“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” – Carl Sagan
No Man’s Sky is finally here, and it has completely divided critics and gamers alike.
It feels strange to be writing those words. Since No Man’s Sky was announced at VGX 2013 (back when the Video Game Awards were presented by Spike TV), I’ve been waiting for this game to arrive. It has not only been my most anticipated game of 2016, but most of the industry’s. As many of you reading this are well aware, a mix of arguably bad marketing from Sony and the promise of an infinite universe has caused hype to expand out of control. The last minute delay of the game, pushing it from June to August, meant that fans were ready to explode by release day.
It is hardly surprising, then, that the leak occurred. First a man purchases an early copy of the game for an exorbitant amount of money almost two weeks early. In the week prior to release, many stores break street date and begin selling the game to players, including major industry review outlets frustrated with the lack of provided review copies. Then, the news broke: There would be a game-changing day zero patch, which is why review copies wouldn’t be sent out until the day before release. The game on the disc was, in simple terms, incomplete. In the midst of all of this, it was announced that the PC version would be delayed until August 12th. It’s difficult to think of a more challenging video game release in recent memory.
No matter how the release went, the game is out now. Did No Man’s Sky ever have a prayer of living up to the expectations surrounding it? Probably not. But the project still had the opportunity to be a good game. A great game, even. Myself and a number of BagoGames staff picked up the game this past week, and now we’re here to give you the official BagoGames review. This is not your standard review, as this is not your standard game. There is no score at the end, and you’ll find a mix of impressions here. Our hope is that we can provide some insight into this strange game and whether or not it is right for you.
Let’s get down to it.