No Man’s Sky has just received a much needed update. Foundation brings the basis for base building, different gameplay modes and farming and it won’t be the last thing we see from Hello Games.
Before you raise your eyebrows or roll your eyes, keep on reading. Hello Games announced a couple days back that they were bringing us the Foundation update, a much needed add-on to No Man’s Sky. Ever since the calamitous release of the game, the indie studio went into a bug fixing spree topped with lack of external communication. Were they addressing the main complaints? Were they working on everything they had promised and failed to delivered? The withdrawal from critic eyes had us wondering to which extent was Hello Games shaping the future of No Man’s Sky.
Well, the curtain of silence is now over and now we have Foundation. The reference to Asimov works well in this context and also gives us the sense of growth. Foundation brings base building, three gameplay modes, farming, freighters and much more. The official patchnotes are worth checking but if you do not have the time, we have summarized the most important points here for you.
The World of Foundation
One of the main complaints of the community was the lack of incentives to remain in a planet after exploring it and unlocking its main secrets. Following up on this, Hello Games brings the so much desired base building feature. We will be able to create our own outposts and customize it with modular structures, inviting alien lifeforms to help us researching new technology. The shelter will also house Hydroponic Labs that we will use to gather a steady supply of resources. This is No Man’s Sky version of sci-fi farming and it is as colorful and hypnotizing as it looks.
Another big change to the gameplay is the introduction of three different modes: Normal, Creative and Survival. Ok, we have all been playing Normal, which is basically the core experience, so let’s look at the other two.
In Creative mode we will “explore the universe without limits, and build a huge base”. In this mode, health and resources are unlimited and you have zero building costs. Since there are no Achievements to gain here, it’s a purely recreational mode for the construction addicts. If you are into harder experiences, then you’ll enjoy Survival. In this mode the resources are limited, there are way more hazards in each planet and the environment simply becomes more aggressive.
Last but not least, Foundation introduces the figure of the Automated Harvesters and allows for quicker and more convenient ways to move through planets. It also gives us the opportunity of purchasing interstellar freighters. We can use these to stock up planet resources and then move them around the galaxy for juicy trade deals. Freighters can be fully customized and they will also welcome specialists on board to help us research new technologies and take care of our crop resources and cargo.
The Road to Redemption?
By the looks of it, the Foundation update certainly brings a new vibe to No Man’s Sky. It does offer way more to the initial experience they proposed and brings some of the core wishes of its community. To deliver all this content in three months is quite a feat for the small team of Hello Games but one can only wonder, whether this will be enough. The echoes of that deceptive hype are still high and No Man’s Sky continues to be the object of controversy. What do you think, fanatics? Is this the road to redemption or another stone in the pond? Let us know in the comment section down below!
[Source: Hello Games Blog]
