In terms of exploration games, one of the better offerings is No Man’s Sky. It lets players move throughout the galaxy, coming in contact with bizarre landscapes and alien life.
If you like procedurally generated open worlds, then No Man’s Sky has a lot to offer. It has now been out on consoles and PC for two years. In that time, it has only gotten better.
Hello Games has consistently put out updates that give returning players new environments to explore and resources to use. They’re fresh off of introducing a new one called the Desolation Update. Judging by the update’s patch notes, it’s taking this exploration-survival game in a completely different direction.
Ever since it first released, No Man’s Sky has had a pretty cheerful feel to it. You feel excitement going from planet to planet, not really knowing what you’ll discover thanks to the procedurally generated design. Well the Desolation Update shakes things up in that it has a darker vibe to it.
For starters, players will have the chance to move through abandoned and seemingly haunted freighters. They definitely give No Man’s Sky a substantial horror vibe compared to what has been previously featured by the developer.
If you didn’t look hard enough, you might think that this is another Alien game. The atmosphere is pretty spot on and should give players an eerie sensation as they wander about in the darkness looking for hostile alien threats that now call these freighters home.
What’s even more interesting is the freighters also have a procedurally generated design, each equipped with their own particular dangers. For example, sometimes the lights may flicker off and leave players in complete darkness — making it impossible to see what’s ahead.
Or the security AI may go off the rails and consider you as a hostile threat. You never really know what you’ll come across inside these abandoned structures and that’s a brilliant design choice from Hello Games. They have done a good job at listening to the community and tweaking various aspects to make this game more engaging and unique.
The Desolation Update also enhances lighting and inventory systems for capital ships. If you’re interested in seeing the full list of updates, you can head on over to the game’s official page.
The update makes No Man’s Sky a completely different experience that’s perfect if you’re looking for a more suspenseful feel. Just make sure you’re adequately prepared before it’s too late.