Sony’s interplanetary adventure is just about ready to take flight, with billions of planets just ripe for exploring – and here are five things we can’t wait to do in No Man’s Sky!
Make Your Own Journey In No Man’s Sky
The first thing you need to realize about No Man’s Sky is that there’s not a pre-set story mode. Sure, there are things that you can find on the billions of planets throughout the game, but you don’t have to worry about going to certain areas in order to accomplish your exploration tasks.
That means the shackles are off when it comes to flying around the universe and finding new planets. So go nuts. Check out planetary surfaces and see new alien life. Shoot a few structures and watch them crumble to the ground.
Exploration pays off in a game like No Man’s Sky, as you could very well be the first to scan a species of creature on a planet, naming it for yourself. In addition, you’ll also get due credit within the game whenever anyone else runs across that creature. So, go on, make it what you want. All hail the mighty Baba Ganoush!
Explore the Atlas and Check Out Other People’s Discoveries In No Man’s Sky
This game isn’t just about finding your own way in the universe – it’s about checking out what other players find within it as well. You can keep track of this by taking a look at The Atlas, which works as the database of all the things that are discovered in the game, by you and other players.
It’s an incredible guide that breaks down the hundreds of thousands of alien creatures and planets that are found within the game – and you just might find something that piques your curiosity, adding a new layer of discovery to your No Man’s Sky adventure. You may even find something new while you’re hunting down this item, like ancient artifacts and crashed ships that will provide you new technologies – and that means upgrades. Speaking of which…
Stock Up On Your Upgrades In No Man’s Sky
There are plenty of cool items that you can find throughout the game, ones that can help enhance your on-foot capabilities, as well as the performance of your ship. You’ll have to do a little digging throughout No Man’s Sky to find these little oddities, but once you do, you’ll build yourself up to becoming a true space explorer.
In addition, you’ll gain access to the jetpack, which will allow you to reach places you wouldn’t be able to find just walking along the ground. You can also modify it for better performance, enabling you to reach new heights – and get a better “lay of the land” in No Man’s Sky. Nothing beats looking at beautiful planetscapes as far as the eye can see.
When you do upgrades, though, make sure you set up your suit to handle toxic surfaces. Not every planet surface is ideal for human habitation, which means you’ll need a stronger oxygen toleration to get through some of the tougher surfaces. Fortunately, this upgrade can be easily acquired, and you can continue well on your way. Make sure to get some fuel for your ship as well – it doesn’t run on hot air.
How do you get the funds for upgrades, you ask? You can mine through various resources, collecting crystals and digging into harder surfaces to really get a pay-off. It can take a little time, but the cool little upgrades in No Man’s Sky are certainly worth it. You can also trade up for items as well, if you don’t feel like crafting them yourself.
Hunt Down a Few Sentinels In No Man’s Sky
This game isn’t just about peacefully checking out every planet surface – you also have enemies that you’ll have to deal with throughout No Man’s Sky. These include the Sentinels, which randomly show up on some planets, scavenging for resources. You’ll run across them and have to use your laser blaster to fend them off, while keeping your health from dwindling away to nothing.
If you’d like, you can get enough trouble on planet surfaces to raise a wanted level for your character (just like Grand Theft Auto!), so that Sentinels will come after you. In addition to fighting them on the planet, you can also take them on in space – but just remember that the more you attack them, the more of them you’ll attract, and the more trouble you’re likely to be in.
Conflict is a secondary option in No Man’s Sky – if you leave the Sentinels alone, they’ll leave you alone. Really, though, what’s the fun in that?!
Find Your Friends In No Man’s Sky
Finally, the universe in this game is a vast one, so chances are you might not find your friends on the first fly-by – they could be exploring another part of it. However, there’s more than enough reason here to try and track them down in No Man’s Sky, if only because the two of you can goof off in space together. You can find others as well, and maybe even take a trip down to the planet surface and see what you can find as a group.
Again, it’ll take some time – maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try and coordinate for a certain planet before you hop in the game – but it’s definitely rewarding for those that need a group to tag along with. After all, no one should have to travel through space alone, right?
No Man’s Sky releases on PlayStation 4 on June 21st. Learn more about it by seeing the five ways that No Man’s Sky is a game-changer;as well as a detailed first look at No Man’s Sky.
