5 best major updates for No Man's Sky

It would not be an understatement to say that No Man's Sky has had one of the worst launches ever for a video game. The open-world sci-fi title from Hello Games was released in 2016 to an underwhelming response.

While it wasn't a bad game at launch, it failed to live up to its lofty promises. However, to many fans' surprise, the developers made a comeback that drowned out the title's launch woes.

This was thanks to three factors:

• Frequent fixes, updates, patches, and tweaks
• Community feedback
• New content

Hello Games' hard work paid off, and it now has a dedicated player base that continues to thrive to this day. As such, the game has seen 20 major updates since its launch. But which among them is the best?

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With close to two dozen significant updates, No Man's Sky stands proud as polished and refined space-faring experience

1) Foundation

The first major update released for No Man's Sky, Foundation, lives up to its name. It introduces many vital elements that have become a staple of the game.

The Foundation update adds base building, allowing fans to create shelter from each planet's biomes. It also introduced owning and summoning freighters and massive spaceships for interstellar travel.

Farming was also a neat addition as users were finally able to grow their own resources. In a nutshell, while nothing particularly mindblowing, it elevated the base experience to new heights and was the first stepping stone towards success.

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2) No Man's Sky Next

The Next update pushed things, well, to the next level. It finally introduced full-fledged multiplayer for friends and randoms to explore and fight together.

This was the first push for a more community-driven experience, not unlike Minecraft. Base-building was also expanded upon with not just far more variety and multiple bases but also the ability to build them anywhere, from atop mountains to underwater.

That is without factoring in the character customizer, reworked resources, Terrain Manipulator, and third-view. It was an essential update with too many improvements and additions to list them all.

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3) Atlas Rises

One of the most anticipated updates, Atlas Rises, was renowned for adding a new storyline revolving around a new interdimensional race. The 30-hour story campaign further enriches the lore of No Man's Sky.

Focus is placed on star systems and their status, including parameters like economy and conflict levels. The mission system allows undertaking tasks for rewards as well.

Other minor additions include crashed freighters and new planet types, but as a whole, it is a step forward, especially for the narrative-driven aspect of the game.

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4) Origins

If previous updates established the core pillars of No Man's Sky, then Origins breathed life into them. This update adds much more variety to everything, from planets to the fauna roaming across its lands and oceans.

Hello Games updated their procedural generation system that designs these universes for not just larger varieties in resulting combinations but also new terrain, new flora, new weather conditions, and much more.

Colossal architectures, volcanic terrain, and infested planets also spice up exploration for thrill-seeking individuals.

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5) Pathfinder

The second major update for No Man's Sky, Pathfinder, was a relatively smaller but still substantial jump. For one, it adds a new vehicle, the Exocraft, which comes in different types.

Further spaceship specialization for each gamer's playstyle and ability to own multiple ships makes space exploration even more enticing. Online base sharing, new shops, weapon specializations, and modes, as well as permadeath, help them bask in the freedom of choice.

A photo mode also allows players to capture their rarest exploration moments. Overall, it's a set of the net and appreciated updates that have emerged helpful in the long run.

No Man's Sky received its latest Endurance update, which doubles down on the ship customization aspect, making it far deeper and more diverse than before.

The game is out on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. A Nintendo Switch version will be coming in October 2022.