I've probably be playing for about 15 hours now (on PS4) - and I can say that, while I love this game, there is a whooooole lot more that can be done.
But unlike the people crying into something about how the game is crap and whatnot, I'm more optimistic about what future updates are coming - especially seeing as Hello Games has already expressed their intent to add more content (for free).
These are some things I think the game needs:
- It's tough to gauge what a planet is like until you've landed on it. I'd have preferred getting the details that you get when you land as soon as you view the planet (or some ship upgrade that lets you do that). It would save me from wasting time and resources landing on yet another desolate wasteland.
- Running is slooooooooow. Speed upgrades would be great. The melee-strike-jetpack-boost trick is a bit hit and miss.
- Character animation is expensive and tricky for a small team, but it would be cool if the sentient beings were more animated - and if there were more than one in a location.
- The storage system is a bit of a pain; I get it makes it more challenging, but it would be cool if there was some, like, quantum locker on space stations or something where you could store resources or items for later use.
- Creature/mineral/plant tracking: I was on a planet and only needed to scan one more creature. I searched for ages and couldn't find it. Was kinda frustrating. Again, suit upgrades could cover this.
Stuff that I'm loving:
- This is just awesome space exploration, and I'm constantly amazed at the procedural generation of each world. Even though things can get a bit samey, I'm always venturing from one place to another, getting distracted as I go along.
- The language thing is great, learning new words is fun - and I love how it makes interaction with the different races a more deeper experience (especially when you can start to suss out what it is they want from you.)
- I dig the 'choose your own adventure' vibe of conversations. It reminds me of Hand of Fate, a bit, actually. It would be cooler if there was more risk and reward attached to it, though.
- Soundtrack is on point.
- The little bits of intrigue are awesome - coming across my first
Atlas station, space anomaly and black hole
were OH WOW moments for me. I'm hoping there are more of those - maybe
giant creatures or absolutely crazy landscapes closer to the centre of the galaxy?
- It's genuinely fun finding weird creatures and sharing them with other people. I still have not found the giant penis monsters. The hunt continues.
All in all, NMS is not the AAA blockbuster game that many gamers hyped themselves up to receive. But then, that's on them, I think. Really digging it, flaws and all, and look forward to what future updates are coming (base building? land vehicles? who knows!).
