The more time passes, the more Hello Games continues to pamper No Man’s Sky and its community. After the excellent Orbital update, which brought big changes to ships and space stations last March, the studio is back with a new free update called Worlds Part I — and it promises to be simply masterful.
Admittedly, the list of changes brought by this version 5.0 is not particularly long, and it does not include radical changes in terms of gameplay. But do not be fooledWorlds still represents a major step in the game’s life cycle. And for good reason: the developers have given us a massive overhaul of the graphics engine and procedural generation system!
Procedural planets more convincing than ever
Indeed, the hundreds of thousands of planets that the player can explore in No Man’s Sky are radically transformed by this update. For starters, the general topology of the terrain is even more convincing than before, and Biome diversity has also exploded.
Many scenery elements as well as geological features have been added to the frozen and desert planets; these environments, once quite empty and gloomy, are now much more engaging. There are also new toxic, overheated, flooded or even irradiated environments.
The bestiary is also expanded with the appearance of new categories of exotic animals. Strange plant creatures made of wood, leaves and colorful flowers, insectoids inspired by beetles and ants and even living buildings (!) will now roam certain planets.
At the same time, some worlds have also been affected by “ gravitational distortions ” who have torn away large chunks of land. These now float in the air, creating a magical landscape that will undoubtedly trigger a wave of nostalgia among veterans of World of Warcraft because of its resemblance to Nagrand. But unlike that iconic Outland area introduced with the expansion Burning Crusadethese floating islands are not just cosmetic. Since they are No Man’s Skyplayers will be able to visit them by jetpack or ship to collect resources or to build superb flying bases.
A massive improvement of the graphics engine
And the impact of version 5.0 is not limited to these new exotic geological formations: it will also be felt on all the other planets thanks to a dramatic improvement of the graphics engine which brings a bunch of new details in addition to improving performance.
It starts with a complete overhaul of the clouds. Gone are the big, rather hideous, cottony masses that hung over the landscape: we will now be treated to beautiful volumetric clouds with a level of detail quite remarkable compared to previous versions.
If their appearance is so successful, it is notably because they benefit greatly from a new light management system. Shadows are now much more realistic and visible from a greater distance, both in the air and on the surface of planets. The difference is sometimes subtle, but can also be quite dramatic in some cases, especially in environments with dense vegetation. This is typically the kind of detail that helps make the universe of No Man’s Sky even more immersive.
Dynamic environments for immersion
To top it all off, these clouds are also fully dynamic. This atmospheric down evolves in real time under the influence of the weather, which has also been completely redesigned: Hello Games has added a global wind simulation. This doesn’t change much in terms of gameplay, but the visual impact of this new feature is huge. In addition to seeing the clouds transform in real time, the player will be able to see the vegetation dancing under the effect of the gusts and find themselves in the middle of vast storms of snow, ash or volumetric dust, with an effect ” wow ” guarantee.
This new system also impacts fluids; the direction of rain, for example, will be affected by the weather. But that’s not all! Indeed, Hello Games has completely modified the management of bodies of water. Forget simple surfaces textured in a rather approximate way: the liquid is now much prettier and above all completely dynamic.
In a light breeze, your avatar can stroll by his favorite lake; but when the storm rises, entire oceans can become extremely turbulent. Of course, we are still far from a Sea of Thieves at this level, but the difference is quite spectacular. The perfect complement to the update Abysswhich added aquatic biomes, vehicles and creatures as well as submersible building elements.
A new tour de force from an impeccable studio
As you will have understood, the update Worlds is a huge step forward in terms of immersion. These changes will benefit all players without exception; regardless of the level of advancement or the objectives pursued, the added value is gigantic – especially when we consider that it is a completely free evolutionin keeping with the Hello Games philosophy.
It is therefore appropriate to salute once again the studio’s unwavering investment. As a reminder, the launch of the game had been a real disaster, with endless bugs and content light years away from the original promises. The studio had therefore taken a well-deserved volley of green wood, and we did not give much for the skin of No Man’s Sky.
But where many other studios would have probably abandoned ship to limit the damage, the developers have shown a self-denial that commands respect. Month after month, year after year, they have continued to take care of their baby by releasing updates without ever asking the community for a cent. And these efforts have finally paid off. No Man’s Sky is now well beyond the community’s wildest hopes, and it’s easy to get sucked in for dozens of hours. This is even more true with this update that makes the universe more attractive than ever.
If you haven’t had the chance to try it yet, this is it. the perfect excuse to discover this gemto enjoy a unique video game experience or simply to reward a studio whose dedication and respect for players deserves applause, especially since the game is currently on sale at -60% on Steam !
Source: www.journaldugeek.com
