No Man’s sky is a much deeper game right now. so many new features that enhance exploration and gameplay.
for starters, I know procedural missions weren’t supposed to be a thing of the game at first but adding all these new ways to play is really cool, you can still have a nomadic Journey or have a much more interaction/objectives based gameplay.
Taking a mission to deliver a package for example actually gives more sense and depth to the universe, making it feel more alive like there’s little stories going on, NPCs feel more real like they belong in the universe, and arent just props (I cant imagine when/if they will start actually walking around).
(Also gonna say this, when Sean said he didnt want you to go kill 5 chickens and have that sort of gameplay, that was also when Npc’s werent actually part of the game, or atleast not to the extent they are now.)
the new economy also adds more depth and personality to systems. it helps flesh out the lore of the races… along with the new dialogs and interactions.
Actually being able to hail and bargain with pirates is huge for me!
The new forth race and its story is a great way to make the player feel more like a character, and less of a meaningless flying-multitool interloper thingy.
I feel like im playing the NMS space exploration game with layers of space sim/ rpg now… I’m having a blast and can’t wait to see more!
All of this is without mentioning all the quality of life improvements, the enhanced combat, amazing new worlds, visuals and multiplayer that fits so well with the journey type online elenent Sean was talking about way back…
As for future iterations,
The main things I hope Hello games are considering are:
-A Creatures overhaul
-moving/battling freighters
-wingmen (hire mercenar or asking for companioms from allies? )
-asteroids overhaul (LOD/landings)
-more building types and more modular placements
-systems with no dominant lifeforms, no stations (tweak or add certain ways to accomodate this so that the player wouldnt be stuck)
-planets with no sentinels at all
-barren planets/moons with no cloud texture from space (small but impactful)
-New cloud visuals
-roaming sentinel walkers
-moving npc’s
-Giant props/animals
-potential rotating/orbiting space bodies… (although that might never become a reality, since the worlds are voxel and postional information would be quite tricky.)
-moving liquids (also less feasible due to voxel)
-space points of interests (derelict freighters, lost probes/parts/beacons/cargo.)
Hello games keep showing us that they listen and deliver amazing work, I really think NMS will surpass the initial scope (if it hasnt already) and excitment it incited in so many people, and we will look back and be proud to have supported the team and having been part of the development (and origin story!) of this amazing universe.
Cheers
definetly the right steps!