As if the original rise of No Man’s Sky, from widely bemoaned disappointment to cherished success story, wasn’t enough, developer Hello Games recently revamped its best-in-class space sandbox game with the launch of major overhaul Worlds Part One. Seemingly still not satisfied, the team now announces its next update, No Man’s Sky Aquarius, which delivers another essential upgrade inspired by a piece of fan art, and grants us a feature that’s sorely lacking from rivals such as Starfield – fishing.
There are plenty of reasons why someone might consider No Man’s Sky to rank among the best space games on PC, from its vast, procedurally generated universe to the sheer depth of its gathering, crafting, and building mechanics, as you construct your very own interstellar empire. For me, however, it’s the sense of meditative peace you get during the moments between the action. What better way to capitalize on that, then, than a spot of fishing? That’s precisely what the No Man’s Sky Aquarius update brings to the table, and it all came from one fan image.
“Something folks really loved in the Worlds update was the new water technology. Tons of players were posting videos of themselves just chilling at the water’s edge,” Hello Games founder Sean Murray explains. “One piece of fan art in particular stopped us in our tracks, of a player lazily fishing from the wing of their boat. That inspired our next update, Aquarius, where we finally add fishing to No Man’s Sky.”
You’ll now be able to find spots to post up all over the universe, from idyllic fishing holes to deep-water oceans. Along with fishing rods, there’s also the ability to craft and set up fishing pots to snag other rare catches. Of course, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got the right bait for the job – and, if you’re a completionist, a fish compendium means you’ll be kept busy with this new feature for a long while to come.
If you want to head out to open water, you can set up your own personal fishing platform. Or perhaps you prefer to get a little more up-close and personal, in which case the new diving suit promises to be a very handy addition. Plenty of new recipes and combinations have been introduced for you to discover, and a special fishing expedition lets you compete with other players on a quest to land the biggest catch of the day. “My favorite thing is to build a little base on the perfect shoreline,” Murray says, “so I can cast my rod whenever the mood takes me.”
No Man’s Sky Aquarius is out now. You can grab the base game at a 60% discount right now via Steam (through Monday September 16) or GOG (through Tuesday September 10). You can also play it via the Xbox App, where it’s available as part of the PC Game Pass library for subscribers.
If exploration flows through your veins, the best open-world games are packed with wondrous places to discover. For those who value true creative freedom, meanwhile, we’ve also rounded up the best sandbox games to play in 2024.
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