No Man's Sky's Hype Is Misleading

There's been a lot of buzz surrounding No Man's Sky. I understand completely. I mean, I recently did a preview of the game. It's scope and concept are mind boggling. We're in an age of gaming where it's possible to create a virtual universe that rivals the size of our own. That's a fantastic thing. However, I think that people should be tempering their enthusiasm, because No Man's Sky isn't going to be for everyone. It sounds amazing, and all indications are it will be. The initial screenshots are gorgeous, after all. But, people tend to be focusing on a few specific facts. You know, like that it would take around 5 billion years for a player to see every procedurally generated world. Or that there will be a unique lore that people have to find. But, it seems like there are some specific aspects that will turn off the general gaming population.

When people talk about No Man's Sky, it tends to get compared to games like Elite: Dangerous and Star Citizen. They're games that tend to focus on minutae. That isn't a bad thing, but the experience is best suited to certain kinds of people. People are hyped about the exploration, but don't realize that earning the money for the ships and fuel to see the virtual universe is going to involve quests where someone ferries goods, gain materials, or engages in interstellar dogfights. Another important point is that No Man's Sky is as much an experimental game as something like Flow, Flower, or Journey. It isn't going to be a 3D, prettier version of Starbound, where you take off into the stars, claim a planet, build your own base, and accumulate things to establish a settlement to show off your success. You don't get to take anything with you, aside from photographs. You may even find yourself spending a lot of time getting to a planet, only to discover the trip was wasted because it's a "dud." That lack of customization extends to your personal surroundings. If you want a better ship, you have to buy an entirely new one. Only a character's suit and weapon can be upgraded. People are going to have to deal with knowing that if they want something better, they have to put a lot of effort in and save up for an entirely new one. And you better like that new one you buy, because you only get one ship at a time.