If you thought Hello Games might be slowing down as No Man’s Sky approaches its ninth birthday this year, think again. The studio is already back with another update for its ever-evolving exploratory space sim, and this one’s an absolute whopper – expanding its virtual universe with “billions of new stars and planets”, including fearsome gas giants.
Officially, today’s release continues the work started in last year’s Worlds Part 1 update (its name, Worlds Part 2, kind of gives the game away), introducing a fresh batch of features and system overhauls contributing to an expansive universe refresh. That starts with Hello Games’ new terrain generation system – borne from its work on the upcoming Light No Fire) – promising “more detailed” and “far more varied” landscapes. Players can expect huge mountains and dramatic vistas, with a range of new biomes bringing their own distinctive features.
Oceans, too, have had a substantial overhaul intended to make them more realistic. Large bodies of water can now be several kilometres deep, for instance, and benefit from improved lighting and new visual effects, with Hello Games highlighting its new caustics and light shafts, alongside oceans that become much darker the deeper players explore. And once down in the depths, there are apparently some extremely weird creatures to be found.
Hello Games also says No Man’s Sky’s completely rewritten lighting engine has led to more detailed shadows, light that flickers through leaves, and much darker and more ambient caves. Additionally, water can now reflect the skies and stars, and reacts physically to the world around it – surging as huge ships fly overhead or rippling gently in the rain.