Recent reviews by PropMaster

Fast and fun, not too difficult, this play-as-the-monster has the feel of a metroidvania type game mixed with an action game. It has a really well rendered pixel artstyle that gives the game a lot of character, and the monster feels fast and dangerous and moves so smoothly through the environment. Excellent gameplay overall, it never felt 'janky' or mechanically lacking in terms of gameplay or mechanics.

There's some puzzle elements and potential stealth elements mixed into the game, which gives it some fun variety from switching from apex predator to stealthy hunter. There's a lot of interesting opportunities for replay, including optional puzzle areas that unlock extra upgrades. As far as I'm aware, having played to 100% achievements, there is no "secret ending" for getting all the achievements or unlocking all the special extra upgrades, which is a bit of a shame. The story is simple, straightforward, and classic, if a bit of a trope, and it's just pure fun to romp around near the end of the game with all of your monstrous powers. The pacing of the gameplay and the steps-up in power and mechanics is really well paced and perfectly delivered, honestly the only piece missing would be a little more story on the back-end.

Don't bother going for a no-kill run, though that could add some interesting variety to the gameplay, because there's gated sections that require you to kill certain enemies. I'd love to see an option for a no-kill run that requires heavy use of stealth and more cautious gameplay. Could add some more replay or speedrun value to the game!

Overall, very excellent, and clocking in at right around 6 to 10 hours of play, it's a nice bite-sized piece of game for your $20. I'll give it a 9 out of 10, with the only thing that I think is really missing is a little more depth to the story... but with gameplay like that, the story really is secondary to a fun concept that is executed perfectly, without dragging on too long to add length.

--UPDATED REVIEW--

So, here we are. Months down the road, with a new update that has brought the people back.

This review is as of 11/28/16, a few days after the 1.1 "Foundation" Update was implemented.

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PRE 1.1 REVIEW:
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Since release, I've always gotten exactly what I wanted out of this game. I wanted to explore a galaxy, bit by bit, and enjoy a tranquil experience listening to my own music and marching through the endless spaces of No Man's Sky. I followed the Atlas path at the start and got a few galaxies in, enjoying myself throughout. The exploration was fun, the planets were interesting. There was some repetetive feelings, but as an 'experience' the repetition actually brought the gameplay in line with what I wanted: a nearly-mindless, sprawling experience.

I found my own fun, naming things in silly ways and doing silly things with my time in the game, walking around and exploring planets and learning alien languages and seeing what there was to offer. It was always something interesting. It was also not an experience for everyone. My ability to find my own fun and use the game as a medatation after a long day immensely improved my experience, but these were not intrinsic to the game itself, simply a quirk of my personality aligning with the developer's expectation, rather than the hype that it was blown up to be. I am that small percentage of player that wanted what this game offered as it was. It was a visually appealing walking simulator with some basic crafting and a simple story that it wanted me to follow. I did, happily, and found a lot of enjoyment in the game.

All that said, the developer's long silence and the lack of communication was troubling, and I understand all the backlash the game recieved. I didn't buy in: I had what I wanted. If the game had stayed as it was, I'd have happily continued to enjoy it.

As it stands, I give the game an 8/10. Not a perfect game - deeply flawed, by many estimates - but the game that I wanted.
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POST 1.1
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So, now we are at 1.1. The Foundation Update! Bases to build, new gameplay elements, a "creative" and a "survival" mode to go along with the "Normal" space-walking-simularor chillfest.

--SURVIVAL--

Survival is a totally different game. The difficulty that some wanted is absolutely there, and in spades. It is a test of endurance and tenacity. Death carries weight, the enemies are dangerous, and sentinels are all-too-happy to escalate their use of force. The deadly planets are deadlier, the resources are slim, and every victory feels earned, rather than simply given.

I spawned on a radioactive planet, 10 minutes away from my crashed ship. What followed was two hours of the most intense, difficult experience I've ever had with No Man's Sky. Running from cave to cave to avoid being cooked alive by radiation, scrounging up resources to keep my life support going, harvesting the materials to repair the ship... it was incredible, and difficult, and very fun. Launching off that god-forsaken planet felt like I'd won the game.

And then space pirates spotted all my rare materials and blew me into the vacuum.

10/10, would sob into my keyboard again.

Survival can be a frusturating experience, but the emphasis on difficulty requires patience and careful planning on every action taken. I highly recommend it, especially if you are a fan of Dark Souls/Demon Souls/Bloodbourne.

--CREATIVE--

Creative is... well, a simple creative mode. No achievements, no need for resources. The planets are your plaything, and you can explore and enjoy as you will. It does exactly what it says on the tin. Relaxing and interesting, especially if you simply want to explore the new options for base building and freighter customization. No score, it is a sandbox mode an nothing more.

--FINAL THOUGHTS ON 1.1--

So, with the 1.1 update, No Man's Sky is finally on the road to becoming the game promised to the entire fanbase. I was content with the origional, but the update is welcome content. The planets look better, there are more variations on terrain, flora, and fauna, and there are many more things to experience and enjoy. Survival adds a difficult, new experience for those who enjoy a challenge, Creative is a fun sandbox to experience the new additions, and Normal mode is as it was... just with more things to do.

Updated Score: 8/10

Welcome back to No Man's Sky. It's going to be an interesting ride.

7/10

This game is very nice looking, and the newest content patch 0.7.5 contains lots of great things that have enhanced it further, but the physics in the game are currently a bit wonky, and the terrain generation is troublesome. I expected to have an infinite world to explore, and that isn't quite in place yet. Instead you've got about 10 square miles of territory, which is enough to play in comfortably with a dozen or so players.

The multiplayer is very streamlined, though Port Forwarding is still required for hosting a server, but the game boasts around 20 "Official Servers" that are running 24/7. Spawning/Respawning in the game is problematic, as the item that sets a new respawn location for players (beds/bedrolls) do not seem to work correctly all the time. Also, players who log out can be killed on live servers by other players that find them, which is frusturating.

Very promising, but it definitely needs a little more cleaning up before I'll put serious play time into it. Currently, the game is frusturatingly in need of work.