2016 has just rolled in, and gamers can be certain that a slew of exciting games will be ushered in this year. One of the most anticipated games of 2016 is none other than No Man's Sky.
Hello Games has truly outdone itself by creating an infinite amount of solar systems to explore. The developers announced in October that the game is due for a June 2016 release, so before that, here's everything interested gamers will want to know.
The Universe
With billions and billions – 18 quintillion, to be precise – of unique planets to explore in an endless universe, No Man's Sky is arguably the best game to represent what the open world genre really means.
In an interview with Game Informer, Hello Games managing director Sean Murray said that the galaxy has no edge. That means players will be able to plunge deeply into the darkness with no end in sight. Of course, it wouldn't be realistic without black holes scattered around, so that's something they should look out for.
To illustrate just how big the universe is, Murray says that it will take billions of years for a player to explore each planet. On top of that, even when players go at it efficiently and spend only one second on each planet, the task will still take some time between 4,000 and 5,000 years.
The world is filled with unique creatures, including dinosaurs and whatnot, but players can't ride on prehistoric reptiles. Nevertheless, the spaceships are pretty awesome, so players can surely find one they like. Players can customize their speed and firepower, but will only be able to own one ship at a time.
Apparently, there will be no NPCs in the game, and every person that a player runs into is another player. Considering the magnitude of the universe and the vast space that everyone can explore, No Man's Sky could be something that redefines the "massive multiplayer" in MMORPG, where friends can delve into the galaxy together. Competitive play is also on the horizon if the players want it, according to Murray.
The planets and the environment aren't randomly generated either. If that's the case, how could such an enormous universe fit into a disc? Well, Murray explained that the data is not exactly stored in the game or in a cloud per se. The surroundings materialize on the fly around the players.
One last thing: In the interview, Game Informer's Jeff Cork asked about having a space station in the game. Murray replied that there will be no such thing, but said under his breath that it was a "good idea." More or less, there's a pretty slim chance for that component to be part of the game.
The Game
It's hard not to get excited over No Man's Sky, seeing as the game offers near limitless possibilities. To reinforce that statement, even Stephen Colbert was amazed at it, not to mention that Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida seemed to be pretty excited about taking it on a test run too.
On top of those points, No Man's Sky was also awarded as the title of Most Anticipated Game of 2016.
THANK YOU for voting NMS your Most Anticipated Game of 2016 at #TheGameAwards - sorry we couldn't be there (‾⌣‾)♉ pic.twitter.com/HGaV2r9PxA
— Sean Murray (@NoMansSky) December 4, 2015
Portal
In early December, Hello Games also showcased a trailer called "Portal."
"Portal is just one story that you can find yourself writing as you play No Man's Sky. It also reveals five ways you'll travel the galaxy: walking across the surface of planets, flying in their atmospheres, jetting into space, warping between systems and finding mysterious portals, which take you ... somewhere ..." Hello Games says.
Also, the company was excited to inform everyone that the music of 65daysofstatic was used for the trailers' soundtrack. The band is also working on an album for the game.
All in all, it seems like a tall order to fill, but Hello Games is more than determined to deliver. Just thinking about the possibilities that the game has to offer can give quite a headache.
Nevertheless, with all the developments so far, it's easy to get hyped up over the exciting title. However, it's probably better not to go overboard with expectations, as it could lead to a heaping pile of incurred disappointment.
No Man's Sky is going to land on the PC and PS4 sometime in June 2016. With no hints of any shortage of trailers, we can assume that we'll get an even closer look before the game officially rolls out.
Hit up the latest gameplay trailer below to see how No Man's Sky is shaping up.
