In 2019, Hi there Video games added full VR help for No Man’s Sky, which we reviewed on PC VR headsets and the unique PSVR for PS4. In February 2023, Hi there Video games launched the most recent replace, codenamed Fractal, bringing help for PSVR 2 to the PS5 model of the sport. With that in thoughts, we’re right here to present you our up to date ideas on what’s been added to the sport over the previous few years and the way No Man’s Sky runs on PSVR 2.
For many who aren’t acquainted, No Man’s Sky is an area journey and survival sim, going down in a procedurally generated infinite galaxy. You begin out as an amnesiac astronaut, crash landed on an unknown planet. Your first targets are easy: cost up your life help and repair your tools. Shortly after, you’ve a small ship to restore after which you will get out into house and go to different planets, house stations after which begin to hop between photo voltaic methods. Throughout the opening hours of the sport, you’ll even be launched to the base-building methods, alien races to commerce and talk with and way more.
I performed and loved No Man’s Sky at launch, however ended up placing the sport down after round 20-30 hours because it began to get a bit same-y. I used to be simply leaping from photo voltaic system to photo voltaic system, winding my method in direction of the centre of the universe and the present finish of the essential story. Returning to the sport for the Subsequent Era replace at launch on PS5 and Xbox Collection X, I discovered that the sport was packed to the brim with new issues to do, new options and new potentialities. It nonetheless felt like the identical recreation at its core, however with much more polish.
New Frontiers
The most recent Fractal replace brings PSVR 2 help, but in addition a rise in texture high quality, draw distance and added reflections when taking part in in VR mode for each PSVR 2 and PC. Hi there Video games has additionally added some PSVR 2 particular options, comparable to haptic help for the Sense controllers and headset itself. You can too now use the capacitive sensors within the set off and grip buttons to carry out gestures like pointing, waving or giving a thumbs up when in multiplayer. It even makes utilizing the menus in PSVR 2 really feel very pure – you’ll be able to level with one hand a brand new wrist-mounted menu that, so that you keep immersed on this planet and really feel like a correct sci-fi explorer. The vibration in your headset is nice for immersion too, subtly rumbling once you depart planetary environment or when a big animal or automobile is transferring shut by.
One thing that’s been added to all platforms with the Fractal replace is new VR-specific interactions, like bodily pulling open your cover to exit your ship or grabbing and pulling numerous plants and natural matter out on this planet as a substitute of simply merely clicking on it. The grabbing interplay is particularly forgiving on distance too, so if you happen to undershoot your teleport you don’t should re-position to work together with an object.
There’s been different updates alongside the way in which to the Subsequent Era and Fractal updates, including the whole lot from strolling mechs, residing ships so that you can fly and animal companions so that you can tame. They’ve additionally overhauled many features of the sport, fully redoing the story and new participant expertise. Secure to say it’s a massively totally different recreation, even when put next with the unique VR help from 2019.
The largest change for me was the brand new story expertise and the redesigned house stations. My reminiscence of house stations in No Man’s Sky was a sterile and small setting that may have one or two NPCs sitting behind desks. Coming again after the updates, I used to be instantly impressed to see way more happening in these stations. At one level, I even got here throughout an deserted capital ship drifting in house, wanting like some form of Aliens-style horror story in house. I didn’t have the precise gear to get very far, however it’s encouraging to see alternatives like this come up naturally throughout exploration.
Contact The Sky
Whereas not an entire VR novice, I had largely performed social gathering video games or smaller, extra contained experiences earlier than PSVR 2, so booting up No Man’s Sky in VR for the primary time was an expertise like nothing else.
In primary phrases, No Man’s Sky’s gameplay loop is unchanged between flatscreen and VR – saves are even appropriate with each VR and flatscreen mode, so you’ll be able to take an outdated save and begin it up in VR or vice versa. Nonetheless, it’s the added immersion that’s the most important change when taking part in in VR. Folks typically discuss in regards to the PS4 Spider-Man recreation as being a recreation that made you actually really feel like Spider-Man, however it wasn’t till taking part in No Man’s Sky on PSVR 2 that I actually felt like I used to be on one other planet. There’s a fairly prompt wow second once you log in for the primary time – I simply stood nonetheless and spun round wanting on the beginning planet that the sport had generated for me. Whereas exploring my instant environment, a large capital ship warped into orbit above me and slowly flew throughout the planet. Particulars like that basically floor the expertise and make the world really feel alive, giving the procedurally generated planets extra of a way of place than different PSVR 2 experiences I’ve tried.
