No Man’s Sky: new Gamescom screens show off some environments

Hello Games has released a new selection of screenshots related to No Man’s Sky. It looks very promising!

[-Gespenst-]

It looks pretty, but what annoys me is that there's nothing interesting to find on any of these planets - nothing that adds a piece to a gradually unfolding narrative. Yeah there's lots to explore, but not really anything to find. Finding different species of flora and fauna is cool and all, but I feel like that should be a given rather than a central part of the game.

The idea of already knowing, when you land on a gigantic planet, that there's nothing really of note to be discovered, is pretty deflating. It'd be better if there were secrets hidden waiting to be found. There's nothing mysterious about the planets otherwise. They might have atmosphere and a thriving ecosystem, but that just seems kind of empty if there are no larger things to be discovered - no narrative or mystery to be pieced together.

To me, this game seems like Proteus but with more to do. Proteus is fine because it doesn't claim to be anything else than what it is, and it does what it does well. This game on the other hand is like Proteus with more gameplay, but it just doesn't go far enough - it needs SOME kind of narrative to piece together.

Also, have the Hello Games guys ever explained why there are no cities and civilizations on any of the planets? Do people just live in outer space now? But then, where are the remains of their settlements? And why don't they have any kind of home planet? Seems strange that there'd be no civilization on any of the quintillion plus planets in the game. I know it's only an indie game, and I know these extra things mean a LOT more work, but couldn't they just use their imagination, get creative? I don't know, this game could be so much more. Sometimes I just feel like its just a giant tech demo.

Also are there any interiors? Can you board and walk around the big flotillas in space? Or do you just live in your spaceship? Again, things that are conspicuously absent.

We also haven't seen ANY character models, have we? What if you DO encounter another player? Do they even have a model? And what does it look like? Why are there so few people in the world of this game, and why are they ALL space pilots (i.e. the players).

[3-4-5]

* How do you KNOW there is "nothing to find" on these planets ?

Have you played the game ? No you haven't.

You therefore only have what we call a THEORY, and a theory is a theory until it is proven with facts, then it becomes fact....THEN you know.

I learned this when I was like 6-7 years old.

No adult typing on this site has an excuse to jump to conclusions like that.

[-Gespenst-]

By things to "find" I don't mean upgrades for your spaceship and other tech-wank, I mean things that relate back to an overarching narrative or mystery. Hello Games have explicitly said the game has no narrative. So yes, I know there is nothing to "find" on these planets.

There's nothing exciting about landing on a planet and knowing the only thing really lying in wait is an upgrade for your ship, or some minerals to sell to buy upgrades for your ship. Maybe this would be good if the point of your ship was to journey to OTHER planets and find narrative related stuff on THEIR surfaces, but it's not. The point of upgrading your ship is to get to the centre of the universe, where Jaden Smith lives, and where presumably the credits will roll. That's not an incentive to get to the centre of the universe, that's a waste of time. As far as I'm concerned, that makes the dull upgrading the end in itself, not a means to an end, because reaching the centre of the universe and seeing the credits is barely a satisfactory end. All the upgrading should be a means to the end of progressing a narrative or piecing together a larger mystery, not an end in itself.

It is cool to land on a planet and just soak up the atmosphere around you, but it'd be cool if you knew that somewhere on or in the planet something bigger was lying in wait. Maybe it's in a cave in that mountain range in the distance, who knows?

[reallyNow]

Gespenst,

Real life has no narrative. Something without narrative has questions, mystery, miracles, and surprises. If you think that the developers have told you everything there is to this game, you are mistaken. The entire point of this is to discover. You cannot discover what has been laid out for you. If this isn't your cup of tea, I can understand that opinion just fine. There are PLENTY of movies and games out there that lay everything out in the trailers. This is not one of them.

[-Gespenst-]

@reallyNow: Ay? There are no questions in narratives? Why do you think people like to avoid spoilers??

Obviously narratives are pretty linear, but they're not without surprises. And of course, you can return to them years later and pick up on stuff you missed before.

Of course you can't find something if you've already found it, but there's no such thing as a narrative that gives everything away straight away.

Sure, there's no narrative end point to No Man's Sky, but you can be sure there'll be an enthusiasm end point when you've seen tree #12 for the hundredth time.

Finally, narrative can still leave space for the imagination. You don't have to jettison narrative altogether to make space for the imagination.

[3-4-5]

* The journey is half the fun. The mystery and discovery the other half.

[christian hour]

@gespenst

There is lore in this universe, lore to build our own narrative off of and speculate. Those are the best kinds of stories.

Also the closer you get to the centre, the more alien things become, and the more hi tech the gear you'll find, and also the more you'll unravel about the atlas, the sentinels, the ancient race that built them, who you are, WHAT you are, why you are and why getting to the centre of the galaxy is so important.

Or you can just ignore all that, and circle the outer rims for eternity.

There is a lot to do in this game, and none of it is the "main" thing to do, there is no strict "narrative", you aren't the "one guy who can stop those bad guys, lets go save the thing!", but there is history to the universe you're in, history to be explored and uncovered, and out of that will grow stories and legends and theories and analysis and a whole community of experiences and stories to share.

All of this has been discussed by Hello Games several times in the past. As have many of your qualms. They're choosing to give us tidbits of info on it through interviews, but they dont want to show any of it because they want us to see it and discover it first hand ourselves (bar the odd stargate or ominous black behemoth towering on the skyline)

[Rookie_Monster]

Calm down guys,

THat Is what modding is for. I suspect we will see PC gamers create and redecorating different planets and let us explore and interact with them.

[Zeroxgi]

Oh shut up you sound like a little bitch

[nveenio]

3-4-5, I've disagreed with you specifically because you've perpetuated a misuse of the word "theory," and that grinds my gears.

On topic, I do agree with you and -Gespenst- pretty equally. Hello Games has really told us nothing about the game's story or mysteries, and so I hope in my deepest of hopes that there is something meaty there. Unfortunately, because we haven't even accidentally seen anything related to more than exploration (which the game is admittedly focused on), I have to hope deeper than my deepest of hopes will allow that the story is intriguing enough to make what could otherwise be a boring mechanic into a fascinating one.

I think the biggest problem is that this game got tons of attention way too early.

[lemondish]

Actually, in scientific parlance, a theory is a framework that explains facts.

Like the fact of gravity is explained by the theory (or framework) of gravity.

[Immorals]

They could always have a trophy to find all 100 collectibles, spread across the vast universe randomly if that makes you happy?

[Kryptonite42O]

Lol in a universe sized universe, with planet size plants, this would be the most difficult trophy ever. The first Diamond Trophy? lol jk

[Christopher]

It seems you're looking for this game to be something it's not. It's not a game about exploring planets with humanoid civilizations but about exploring for resources to help in your journey to the center of the galaxy. Really, it's just a personal journey with the chance to be in a world affected by other players and possibly even meet them as you get closer to the center of the universe.

I don't care for the direction of the game, but I see no need for it to change from something it's not intended to be.

tl;dr - this game likely just isn't for you.

[reallyNow]

I doubt the devs even know what will happen in the game, its almost 100% procedurally generated. As it goes on, I just hope the devs keep adding variables.

[Christopher]

I do know that the devs said the end goal was to reach the center of the universe. My assumption is that whatever is there is not procedurally generated and is something... special?

[-Gespenst-]

The credits.

The journey is definitely the point of the game, not the destination.

[christian hour]

@christopher

the end game for most players will be to reach the centre, for other players they may never go there, and theres plenty of reason to keep on playing after you've gotten there.

It isn't the goal of them game, nor is it the "end goal", its just A goal.

A goal that the "hardcore" gamer will probably aim for, and then probably never pick it up again.

But for the type of people this game is really made for, those bedroom sci fi book nerds who grew up on stories that filled their imagination with incredible worlds and made them realise how tiny and insignificant they are in the grand scheme of things, there is no end goal, the only goal is to experience one of their wildest dreams come true in a digital environment where nothing is set in stone and nothing is certain, where everyone will discover fresh new worlds and have a 100% unique experience (outside of core mechanics like walking, flying, shooting etc :P)

[xixdubyxix]

Sean Murray has said there will be history and other pieces of narrative about the universe the user can find. There are also ruins you can discover. I'm not sure how deep the narrative goes, but that is something for you to look forward to.

[-Gespenst-]

Okay cool, this is the kind of thing I'm talking about. I mean for all my complaining I was probably going to get the game anyway, but this is encouraging.

I don't suppose you could link to me to where this was said?

[xixdubyxix]

@-Gespenst-

There you go:
http://www.theguardian.com/...

[-Gespenst-]

That was a great read, thanks for the link.

I thought I was reading an interview with myself when he got onto the points about taking the easter egg elements of games and stretching them into their own game. These parts of games that there are no signposts to - they're just out there and no attention is called to them, you've just got to explore and piece it all together yourself. Even the stuff about people making giant wikis for this stuff - I think I'm on the exact same page as this guy.

From the jetpack conspiracy in GTA V to the Last Big Secret in Shadow of the Colossus - I want games in which the concept of the "easter egg" is central. No guidance from the game, just player exploration and observation - piecing together the lore of the game. No Man's Sky isn't exactly how I imagined a game like this to be, but I suppose it's one form it could take. Bit more excited for it now.

[christian hour]

They've already discussed there will be ruins on planets to explore, which will give you a glimpse at the lore, among other things. They said you won't know what you are until you run across another player. Some things they're saving for us to experience ourselve first hand.

They've also said some planets will have a heavy density odf buildings and civilisations, there are factions within the game, and you can piss them off or please them in a number of ways, but this will not be signified by a gui message of "X now hates you", you'll just know yourself if you've raided some factions trade ships enough they'll have it in for you.

" no narrative or mystery to be pieced together. "

Have you been following the game? There are already people hard at work piecing parts of the puzzle together from glimpses in trailers, reddit AMA's and interviews with the dev. There is a lot of lore to discover in this game, or as is the nature of the game, you can just ignore it all and do your own thing.

There are interiors. space station interiors, trading post interiors, planet interiors (As in massive cave systems underground and in mountains, or you can just dig down through thep lanet till you find something)

Even if it was just fauna and animals etc, thats still incredible, i find that more interesting than a bunch of static architecture. I honestly don't see how having buildings makes it not "empty". How does a thriving planet with an ecosystem generated on the fly with stuff nobodys ever seen before sound empty?

There will be no NPC models at trading posts etc fyi. But there are space pirates, various factions that represent different philosophies and beliefs, and you can help any of them you want, see pirates attacking a trade ship? You can defend, or you can join the pirates for a nice pay day, and then whichever faction you get on good terms with, you'll get wing men to help you fight and stuff. Of course taking down a trade ship is extremely difficult, and will get the space cops after you.

This is a game with a lot of thigns set up in place to allow you to use your imagination to play the game how you want and be who you want, it has its own living economy too so you could just play as a trader, buying low and selling high at different depots, never once setting foot on a planet.

There's a lot of possibility in this game, and they plan to add more to it over the years that currently exists in a broken state or is still in the "hey i just thoguht of something" stages.

Pretty much everything you complainted about, is present in the game, they've discussed some of it in minor detail, they're just not going to show us everythign cos why would we want to know everything about a game before we play it? Especially a game thats core theme is exploration and discovery.

I'm guessing you've only watched the big event trailers and none of the engine showcases, interviews, features etc that are littered about the internet on various sites hence why you werent aware of any of this.

[isarai]

People love to bitch without doing any research, and i'm not going to inform you on your many failures in your post, look it up yourself.

[Double_O_Revan]

I hope you can take screenshots at any point and share. Would awesome to see locations around the galaxy I'll probably never get to see first hand.

[christian hour]

If only there was some sort of, magic SHARE button... XD

Haha sorry, couldnt resist, I totally get what you meant though, GUI-less screenshots :) The GUI does seem pretty minimal and I imagine you can have it set to fade when its not being used for some pretty screenshots.

[thorstein]

My first planet will be uploaded to youtube with the title: No Man's Sky: My First Planet.

I think others should do the same, but that is my opinion.

[iceman06]

At least you don't plan to re-name the planet after genitalia!!! That's a start! LOL

[Kryptonite42O]

I plan to rename my first planet after uranus... lol

[maniacmayhem]

Really excited about this game, I'm hoping for a holiday release.

[lemoncake]

After the last demo it looks like it could make It for this holiday.

[MasterCornholio]

We might find that out at PGS.

;)

[timmyp53]

How big is PGS? Any chance David Cage makes an appearance?

[christian hour]

Why the disagree for timmy? It's been very quiet from quantic dreams since e3 2013, and they are a french based studio, I would say it's very likely we might see David Cage at paris, i'd say they'll be promoting the heavy rain/beyond ps4 port, and maybe show off whatever game that sorceror tech demo was for (their tech demos never relate to the actual game they'll be making)

[christian hour]

Sean "makes me proud to be irish, like so damn much!" Murray said recently they were all set to announce a release date at e3 but sony wanted them to hold off, that they had something in mind they wanted to do themselves for it. To me that translates at "possibly paris, maybe a sony event, most likely soon."

[wraith4912]

Release date or GTFO

[Meltic]

looks fking ready in my Eyes. Stop with the sony bullshit and just release the game

[Artemidorus]

When is this game coming? It's the wrong side of 2015 and no signs of a realase date.