35 / 37
stack.net.nz
barren, and those further away will be
cooler and less abundant with life. There’s
also a full day-night cycle, with different
creatures appearing at different times of
the day.
It isn’t just about the exploration. Being
the huge universe that it is, you shouldn’t
be surprised if you come across a turf
war or two, with factions constantly vying
for territorial control. Be careful who you
pledge your allegiance to
though, as that could affect
your encounters with other
beings throughout the course
of the game.
Even the soundtrack is
procedurally generated - kind
of. The game’s developers have
created software that models
the calls of animals dependent
on the size and shape of their
throats, so you’re getting a
realistic sound despite the fact
that these creatures perhaps
don’t exist. The music of the
game itself is orchestrated by
65daysofstatic; the soundtrack
will change depending on
where you are and what you’re
doing, though we’re told there
are some more specific, timely
pieces that are triggered as a
result of certain events. Looks
like it’s up to you to discover
exactly what those events
may be.
When you’re not busy
exploring planets and enjoying the music,
you’ll probably be fighting for your life. As
mentioned before, there are other species
out there, and not all of them will be overly
friendly. Some may even try to eat you. Be
careful who you choose as your enemies,
and ensure you don’t kill off too much of a
planet’s flora or fauna, as the galaxy EPA
– the Sentinels – will have
your head for ecosystem
damage.
If you fancy yourself as
more of a man of barter,
you can trade your way
through the planets. Haul rare
resources (we’d recommend avoiding
Rathtars) and sell them where they’re
most valuable to maximise profit and
upgrade your vessel. Just make sure to
keep an eye out for pirates.
No Man’s Sky
is all about your journey
to the centre of the universe and how you
choose to take it. Discover the abundance
of life, ecosystems, stars, and other
planets as you traverse the galaxy and
make your mark for others to follow.
1 2
"A
mbitious” is the word used most
often to describe this title.
No
Man’s Sky
is a procedurally-
generated open world that encourages
players to explore, fight, trade and survive.
If you’re wondering what procedurally-
generated means, it’s basically a massive
world that spawns as you explore it. When
you discover a new planet in-game, it gets
named after you, and you can even share it
with your mates so they can go
check out XxSnipesxXtopia for
themselves. Every planet you
discover will be uploaded to
The Atlas for the community to
enjoy, giving you the chance to
truly feel like a galactic ranger.
No Man’s Sky
has
18,446,744,073,709,551,616
planets in its universe. For
those playing at home, that’s
18 quintillion. If you visited
each of these for merely a
second, it’d take you almost
600 billion years to see them
all. The universe is so expansive
that some planets may never
be discovered at all. Each has
its own inhabitants, some of
which you may have to learn
an entirely new language to
communicate with.
You’ll get a vast array of
landscapes and climates
in Hello Games’ new title.
Planets closer to the sun will,
of course, be hotter and more
Space Missions
That Never
Happened
Project A119
In the late '50s, the
good ole US of A
felt the need to flex
some muscle after
falling behind in the
Space Race with the
USSR. The planned
demonstration
involved detonating
an atomic warhead
on the Moon.
Fortunately the idea
was vetoed.
The Zambian
Space Program
A rather ambitious
1964 plan by a
Zambian scientist to
send 12 astronauts
and a cat to Mars
fell out of orbit when
UNESCO refused a
£7 million grant for
the project.
When you're not busy
exploring planets,
you'll probably be
fighting for your life
•
No Man's
Sky
is out
August 10