I’ve been itching for No Man’s Sky since it was first announced. I didn’t care much about the fighting; I just wanted a chance to explore the universe. What could be better? Well, based on the reviews… A lot of things could be better. Here’re a handful of reviews that we’ve grabbed to give you a sense of the critical response to the game.
Gamespot: 7
No Man’s Sky is immediately a massive game with impressive seamless transitions from ground to space, and it will entertain your inner collector for a while. The more you get to know it, the more you recognize its faults, and it’s easy to fall so deep into the act of exploring and trading that your focus narrows to those aspects alone. If, however, you consider everything it has to offer and listen to what Atlas has to say, No Man’s Sky becomes more than a collection of slightly different worlds in a seemingly never-ending galaxy–it becomes an examination of the meaning of life in a way that’s more valuable than all the gold or starships in its virtual galaxy.
Metro: 6
In Short: A stunning technical achievement and a mesmerisingly addictive one, even after you realise how simplistic and repetitive it really is.
Pros: Enormous game world is a pleasure to explore even when you know all its tricks. Competent space and land combat. Excellent art design and soundtrack.
Cons: Highly repetitive main gameplay loop, that requires little skill and offers little danger. Poor use of intelligent aliens. Flawed visuals when on a planet. Infuriating inventory and lots of minor bugs.
DualShockers: 8.5
Ultimately, No Man’s Sky is a lovely and romantic science-fiction experience, which will remind veteran fans of the genre of classic books and artwork that made their childhood and younger years more colorful and exciting.
Yet, as the headline suggests, it’s not Everyone’s Sky. Those players who need a solid structure in their games will simply struggle to find a direction in No Man’s Sky, and will probably have a better time with games offering less freedom and scope, but more attention to the moment-to-moment gameplay.
On the other hand, if freedom, a relaxed pace, and a galaxy made of more stars that you’ll ever be able to visit make your heart beat, No Man’s Sky will grant you virtually infinite hours of adventure and joy, and fly with you where no man has gone before… Literally.
Polygon: 6
The magical tech behind No Man’s Sky has long been its selling point, so I guess the game’s nature as wide but shallow makes a lot of sense. Hello Games has built a set of tools that is amazing and unprecedented, something that could absolutely change the way huge games are made if placed in the right hands. But these powerful universe creation algorithms have been grafted onto a game that is, beyond its initial hours, so light on imagination. No Man’s Sky offers an incredible, impossible universe — but there’s little to do within it.
VideoGamer: 6
But, for that first ten hours or so, for that sliver of space-time where all of it is new, it’s quite brilliant. The design decisions you can point to as flaws are always at least understandable. It’s full of great ideas and great moments, regardless of how long it takes for you to get fed up of them. So while it’s difficult to give it a glowing recommendation, it’s impossible to hate. On balance, it succeeds – for just long enough to be worth going in.
Jimquisition: 5
After all the hype, all the promises, all the boasting of procedurally generated wonder and dynamic encounters, Hello Games’ “ambitious” spacefaring game is little more than just another crafting and survival experience, more about performing mundane, repetitive tasks than providing unique and exciting encounters.
Lazygamer: 6.5
No Man’s Sky is sadly one of the more disappointing games of the year, mixing small moments of grand wonder with inescapable hours of tedious, boring survival gameplay. If you’re willing to fight through that, there’s a game here for you. But it’s often not worth the effort.
What a shame. I suppose I’ll pick this one up in a bargain bin or wait for a sale – I still want to play it for myself, I still think it will be my zen game. I’m just not expecting it to blow my mind. Have you been playing it? Do you agree with the critics, or are you have a world (or several) of a good time playing it?
Last Updated: August 16, 2016
Commander Bob
August 16, 2016 at 14:34
I think the review scores are a fair representation. Some people like it and others don’t.
KingKappie
August 16, 2016 at 14:35
As Alessandro don’t like the game can I ask him to give it to me;)
Raptor Rants
August 16, 2016 at 14:45
very mixed scores.
This just makes me think this is a like it or don’t and isn’t a game that can be reviewed subjectively as it is meant to be about the personal experience and the reviews seem to indicate that
konfab
August 16, 2016 at 15:14
The developers said it on the box that it isn’t for everyone.
Derry Heron
August 16, 2016 at 16:00
You mean reviewed objectively – subjectively refers to an opinion as opposed to a collection of facts…
Played a few hours last night and enjoyed it. I know the novelty will wear off soon, but there are worse gaming experiences out there. My biggest gripe would be the AAA price for what is essentially an indie title…
Raptor Rants
August 16, 2016 at 16:04
damnit. Yes. Sorry. It’s been one of those days. I jumped on to quickly read the reviews and comment between meetings.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
August 16, 2016 at 14:46
too much….
https://media.giphy.com/media/4ilzrSLzWN464/giphy.gif
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 16, 2016 at 15:02
But is it a game for ants? 😀
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
August 16, 2016 at 15:04
Space ants!
Skyblue
August 16, 2016 at 22:34
A LOT of burn on this one though, second highest on PS4 list and totally undeserved. Sean Murrayneux (Copyright of the Emperor) is now trying to defend false free DLC claims. These guys…
HvR
August 16, 2016 at 14:48
Few people know a mobile version of No Man’s Sky have already been released
http://www.chicagonow.com/confessions-coffeeholic/files/2015/08/Grindr.jpg
Ektso Gedinkja
August 16, 2016 at 14:49
I love this game. I have spent about 50 hours in it and I can see myself spending hundreds more. As mentioned before, you either love it, or you don’t. And im ok with that. I love it. So I am good.
RinceThis
August 16, 2016 at 14:51
http://i.imgur.com/kxHhtQY.gif?1 Not sure how anyone can be surprised…
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 16, 2016 at 15:30
It’s procedural!
http://i.imgur.com/2s7xzEb.gif
Gavin Mannion
August 16, 2016 at 15:11
I’m disappointed in all the reviewers ignoring the previously hyped multiplayer side of the game… last I heard you renaming a planet doesn’t rename it for anyone else. So it’s a single player game then?
Raptor Rants
August 16, 2016 at 15:31
I read it does rename but that you can’t see other players?
Skyblue
August 16, 2016 at 22:40
LIES, LIES and more LIES. That doesn’t bother me as much as the fact that Murrayneux (*Copyright-Emperor) failed to answer SOOOOOOOO many questions before release and none of the journalists who conducted the interviews have nailed him down for a single interview since release even after accepting all his vague answers pre-release.
Ottokie
August 16, 2016 at 15:13
¯_(?)_/¯
It’s not a mainstream genre.
VampyreSquirrel
August 16, 2016 at 15:18
And you’re completely hooked
Ottokie
August 16, 2016 at 15:28
Indeed I am xD
Pieter Kruger
August 16, 2016 at 15:49
Then there’s Playstation Lifestyle with 90/100…….????????????
Kenn Gibson
August 16, 2016 at 15:56
I think its fantastic. Most games are grindfests in some or other way. I’ve been enjoying it a lot. The Atlas path does make the game a lot more interesting. I’ve sometimes run around planets looking for the fauna, surviving storms and sentinels. Maybe the RNG has been good to me, so far the planets have been varied and fun, each to his own though
Ghost In The Rift
August 16, 2016 at 17:59
Don’t know why but reminds me a lot of Mass Effects 1st game with planetary exploration( Done Way Beter Of course), anyhow i’m enjoying this, keeps my interest trough out all the grinding and repetitive gameplay, get allot of moments where i go “oh whats that aaaaaaand 3 hours gone, that’s the point of this game right?
Darren Peach
August 16, 2016 at 22:49
it becomes an examination of the meaning of life in a way that’s more valuable than all the gold or starships in its virtual galaxy……. Best comment I have read in a review this year.