Wednesday, January 29th 2025

No Man's Sky Expanded with Worlds Part II Update

Hello! No Man's Sky is a game that we all genuinely truly love. Last year we released Worlds Part I and I remember thinking at the time that this is just the beginning. We can't wait to show people what we've been working on! There's new solar systems, new planets with more variety, new terrain types, even new Gas Giants, and of course new adventures. Our next update is called Worlds Part II. Full patch notes are available here.

Worlds Part II allows us to push the boundaries of our engine with new technology. Across the universe we're adding billions of new solar systems and trillions of new planets, and introducing new biomes and terrains without changing what people already love about the game. It's now so far beyond what we ever thought was possible when we started out.
Update 5.50, WORLDS PART II, broadens and deepens the universe with new stars, new story, and new classes of planet—including gas giants, water worlds, and ruined civilisations. Worlds are more varied than ever, featuring new terrain shapes and biomes, and are populated with a vast array of strange new creatures. Engine enhancements include a total overhaul of lighting systems, improved water rendering, faster load times—and much more!


I've been working on a new terrain system for a little while now. Terrain is more detailed and far more varied with huge mountains and these massive features. I'm genuinely at my happiest working on this stuff.


The team is extremely busy on Light No Fire (wishlist it here!). Each time we push our engine to new places though we have this urge to share it with the community, with No Man's Sky.


Gas giants are truly epic, ten times bigger than our biggest planet. It's truly end-game stuff to explore them with huge storms that rage across the surface. New tech allows oceans that can be several kilometers deep. A new lighting system makes them look so different. New caustics, light shafts and the deeper that you explore the darker it gets. I've had these moments where you're exploring, and suddenly some huge creature comes into view, and it's just incredible.
Every element of our lighting has been rewritten. Shadows show more details, light flickers through the leaves, caves are dark and immersive. Oceans now reflect the clouds and stars to create these beautiful sunsets and night skies.

Water reacts physically to the world around it. Creatures wade through it. There's little dimples in the rain, and there are large waves as ships fly overhead. Sometimes there are moments where a ship just flies past the still ocean and the water ripples underneath, and it's just so peaceful to watch.
In the depths of the ocean and on land there's these new creatures to discover. I think we've gone probably weirder than ever before. When you land on a planet all the tech combines to create an emotion, that feeling of knowing that no one has ever been on this world before. I think it's what makes this game really special.
There's tonnes of new gameplay too. There's this huge quest that ties together some strands that we've been building for years. We've got an expedition that takes you on a tour of all the new worlds that we're building, and it's got some incredible rewards. This is our ninth year since release. I think we're doing things that the community probably never thought would happen. I honestly can't wait for you all to play.
This is our ninth year since release. I think we're doing things that the community probably never thought would happen. I honestly can't wait for you all to play. Our journey continues.
Sean Murray, Managing Director of Hello Games
Sources: No Man's Sky Steam Profile, No Man's Sky Official Site, PlayStation Blog
Add your own comment

21 Comments on No Man's Sky Expanded with Worlds Part II Update

#1
hsew
This game has come a long way since the utter disappointment it was at launch.
Posted on Reply
#2
Frick
Fishfaced Nincompoop
hsewThis game has come a long way since the utter disappointment it was at launch.
I didn't play it at launch and I'm kinda sad I didn't because I feel like I would have been one of those weirdos who would have prefered it. I bought the game in 2021 and thought it was ok. But they just keep adding stuff. I can't land anywhere, on any planet, without there being a million things to look at or to interact with. There are like robot mini-bosses now! Every time I log in there's like a whole bunch of new stuff and ... there is no substance to any of it. The game isn't different or any better than it was four years ago but there sure is a ton of more stuff in it. I have a whole bunch of people in a colony but what's the point of that? What's the point to anything? As I understand it that was the main complaint about the original release. Just did a quick google and Reddit (not Google) revealed a site that may have a way to play the OG release.
Posted on Reply
#3
DemonicRyzen666
FrickI didn't play it at launch and I'm kinda sad I didn't because I feel like I would have been one of those weirdos who would have prefered it. I bought the game in 2021 and thought it was ok. But they just keep adding stuff. I can't land anywhere, on any planet, without there being a million things to look at or to interact with. There are like robot mini-bosses now! Every time I log in there's like a whole bunch of new stuff and ... there is no substance to any of it. The game isn't different or any better than it was four years ago but there sure is a ton of more stuff in it. I have a whole bunch of people in a colony but what's the point of that? What's the point to anything? As I understand it that was the main complaint about the original release. Just did a quick google and Reddit (not Google) revealed a site that may have a way to play the OG release.
it's just a big sand box.

You can sit down ona planet & look up at all the stars & then know that ever star you see is a system you can literally visit out the 18 quadrillion systems generated in the game....
Posted on Reply
#4
Event Horizon
They finally fixed the hitching on PC that occurs when entering/leaving a planet's atmosphere. Happy about the addition of gas giants and proper deep oceans too.
Posted on Reply
#5
Onasi
Jesus Christ, Hello Games, you have already redeemed yourselves, you can stop updating the 8.5 year old game for free. You don’t have to do this in perpetuity.
Posted on Reply
#7
Mindweaver
Moderato®™
This game is amazing and it keeps getting better. I just downloaded the new update 22.5gb. This is the biggest update yet. Shawn explained in this update that while they are working hard on Light No Fire when they make updates to their game engine then they bring those updates over to NMS. In a world where almost every dev is complaining about poor sales and having large layoffs, HG is over here constantly giving out free updates to an 8.5 year old game while being profitable.

I'm getting ready to dive back in. The key is to start a new save on every update to experience it how it should be. I start a new save on every big event as well and did I mention that any of my friends with NMS can just jump in game and fly to me?
Posted on Reply
#9
Easy Rhino
Linux Advocate
But what do you actually do in this game? It looks like a walking simulator in space with a bit of flying around.
Posted on Reply
#10
DirtyDingusMcgee
Easy RhinoBut what do you actually do in this game? It looks like a walking simulator in space with a bit of flying around.
That's pretty much it. It's minecraft with spaceships and better graphics. It's fun for an hour or two.
Posted on Reply
#11
lexluthermiester
Easy RhinoBut what do you actually do in this game? It looks like a walking simulator in space with a bit of flying around.
It's a space exploration game with elements of resource management, combat and a few other features. It's a lot of fun if those kinds of gaming aspects appeal to you.
Posted on Reply
#12
yfn_ratchet
Easy RhinoBut what do you actually do in this game? It looks like a walking simulator in space with a bit of flying around.
It's a subset of the 'space sim' umbrella genre, taking up the 'surface exploration/survival-crafter' segment for the most part. If you didn't enjoy the ship-focused gameplay of Elite Dangerous or the micromanagement of X4: Foundations, it would probably appeal to you. It's a game that is defined by whiling away your time on a single-minded goal while occupying and marveling at the sheer scale of the game world and how much is simulated, represented in real time. It's about immersing yourself in the role and daily tasks of someone living in a great big galaxy.
Posted on Reply
#14
photonboy
Broke my game...
My character fell from the sky. Survived. I'm now on a different planet with different creatures. HUD at bottom seems missing. Everything turns PURPLE when I scan. I guess that's intentional?

This is the third time I had to restart after a major update. I don't play often, so it's kind of a bummer that I can't count on continuing my game.

Did they do a lot of COOL things? Yep.

But maybe they could STOP now?
Posted on Reply
#15
lexluthermiester
photonboyBut maybe they could STOP now?
It's like GTAV and MineCraft, why stop when your having fun and making money?
Posted on Reply
#16
Legacy-ZA
This game is amazing, it's a labour of love if you watch the Deep Dive video. At 2:15, you will hear it out the horses mouth. :D

I love that there is no paid DLC, yet new features keep being added years later to update/refresh/breath new life into the game. :love:
Posted on Reply
#17
Vayra86
Easy RhinoBut what do you actually do in this game? It looks like a walking simulator in space with a bit of flying around.
Nothing. Literally nothing in this game has any substance whatsoever. They just plastered a game without purpose full of random elements you can do and tell you to make your own story. Story elements are supposed to be the random shit you find. Or you can follow the main quest and miss all of that to zoom to the center of the universe.

This game has still gone literally nowhere, ironically. But yeah lots of content.
Posted on Reply
#18
csendesmark
hsewThis game has come a long way since the utter disappointment it was at launch.
Agreed, I never been interested in those kind of games, but I admire his dedication!
Wish that other games enjoy such love from their producer/dev Teams :love:
Posted on Reply
#19
TheLostSwede
News Editor
DirtyDingusMcgeeThat's pretty much it. It's minecraft with spaceships and better graphics. It's fun for an hour or two.
Yeah, that's my issue with the game too. I never requested a refund, largely due to all the angry people on the internet and the fact that I've bought a few games to support developers, if the game appealed to me in some way. But as you say, it's fun for a bit, but it's also so time consuming and complex that I simply can't be arsed to get too deep into it.
Posted on Reply
#20
Vayra86
TheLostSwedeYeah, that's my issue with the game too. I never requested a refund, largely due to all the angry people on the internet and the fact that I've bought a few games to support developers, if the game appealed to me in some way. But as you say, it's fun for a bit, but it's also so time consuming and complex that I simply can't be arsed to get too deep into it.
It doesn't have anything to offer if you do, so good choice.
lexluthermiesterIt's a space exploration game with elements of resource management, combat and a few other features. It's a lot of fun if those kinds of gaming aspects appeal to you.
Yeah the elements are there... too bad the ship- and land combat is a complete and utter joke, handling is like playing mario kart or a greenlight Steam game, the cool planet approaches they had in 1.0 are gone and the new ones not immersive, flying across a planet no longer has the same type of persistence to it either (waypoints jump up in totally random places, even those you already visited); and so so many other things were added but are hardly forming a cohesive game.

I wonder if the people who cheer on these topics saying oh wow more content are actually playing the game. Every time I go back to it, I struggle to find the improvements. There is more, yes. But why?
MindweaverThis game is amazing and it keeps getting better. I just downloaded the new update 22.5gb. This is the biggest update yet. Shawn explained in this update that while they are working hard on Light No Fire when they make updates to their game engine then they bring those updates over to NMS. In a world where almost every dev is complaining about poor sales and having large layoffs, HG is over here constantly giving out free updates to an 8.5 year old game while being profitable.

I'm getting ready to dive back in. The key is to start a new save on every update to experience it how it should be. I start a new save on every big event as well and did I mention that any of my friends with NMS can just jump in game and fly to me?
Is THAT the trick then. I see. So you have to go farming from scratch every save... :D
Posted on Reply
#21
Mindweaver
Moderato®™
Vayra86Is THAT the trick then. I see. So you have to go farming from scratch every save... :D
It's not just farming. You can play without doing any of that stuff. You can start out as a pirate and just take what you want. lol I see a lot of people just saying oh it's just a farming sim.. You are not completely starting over. You can go back to the anomaly and get your stuff but if you want to farm then it's there. I like to fly and fight in my space ship, but I do like to farm from time to time but in no way do you need to do that part if you don't want to.
Posted on Reply
Add your own comment
Jan 30th, 2025 14:41 EST change timezone

New Forum Posts

Popular Reviews

Controversial News Posts