It was August 9th, 2016. I walked into my local EB Games with little to no anticipation for No Man’s Sky I was picking it up purely because it was the new PlayStation exclusive. Once I got home I found myself playing for hours and obsessing over the game for the upcoming months. I got a sense of constant progression, always discovering something new and unique to my game and character. The game was vague and obtuse, but never frustrating or boring, I found a sense of calm and relaxation when I played. Sadly, I dropped off to play other games only to return the vast universe every few weeks or so.

Then “The Foundation” update was announced and I found myself down the rabbit hole once again. I spent entire class periods dedicated to finding out everything I could about the new update, including rumors and speculation. Then the fateful day arrived! November 27th, 2016, I was back in the game full force. I was farming for hours and hours each day, trying to save enough in-game cash for the new Freighters; which I sadly still haven’t acquired. I spent a few days building my new home base as well.

Farming and gathering materials became a daily routine for me. I was so obsessed with No Man’s Sky, that even with the release of Final Fantasy XV, I spent six hours with No Man’s Sky and only three on Final Fantasy. I was absolutely in love with this game, telling anybody who would listen. Unfortunately my new found love only lasted so long until I fell out once again to play other things. At the end of the year, it would have been my game of the year if not for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.

I left the world of No Man’s Sky for months! Until March 8th 2017, when new visual upgrades and updates to base building released, as well as new vehicles. It was safe to say I was fully back, until I wasn’t. The Path Finder update was a half step for me and in one of the best years for games, with the likes of Super Mario Odyssey, Persona 5, Horizon Zero Dawn, the Nintendo Switch and The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild; my time was spent elsewhere, with only the occasional four or five hour visit back to one of my favorite games.

So that brings me to July 24th, 2018 and the release of No Man’s Sky Next! I was pumped to be back and on day one I played around seven hours of the new update, which was essentially a relaunch of the game. It had a vastly upgraded visual style that looks more in line with the original promise of the game. Materials have been changed and now you have to process them and create them yourself using other materials found around the universe. They added the ability to own multiple bases, a third-person viewpoint and a character customizer! I was So excited to be able to play as the Gek, I can’t even begin to tell you.

These are just some of the major updates to the game, we also have proper multiplayer which I have yet to try due to the fact I prefer the isolation and relaxation that the single-player gives me. As a hardcore fan of No Man’s Sky and a player since day one, I can’t be happier with how many improvements we have received, and how Hello Games were so dedicated to improving pretty much every aspect to the game. For that the team has my full respect and admiration.

With these improvements and with the Beyond update bringing untold secrets, improvements and VR support. I can finally see myself getting to the center of the universe. I have adored No Man’s Sky since the beginning and will love it for all time. This game deserves a spot on my short list of favorite games

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