"No Man's Sky" review: Space pirates, dromedary butterflies and a planet called Gorgonzola
12.8.2016
Translation: machine translated
It's probably the most hyped game in years: "No Man's Sky". Now the epic space adventure with its 18,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 explorable planets has finally been released. I'll tell you a little anecdote to explain whether the hype is justified and what you do all day long.
A sea of stars sparkles in the sky. Thanks to the hyperdrive I recently put together, I could reach any of them in just a few minutes. But today I'm in the mood for more immediate adventures. So I park my neat spaceship next to a small crater after a scan of the landscape has drawn my attention to an as yet undiscovered location. Once I've landed, I fire up the scanner again to view the available resources and other points of interest in the immediate vicinity.
Like most planets, Gorgonzola - as I christened the shimmering bluish lump in a moment of spiritual enlightenment - is littered with Heridium, Thamium, Solarium or whatever the hell all the different resources are called. Equipped with my brand new laser mining tool/alien destroyer, I turn the colourful glowing crystals into kindling. I projector my overstuffed inventory onto my ship without Scotty's help. As my little runabout doesn't have the biggest cargo hold, it's probably time to look around for a new flying saucer. But first I want to find out what's behind the green question mark on my radar. I analyse an approaching something that looks like an overweight dromedary with butterfly wings with my all-purpose scanner as I pass by and christen it Maximilian.
Flying rubbish bins and comprehension problems
I elegantly negotiate the rock that lies between me and potential treasure with my jet engine. On the other side, I discover an abandoned research station. I guess I'm not the first Gorgonzolese after all. I take my frustration out on a locked steel door by lobbing plasma grenades at it. The Sentinels - small flying robots that pose as space police - are not happy about this. Gorgonzolese don't allow themselves to be told which doors they can and can't open, so I continue my target practice on the buzzing rubbish bins. As soon as it's quiet again, I enter the building and find a terminal as well as construction plans to improve my spacesuit. Unfortunately, I had a window seat at the school in Vy'keen - that's the name of the aliens who have installed themselves here. I can only make out the word "Alarm" on the display. However, that doesn't help me much and I promptly select the wrong one from three options and the terminal denies me any further access. I hit the device with my laser to express my customer satisfaction and make my escape.
Sparring with space pirates
Back at my spaceship, I use half of the resources I've collected to fill the tank and recharge the systems of my exo-suit. I use the rest to make my way to the next space station, which is doing its rounds in orbit in front of Gorgonzola. I fire up the impulse drive and the flight takes less than a minute. Although time really is my last private pension provision, because just as the imposing space station comes into view, my scanner warns me of attacking space pirates. Arrrr, that's all I need. Luckily I've installed a couple of new on-board cannons. It's the perfect time to test out these expensive things - after all, they're not just for decoration. Pewpewpew, the pirates hit just as well as Don Kanaille's troop from "Captain Baloo". With no iron vulture to watch their backs, I quickly turn their flying companions into space junk. If only Greenpeace knew that
.
Now baby, would you like to see my new speedster?
Enough distraction. The rest of the route is just a few suicidal meteorites getting in my way. They meet the same fate as the pirates and I even get some titanium. When I finally arrive, I'm greeted by a yawningly empty hangar. Is everyone on holiday or what? At least the caretaker is at home. He has a television as his head. But I'm not here for entertainment, so I scoff at all the unnecessary bits and bobs I've picked up on Gorgonzola. With plenty of cash in my pockets, I march back to my car park, where an imposing spaceship has joined my tin of sardines. A research ship with all kinds of bells and whistles and a stock clearance twice the size. The owner, who also belongs to the TV head nation, is prepared to part with it for two million units. I swear at him inwardly as a cut-throat, wish him a bad reception for life and grudgingly hand him the money. Have fun finding a taxi here.
Egal, the purchase was worth it. So much free space for new resources and the new spaceship scent on top. I look down at Gorgonzola one last time before firing up the hyperdrive and travelling to the next solar system. Closer and closer to the centre of the universe, where the final surprise awaits.
Conclusion: Worth the journey
Despite all the hype, you have to realise that this game can't be compared to Mass Effect or Destiny in terms of actual scope (I'm not counting the planets here). This is because "No Man's Sky" remains an indie title that has been stylised as a supposed AAA game by Sony's aggressive marketing campaign. However, the Japanese company has merely taken on the distribution and advertising. The game was developed by Hello Games, a team of just 20 guys and girls. What they have achieved with "No Man's Sky" is undoubtedly impressive.
But the game is not without its downsides. (Haha, like a planet, you know?). The game activities are basically limited to exploring, collecting and crafting. The map system is chaotic and when you fire up the scanner, you are overwhelmed by coloured markers. It also gives the impression that although there are 18 trillion planets, they are basically very similar. What's more, every planet is already populated by animals and sentinels and you always come across the same installations. I thought I was the Christopher Columbus of space? I'm also regularly struck by a feeling of boredom - and yet "No Man's Sky" has an attraction for me like the tractor beam of the Death Star. The endless expanses, the curious creatures, the harmonious soundtrack and the feeling of constantly being able to discover something new make "No Man's Sky" a fascinating game that you want to lose yourself in.
No Man's Sky is available for PC and PS4. I tested the PS4 version, which was provided to me by Sony.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
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