No Man's Sky Review (2016's most misunderstood masterpiece)

No Man's Sky (PS4, PC) (Rated Teen)

Few games will divide gamers as much as No Man’s Sky already has; this no doubt shows that gaming is a very subjective field of entertainment. Though I have a feeling most of us know this already, though it would seem most media outlets would have you believe that a game is either good or bad. This is rarely the case; while games can have both good and bad traits, it comes down to what “you” enjoy in “your” games. With that in mind; No Man’s Sky is an ambitious idea for a game from the outset, yet it seems so deeply rooted in both the simplicity of older game design, and it has an undeniable retro art vibe that brings the 80’s instantly to mind. The story is light; you're a space explorer crash landed on an alien planet, your task is to repair your ship and set off to reach the center of the galaxy.

While there is no real storytelling to speak of; No Man’s Sky has some incredible world-building on display. No matter where you go, you will find something to read or inspect that furthers your knowledge of this incredibly atmospheric world. Some have said the world is lifeless and devoid of much to do; in fact there is a claim that once you have played for ten hours you have seen all the game has to offer, this is not true in the way many claim. First and foremost we need to break down what No Man’s Sky actually is so there is no confusion. No Man’s Sky is a survival game with some light RPG elements; no this is not MineCraft in space, though it is easy to understand why some label it as such. You will spend the majority of your time mining for various resources to either sell or power your equipment; which is actually far more fun than you may assume, there is something just so damn satisfying about deconstructing an object with your mining laser for resources. It is a good thing it is so much fun to mine because that is the main gameplay mechanic. You can, however, engage in combat with your multi-tool that functions as your mining laser and combat rifle; I was surprised how well combat functions, but it is not the main attraction.

Enemies can take quite a few rounds to take down, but on the flipside, it is easy to dodge most incoming damage, I found myself circle strafing more than I have in any other recent shooter. I was quite worried that combat would either be cumbersome or just plain dull. Luckily it gets the job done; it is worth noting that combat does not happen all too often, and this gives the game a good sense of pacing. Most of the time you will be attacked by flying robotic guards once you have mined too much in one area, guards may approach and attack you; you can fight or flee, either is a viable solution. Which leads me to the game’s best asset, player choice. You will start off on a random planet and once you set off with your repaired spaceship, you are free to decide where to land and explore. While you have a set path to the center of the galaxy, you will be making many stops along the way. In space you will be attacked sporadically by space pirates, space dogfights are epic based on the game’s scale alone. The mere fact that I can take off and then be attacked above a planet, I just explored or defend a space station from an ongoing pirate attack was exhilarating. The thrill of taking off from a planet’s surface, jetting into space only to be attacked by pirates is something I have only dreamt of experiencing in a game. I have been chased into asteroid fields where I found the advantage taking cover behind an asteroid only to blast through the center and fire upon the pirates. It was simply mind blowing the first time, and has yet to get old after forty hours of play. Aerial combat is intense and the most challenging aspect of gameplay. If you are shot down you will have to seek resources to repair your ship; this is meant to happen, and is more fun than frustrating thanks to the game’s great sense of immersion.

Being shot down is part of the experience, having to scavenge for resources to power your suit is part of the experience; some could find these tasks mundane, chances are if it does not sound or look fun, you're probably going to have a bad time. Do not mistake a bad game for one that is simply not your kind of experience. Now to answer the question I raised earlier, after ten hours have you seen and done it all? Well... yes you will have experienced all the gameplay mechanics in the first four hours; from that point on there will be no new mechanics introduced. There is a near infinite amount of planets to explore, and all of the over quintillion planets are generated randomly by the computer; the same goes for all alien lifeforms on those planets. While the technology is not advanced enough to create planets that are totally unique, no two planets will have the same life forms or vegetation. They are made using the same parts, but there are so many parts that the variations are nearly limitless. Planets are also brimming with life; the creatures that populate each planet can either be cute, strange, charming, deadly or a combination of all the above.

Beyond mining, flying and fighting; you will be scanning lifeforms and plants with your visor which can be upgraded to have a zoom function. Once you have scanned these objects, you can name them and get paid for your discoveries, this is the meat of the game beyond mining. While it may not seem like a load of fun; I was really surprised at just how much I enjoyed scanning everything in sight. Some people will be bored to tears playing this game, that is going to be a fact. This game is not for everyone, if the mere thrill of shooting into space and traveling through a vast and seamless universe does not make you hard, well then this game will probably not do much for you. The sense of discovery for the first four or so hours, will be among some of the most incredible experiences you will have in gaming.

There is such a sense of having never played or seen anything like this, that I find it hard to believe most gamers won't be tempted to at least give No Man’s Sky a try. Much has been made about this game’s so-called misleading advertising. I am not sure what most people thought this game would be, although I can see why most gamers would have assumed that this game offered near infinite content. If you thought that, you will feel disappointed. Yes there are a limited number of parts used to make each planet, and you will see some similar looking things; still, I have yet to see any planet that looked like another I have visited. There are no quests to undertake and you will be doing the same actions over and over again. But that can be said about pretty much every game out there. Seriously, if a game offers ten hours of some of the most mind-blowing and original gameplay you have experienced, is that not good enough? That depends on the gamer, if you love those first ten hours, hell if you love the first two hours you will most likely love the game period. But if it really is not the kind of gameplay experience you are looking for, it won't grow on you and while the opening hours may offer some excitement, it will quickly snowball into mind-numbing tedium. But for those who enjoy the game, there is plenty to keep you playing for months to come. You will gain upgrades by exploring the galaxy, you can buy new multitools, spaceships and upgrade them as well. You will gain a great sense of ownership over your character the more you play, and it will keep you invested. The developers will also add new gameplay features as time progresses.

I have no idea why people think a game should appeal to everyone, why is that the mark of a great game all of a sudden? People seem to have forgotten that a game can be good and only interest a niche audience, mass appeal is not a sign of a good game, in fact mass appeal more often leads to a mediocre gaming experience for everyone. No Man’s Sky is an exceptionally well-made game, it is ambitious in it’s scale and in the fact that nothing like this has ever been attempted. The art style is also incredibly refreshing, while most games go for dark browns and greys to instill a sense of hopelessness, No Man’s Sky uses bright colors and a Pink Floyd esque soundtrack to fill you with a sense of hopeful wonder, something all the great Sci-Fi of yesteryear tried to create. It is a great example of a game that you will either love or hate; for some this will be the perfect kind of cerebral gaming experience for others, it will be pure monotony. it is unfortunate that it was elevated to such an insane status prior to launch, that it became the next must-play experience; too many people just hopped on the bandwagon blind. I believe that this is a must play and an undeniable masterpiece, it is as well made as a game can be it is extremely well paced and superbly balanced. As a gamer I have been craving a new and original kind of gameplay experience, No Man’s Sky delivers just that. There is a very bad idea that you're helping others by trashing a game, like you are helping the community somehow, and that is simply untrue. All that does is kill originality, no one will take chances if every risky idea is bashed to death out the gate. Which is a shame as this is the kind of game that gamers have been begging for; No Man’s Sky is unlike any other gaming experience out there, it is original, fresh, exhilarating and that alone should be enough.