No Man’s Sky, the popular action-adventure survival game, has launched a major update named ‘Worlds Part II’, introducing an array of new features.
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This update includes billions of new stars, trillions of new planets, gas giants, new terrain types, a lighting overhaul, inventory sorting, new solar systems, deep oceans, new biomes, weather hazards, starship archiving, an abandoned mode, deep sea creatures, dynamic water, improved cooking mechanics, an evolving story, and a Titan Expedition.
New Creatures, New Planets, New Quests, & More
Perhaps the biggest change introduced by the Worlds Part 2 update is also one of the most anticipated: the addition of a new type of planet, the imposing, deadly gas giant. Gas giants are strictly designed for endgame players; they pose enormous risks even to the most experienced players, with damaging and unpredictable storms cutting a path across their landscapes. Each gas giant is ten times bigger than anything seen in No Man’s Sky before; these will require some serious time and preparation to explore.
In addition, the existing terrain and lighting systems in No Man’s Sky have been overhauled. Oceans can now be “several kilometers” deep, according to Hello Games’ co-founder Sean Murray, and mountains tower above the surrounding landscape. Water is also more reactive: it makes waves when ships skim the surface, ripples when it rains, and teems with visible life. It’s all rendered with the game’s new immersive lighting system; No Man’s Sky has never looked better.
Players will also find a brand-new quest in Worlds Part 2, along with a new expedition. The expedition is designed to take players through some of the update’s new planets, likely exploring some of its new features along the way. The quest is much bigger in scope, tying together loose plot threads from previous updates, and probably providing some big revelations about the overarching story of No Man’s Sky.
The update adds billions of new solar systems containing trillions of new planets, all rife with fresh discoveries and just waiting for players to explore. Players will also find new creatures throughout, including in the deepest parts of the ocean. Murray highlights the uniqueness of these deep-sea life forms, saying, “I think we’ve gone probably weirder than ever before.“
If you’ve spent some time away from No Man’s Sky, since either its rocky launch or The Cursed update back in October, there’s never been a better time to pick it back up. It looks, sounds, and feels better than ever before, with hundreds (if not thousands) of hours of engaging, wide-ranging content owing to nine years of consistent updates.
Murray also provides a cryptic update on the development of Light No Fire, Hello Games’ upcoming title (release date TBD). He appears to confirm that No Man’s Sky and Light No Fire use the same engine, saying, “The team is extremely busy on Light No Fire. Each time we push our engine to new places, though, we have this urge to share it with the community, with No Man’s Sky.“
The gaming community has responded positively, with fans and streamers expressing enthusiasm for the extensive enhancements to the game’s universe. The update is now available on multiple platforms including Xbox, Steam, and PlayStation, marking a significant expansion and improvement since the game’s initial release.
No Man’s Sky is an action-adventure survival game developed by Hello Games and initially released in 2016 for PC and PlayStation 4.