No Man's Sky: A Review Warped by Lost Saves and Broken Promises

Mar 9, 2024
3
1
15
Visit site
No Man's Sky has come a long way since its rocky launch. It boasts a vast, procedurally generated universe brimming with exploration possibilities, crafting, and base-building. However, my recent experience with the Omega update and the subsequent abysmal customer support throws a long shadow over the positive aspects of the game.

Pros:

  • A Universe of Discovery: No Man's Sky excels at creating a sense of awe and wonder. Every planet feels unique, with diverse landscapes, flora, and fauna. Exploration is inherently rewarding, and the thrill of encountering a truly bizarre or majestic world is undeniable.
  • Creative Freedom: Building elaborate bases and spaceships is a joy, allowing players to express their creativity and carve out their own corner of the galaxy.
  • Engaging Core Gameplay Loop: The basic cycle of exploration, resource gathering, crafting, and base-building can be incredibly satisfying, offering a sense of accomplishment and power progression.
Cons:

  • Bugs and Performance Issues: Despite improvements, No Man's Sky can still suffer from bugs and performance hiccups. These can range from minor graphical glitches to game-breaking save corruption, as I experienced with the Omega update.
  • Repetitive Content: While the variety of planets is impressive, core activities can feel repetitive after a while. The core loop can become a grind, especially if you're aiming for grand base projects.
  • Shallow Story and Quests: The narrative elements of No Man's Sky feel tacked on and lack depth. Missions can be repetitive and offer minimal engagement beyond basic fetch quests.
My Omega Nightmare and Hello Games' Silence:

The Omega update promised exciting new content and a revamped expedition system. Unfortunately, for me, it delivered a nightmare. My primary save file, with over 500 hours invested, vanished after the update. Subsequently, all my saves became corrupted, rendering the core storylines unplayable. Despite reaching out to Hello Games with detailed descriptions of the issue and following their requested troubleshooting steps, I have received no response after multiple attempts. This lack of communication and apparent disregard for a loyal player's experience is nothing short of abysmal.

A Community Echo Chamber?

While researching my issue, I discovered numerous player reports of save game issues following the Omega update. This raises serious concerns about the update's stability, particularly for Xbox and PC players. It's important to note that these are my findings, and your experience may differ.

Final Verdict:

No Man's Sky offers a beautiful and vast universe to explore, but technical woes and a potentially save-corrupting update significantly tarnish the experience. The lack of response from Hello Games regarding my critical save issue adds another layer of frustration. While I cannot fully recommend purchasing the game outright, given its current state and the high price point, I do suggest trying it first if possible. Services like Xbox Game Pass offer a chance to experience No Man's Sky before committing to a full purchase. This way, you can see if the core gameplay loop appeals to you and gauge the game's stability without risking a significant investment.
 

Zloth

Community Contributor
This lack of communication and apparent disregard for a loyal player's experience is nothing short of abysmal.
That's most games when it comes to technical problems on PC. Maybe your virus scanner quarantined the file? I checked the announcement topic and there doesn't seem to be anyone else who's save got nuked.

That is always the terror of a one-save game, though. Subnautica and Batman: Origins were the same way. When you've got a game like that, you really must back up your save file.
 
Mar 9, 2024
3
1
15
Visit site
That's most games when it comes to technical problems on PC. Maybe your virus scanner quarantined the file? I checked the announcement topic and there doesn't seem to be anyone else who's save got nuked.

That is always the terror of a one-save game, though. Subnautica and Batman: Origins were the same way. When you've got a game like that, you really must back up your save file.
I understand your position. However, the non-local storage of save data presents a significant obstacle. Core save files reside on the Xbox Network, and earned items seem linked to my Hello Games profile. To address this, I've attempted save file restoration on both my Xbox console and PC, but the changes are overwritten upon game launch. Xbox support was prompt in their diagnosis but confirmed that Hello Games must perform the item restoration. I've reached out to Hello Games 4 times and I am still currently awaiting their response.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Brian Boru
I understand your position. However, the non-local storage of save data presents a significant obstacle. Core save files reside on the Xbox Network, and earned items seem linked to my Hello Games profile. To address this, I've attempted save file restoration on both my Xbox console and PC, but the changes are overwritten upon game launch. Xbox support was prompt in their diagnosis but confirmed that Hello Games must perform the item restoration. I've reached out to Hello Games 4 times and I am still currently awaiting their response.
So you are playing it on Game Pass and/or Xbox?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zloth

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts