Tom's Verdict
💜 Tom Recommends
I've spent hundreds, maybe thousands of hours playing No Man's Sky on Xbox over the years. I've completed the main missions, taken part in expeditions, built some rather impressive bases, assembled fleets of ships and explored more planets than I could possibly remember. I've discovered countless strange creatures and plants, travelled across galaxies and generally had an absolutely wonderful time losing myself in this enormous universe.
But that was years ago...
Now I've decided to start all over again on PC, and goodness me, what a strange experience it's been! You would think that after spending so much time with a game, I'd remember how to play it. Well, apparently not! I've forgotten most of the controls, many of the crafting recipes, how various systems work and all sorts of other little things that used to be second nature to me. I'm genuinely finding myself playing almost like somebody who's never touched No Man's Sky before.
And unlike something such as Minecraft, where breaking a block is still breaking a block regardless of which device I'm playing on, No Man's Sky has an enormous number of different mechanics to remember. From managing your inventory and upgrading technology to navigating ships, crafting equipment and simply remembering which button does what, there's quite a lot to get your head around. Especially when you've been away for several years!
🌌 And Then There's Everything That's Changed!
One of the things I'm particularly excited about is discovering just how much Hello Games has added since I last played. I remember when space stations all looked rather similar, and now there are completely different designs and even new activities involving them that weren't part of my previous adventures. There are so many additions and improvements that I'm frequently finding myself wondering when something was introduced or how on earth it's supposed to work.
In many ways, it genuinely feels like returning to an entirely different game, while still having all those familiar things that made me fall in love with No Man's Sky in the first place.
And that's something I think Hello Games deserves considerable credit for. Rather than allowing the game to stand still, they've continued expanding and improving the experience over the years, giving returning players like me an enormous amount of new content to discover.
🪐 Finding My Feet Again
What I love most about No Man's Sky is the freedom it gives me to enjoy the adventure at my own pace. Some days I might want to explore a new planet, discover unusual creatures or gather resources for a building project. Other days I might spend hours improving a base, upgrading a ship or simply wandering around admiring the scenery.
There's no need to rush, no requirement to compete with anybody and no shortage of things to keep me entertained. Of course, the occasional hostile creature, hazardous planet or angry Sentinel can put a rather sudden end to a peaceful afternoon, but that's all part of the experience!
And yes, I've already managed to make some spectacularly silly mistakes since returning. Getting lost, forgetting how things work and even managing to lose track of my own freshly built base. Apparently, thousands of hours of previous experience don't count for much when your memory has decided to take an extended holiday!
💜 A Universe I'm Delighted To Return To
For me, No Man's Sky remains one of those very special games that I can happily lose myself in for hours, days or even weeks. It's an extraordinary combination of exploration, survival, building and crafting, with enough variety and freedom to make each adventure feel like my own.
It's not necessarily a cosy game in the traditional sense, especially when the Sentinels decide you've broken one of their rules, but much of the experience can be wonderfully relaxing. And that's exactly what I look for in games that I want to return to time and time again.
I'm thoroughly enjoying being back among the stars, rediscovering forgotten mechanics, experiencing all the new additions and gradually remembering how to be a reasonably competent interstellar explorer.
Although I suspect the reasonably competent part might take a little longer than expected!
For me, No Man's Sky comfortably earns a 💜 Tom Recommends. It's a game I've loved for years, and returning to it has reminded me exactly why.
Game Screenshots
Watch My Gameplay
Prefer to see No Man's Sky in action? Watch my gameplay video to see how the game plays before reading my full verdict.
Why I Liked This Game
- ✅ 🌌 An enormous, almost limitless universe filled with planets, creatures and discoveries waiting to be explored.
- ✅ 🚀 Wonderful freedom to play at your own pace, whether exploring, building, crafting, trading or following the story.
- ✅ 🏗️ Fantastic base-building possibilities, with plenty of scope for creativity and personal projects.
- ✅ 🪐 Every new planet offers the possibility of something unexpected, from beautiful landscapes to wonderfully strange alien lifeforms.
- ✅ 💜 Years of substantial updates and improvements have transformed and expanded an already impressive experience.
- ✅ 🎮 Equally enjoyable as a peaceful solo adventure or a shared multiplayer experience.
- ✅ ✨ A game that's remarkably easy to lose yourself in for hours, with always something else tempting you to keep exploring.
What I Didn't Like In This Game
- ❌ 🧭 The sheer number of mechanics, menus and controls can be overwhelming, particularly for new or returning players.
- ❌ 🎒 Inventory management can become rather fiddly, especially when you're juggling lots of different resources and equipment.
- ❌ ⛏️ Some resource gathering and crafting tasks can feel repetitive, particularly during the early stages of an adventure.
- ❌ 🛸 While much of the game can be wonderfully relaxing, hostile environments and aggressive Sentinels can occasionally interrupt your peaceful exploration rather abruptly.
