though, i was so hyped and excited, but few hours later i realised how repetitive it is; Search for rescources repeat, repeat, repeat.The creatures are dull and act the same, thw traders do absolutely nothing at all. This game would be fun with friends. I fell for the hype for this game, i was dissapointed after 5/6 hours with it. Its repetitive, gets boring fast :( I wanted it to be worth the wait and hype so much, i wanted hellp games to make a revolutionary game but its not that :( id say its this years 'Destiny': Great idea and promisimg and exciting at first, but VERY boring after a few hours. So dissapointed with it. If you want to try this for yourself, wait for a price drop, it is not worth £45/$60 at all… Expand
  16. qLu
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    The first few hours are the honeymoon period in which you have virtual ♥♥♥♥♥♥s of coolness and art and retro-urban-hipster color schemes. After that, you realize a few things:

    1) The assets are very low quality. I mean, visible pixels and all. 2) It is nowhere near being optimized. Let me just say this: the console is the nexus of optimization. They spend hours and hours making it    The first few hours are the honeymoon period in which you have virtual ♥♥♥♥♥♥s of coolness and art and retro-urban-hipster color schemes. After that, you realize a few things:

    1) The assets are very low quality. I mean, visible pixels and all.

    2) It is nowhere near being optimized. Let me just say this: the console is the nexus of optimization. They spend hours and hours making it look good on these because they have a limit of hardware. Don't get me wrong: it will look much better on the PC than on the console, but the resource cost will probably be much higher than you expect. Also: wouldn't be surprised in the lease if it is FPS capped like it is on the playstation.

    3) You see most of the available assets on the first few planets you are on. After that, the assets repeat over and over and over again. On one planet, gold looks like gold, on another planet, it's the same but BLUE! And they weren't even thorough enough to make all of it cohesive. When you see the little gold bits flying at you (collecting them) suddenly they turn from blue to GOLD again! #SCIENCE!

    4) It's really cool that you want to name that animal after your son, but you will probably be the only person who ever sees it. With the repetition of assets means that there are NUMEROUS iterations of things that look the same, but don't keep the name that you gave them. Even in the same SYSTEM, you go to another planet and that blue flower that gives you Platinum? It looks exactly the same, but it's an entirely different species.

    5) It's not an exploration game. I was told this game was going to be an explorer's wet dream. The thing that is so agonizing (like, blue balls level agonizing) is that it COULD be that! The problem is that you will spend so much time acquiring resources that allow you to survive long enough to explore that you won't be able to actually enjoy the exploration that you want to do! Remember when the food/water timers were WAYYYY too fast in Rust and H1Z1? Yeah, it's that bad. It may not be food/water in this game: it's protection and life support. Something something a rose by any other name....? TL:DR - it's a survival game with exploration elements, not an exploration game with survival elements.

    5a) I sure hope you like busywork - because that is pretty much all the game is! Tag plants and animals on one planet, do it again on the next!

    6) The biggest thing for me is all of the evidence that Sean Murray totally lied to us for a long time (see places like reddit, if you can stand the fanboism for long enough). Remember this last week when he started tweeting and blogging about how we shouldn't get upset if the game is totally different than he presented it? Yeah. How can I trust a team that has billed the game as one thing for so long (OK lets be honest, it took him 4 years just to say what you even did in the game so I guess that we can't go too hard on him here) and then pulled the ole bait and switch.

    7) He is still an indy developer even though he's backed by sony. So let's say that he actually intends to fix the things he says that he wants to - it will take the team FOREVER to do it because of how small the team is, and how many platforms they must update all at once. Do the math.

    8) It is a buggy mess. There are so many examples of clipping and things just not working right that I couldn't even list them all. Sometimes when I take off in my ship, I hover nicely above the ground like I should, other times I am catapulted across the solar system with no way to get back to the planet because I'm out of fuel lol.

    9) They pretty much plaigurized Rodina for exploration mechanics.    … Expand
  17. twtgoblin
    Aug 22, 2016
    0
    Horrible. I feel cheated and I want my money back. I've not felt this lied-to in a long while and that's saying something. This game is about 1% of what was promised and falls well short of even reasonable expectations.
  18. Demonik420
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    I give this game some credit. For a game designer and lead programmer like myself, it's a fantastic demonstration of procedural generation. But its nothing more.. It's not a game, it's just a massive tech demo not really meant for game players. This should be a lesson to devs out there. It's fine to create a system like this to show off your mathematical prowess... But you need toI give this game some credit. For a game designer and lead programmer like myself, it's a fantastic demonstration of procedural generation. But its nothing more.. It's not a game, it's just a massive tech demo not really meant for game players. This should be a lesson to devs out there. It's fine to create a system like this to show off your mathematical prowess... But you need to take a page from games like Dwarf fortress. Just because your game is a technological marvel and a programming masterpiece doesn't excuse you from the actual GAMEPLAY side of development.

    This game was made to impress developers and show what could be done, but I can't recommend for any gamer who isn't in the game design industry to buy it, because the time wasn't taken to make the game an enjoyable experience for them.    … Expand
  19. allandor
    Aug 9, 2016
    6
    "No Man's Sky" is a really nice game, but only for some players. Don't expect a space opera with a storyline here. It is just a game exploration with survival elements. Well the survival part can be really annoying, because it conflicts with the explorative part of the game.
    Not a bad game, but don't follow the hype for this game, else you will be disapointed if you don't love    "No Man's Sky" is a really nice game, but only for some players. Don't expect a space opera with a storyline here. It is just a game exploration with survival elements. Well the survival part can be really annoying, because it conflicts with the explorative part of the game.
    Not a bad game, but don't follow the hype for this game, else you will be disapointed if you don't love exploration- and survival-elements.    … Expand
  20. barce1ona
    Aug 10, 2016
    0
    this is the 2016 version of The Sting and all the fools fell for it. If you go to the developers premises there will be nobody there just an empty building! hahaha
  21. DaapDaap
    Aug 10, 2016
    6
    Well 1 hour of the game is fun and i have played alot of the game and it seems to be the same thing over and over again. it is not a bad game at all it is just kinda boring, but if you are into such exploration well this game is a game for you.

    For me it is okay just an okay game it is nice to pick up if you just wanna play a relaxing game and i like that you can travel to every planet    Well 1 hour of the game is fun and i have played alot of the game and it seems to be the same thing over and over again. it is not a bad game at all it is just kinda boring, but if you are into such exploration well this game is a game for you.

    For me it is okay just an okay game it is nice to pick up if you just wanna play a relaxing game and i like that you can travel to every planet you see, other that having new stuff on the new planets you find they still look the same with different texture and outlay    … Expand
  22. TicTacToad
    Aug 9, 2016
    3
    No Man's Sky seems like an exhilarating idea on paper, but the final execution is very lackluster. It doesn't take very long before the gameplay gets stale and repetitive. While the size of the game may certainly be impressive, it doesn't mean much if it No Man's Sky doesn't offer much to keep you entertained with the game. If you really want to pick the game up, I'd recommend waiting forNo Man's Sky seems like an exhilarating idea on paper, but the final execution is very lackluster. It doesn't take very long before the gameplay gets stale and repetitive. While the size of the game may certainly be impressive, it doesn't mean much if it No Man's Sky doesn't offer much to keep you entertained with the game. If you really want to pick the game up, I'd recommend waiting for a price drop, but otherwise, I would skip it.… Expand
  23. Niko_Seagull
    Aug 9, 2016
    2
    The game should have been called "Search for Minerals." You travel to virtually identical planets and fire your magic mining gun at rocks and plants. Incredibly dull and lacking the sense of wonder the developers were hoping to engender.
  24. Ebonsignori
    Aug 9, 2016
    2
    The extremism in these reviews should be taken into consideration. They are perhaps the result of those still high on the hype, or those disgruntled by the games lack of living up to the same hype. A more accurate review of this game falls somewhere in between.

    Cons: Emphasis on survival lessens the creative sandbox/exploration elements. Lack of multiplayer shrinks the vastness of the    The extremism in these reviews should be taken into consideration. They are perhaps the result of those still high on the hype, or those disgruntled by the games lack of living up to the same hype. A more accurate review of this game falls somewhere in between.

    Cons:
    Emphasis on survival lessens the creative sandbox/exploration elements.
    Lack of multiplayer shrinks the vastness of the world.
    Procedurally generated worlds eventually create feelings of a non-genuine universe.
    (Inventory space becomes manageable a dozen hours in, and FOV should be updated in future patches)

    Pros:
    Visually and auditorily beautiful in a unique way.
    No loading screens give illusion to a vast game universe.
    Switching between land/space settings keeps gameplay fresh.
    Overarching goal to reach center of galaxy gives some purpose to gameplay.

    Procedurally generated worlds are nothing new in the gaming world. Yet advertised as such, the universe sounded more appealing in the hype than what is reflected in the experience. The lack of loading screens makes the game universe feel vast, but the feature is nothing more than a novelty after a dozen or so worlds.

    Beyond that, this game is a survival game with standard-unimpressive yet captivating enough to earn a 7/10- features: gathering, upgrading, trading, and of course, exploration. The distinguishing factor is the worlds where these features occur, and the overarching (though not game ending) goal to reach the center of the galaxy.

    In imagined scale the game measures up to its name. However in perceived scale, "No Other Man's Sky" may be more fitting, as the game lacks multiplayer in every sense that matters. In retrospect the creator seemed purposely vague in this area, one of the many advertising strategies that added to the games hype.    … Expand
  25. dam1730
    Aug 10, 2016
    3
    Many people have legitimized high review scores by discounting the low review scores that many others have given. A common rebuttal to negative commentary seems to be "Well, this is an exploration game, you obviously don't get it and Hello Games told you how it was going to be." That's not a valid rebuttal in the slightest. Exploration is about finding new things, and while each planet isMany people have legitimized high review scores by discounting the low review scores that many others have given. A common rebuttal to negative commentary seems to be "Well, this is an exploration game, you obviously don't get it and Hello Games told you how it was going to be." That's not a valid rebuttal in the slightest. Exploration is about finding new things, and while each planet is technically unique many of them feel extremely similar. Each planet is of a single biome. While Hello Games told us this would be the case, it doesn't excuse the fact that it makes planetary exploration fairly dull. While there are certain outposts placed on many planets for you to find (once you've seen one outpost, you've seen all of them). A level of diversity on the planets, mountains, rivers, deserts, etc. accompanied with varied wildlife for each of these biomes would give more reason to explore a larger amount of the planet. Currently, once you land on a planet you pretty much know how the rest of the planet looks like. Since everything you find is pretty similar, it's hard to even call this game an exploration game, and if it is it's most certainly a poor one.

    The combat mechanics of this game, both on land and in space, are absolutely abysmal. Framerates drop during combat, making aiming even more difficult than it already is. Space combat is boring, simply turning in circles and shooting at each other with each pass. The survival portion of this game serves mostly as a nuisance. With all of the resources that you need being incredibly common, there is no struggle to survive, which is not interesting at all. Since there is no struggle to survive, it's pretty difficult to call this a survival game, and if it is it is a poor one.

    Since No Man's Sky both of its genres poorly (exploration and survival) if at all, I question whether this is really a game at all right now. At the moment, this seems like a very elaborate procedural technology demonstration with very undeveloped gameplay elements. There is limitless area for you to fly around in, but there's really not a lot to find. Unfortunately the way people will view this game is a function of the hype surrounding it and it's AAA price. Without the hype and the $60 price tag, I think you'd see a lot of 6's or 7's for review scores, but when you build it up and you charge this much and fail, the fall hurts a lot worse. To me, I view this as being a bad product regardless of the price and hype. 3/10    … Expand
  26. Rozzm
    Aug 9, 2016
    9
    Its not for everyone. I can't stop thinking about going back to it. 4 hrs after release and I had to force myself to go to bed. It is like Elite in the sense you have to use your own imagination a bit while exploring and kind of narrate your own story. Has some issues but the sense of awe and enjoyment of discovery are still there for me. This is a love it or hate it game for sure.
  27. abba07
    Aug 10, 2016
    7
    I really want to love NMS. I love the concept of an infinite universe to explore, full of unique planets and creatures. And it really is different from anything I have ever played before. But 12 hours in, I am seeing a lot of planets, plants, creatures etc. that aren't all that different from one another. Sure, there are differences in temperature, weather, etc., but the differences in theI really want to love NMS. I love the concept of an infinite universe to explore, full of unique planets and creatures. And it really is different from anything I have ever played before. But 12 hours in, I am seeing a lot of planets, plants, creatures etc. that aren't all that different from one another. Sure, there are differences in temperature, weather, etc., but the differences in the wildlife and plants aren't all that different. And so far, every system seems to have asteroids between the planets, though their composition can vary a little. And while I have encountered three different sentient civilizations, the technology & buildings left behind by them are all identical, from what I can see. Also, I would happily suffer through a few short loading screens to avoid the screen pop-in that occurs on every planet I have visited so far. While I am enjoying my journey so far, it is not living up to my expectations. And they really need to do something about inventory and storage. It is woefully inadequate. I am looking forward to future updates, but for right now, all I can say is that the game is good, but not great.… Expand
  28. Euknowia
    Aug 13, 2016
    4
    I’m not entirely sure what the foresight was with regards to steadily incentivizing exploration- or even if there was one. With no real story, borderline nonexistent multiplayer, and a baffling lack of player implemented creativity (i.e. structures/bases, ship designs, and character designs) I found myself struggling to maintain the willpower to discover. Even though a bit of my journeyI’m not entirely sure what the foresight was with regards to steadily incentivizing exploration- or even if there was one. With no real story, borderline nonexistent multiplayer, and a baffling lack of player implemented creativity (i.e. structures/bases, ship designs, and character designs) I found myself struggling to maintain the willpower to discover. Even though a bit of my journey was exciting and immersive in and of itself, my entertainment was exceptionally temporary as the looming realization of stagnant progress encroached evermore on my fleeting happiness.

    Further still:
    -There are several mechanical bugs/glitches, render distance/pop-in issues, texture and clipping bugs, screen tearing, frame drops, UI and AI problems, and audio glitches
    -Frequent game crashes
    -Game saves can occasionally fail to load/do not load properly
    -Unstable 30fps
    -Simple RNG, even at the beginning, weighs too heavily on game difficulty (balancing issues)
    -Cannot change (a remarkably zoomed) FOV, and options in general are fairly limited
    -Text “puzzles” are excessively easy
    - Inventory space is bizarrely small (and ease of management could be improved)
    -Combat (in space and on the ground) is exceedingly awkward- as are the controls in general
    -Planet, alien race/monster, structure, and ship designs too quickly exhibit their “copy and paste” similarities (perhaps inspect/change how planets in proximity are generated or add further biomes/textures/structures/races, etc.)
    -Proper trading (with price forecasting per location) is contradicted by procedural generation (which further conflicts with inventory management)
    -Interactions with aliens is simple, repetitive, and often completely trivial
    -Indications of player taking any damage too closely resembles typical indications of player taking fatal damage
    -Weather phenomenon is sometimes an underwhelming spectacle
    - And many, many more issues

    I personally would not value the game at $60, even with the proposal of future updates (most notably base building). I would recommend waiting until the price drops (by at least 50%), and several patches iron out the more detrimental bugs. To really determine whether or not my criticisms would be sufficiently reflected in others, however, I’d encourage one to watch streams or pure gameplay footage (as opposed to tailored marketing videos/trailers). Surely, I would expect some to find this experience much more enjoyable and valuable than I have.

    (Written after 18-19 hours of gameplay)    … Expand
  29. James_Blanco21
    Aug 9, 2016
    4
    Honestly at first I was hooked, but then realized 4 hours later I was doing the same thing on another planet. Most animals don't do anything except for help drop the warm generic items that all help do the same thing. The only I can say for this game is that is was disappointing, it's like so much content but a lot of that content has very little depth. Also of course the framerate is badHonestly at first I was hooked, but then realized 4 hours later I was doing the same thing on another planet. Most animals don't do anything except for help drop the warm generic items that all help do the same thing. The only I can say for this game is that is was disappointing, it's like so much content but a lot of that content has very little depth. Also of course the framerate is bad in most fight scenes and the textures are pretty bad for a Ps4 game. Also the ship combat is a little dissatisfying and it seems like the game really doesn't want you to crash, even if you want to.

    It is almost like an ocean wide game that is only a pond deep.    … Expand
  30. JeffReviews
    Aug 9, 2016
    7
    No Man's Sky has quite the universe to explore and the game mechanics are very solid, albeit not very innovative or new. At it's heart No Man's Sky is a survival game, that's really it. I've played for several hours, bought a new ship and done basically the same thing over and over again. I think the biggest issue with the game is the fact that it is so open ended. The game lacksNo Man's Sky has quite the universe to explore and the game mechanics are very solid, albeit not very innovative or new. At it's heart No Man's Sky is a survival game, that's really it. I've played for several hours, bought a new ship and done basically the same thing over and over again. I think the biggest issue with the game is the fact that it is so open ended. The game lacks substance. They're only a few goals to complete that I've gotten to so far. You really don't feel that sense of accomplishment you do in other games. Your mining tool overheats too quickly and at times it's monotonous and feels like babysitting when you have to collect materials to power your various technological assets. The biggest problem with the game is it spreads itself too thin. There aren't really ant familiar or iconic landmarks to latch onto (due to random generation everything just feels lifeless and dull). Often times I'll just jump hopelessly from planet to planet and mine gold. Then I use the gold to purchase items/tech/upgrades I need. There aren't many difficult enemies to fight (maybe there are but I haven't seen them yet). There's no challenge, just hopping from one place to the next hoping to find excitement and adventure. Due to the openhandedness of the game I feel lost, nothing grabs me and encourages me to dig deeper into the world. Which is because I know I'll never see all there is too see. No one can. There's no focus, no quests (objectives but no real characters or missions or story), not even multiplayer. This game would be more fun if you could play with friends and adventure to new worlds with them. I originally thought everyone around me was a player in a ship flying by. Nope. Those are NPCS. It's boring, and there's no change of pace. This game isn't awful, but I'd advise not playing it in prolonged sessions. 7/10… Expand
  31. mortalitas
    Aug 9, 2016
    4
    I honestly expected more from this game. I got bored after 5 hours into it. It gets very repetitive, mine resources -> craft/upgrade something -> go to another planet -> mine resources to craft something again. Sure NMS is huge, but planets are boring, there is nothing to do except scanning creatures and mining or mindlessly wonder around. Game is absolutely stunning at first, but you soonI honestly expected more from this game. I got bored after 5 hours into it. It gets very repetitive, mine resources -> craft/upgrade something -> go to another planet -> mine resources to craft something again. Sure NMS is huge, but planets are boring, there is nothing to do except scanning creatures and mining or mindlessly wonder around. Game is absolutely stunning at first, but you soon realize there is not much to it. I honestly regret spending money on it.… Expand
  32. PaulCharles
    Aug 9, 2016
    2
    Pros: Beautiful graphics, vast universe, nearly unlimited game play, great soundtrack, finally a somewhat new game concept, cool developer.

    Cons: Not enough to the actual game play - gather resources, see spore looking monsters, get lucky and find a ship to attack, repeat. I think the game has MAJOR potential with upcoming patches, but for now it's pretty lackluster. I want to be    Pros: Beautiful graphics, vast universe, nearly unlimited game play, great soundtrack, finally a somewhat new game concept, cool developer.

    Cons: Not enough to the actual game play - gather resources, see spore looking monsters, get lucky and find a ship to attack, repeat.

    I think the game has MAJOR potential with upcoming patches, but for now it's pretty lackluster. I want to be able to destroy alien civilizations, travel far and wide finding quests on new planets that no one else has completed, gather legendary artifacts/abilities, build my own bases, etc    … Expand
  33. M0rbidR00ster
    Aug 18, 2016
    4
    Well, I'm back. after initially giving this game an 8 after 2 hours, I'm back after I have put in 32 hours. I am now done with this game. I will be taking it back to GameStop so I can get some money back as it became overwhelmingly redundant after hour 10-15. The planets might have different fauna and textures but the actual terrain is exactly the same from planet to planet. There are onlyWell, I'm back. after initially giving this game an 8 after 2 hours, I'm back after I have put in 32 hours. I am now done with this game. I will be taking it back to GameStop so I can get some money back as it became overwhelmingly redundant after hour 10-15. The planets might have different fauna and textures but the actual terrain is exactly the same from planet to planet. There are only few different materials really to collect, as plutonium gives you everything to survive, move, and mine. Titanium, Iron and Zinc help with creating tech. And other than that you have a revolving door of "precious metals" to collect for no other reason than to make money, and are found and mined the same way. I'm frustrated as Sean Murray alluded that you can create things like minecraft, but in reality you have to find blue-prints and cannot use imagination to create things. Then again, there aren't enough different elements to make that challenge worth while. The caves are all built the same way. There are no rivers or anything that would break up a very patch-work environment. Everything in Space (planets, space stations, ships) is static except the pirates that seem to come after you much like spam ads hit you on the internet. The ships aren't even attackable or trade-able, they are their for background. For story, its very shallow text based experience. Understanding races languages does very little to change anything other than improving very boring dialog during trading stations that gives marginal benefits. I don't want to tell you too much about the end-game, but the game has a redundancy that extends beyond jumping system to system, but galaxy to galaxy that will make you want to pull your hair out. There is no sense that others are in the same galaxy. You are completely alone, as Sean Murray explained THE DAY BEFORE RELEASE. I personally do not believe we share the same universe, but share a multi-dimension universe where we are just uploading names of places. The game was an absolute joy for the first 10 hours..... but then, I started wondering what the damn point was. I did buy the game for a lot of reasons that Sean was talking about during the IGN first and videos prior. I did not realize that a lot of the ideas he was floating earlier would not make it into the final product as they just plainly ran out of time. Its a shame, because the game has an idea, and for a team of 14 people, pretty amazing..... but if it is not what was explained to people, it should not be a $60 AAA game. Some blame the gamer for the misunderstanding of the game. I don't, I blame the marketing of Sony and the numerous streams of Sean Murray for not being honest about the final build of the game. Anyway, I will return this game to Gamestop, pick up Uncharted 4 which I haven't played yet, and wait for the Nukaworld DLC for fallout 4 to drop..... Because this game was overwhelmingly disappointing.… Expand
  34. VermilionPrime
    Aug 9, 2016
    6
    For those who enjoy games like Minecraft, they can find a good amount of entretainment here. It´s basically infinite exploration and looting, also you will spend a lot of time in the inventory. The game lacks depth, it gets repetitive very quickly, story wise is very ambiguous and not straight forward, most of the story is explained with metaphores. I´ve been playing this game for 4 daysFor those who enjoy games like Minecraft, they can find a good amount of entretainment here. It´s basically infinite exploration and looting, also you will spend a lot of time in the inventory. The game lacks depth, it gets repetitive very quickly, story wise is very ambiguous and not straight forward, most of the story is explained with metaphores. I´ve been playing this game for 4 days since i got it very early. Today with the patch some things have changed, but the core of the game remains the same. Expect, bugs and crashes.… Expand
  35. Rbox
    Aug 10, 2016
    3
    It's a grind. Plain and simple, a grind. Not a game, not a survival exercise. But a tedious, mind-numbing and overall baffling grind. From the get-go you are faced with a lack of inventory space. Resources are needed for shields, suits, engines etc. And everything gets depleted real quick. All items need different resources to be recharged. Couple this with an inventory that is too smallIt's a grind. Plain and simple, a grind. Not a game, not a survival exercise. But a tedious, mind-numbing and overall baffling grind. From the get-go you are faced with a lack of inventory space. Resources are needed for shields, suits, engines etc. And everything gets depleted real quick. All items need different resources to be recharged. Couple this with an inventory that is too small already from the first minutes of the game and you understand what your mission is. Instead of No man's sky, it should have been named 'Everybody's Grind'.… Expand
  36. Coombs
    Aug 10, 2016
    3
    This is a glorified tech demo with a cumbersome, tedious resource juggling game awkwardly and haphazardly dumped on top. I was stunned to discover just how ugly this game actually is. The menu interface is not inspiring, which is a shame since you'll be spending so much of your time there. The controls are clunky, the sound effects obnoxious, the music a huge disappointment. I foundThis is a glorified tech demo with a cumbersome, tedious resource juggling game awkwardly and haphazardly dumped on top. I was stunned to discover just how ugly this game actually is. The menu interface is not inspiring, which is a shame since you'll be spending so much of your time there. The controls are clunky, the sound effects obnoxious, the music a huge disappointment. I found that the totality of the aesthetic experience, something I thought would really be a selling point in this game, is utterly lackluster. It's amazing just how often the sound effects and music combine to create a supremely unpleasant effect. Every once in a while the game would create a lot of fanfare over the fact that I just walked an arbitrary number of feet since starting the game. Trivial statistical events like these are treated like major events, even though they couldn't possibly be less significant. For a game that tries to emphasize biology and diversity, what ends up being highlighted is how tremendously inorganic the gameplay experience is. None of the it feels natural. It comes off like a desperate exercise in alchemy. Truly, the most fun I've had with this game was when I watched the trailer in 2014. I had my reservations that these guys were in way over their heads, and sadly, my fears are confirmed. There's a reason AAA titles are developed by huge teams: that's what it takes. As it stands, I'd say a fair price for this game is $10. Any more than that and you could be playing something so much better.… Expand
  37. Illuvial
    Aug 9, 2016
    3
    Rather poor, lazy and generic survival elements covered up by shallow and boring exploration. The game certainly is pretty when you're ignoring the various graphical bugs. But aside from gorgeous music and selectively gorgeous visuals, the game doesn't have much to offer.

    Your super limited inventory space (even after upgrades) makes exploration a chore that you simply can't partake in    Rather poor, lazy and generic survival elements covered up by shallow and boring exploration. The game certainly is pretty when you're ignoring the various graphical bugs. But aside from gorgeous music and selectively gorgeous visuals, the game doesn't have much to offer.

    Your super limited inventory space (even after upgrades) makes exploration a chore that you simply can't partake in as you'll have almost no inventory space to spare when you factor in upgrades and resources for just maintaining your redundant hazard and life support meters. Your best hope while exploring is finding some super boring wildlife that simply runs away when you get near it, or looking at plants that look like slightly different than real world counterparts (trees, cacti etc.). Its also not very fun discovering planets, wildlife or plants when you have no one to show off too or share your 500th meaningless discovery with. Discovering things doesn't feel fun, isn't rewarding or worthwhile, so why bother exploring?

    What about survival elements? Well you have a health bar that refuses to empty (read: its impossible to die this game is so easy) and lazy, generic "Life support & Hazard suit" gauges that depletes based on planetary conditions. The way to refill the gauges is simply using the super common resources found all around you. So survival is a non-issue at all times, and death doesn't set you back at all. Where's the tension and fear of the unknown when you essentially know nothing will harm you, and even if something does harm you odds are it won't do much of anything? It all seems very tacked on, as if Hello Games realized that the bland exploration caused by proceduraly generated planets would be boring if they didn't tack on various gameplay elements. Problem is, those elements don't enhance the game, its just frustrating.

    Further adding to the list of faults is the combat. With poor aiming mechanics and lackluster enemy variety and design, there is no depth. On foot combat offer very little in the way of challenge or fun, and ship combat doesn't really change much at all. Fighting enemy starships is a tedious "blown one up blown em all up" affair, and outside of pirates occasionally trying to blow you out of the sky,you'll probably forget your ship even has guns attached to it.

    The trade and economy system are lackluster. Galaxies have different values for items, but with such limited space and no way of knowing what the next galaxy's trade rates are, keeping your selling items (indicating by green boxes) in-between trips is sort of impossible when you're always bleeding for inventory room. Trading with NPCs is sort of pointless as well, seeing as how they all behave the same way and you always get the feeling like you're paying or losing out on trades to get next to no benefit. Whenever you walk up to any trade ships you encounter, the flavor text for what the interaction is like may change, but your options are still “Trade for ship or stop talking to this person”. When you finally go into the trade screen, you may think to yourself that you're going to get to bargain, or offer your valuables in exchange for the trader's valuables that can be used to craft upgrades or something. But no, its a black and white “Buy at this one set price or don't bother talking to me”. The whole trading, buying and selling system has about as much depth and is about as interesting as NES RPGs like the original Final Fantasy.

    The sense of discovery is lost here. What you discover isn't interesting and never feels worth discovering. Alien life is boring and dull, and you can't share your discoveries with them or any of the other players. What good is it that I discovered this galaxy when all of maybe 10 NPCs inhabit it, and no other human player will likely ever get to witness it or use my discoveries to aid in their survival there? Exploration proves fruitless, as the randomized planets lack the setpieces and gorgeous handcrafted vistas that such brilliant exploration games like Abzu, Shadow of Colossus, Flower or Journey have provided in the past or present. Combat is dull, survival feels like I'm babysitting some constantly depleting bars rather than using my wits to outsmart the universe, and the economy system is about as generic and uninteresting as any other game's despite its shallow attempts at depth or intrigue.

    In short, if all you want from a game is pretty scenery and can handle the worst pop-up you've ever seen in a game as well as lifeless planets with no personality, than by all means pick this up, you can take some wonderful screenshots for your desktop. But if you're looking for absolutely any substance in your exploration or interactions with the universe, or hope to discover some truly breathtaking moments on par with the aforementioned exploration games, I recommend looking to the upcoming Abzu, or the August PS+ game Rebel Galaxy for your exploration or space trader/pirate needs.    … Expand
  38. Neiio
    Aug 9, 2016
    4
    A thoroughly mediocre game with lackluster objectives. No Man's Sky is the epitome of shallow, with all the beauty and lack of content that you'd expect from a AAA game. Too bad this isn't a AAA game considering they're asking $60 for this... I would not recommend to anyone.
  39. gristy
    Aug 9, 2016
    3
    The first hour is quite interesting learning the basics with little hand holding and restoring your ship so that it can take off. I played 3 more hours and just found it quite boring. I am sure some will love the experience, but it seems like the game will require a lot of time for little pay off.
  40. Shuklack
    Aug 11, 2016
    6
    Let me get the negatives out first. A lot of potential that is mitigated by very shallow features. I expect most planets to be boring, I dont mind if life is rare... but I get the feeling that there arent any actual developed planets and the liveliest planets just have more trees. Also, why is outer space so... pink? The odd artistic choice of a pastel colored space really detracts fromLet me get the negatives out first. A lot of potential that is mitigated by very shallow features. I expect most planets to be boring, I dont mind if life is rare... but I get the feeling that there arent any actual developed planets and the liveliest planets just have more trees. Also, why is outer space so... pink? The odd artistic choice of a pastel colored space really detracts from the beauty of the planets/stars and a sense of depth. The map system is lacking, it can be a real hassle to revisit points of interest. Ive also crashed more times in 2 days than any of the other PS4 games I've played - combined.
    That being said, with a few tools and additions, this game could be amazing. The foundation is there. Base building would be a start, but we need better map options, greater customization, more lively advanced lifeforms, and most of all... co-op.    … Expand
  41. Joe614
    Sep 28, 2016
    0
    Sean Murray straight up lied to everyone! Everything that he stated was in the game but isn't:

    -Multiplayer (joining other players battle) -Faction's Waring -Amazing Ship Customization -Amazing Crafting System -Landing on Asteroids -Having Fleets Appear Out of Nowhere -Large Creatures Affecting The Landscape -Large Scale Space Battles -Sand Planets -Destroying The Fleets    Sean Murray straight up lied to everyone! Everything that he stated was in the game but isn't:

    -Multiplayer (joining other players battle)
    -Faction's Waring
    -Amazing Ship Customization
    -Amazing Crafting System
    -Landing on Asteroids
    -Having Fleets Appear Out of Nowhere
    -Large Creatures Affecting The Landscape
    -Large Scale Space Battles
    -Sand Planets
    -Destroying The Fleets
    -Destroying Space Stations

    Don't waste your money. You will be disappointed.    … Expand
  42. Ragamuffins
    Aug 25, 2016
    4
    Updated review: this game is endless in the way a hamster wheel is endless.

    You can repeat the same mindless loop of activity without end, but you won't see anything new. Planets are all very similar with infinitely repeating geological patterns. Fly over a planet and watch repetition of the same hill/cave/crater, next to the same clearing/pond/crevice, and then the same building    Updated review: this game is endless in the way a hamster wheel is endless.

    You can repeat the same mindless loop of activity without end, but you won't see anything new. Planets are all very similar with infinitely repeating geological patterns.

    Fly over a planet and watch repetition of the same hill/cave/crater, next to the same clearing/pond/crevice, and then the same building you've seen on the past 10 planets.

    Off-planet, space is exactly the same in every system.

    The animals rarely change significantly from one planet to the next. I've seen the same birds and same jellyfish looking thing on almost every planet.

    The buildings are all copy-paste from one plane to the next.

    And that's the entire game.

    Exploration implies, in my mind, the hope of finding something notable that nobody else has seen. That's why running in a hamster wheel isn't exploring, and flying from one plane to the next in this game doesn't feel like exploring.

    If you don't want to run in the hamster wheel, there's nothing else to do.

    I never would have bought this game if there was truthful advertising.    … Expand
  43. PeterBournem
    Aug 9, 2016
    3
    Im 14 hours in and I just don't care any more so bored. Floating copper, I can almost deal with but I have no idea of what the hell Im doing or the point. Not going waste hours to find the centre, you see one planet you seen them all. I will be selling it ASAP. Sorry I know the work Hello game put in but I like mine craft and I like games like x3tc but this is neither. the price tagIm 14 hours in and I just don't care any more so bored. Floating copper, I can almost deal with but I have no idea of what the hell Im doing or the point. Not going waste hours to find the centre, you see one planet you seen them all. I will be selling it ASAP. Sorry I know the work Hello game put in but I like mine craft and I like games like x3tc but this is neither. the price tag should be £20. Hello games announced day before launch further up dates. it essentially not finished.… Expand
  44. AlphaRebel
    Aug 10, 2016
    1
    The most succinct review I can concoct about this game is to simply quote Total Buscuit on Skyrim: "it's an ocean of content with the depth of a paddling pool" the underlying technology is undoubted a great feat unfortunately once the novelty of the the tech wears off dawns the realisation that simply the game is doesn't possess any engaging game mechainc loops outisde of the "mine toThe most succinct review I can concoct about this game is to simply quote Total Buscuit on Skyrim: "it's an ocean of content with the depth of a paddling pool" the underlying technology is undoubted a great feat unfortunately once the novelty of the the tech wears off dawns the realisation that simply the game is doesn't possess any engaging game mechainc loops outisde of the "mine to progress - Move to next planet and mine to progress" and as in the case of ED when you are dealing with 18000000000000000000 permutations using fundamentally the same maths to pin it together you get recycled or close to recycled content very quickly and the fact that you are going to be doing this same grind on your quest to the centre of the galixy for a very long time, it's really the perfect game for OCD explorers or autistic kids who get fulfilment from progressing on a repetitive game loop, sadly my bordom tollerence is not what it was 20 years ago so off to CEX we go :(

    TL;DR - Great technology, where's the [REDACTED] game?    … Expand
  45. SupportIndies
    Aug 9, 2016
    3
    Sorry to all the ones that liked this, I'm glad you're out there for these types of games. Just not for me I guess I thought there were many things lacking, control menus, suggestion menus, graphics, making me want to continue playing it just wasn't there. Regardless as well to all of those out there if this is going to be a title that is successful it's sure going to have to do betterSorry to all the ones that liked this, I'm glad you're out there for these types of games. Just not for me I guess I thought there were many things lacking, control menus, suggestion menus, graphics, making me want to continue playing it just wasn't there. Regardless as well to all of those out there if this is going to be a title that is successful it's sure going to have to do better then it's average rating of just above a 5.… Expand
  46. bobbob123
    Aug 9, 2016
    4
    This game is fun, it really is. The notable thing about this game is that it crashes which of course gets annoying. This game is random which can be a good thing. For some people the game can be very easy but for others the game can be one of the hardest things they have played in a while. After playing the game for around 5 hours it has already gotten repetitive, but like I said the gameThis game is fun, it really is. The notable thing about this game is that it crashes which of course gets annoying. This game is random which can be a good thing. For some people the game can be very easy but for others the game can be one of the hardest things they have played in a while. After playing the game for around 5 hours it has already gotten repetitive, but like I said the game is random. I think when you buy this game you are taking a gamble. I don't think it is worth the current price tag. This is just another game that was very over hyped. This game looks very pretty and is huge but the hugeness of this game can come at a cost of doing the same stuff over and over again.… Expand
  47. ps4_gamereview
    Aug 9, 2016
    4
    I'll admit, I fell for the hype of No Man's Sky. How could a game with literally infinite possibilities go wrong? I wouldn't exactly say this game went wrong, it just failed to deliver. Discovering planets is fun for maybe the first three hours, after that nothing that you can find is really unique enough to be enjoyable. No Man's Sky is poetically ironic in this case, as the largestI'll admit, I fell for the hype of No Man's Sky. How could a game with literally infinite possibilities go wrong? I wouldn't exactly say this game went wrong, it just failed to deliver. Discovering planets is fun for maybe the first three hours, after that nothing that you can find is really unique enough to be enjoyable. No Man's Sky is poetically ironic in this case, as the largest gaming world of all time feels almost empty and repetitive. The dev team made way, way too many promises and failed to deliver.

    Just a note: Yes, people are brigading this page with bad reviews, but if you are giving this game a 10 just because of that, you are just as bad as the bridagers. Think about what you're doing and rate the game honestly.    … Expand
  48. Witcher3Fan21
    Aug 9, 2016
    3
    As extremely good reviews have said, only buy this game if you think exploration is your kind of game. So basically an interactive photo reel of procedurally generated space. Is it worth $60? No. Is it even a game? Maybe. What other game is it like? Journey. Did they mislead you with the gameplay? Yes.

    Only buy this game if you enjoy quite scenery, if you want action, building,    As extremely good reviews have said, only buy this game if you think exploration is your kind of game. So basically an interactive photo reel of procedurally generated space. Is it worth $60? No. Is it even a game? Maybe. What other game is it like? Journey. Did they mislead you with the gameplay? Yes.

    Only buy this game if you enjoy quite scenery, if you want action, building, crafting, killing or anything that any other actual game has, then don't get this game for $60.

    I actually basically purchased a space sim to just look at, not what I thought it was.    … Expand
  49. lemonademaz
    Aug 9, 2016
    0
    Had great potential, too bad it gets boring about 3 hours in. All you do is gather resources to get to the next planet were you have to do the same. Wait for a sale!
  50. elbergudo
    Aug 9, 2016
    4
    Wow this is not even worth 20$,is basically farming materials forever and visiting dead ass planets with barely anything interesting to do. Most of the monster you find are just ugly and super random with deform bodies and there is no reason to revisit planets or to think in names for them since they are infinite and a random mess. If you are willing to waste money in this wait for it toWow this is not even worth 20$,is basically farming materials forever and visiting dead ass planets with barely anything interesting to do. Most of the monster you find are just ugly and super random with deform bodies and there is no reason to revisit planets or to think in names for them since they are infinite and a random mess. If you are willing to waste money in this wait for it to drop to 10$ or below on a steam/pstore sale, otherwise you will end up feeling like you got scammed for the absurd price they are asking for this space farmville simulator.… Expand
  51. Kotwurschd
    Aug 10, 2016
    3
    Absolutely trash. Again a overhyped title that dissapoints massively. I wasn't expecting much, but after playing for a few hours, I must say that this game is not more worth than 20 bucks. It's so repetitive. The planets look boring. I almost fell asleep while playing this and I'm not even kidding. The only thing you do on these planets is running around and collecting materials to be ableAbsolutely trash. Again a overhyped title that dissapoints massively. I wasn't expecting much, but after playing for a few hours, I must say that this game is not more worth than 20 bucks. It's so repetitive. The planets look boring. I almost fell asleep while playing this and I'm not even kidding. The only thing you do on these planets is running around and collecting materials to be able to fly to other planets, that look almost the same. There is no diversity. The graphics and textures on PS4 are horrible. I had a few game breaking bugs. The auto-landing feature of the Ship landed me inside a tree. I couldn't do anything, I was stuck in their. My Ship then crashed and I had to farm all the resources again. I was missing 1 more resource, when I tried to buy it from a spot, it only gave a me few of the resource. I had enough to buy it and free space in my inventory and checked everything multiple times, but it wouldn't let me buy more of the ressource, no matter what I did. The Ship controls are absolutely horrible too. And you will never see any player somewhere, because there are 18 trillion planets Please save your money and don't buy it, because it is a terrible game and overhyped for no damn reason.… Expand
  52. ollie8557
    Aug 9, 2016
    1
    This game was sold as an exploration game but is more of a survival game. It is a pretty solid survival game, but it didnt turn out to be the game we were told it would be. I wouldnt recommend the game.
  53. hobbes138
    Aug 9, 2016
    0
    So boring. So damn boring. As soon as you leave the first planet you might as well stop playing because you've seen everything this "game" has to offer.
  54. NuttyBoltHead
    Aug 9, 2016
    4
    For the first hour or so, the game is amazing, and it is fun, But listen to me :
    After around 5 hours, this game become... Mundane.
    With the extreme vastness, it is great, don't get me wrong, But the game give this vibe "We don't want to work on the fun thing that can be done, lets just make it in space, so that we can fill the space with nothing but, Space!" It becomes amazingly    For the first hour or so, the game is amazing, and it is fun, But listen to me :
    After around 5 hours, this game become... Mundane.
    With the extreme vastness, it is great, don't get me wrong, But the game give this vibe "We don't want to work on the fun thing that can be done, lets just make it in space, so that we can fill the space with nothing but, Space!"

    It becomes amazingly mundane sadly    … Expand
  55. SolidSteve0
    Aug 10, 2016
    0
    The game is fun for an hour but after that it gets VERY repetitive: every building/space station and alien counter is the exact same thing, the upgrades seem useless, the different resources make no sense, the combat is BAD, the texture loading is disgusting and completley takes me out of the game. Every planet does look very different but the actual tasks or points of interest on eachThe game is fun for an hour but after that it gets VERY repetitive: every building/space station and alien counter is the exact same thing, the upgrades seem useless, the different resources make no sense, the combat is BAD, the texture loading is disgusting and completley takes me out of the game. Every planet does look very different but the actual tasks or points of interest on each planet are the exact same thing.

    There isn't really much else to say... if this game was a Steam Early Access title that came out of nowhere, it would have gone over much better I think.    … Expand
  56. Iplayedthegame
    Aug 10, 2016
    0
    No Man's Sky is a procedurally generated snooze fest. Where the developer intended splendor and wonderment only frustration materialized. The core gameplay is lackluster and clumsy and leans heavily on the woefully tedious gameplay mechanics found in Minecraft yet lacks any of the expressive freedoms found in its peer. I regret my purchase as I had high hopes for this game I stronglyNo Man's Sky is a procedurally generated snooze fest. Where the developer intended splendor and wonderment only frustration materialized. The core gameplay is lackluster and clumsy and leans heavily on the woefully tedious gameplay mechanics found in Minecraft yet lacks any of the expressive freedoms found in its peer. I regret my purchase as I had high hopes for this game I strongly encourage potential buyers to wait on a substantial price drop before venturing into this vacuous hollow cash grab.… Expand
  57. maximovich
    Aug 9, 2016
    1
    No multiplayer.
    No mountains.
    No deep caves.
    No deep sea exploration.
    No forests.
    No customizable FOV.
    No challenge.
    No interesting NPC.
    No story.
    No ending.
  58. asr163
    Aug 9, 2016
    0
    a glorified walking simulator on planets with some space flying that is just as boring as the walking simulator. this game should have been $20 at best but no they want a full price of $60 for this early access garbage.
  59. sashaCZ1
    Aug 9, 2016
    4
    No Man's Sky seemed to me as a completely new and unique experience for the first time. However, this game might become the disappointment of 2016. There is no interesting gameplay that would make you want to play this game again. Every planet is basically the same as others. This game, unfortunately, doesn't have any depth it was supposed to have. Also, I don't usually care about graphicsNo Man's Sky seemed to me as a completely new and unique experience for the first time. However, this game might become the disappointment of 2016. There is no interesting gameplay that would make you want to play this game again. Every planet is basically the same as others. This game, unfortunately, doesn't have any depth it was supposed to have. Also, I don't usually care about graphics but I expected way more next-gen. 4/10.… Expand
  60. EddieMunsters
    Aug 9, 2016
    1
    Visually the game is stunning. The problem arrives in the form of the repetitiveness that becomes a lifeless shambling doing the same things over and over. That was my worry about this game, that and the procedurally generated worlds. Using algorithms to produce thousands of world's or millions of possibilities sounds great on paper but loses the human touch and loses the feeling of lifeVisually the game is stunning. The problem arrives in the form of the repetitiveness that becomes a lifeless shambling doing the same things over and over. That was my worry about this game, that and the procedurally generated worlds. Using algorithms to produce thousands of world's or millions of possibilities sounds great on paper but loses the human touch and loses the feeling of life that immerses you in the game. It becomes a sterile repetition that loses most of it's entertainment value within the first 6-10 hrs of gameplay..guess the devs were right this isnt for everyone.… Expand
  61. Waz653
    Aug 9, 2016
    1
    Once the nice looking planets and whacky procedural animals stop being your focus, you begin to notice repetition. The game's "grind" feels very artificial. You're constantly "recharging" your life support, and refueling your "launch thruster", this breaks flow and seems to have only been added to crowbar in the survival element.

    There's nothing to the NPC races. They just stand still    Once the nice looking planets and whacky procedural animals stop being your focus, you begin to notice repetition. The game's "grind" feels very artificial. You're constantly "recharging" your life support, and refueling your "launch thruster", this breaks flow and seems to have only been added to crowbar in the survival element.

    There's nothing to the NPC races. They just stand still and talk to you, to which there is no feedback. They simply rotate their head and move their arms slightly.

    Going in with the expectation the marketing lead to believe and the 60$ price tag makes it seem like this really was a waste of money.    … Expand
  62. Exportz
    Aug 9, 2016
    1
    This game is boring very quickly and lacks any reason to continue to play this game . This was a over hyper game that fall short . Which is sad ... its trying to be the minecraft of space and its a boring one at that
  63. SuperSeanOne
    Aug 9, 2016
    2
    I won't give this game a 0 or something that bad, but it really is an Early Access, unfinished game that has been delayed frequently because they've been using pre sale dollars to fund it.
    It's very sad they didn't show it at E3 because they would've cost themselves a TON of sales.
    As for the game itself, it's very monotonous and repetitive. Go to planet A, "Mine Minerals" with a laser gun
  64. cool_dude
    Aug 9, 2016
    1
    One point for trying. People have been very delusional when talking about this game. They put on some hype-glasses and falsely believed (even when evidence was presented):

    * 60 FPS on PS4 [Game is 30 FPS with frame drops] * No pop up [People giving this game a pass because of proc-gen] * Planet textures from space are unique [Nope, it is the same, people] * No loading [Space warp    One point for trying. People have been very delusional when talking about this game. They put on some hype-glasses and falsely believed (even when evidence was presented):

    * 60 FPS on PS4 [Game is 30 FPS with frame drops]
    * No pop up [People giving this game a pass because of proc-gen]
    * Planet textures from space are unique [Nope, it is the same, people]
    * No loading [Space warp times are long and covers up loading]
    * Online multiplayer [Nope]
    * Grass doesn't rotate [Grass and shrubs rotate to face the player at all times]
    * Real physics [Blasting holes in rocks leaves parts floating]
    * Full of action akin to the four fast paced trailers [Nope, it's boring as heck]
    * Animal food chain [Nope, very simple behaviors]
    * Never ever see the same thing twice [Space stations all the same, and many variations of the same object]
    * Realtime day/night cycles [Nope]
    * Planets orbit their sun [Nope, fixed skybox]
    * and much, much more...

    It's not even a game, it's a tech demo. It's pretty much only one planet with variations that have been all figured out. Spend your money elsewhere.    … Expand
  65. JohnPound
    Aug 9, 2016
    0
    Boring.

    Go to Planet "A." Find resources, get rocket fuel. Go find Planet "B." Oh but wait! You can name the planets if you're the first to find them! And it will only take 5 billion years to do it.

    Rinse and repeat.
  66. partyintheback
    Aug 9, 2016
    1
    I waited years anticipating a game where all you do is endlessly mine and look at your inventory? This is the most tedious game I've played. The gameplay isn't satisfying, and most of the planets I've visited have been incredibly barren. What a waste of money. I'll give it 1 point for art direction, but otherwise it's a pretty awful game.
  67. Kimomarudotcom
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    A marvel. A wonderful game with a beautiful look, I didn't want to go to sleep. This title, I think, will be engaging to gamers who enjoy exploring without much hand holding. It's a bold experiment, there aren't many devs making procedurally generated titles these days and with any luck Hello Games has shown the others what can be made with this technique.
  68. serrano862004
    Aug 9, 2016
    1
    This game is tedious, repetitive and boring. I would not recommend this game to no one. The textures are horrible and outdated and the gameplay is very bland. A big game with little depth.
  69. namelessgamer
    Aug 9, 2016
    1
    It's a mediocre space minecraft... that's all you need to know.
    Interesting concept but never becomes an actual game, for a universe that is so big, you can do very little in it.
  70. Braduk
    Aug 9, 2016
    0
    Play through the first planet then stop because every planet you go to from there will give you the exact same experience and nothing new to do. The game is empty, lacks substance, and relies heavily on its visuals even though the procedural generation leads to Spore-tier fauna and same-y environments.
  71. bigburger
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    Everything Ive ever hoped for in a space exploration game, beautiful planets, sublime visuals, incredible diversity of plants and animals, aliens languages and the wonderful feeling of the vastness of space that I have never before gotten from a video game. Hello Games have created a wonderful experience and I'm hooked completely, they deserve their applause for not only bucking the trendEverything Ive ever hoped for in a space exploration game, beautiful planets, sublime visuals, incredible diversity of plants and animals, aliens languages and the wonderful feeling of the vastness of space that I have never before gotten from a video game. Hello Games have created a wonderful experience and I'm hooked completely, they deserve their applause for not only bucking the trend and not playing it safe but for putting so much love and care into their work, the video game industry has become stale and its partly for this reason the game has garnered so much attention, it dares to be new and innovative… Expand
  72. Turnip
    Aug 10, 2016
    0
    It's like one of those large-facade buildings in a western saloon town. Meant to look very big and impressive, but once you start playing the game you realize there's no substance.
  73. AllGames
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    These negative are absurd to say the least. After hours of this game it is an experience that is like
    any other. It's in a class of its own. It's exactly what I knew I was getting. After remaining on the second planet it just shows the depth and detail the game has. And for everyone knocking the graphics- it only shows you haven't touched the game.
  74. followtheoracle
    Aug 9, 2016
    0
    I played 9 hours because I had hope that maybe I would see new things but I was wrong. You are doing same thing over and over. After couple hours nothing in this game surprised me. Also they said about this game that space based but there is no orbiting, no landing on asteroids, no space walks, no space mechanics etc. Also they want 60 dollars for this game? So I can call them as fraud. II played 9 hours because I had hope that maybe I would see new things but I was wrong. You are doing same thing over and over. After couple hours nothing in this game surprised me. Also they said about this game that space based but there is no orbiting, no landing on asteroids, no space walks, no space mechanics etc. Also they want 60 dollars for this game? So I can call them as fraud. I am not trolling or anything. I am telling truth. Think lots of times to buy this game for 60 bucks.… Expand
  75. Louis_Ferdinand
    Aug 9, 2016
    3
    Apparently my review was pruned, because honest (albeit negative) opinions are not allowed. So I submit another one! Great disappointment, a marketing collosus on wooden legs, a cashgrab catering to a generation of gamers starved so much, that they can't see right from wrong.
  76. SchroederRock
    Aug 9, 2016
    6
    Sadly this is not the game I hoped it would be. No Man's Sky has a big vision and large universe to explore but it doesn't keep me interested as the game's sim approach seems to restrict creativity rather than allow it to flourish. There's also the issue of pacing - several hours in this game tests my patience heavily as there's little combat. In addition to the slow pacing, there's aSadly this is not the game I hoped it would be. No Man's Sky has a big vision and large universe to explore but it doesn't keep me interested as the game's sim approach seems to restrict creativity rather than allow it to flourish. There's also the issue of pacing - several hours in this game tests my patience heavily as there's little combat. In addition to the slow pacing, there's a huge frustration with having to gather loads of resources to advance yourself and the inventory control is abysmal at-best. There's also some major bugs that crash the game about once or even twice per hour and it's seizing many consoles outside of my own. All said and done, Sony will probably be very displeased with how this game turned out after knowing it had a PC/PS4 exclusive day 1 - this won't win anyone over to buy a PS4 that doesn't already have one - that's unfortunate given how much this game was hyped by so many people.… Expand
  77. jerubedo
    Aug 10, 2016
    0
    If I had to sum up everything in just one line it would be this: "You are thrown into an infinitely expansive and beautiful universe only to find yourself utterly alone, doomed to never sharing the vistas with anyone."

    A shorter one-liner would be: "A huge environment with very little content." Here's the breakdown: Pros: - An incomprehensibly large universe to explore.    If I had to sum up everything in just one line it would be this: "You are thrown into an infinitely expansive and beautiful universe only to find yourself utterly alone, doomed to never sharing the vistas with anyone."

    A shorter one-liner would be: "A huge environment with very little content."

    Here's the breakdown:

    Pros:
    - An incomprehensibly large universe to explore.
    -Beautiful sights on some planets and in space.
    -Ships are fun to fly.
    -Naming new discoveries is fun.

    Cons:
    -Resource gathering and jumping from planet to planet gets old after just a few hours.
    -The quest to get to the center of the galaxy feels like a chore.
    -Despite initial impressions, game-play is quite basic and shallow.
    -Survival elements are more annoying than they are engaging.
    -Many planets are very similar to one another with just different color schemes and textures - no doubt the result of procedural generation of content. The same can be said of the many creatures you encounter.
    -The loneliness in a game this huge is unbearable. Having some form of multiplayer such as PvP (dog fighting) or maybe multi-crewed ships and landing parties would go a long, long way to keeping interest.
    -There is no incentive to getting a better ship because when you do, you loose EVERYTHING from your old ship including warp fuel and cargo!
    -You are only allowed to have one ship.
    -I've encountered a few game breaking bugs including falling through the ground on two different planets.

    I was so pumped for this game and unfortunately I feel let down. I had boasted that this would be the game to beat this year and that I'd finally have something else to dump a ton of hours into outside of WoW. I think after a mere 9 hours of game-play, though, I'm done. Hopefully the devs can add more content and more things to do in the future. If/when that happens I'd be happy to re-evaluate and change my score!    … Expand
  78. greedoinaspeedo
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    This is exactly what I was hoping for. Space Opera science fiction is my favorite genre for movies and novels, yet I have never found a space flight game that could really pull me in. After only 6-8 hours with this game, I am happy to say I have found one for me. This game has a ton of depth, a very interesting universe to explore and decent combat mechanics. I was surprised that theThis is exactly what I was hoping for. Space Opera science fiction is my favorite genre for movies and novels, yet I have never found a space flight game that could really pull me in. After only 6-8 hours with this game, I am happy to say I have found one for me. This game has a ton of depth, a very interesting universe to explore and decent combat mechanics. I was surprised that the masses were as interested in this game as they were when it was announced, it seemed like a pretty niche game. I can't help but feel like a lot of the negative reviews are people who the game quite simply wasn't made for.

    If you are an action game junkie or someone that only ever plays AAA games, be wary, this is an independent game that got its scope blown up because of hype. It may not be your cup of tea. However, if exploring space and experiencing the scope of the universe while surviving in hostile environments and just enjoying the immersion of it all, sounds like your cup of tea, you should definitely pick it up.

    The game feels complete already as a unique hybrid of MMO space game with a survival game like Minecraft or Ark. But I can imagine with the base building and other features the developer has coming and the other additions, it will become a truly engrossing experience.

    I can already tell I will be putting an ungodly amount of time into this. See past the BS angry reviews by teenagers who want another COD or have unrealistic expectations of these independent developers and enjoy exploring the universe!    … Expand
  79. SuperMax156
    Aug 9, 2016
    0
    Deeply disappointing boring game. Another confirmation that there is an inverse relationship between the longer the hype before release the worse the game will be. Avoid.
  80. amazingDan
    Aug 9, 2016
    9
    After playing this game for about 5 hours so far here are my thoughts on it. First of all you can ignore all the low reviews as **** is trying to make this the lowest rated game in history. Secondly I feel the game has delivered EXACTLY what was promised. After 3+ years of development and countless articles, interviews etc I just got what I thought I was getting. I haven't seen anyAfter playing this game for about 5 hours so far here are my thoughts on it. First of all you can ignore all the low reviews as **** is trying to make this the lowest rated game in history. Secondly I feel the game has delivered EXACTLY what was promised. After 3+ years of development and countless articles, interviews etc I just got what I thought I was getting. I haven't seen any frame rate issues or graphic problems yet. I'm loving the game. Before you buy check out Twitch or YouTube streams to see what you are getting in to.… Expand
  81. askeptic
    Aug 9, 2016
    2
    Lets start this by saying the game looks beautiful despite the lack of any sort of updated graphics. The colors pop and the sounds are interesting. After putting in just under 20 hours, (longest time of my life), I think I am now ready to put a number next to this.

    The hype of this game was too much that it was a sure thing it could not live up. However, after the smoke clears, and you    Lets start this by saying the game looks beautiful despite the lack of any sort of updated graphics. The colors pop and the sounds are interesting. After putting in just under 20 hours, (longest time of my life), I think I am now ready to put a number next to this.

    The hype of this game was too much that it was a sure thing it could not live up. However, after the smoke clears, and you settle down, how does the game stand up to others? The answer is, terrible. This game, despite all the promises, has little to offer. With almost no point other than to walk forward, this game gets stale very fast. You will feel lonely due to never seeing another live player, you will feel lost due to not having a true point to the game, you will get bored, because that is what this game is about.

    You can explore planet after planet, the colors will change, the lack of game doesn't. Look for this game in the bargain bin by the end of the month. I almost feel bad for those who paid $60, but to each their own.

    Like many games before it, Sony / Hello hopes to bank money through creative marketing and hype and once that dies, the price will plummet. With the embargo set to the launch day, the writing was on the wall.    … Expand
  82. TheVJ
    Aug 10, 2016
    0
    No Man's Sky is not the intergalactic playground people had hoped it would be; it is more of a nigh infinitely big museum filled with nothing but Jackson Pollock paintings.
  83. DevotedFire
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    Exceptional Exploration Game. I just spent 4 hours walking around on the same planet. Listening to my favourite pink flood albums, whilst mining, then selling resources. Outstanding.
  84. Razo30000
    Aug 9, 2016
    0
    No Man's Sky is classic example of how quantity doesn't equal quality

    Millions of planets - Nothing to do

    They should've at least attempted to put in at least one Homeworld with intelligent life. They should've just called it Loneliness simulator 2016
  85. Gamecriticpro
    Aug 10, 2016
    8
    The game is intended for a niche crowd, if you like chill space exploration games and don't mind some repeating elements, you'll like it. I suggest watching unbiased gameplay vids to solidify your opinion, these metacritic reviews are usually either trollw or fanboys, they don' paint the picture you're looking for.
  86. Macros69
    Aug 9, 2016
    1
    Boring gameplay, ugly planets, hideous UI, r e c h a r g i n g 2 4 / 7. Worst space simulator in years. I laugh every time when meteor spawning right in you'r face. 10/10
  87. ginja
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    Every bit as beautiful as I hoped for. The real struggle is trying to keep focused on one task, keep having moments of "oh! would you look at that" the only thing I'm going to say is the PS4 struggles I'm lucky enough to have bought it on both platforms and it's looking like the PC is going to be king here.
  88. Voretechz
    Aug 9, 2016
    0
    I was excited for this game but even with quadrillions of planets but nothing of substance to do in the game besides the same boring and repetitive resource collecting. Quantity does not equal quality. This is the most boring game I have played in a long time. I will be returning it in a few days when I have some time to go to the store again. Don't waste your time or money with this overI was excited for this game but even with quadrillions of planets but nothing of substance to do in the game besides the same boring and repetitive resource collecting. Quantity does not equal quality. This is the most boring game I have played in a long time. I will be returning it in a few days when I have some time to go to the store again. Don't waste your time or money with this over hyped garbage.… Expand
  89. ProfessorK
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    Simply put, This title is amazing. Its what many of old-school gamers have wanted a space adventure game to be since we first started on console or PC. Put in equal parts planetary exploration and survival, you get an amazing title that has a potential for a very long shelf life. What I find interesting is many trolls (more than likely tweens/teens on summer break) are giving this titleSimply put, This title is amazing. Its what many of old-school gamers have wanted a space adventure game to be since we first started on console or PC. Put in equal parts planetary exploration and survival, you get an amazing title that has a potential for a very long shelf life. What I find interesting is many trolls (more than likely tweens/teens on summer break) are giving this title bad ratings because there's a learning curve.… Expand
  90. justmark
    Aug 10, 2016
    9
    I've only got a few hours in on the game thus far, but I'm quite enjoying myself. I haven't experienced any frame rate issues that some people are complaining about. The game has been running smoothly (I do have a very fast internet connection.)

    I can see why this game might not appeal to some people. I enjoy exploring and upgrading things. Perhaps this might get repetitive at some    I've only got a few hours in on the game thus far, but I'm quite enjoying myself. I haven't experienced any frame rate issues that some people are complaining about. The game has been running smoothly (I do have a very fast internet connection.)

    I can see why this game might not appeal to some people. I enjoy exploring and upgrading things. Perhaps this might get repetitive at some point but I'm sure that there is a lot that I haven't seen yet, and that new content will get added on a regular basis.

    The media hype on this game was too much... and expectations were too lofty

    UPDATE: I'm now about 6 hours into the game. I've increased my score from 8 to 9. I'm absolutely fascinated by the game and the depth. I've been to several planets now, two space stations, and have met a few different races (one of which was uber unfriendly to me.) The game is certainly geared towards exporation type players. My biggest gripe thus far has been the lack of inventory space. It is extremely limited.    … Expand
  91. Exanthius
    Sep 1, 2016
    0
    Initially I loved this game. The first few hours are exciting and overwhelming. You love every second of the first few hours. But then you realize that you will do the same three things for the rest of the game, so probably for 50 - 100 hrs: Gather minerals, recharge your equipment, fly to the next planet that is shockingly similar to the planet you just visited. The lack of variety isInitially I loved this game. The first few hours are exciting and overwhelming. You love every second of the first few hours. But then you realize that you will do the same three things for the rest of the game, so probably for 50 - 100 hrs: Gather minerals, recharge your equipment, fly to the next planet that is shockingly similar to the planet you just visited. The lack of variety is ridiculous given the fact that everything is based on procedural generation. Most of the planets are lifeless pieces of rock. Maybe this is something that you can live with because sometimes there are these "wow" moments, when you finally find a planet with a lot of flora and fauna.
    Based on these impressions I could rate this 5/10 being an average space exploration game for casual players. BUT: The game was announced with misleading information. This is a fraud. This is criminal activity. There are so many features missing from the game that were originally promised. The whole experience is based on lies that came directly from the developers. I understand that one or two features might be missing from a game when it launches, because time was short, but this game is basically missing everything that was promised. The only feature it delivers is the repetitive mining. That's it. You even get bored by exploration. Also you don't have any motivation anymore to find other players because you WON'T SEE THEM. As a fact the developers said that you will be able to see other players. Not even 24 hours later this was already proven false. Two players stood at the exact same spot and were NOT able to see each other. I will now try to get my money back from Gamestop. This is the biggest disappointment since I started my gaming career in 1992.    … Expand
  92. visionsdivided
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    Ok..... so just want to be clear for a second. the people who are giving this game a bad review OBVIOUSLY DO NOT know what the game actually is. THIS is a exploration game not whatever you want it to be by saying it is repetitive and boring...... then this game is not for you.... Sean Murray has said multiple times it is a exploration game not a star citizen type game as some people claimOk..... so just want to be clear for a second. the people who are giving this game a bad review OBVIOUSLY DO NOT know what the game actually is. THIS is a exploration game not whatever you want it to be by saying it is repetitive and boring...... then this game is not for you.... Sean Murray has said multiple times it is a exploration game not a star citizen type game as some people claim they expected in their review. this game is great and people who truly know what this game is will know that it is a great game and many of us can not wait for it on PC. and a ton of people are complaining about low fps (below 30 fps) it is the first day it actually has been released so chill... it will probably be fixed soon. so please don,t read all the of the bad reviews.... if you like exploring and space games you will like it. Sean Murray said it was an exploration game just remember that. thank you.… Expand
  93. gclark90
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    Gorgeous game. If you're the sort of person who ever looked up at the stars at night and felt a sense of wonder about the sheer size of the universe, and dreamed of exploring it and wondering what else is out there, this game will appeal to that part of you.
  94. Shaky2236
    Aug 9, 2016
    9
    I honestly love this game, so much time and effort has gone into making this and it really shows. Please do not be put off by the negative reviews on here, there is a lot of trolling from rival console users and members of **** Wait for the pc reviews or for actual game review websites. It truly is a marvel
  95. Piercey
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    I'm really enjoying it, the game is exactly what I expected it to be, and more. It's amazing that it was made by such a small team, huge effort. If you like exploration, and playing your own way, you'll enjoy this one.
  96. davidbikkn
    Aug 9, 2016
    5
    Juego de maravilla, puedes elegir varias formas de hacer tu propio camino hacia el centro del universo... La gente que pone negativos es por que no tiene el juego y se basan en gameplays, que todo el rato ven lo mismo... Patética gente que pone negativo y luego acaba comprando el juego.
  97. Slyfx369
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    Great space sim, endless variety and fun to explore. Started out as a trader and when I found I was doing the same thing over and over (what a trader does) I moved to some mild piracy (blatantly murdering NPCs for their cargo) and focued more on the exploration aspects (currently lost in a cave network.) Can't put it down, going to work with no sleep.
  98. AllexandreDea
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    The game is amazing! Every planet is a different challenge, every place a surprise! I was born in a radioative planet that I had to run for my life, everything in that planet was mean to kill me... after I got a different spaceship I went to other planet with a landscape similar with moon, but full of lakes and no animal life, the atmosphere was different, I was following a alien sinal forThe game is amazing! Every planet is a different challenge, every place a surprise! I was born in a radioative planet that I had to run for my life, everything in that planet was mean to kill me... after I got a different spaceship I went to other planet with a landscape similar with moon, but full of lakes and no animal life, the atmosphere was different, I was following a alien sinal for help and I dont know what happened that i forgot time... looking for old buildings, I didn't realize that the heavier atmosphere was consuming my energy faster than usual... If I had not left the planet I would be stuck there forever! It was amazing experience!

    Do not listen to very bad reviews ... people are lazy and never read enough to understand what this game is ! They are still crying for multiplayer and other things, but did not realize that if they are looking for more of the same thing that they have had no need to play NMS. This game is unique and will always be a different amazing adventure every day!    … Expand
  99. CommissarMonkey
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    I'm only 7 hours in so far, haven't even left my first solar system since I'm experimenting with collecting all of the Gek language. That said, I have found the experience very enjoyable so far. It remiinds me more of a survival game then an exploration style game. But thats not a bad thing in my opinion. It is for sure one of those games that I feel you will either love it, or hate it.I'm only 7 hours in so far, haven't even left my first solar system since I'm experimenting with collecting all of the Gek language. That said, I have found the experience very enjoyable so far. It remiinds me more of a survival game then an exploration style game. But thats not a bad thing in my opinion. It is for sure one of those games that I feel you will either love it, or hate it. There is not alot of middle ground here.… Expand
  100. tank_transportr
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    Solid exploration. A divise game. Not for all. Specially not for ones looking for space minecraft. Please borrow from someone if you are not aware of the gameplay.
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
2
#2 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 96 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 96
  2. Mixed: 54 out of 96
  3. Negative: 1 out of 96
  1. GameCritics
    May 8, 2020
    80
    While I’m sure developer Hello Games is still tweaking things and perhaps even creating more content for No Man’s Sky, the current state of affairs is a strong one. This galactic opus still offers an infinite amount of content for those who want to lose themselves among the stars, but now also contains a concrete throughline that will satisfy a wider array of players. It can be irritating at times, but it’s also full of stunning moments and the satisfaction of building a virtual life among the stars. Four years after launch, it’s finally a journey worth taking.
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  2. BaziCenter
    Feb 10, 2017
    60
    The world of No Man's Sky is insanely vast and beautiful, but there’s nothing to do in it! There’s no goal, no destination, no ending, nothing!
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  3. Easy Allies
    Dec 1, 2016
    60
    While No Man's Sky is engrossing for the first few hours, repetition starts to set in and the proceedings grow dull. The developers stated that they plan to add significant features such as base building which could dramatically change the game for the better. There's a promising foundation present, so it's possible to envision a more substantial game down the line. As it currently stands, though, our excitement to cross the universe faded sooner than we expected.
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