Play it on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, Windows (Steam Deck: OK)
Buy it from: Amazon | Best Buy | Humble Bundle
Current goal: Vibe. Blissfully, galactically vibe.
I’ve been playing a ton of No Man’s Sky since the new update arrived a short while ago, and it’s managed to finally stick with me. Though I appreciated and didn’t mind the state the game shipped in in 2016, a busy life kept me from sinking any meaningfully sustained time into this near-endless virtual galaxy. And then with all the updates, it just seemed impossible to know when to jump in for any meaningful amount of time.
Read More: No Man’s Sky Is Getting A Complete Universal Refresh In One Of Its Biggest Updates Ever
But both as a consequence of the recent improvements by way of Worlds Part I and the massive backlog of material I have to discover after so many free updates, No Man’s Sky is a massive, make-your-own-fun kind of sandbox that I just can’t resist. So this weekend will likely see me continue my efforts to keep building up my base and exploring the planets in the system I’m presently sticking to until it feels appropriate to move on.
I have to stress though how much I love the core foundation of No Man’s Sky: simply traveling and scouting, seamlessly flying from world to world, taking in new horizons, finding all sorts of emergent opportunities. It’s wonderful. The scale of this world also just makes me feel so small (especially in VR) and instills that joyous sense of wonder that I get from watching vintage Cosmos while, um, well. Under the influence of. Uh. stuff. And though I do wish the graphics were a touch more photorealistic, I’ve learned to love NMS’ cartoony, overly colorful look, especially on a vibrant screen where the very red grass of the planet I’ve been covering every inch of just pops with life.
Does the game still feel a little hollow in some ways? Sure. Could it have More To Do™, sure. (Past Expeditions, actually, should still be available to play). But ya’ll, just vibing in digital spaces is a valid way to enjoy one’s time. I don’t need to be chewing through content all the goddamn time. I like that NMS exists as a refuge for that. — Claire Jackson
And that wraps up our picks for this weekend. Happy gaming!