The wait is almost over. No Man's Sky launches next week. PlayStation 4 owners can launch their spaceships into the cosmos on Tuesday, and PC players just need to wait an additional three days for the bay doors to open on Friday. No Man's Sky is one of the most anticipated titles I've seen in my 20-plus-year tenure at Game Informer. And it's a different kind of hype than we normally see tied to big sequels like Grand Theft Auto and Fallout. This hype holds an air of mystery, and the promise of exploring the unknown.

In a Twitter poll I recently conduced, the majority of people that responded said reviews and launch-day impressions don't matter; they are buying the game on day one to discover what it is on their own. I recently wrote an editorial that detailed the virtues tied to venturing into games blind. It can be a powerful experience, especially if the game deviates from what you thought it might be. If you are one of the people who has gone on radio silence with No Man's Sky and are counting down the days until its launch, by all means leave this column now and tread carefully on the Internet. One copy of the game leaked last weekend, and the lucky person who got his hands on it posted spoilers all over the place. Like you, I don't want to know any more, and I'm doing everything I can to avoid hearing more about it. I just want to jump into my ship to see what this universe holds, and if it has the hooks to keep me engaged.

For those of you who need a little bit more information about No Man's Sky, I've rounded up a primer that describes the basic premise and gameplay concepts. Yes, this list could spoil the element of discovery to a degree, but keep in mind that no two people's journeys are supposed to be the same. We're all starting at different points in the universe, and the odds of anyone stumbling upon other players or even planets discovered by them are astronomically low. Picture yourself as Charles Darwin on a one-man expedition to discover life, make sense of it, and learn what lies at the center of the universe. That's the experience I'm led to believe No Man's Sky delivers. Here's what you can expect from this game next week:

A Procedurally Generated Universe

No Man Sky's universe is listed as "infinite" in the marketing materials, but developer Hello Games says the universe is in fact finite, consisting of 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 planets. That's eighteen quintillion, four hundred forty-six quadrillion, seven hundred forty-four trillion, seventy-three billion, seven hundred nine million, five hundred fifty-one thousand, six hundred and sixteen planets. If you aim to be a completionist who visits each one for just one second, you can accomplish this feat in 585 billion years. You traverse this sprawling universe using a one-person spacecraft equipped with hyperlight travel. If you enter a galaxy, you can reach all destinations quickly, and that's where the real fun begins.

You Can Visit Everything

Whether you're looking at a dim star in space or a mountain on a planet's surface, you can visit it. Everything in the game can be traversed and interacted with. All of this content is procedurally generated at the moment you arrive. If a planet is closer to the sun, it will likely be barren of life (but could still provide resources you need). If the planet is further away, it will be colder and will likely contain different resources.



No Story to Follow

You aren't looking for a relative that was abducted by aliens, and I suspect the odds of running into a procedurally generated Darth Vader are low. Hello Games isn't offering a defined narrative, and instead hopes people latch onto their own journey as the story. The only thing you know is you are trying to reach the center of the universe. What awaits you there? That hook alone is enough to make me want to keep playing.



Your Ship Matters

Your ship is your lifeline in the universe, and you need to take care of it. Deep space exploration requires hyper-drive fuel, which can be mined on planets or purchased from other intelligent life you come across. You can also upgrade your ship to extend the jump drive range, or enhance its speed, maneuverability, and weapon systems.

You Are Not Alone

Other intelligent life are littered through the universe. Some are bound to planets, while others explore the stars with you and may be hostile. As you discover new things about civilizations you will grow to learn the language of the species that built it, and will have the means to interact with them. You can also barter with them using a universal currency called "Units." Some species just want to make war, which is a good reason to keep upgrading your ship's weapons. Although No Man's Sky can be played offline, it is recommended that players play it online for that rare chance of running into someone else.

The Atlas

All findings in the universe are stored on The Atlas (pictured above). Think of it like a legitimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Hello Games says the Atlas is perhaps the most important thing in the universe. Could this be a device people interact with to discover what else is out there?

Surviving the Unknown

No Man's Sky is a survival game that places a heavy emphasis on scouring the environment for resources. Hello Games created its own periodic table filled with elements that must be excavated to help your character survive. Some elements are rare, while others hold mysterious properties. Figuring out what can help you is part of the adventure. If you venture onto a cold planet, resources can help you build better protective gear. No Man's Sky is about the long game and thoroughly exploring worlds to increase your chances of survival.

If You Die

If you aren't prepared for a planet's toxic surface or run into a particularly nasty beast, you can die quickly. If you perish on a planet, your character respawns at his or her ship, with the only penalty being the loss of items that weren't stored and discoveries that weren't catalogued. Death in space brings you to the nearest space station, but it sounds like you won't have your ship or any items. We'll have to wait to see what this means.

The Multitool

You wield a tool that doubles as a weapon and resource-collecting device. Like most things in No Man's Sky, the multitool can be upgraded and changed. Hello Games' Sean Murray has said it's similar to the tricorder from Star Trek.

Catalogue Your Findings

If you are the first person to uncover new life in the universe, you can name it. That name is permanent, and if another person stumbles upon it years from now, will see the name you gave it. The odds of most creatures having phallic names are probably higher than anything in this game.

That wraps up this edition of Science-Fiction Weekly. I'll be back next week with exciting details on a new game, and a journal of my adventure through No Man's Sky (complete with video of my findings). I'll leave you with a comic book recommendation: Run out and pick up Dark Horse's Predator vs Judge Dredd vs Aliens. Yes, it sounds terrible, but I enjoyed the hell out of the first issue. All hell is about to break loose between the three forces!