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Arguably the most awaited game of summer ’16, No Man's Sky finally landed on our PCs and consoles this week. With its immense, unique worlds it brings to the table a new perspective to open-world games, game design… and to life itself.

The game's most likely feature to catch one’s attention is its immensity. This game is not merely open world but open universe. Boasting over 18 quintillion (1.8×10^19) life-sized planets teeming with their own fauna and flora, you can explore each and every one to your liking. Your only limiting factor is the range of the hyperspace jump engines of your current spacecraft and how much fuel the craft presently carries. No Man's Sky is so immense that Hello Games estimated that more than 99.9% of the planets would never be explored by players, The developers managed this feat by procedurally generating almost all elements of the game, allowing mathematical formula to create an exponential set of unique features rather than having the rather small developer team designing them individually. Following in the tracks of Minecraft, the game offers a paradigm shift regarding the possibilities in open-world games.

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However it wasn’t all roses for them. From the game’s secretive development debut, initial tension among the Hello Games team, losing most of their equipments in a flood, delaying the release date, death threats and day-one updates, they've had a lot to deal with. One might also wonder about the point in making a game so immense if all you'll experience is less than 1% of the whole game. But hey, it’s an indie game that offers an AAA experience. We have to appreciate that at the very least!

Moreover, their fundamentally different approach to game design challenges the conventional ways. “The physics of every other game—it’s faked,” the chief architect Sean Murray explained to The Atlantic. Their game on the other hand offers something else. Every star that you see in the sky is an actual place that you can go to and explore. And your exploration is even credited for being the first to discover a planet and other types of information. Within 24 hours of the game's official launch, Hello Games reported that more than 10 million distinct species were registered by players, exceeding the estimated 8.7 million species believed to exist on Earth. “It’s our universe, so we get to be Gods in a sense,” said Murray in the same article.

Speaking about Gods, over on YouTube Mike Rugnetta asks a simple yet pressing question: "If we are able to simulate universes of massive, life-like complexity within our universe, should we wonder or worry if our own is simulated?” No Man’s Sky might not emulate life as we know it but how far are we from creating such an emulation ourselves, how far are we from being our own Gods? Even prominent figures are leaning towards a simulated “reality”. Elon Musk recently fuelled this thought by stating that “the odds that we're in base reality is one in billions”. When confronted to the question, Sean Murray's answered that "even if it is a simulation, it’s a good simulation, so we shouldn’t question it.”

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So what do you all make of it? Should future open-world games be procedurally generated to allow for more randomness and exploration in games? How big is too big? And lastly, what does that signify about our own existence? Are we in a simulation or will we create one? Nevertheless, cogito ergo sum... right?

GBAtemp No Man's Sky Review

 

[marksteele]

For anyone complaining about file size, I'd like to combat with Undertale.

Totally different genera of game. P1ngpong wasn't saying that all small games are bad he was saying that for a game of this type (and promising what it does), it sets off alarm bells that it's too small.

As for my thoughts on the game. It should have been $20-$30. Rather than doing that they boosted up the price another $40 to do some hyped up marketing.

 

[Steena]

Procedural generation is nothing new - and it's just a pity they couldn't use the same algorithms to procedurally generate interesting/involving gameplay.

Nor for their metacritic reviewspamming bots.

 

[p1ngpong]

For anyone complaining about file size, I'd like to combat with Undertale.

Apples and oranges of two completely different games with completely different scopes. One of which is 6 hours long and not even 3D, the other a fully 3D game with a supposed immeasurable infinite amount of planets to explore, creatures, alien races, languages, ships, spacestations etc.

"Hey guys why are you complaining about the size of the game, starfox was only 600kb, elite on the bbc micro was only 56k!"

Yeah nice comparison right there mate well done, thanks for posting.

 

[ElyosOfTheAbyss]

The game is 2.6 GB compressed in sony's PSARC but if you decompress it it's 6.9 GB or something like that.

 

[Pluupy]

This game is the definition of quantity over quality. When most of the gameplay is produced from RNG you just know you're in for a shallow, souless experience. As Dunkey expressed in his opinion piece, after the 30th planet (if you can get that far) the game is just the same thing over and over. Overall, it seems like a tech demo.

The game is 2.6 GB compressed in sony's PSARC but if you decompress it it's 6.9 GB or something like that.

The installation file is literally 2.6gb on PC.

 

[ElyosOfTheAbyss]

This game is the definition of quantity over quality. When most of the gameplay is produced from RNG you just know you're in for a shallow, souless experience. As Dunkey expressed in his opinion piece, after the 30th planet (if you can get that far) the game is just the same thing over and over. Overall, it seems like a tech demo.


The installation file is literally 2.6gb on PC.

Yeah I know but people are complaining about the size when I don't think they think about the PSARC compression.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

I put about 6 hours into the game on PC yesterday, and overall I liked it. I only really have a couple issues, the flight controls for kb/m are pretty much ass and the combat kinda blows, especially in space with kb/m controls (I haven't tried controllers or anything, so I imagine it's much better there). Other than that, I haven't really experienced any of the complaints on PC most people have. No crashes at all, my FPS stay at a constant 60, the game has only stuttered twice for me when entering a couple planets with a ton of flora and that's it.

I, personally, like the "boring, repetitive" gameplay of it, but that's just me. I like space, I like exploration, so space exploration like this fits me well. I get why some people might get all butthurt over the game and all, it's definitely not for everyone when you get right down to it, but that's what you get when you believe the hype for any game I suppose. This is why I ignore most of the promotional material for just about any game I'm interested it.

EDIT: That said, I also don't think the game is worth $60 either, it's probably a $30 game at best, so there's that too I suppose.

Yeah I know but people are complaining about the size when I don't think they think about the PSARC compression.

After the install on PC, the game is still 2.58GB, which is his point (I think). I just checked my own install, after 6 hours of play time, hasn't increased at all.


But honestly, people using "file size" as a complaint are being children The game was never made out to be a graphical master piece, so of course it's not going to have too many "Super Mega HD™" textures to install, and everything is randomly generated so of course they don't need any large files to model out the universe. We've known from pretty much day one that everything was going to be this way.

 

[Naridar]

Right now, the game's in sort of Early Access. They will keep extending it, and hopefully it'll be something like Minecraft, Ark or Subnautica - in SPAAAAAACEEEEE with a vast universe more easily explorable than any of those above. Hopefully a modding scene will take off too and will be like Minecraft's.

 

[Bubsy Bobcat]

Isn't this game essentially Minecraft in space HD?

 

[Du'Islingr]

Basically this game was over hyped because people are fucking stupid. No where was it ever advertised from the developers that it would ever meet the expectations. People just took their words and twisted them as always with stupid fucking hype trains that should just die out as far as I am concerned because it kills way too many games. I am glad I never really follow the news so I didn't see all the hype for the game. When it launched, I downloaded it and started playing it despite the shit reviews because I form my own opinions.

With that said I played for a couple hours and its pretty much minecraft without mods( in terms of gameplay). If you like minecraft without mods then this game probably will appeal to you if you are also into space exploration and stuff like that. It is repetitive and all but its still pretty neat. Whoever ditches games solely based on reviews and file size should really go rethink their life. It is one thing if games have shit reviews for bugs and shit, which I did not encounter. Though that could be because I bought it after the patch that was mentioned in some reviews. Anyways if a game functions and what not, you should be trying the game to form your own opinion. Just listening to a bunch of reviews from people who obviously followed that damn hype train doesn't really do you any favors.

tl;dr Don't judge games based on file size and reviews alone. Play it for yourself and form your own opinions. Don't follow hype for any game ever.

I will also note that in general this game probably isn't worth 60 dollars to most people. That said you should at least grab it and give it a try when its on sale. I would say about $30 is a good price for the game as it currently is. I do not know if they plan to add content eventually

 

[natkoden]

Bought it on steam, saw it was 2.6GB, saw the reviews and refunded it immediately.

I know size isn't everything when it comes to gaming (and other things har har), but a file size that low is just fucking insulting. There is no way you can fit so many promises of a game so supposedly vast in such a small package. It is impossible. And it supposedly runs like crap too. I will just put this game on my shelf with rise of the robots and watchdogs and never bother playing it ever.

Did you miss the part where everyone overwhelmingly said the game is shit? I can give you a calculator if you want.

LOLWUT

You didn't even try the game. Just read a couple of user's opinions, decided it's shit and refunded it?

How do you know?

And that thing about the size of the game... Jesus. How lame.

 

[kumikochan]

every world looks the same, every creature looks the same on every planet, each plantlife encountered looks the same. That algorithm must be one hell of a formula.

 

[Depravo]

It's just another indie game from the makers of 'Joe Danger'. The price tag is punching well above it's weight.

 

[TheDarkGreninja]

It just set alarm bells ringing for me that there is no way the game can match its expectations. Im not a AAA snob that demands every game be a 60GB download, I can have just as much fun with a 200meg indie game as I can with any other. But in this particular case it is impossible for a 3GB game to provide the experience we expected to get. And I really don't give a shit what anyone argues about this deep down they know Im right.

this game is procedurally generated meaning all it needs is a few base textures and files. just look at minecraft. Also, hello games did confirm that they would make updates so its a possibility that this could be a very good game in the end. Minecraft is filled with different biomes etc all in a 256mb package yet you get these massive pretty diverse worlds with no mans sky times that by 100

 

[Vishnoo]

Really the game is interesting if it has good graphics.Really open world or universe games need more graphics and textures to enjoy it.I think it has much graphics.I think i can't enjoy it on my NVIDIA Geforce 210.

Size does not matters in gaming.

 

[p1ngpong]

LOLWUT

You didn't even try the game. Just read a couple of user's opinions, decided it's shit and refunded it?

How do you know?

And that thing about the size of the game... Jesus. How lame.

I am playing the game, its actually the first game I have pirated in an age and pretty much my fears are being confirmed the more I dig into it. To quote kumikochan

every world looks the same, every creature looks the same on every planet, each plantlife encountered looks the same. That algorithm must be one hell of a formula.

This is my experience and everyone elses who is honest and not a blind fanboy who is operating under massive confirmation bias. A game like this needs massive variety and surprises to deliver on its promises, and again I will say its impossible to deliver this in such a small package. You all can blabber on about procedural generation and algorithms and compare this game to nes roms and minecraft until you are blue in the face, I am already encountering repetition all over the place five hours in.

this game is procedurally generated meaning all it needs is a few base textures and files. just look at minecraft. Also, hello games did confirm that they would make updates so its a possibility that this could be a very good game in the end. Minecraft is filled with different biomes etc all in a 256mb package yet you get these massive pretty diverse worlds with no mans sky times that by 100

Apples and oranges once again, minecraft is one world with a bunch of super low rez textures creating it. It isn't a galaxy sized game with supposedly billions of planets to explore. And the game does not just consist of textures and base files but sounds, music, models, items and God knows whatever else. In fact if I heard any of these kind of assets on their own amounted to the size of the current game I would be shocked.

But yeah Im just being stupid and an elitist. Just look at *insert game that is nothing like no mans sky in any way* and procedural generation and mathematics. Patches are coming at some point because the devs said so, so you are not allowed to criticize the game in its current form because of their future promises. So stop hating and giving an opinion p1ng, you must love this consumer product unconditionally.

 

[raulpica]

LOL after what p1ng wrote I'm not even going to waste time downloading it.

Back to Skyrim!

 

[Deleted User]

Big size= high specs requirements, good graphic or medium graphic but lot of content. This game takes 2.7 gb and in terms of graphics it has last gen graphic. The game not looks even close to the wither 3, final Fantasy xv or even gta v. How the fu** im getting 5 fps at the lowest settings in this game?? I don't have best laptop but at least i can run the wither 3 and gta v at playable speed in minimum performance so why not this game. I tell you why because they want me to buy ps4. Because they did it on purpose so we have to buy gaming pc or ps4. Of course people will buy ps4 cuz it's much cheaper so this game is sony plan. Why pay more money and make it exclusive if they can release it on steam and make sure people will still buy only the ps4 version. Well dear sony after i brought from you the extra bass mdr-xb90ex earphones that all i can hear from them is the bass and nothing else i will never buy your products again. Btw i don't care about this game i just like to do drama from everything.

 

[TheDarkGreninja]

I am playing the game, its actually the first game I have pirated in an age and pretty much my fears are being confirmed the more I dig into it. To quote kumikochan



This is my experience and everyone elses who is honest and not a blind fanboy who is operating under massive confirmation bias. A game like this needs massive variety and surprises to deliver on its promises, and again I will say its impossible to deliver this in such a small package. You all can blabber on about procedural generation and algorithms and compare this game to nes roms and minecraft until you are blue in the face, I am already encountering repetition all over the place five hours in.



Apples and oranges once again, minecraft is one world with a bunch of super low rez textures creating it. It isn't a galaxy sized game with supposedly billions of planets to explore. And the game does not just consist of textures and base files but sounds, music, models, items and God knows whatever else. In fact if I heard any of these kind of assets on their own amounted to the size of the current game I would be shocked.

But yeah Im just being stupid and an elitist. Just look at *insert game that is nothing like no mans sky in any way* and procedural generation and mathematics. Patches are coming at some point because the devs said so, so you are not allowed to criticize the game in its current form because of their future promises. So stop hating and giving an opinion p1ng, you must love this consumer product unconditionally.

i'm not saying that, im just saying it could be better in the future. also it doesnt matter how high res the textures are, its just the same textures being mapped to the ground, for example the texture designs can also be randomised from base assets to save space. this could change the size from 60gb to 6 since the game wouldnt need thousands of texture files just 20 or so and randomise from the selection of 20 mixing and matching. music isnt even that large, fitting at around 35mb a piece. once again all these models are just randomised pieces. thats why you can find different species of animals that are only found on the planet. this all in all saves so much space its crazy you even think that 2gb couldnt provide an experience like this. sound would also be around 10mb per sound and thats being generous based on the variety of sounds. im no fanboy of anything except zelda.

 

[HaloEffect17]

Yeah nice comparison right there mate well done, thanks for posting.

Resorting to sarcastic insults is not cool, man. I certainly hope you're better than that. At least phrase your opinion like @marksteele did.