The Desolation update is channeling a bit of Dead Space
It won’t make your skin crawl like Event Horizon or Dead Space, but No Man’s Sky is leaning into sci-fi horror with its Desolation update, and there’s so much potential for dread in this wide-open universe.
This update – the latest in a seemingly never-ending string of updates – invites you to spend the night in derelict capital ships strewn among the stars. The frigates are “rich with salvage” and perhaps not as empty as they look on the outside. Some have been overrun by creepy-crawlers. On a related note, Hello Games took extra time to make combat “faster” and “more dynamic.” There are story crumbs, too.
“The only trace of the crew is in logs they’ve left behind, a mix of procedurally generated and hand-written text that means each vessel has its own unique story for you to piece together.”
I hope No Man’s Sky continues branching out with these more experimental (but still totally on-brand) diversions. The universe feels so much more alive when you can stumble onto cool one-off excursions. There are “several more significant [content] releases” lined up for 2020, and the future remains bright.
How bright? I’ll let this tidbit do the talking: “It’s been a real surprise too to see No Man’s Sky sitting above the likes of Red Dead as the most-played game on GamePass.” People are captivated.