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.
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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.
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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.
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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’s these 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.
Full patch notes are available here.
Our journey continues.
Sean
