Folks, it’s a damn good time to play no man’s sky right now.
I’m a No Man’s Sky player. This is what the game was made for. The cosmic journey sim receives massive new updates almost every week. I often find myself re-booting it, creating a new save every time to check for new updates and to remind myself of how base-building and exploration work. No Man’s Sky My “Expeditions” make me realize that I’m not the only one.
These limited-time missions were introduced last year and aren’t just a good excuse to create new save files. Each event takes you to a different planet with distinct objectives. These activities often overlap with what you do in No Man’s Sky (scanning for aliens, mining minerals, building factories etc.). Every Expedition begins on a specific planet. Hello, Games can create unique obstacles that change the game’s loop.
My first ever Expedition, the one I tried during our holiday break, was on a planet with very little Ferrite. This is usually the most widespread building material in the game. This made it necessary for me to explore caves and build a Galactic Trade Terminal to purchase Rusted metal to make Ferrite. I don’t usually have to worry about money when I’m spelunking in No Man’s Sky. This is even more true when you start a run so early. These were the only routes I took to avoid the toxic rock where the Expedition took place.
It was amazing to feel completely lost again. This was not only in menus but also in the overall structure of the galaxies. This was the best experience I had in the game for years. Now, I crave more Expeditions and am almost disinterested in the predictable cycle of building, mining, and flying that I have unlocked. You’ll see that every Expedition turns into a normal save once you finish. This gives me a little extra time to get ahead of the pack.
The most famous Expedition was the (sadly no more available) one that gave the Normandy SR-2 Mass Effect to be a frigate in your in-game fleet. It was not only missed once but twice. Since late last year, Hello Games has been rotating the previous Expeditions back into this game for two weeks each. Today marks the beginning of the last “revisited” questline: The “Emergence” Expedition. This is your last chance to experience the best content in the game. At least, until the studio releases more Expeditions. This time, the reward isn’t a fancy crossover. However, every Expedition comes with exclusive prizes that unlock all save files.
What do you think this time? You can ride along with a huge, fucked-off sandworm. You get a few other goodies.
These prizes and access to time-limited missions that make it look like you are purging cosmic tentacles summoned from a worm culture are the most compelling reason to play No Man’s Sky now. There is a never-ending stream of quality-of-life improvements and newer content. I still have a lot of ideas for the game to flesh out. These personalized survival experiences are enough to make me want to stay long enough to see future updates.
These fleeting events are only… fleeting. FOMO is not something I like. It’s one reason I have fallen off Destiny2. Although it is mostly cosmetic, I still regret missing Normandy twice. It was impossible because of my work schedule. I don’t know if it will ever happen again, but that’s because of no fault of mine. This one is exceptional due to its crossover status and a huge publisher’s IP. Hello, Games will find a comfortable medium to cycle past Expeditions once they have a larger team. The indie studio often releases major updates as surprise announcements.
While I’m waiting, I have a big bug to finish saddling. It’s the best time I’ve had with No Man’s Sky in nearly four years.
