Hello Games has revealed the next chapter in one of gaming’s great redemption stories by dropping the trailer for No Man’s Sky’s update 3.0, Origins. No Man’s Sky has had a series of huge updates this year, including the introduction of cross-platform multiplayer, mech suits and organic spaceships, but Origins is set to be the biggest yet, ‘doubling’ the variety of things found in the game. This means a “stranger, richer and more varied universe, with deeper planetary diversity, dramatic new terrain, a host of new creatures, new weather conditions, colossal buildings” and most importantly, the introduction of giant Dune-esque sandworms. Sick.
As per the outline on Hello Game’s official site, some of the changes coming in Origins include:
NEW PLANETS: Existing solar systems have birthed new planets, creating millions of untouched new worlds to explore.
BINARY AND TERNARY STARS: Some rare systems are now home to multiple stars, creating stunning new patterns in the sky.
DRAMATIC LANDSCAPES: These new worlds have vast, sweeping terrain. Their mountains and vistas are on a colossal new scale, giving shape to more dramatic, awe-inspiring scenery than ever before.
Whilst flora, fauna and atmospheric conditions have changed throughout the universe, existing worlds will retain their old character, allowing player bases to remain undisturbed.
USER INTERFACE REFRESH: Interface and menus have been totally overhauled with new colours and styles, for a fresh new aesthetic.
RICHER DIVERSITY: New life has been breathed into every planet in the universe. A huge range of never-before seen planetary flora and curiosities have been poured into the galaxy. Countless strange new combinations are out there, awaiting discovery…
ALIEN FAUNA: Discover strange new species of fauna. This alien wildlife can be encountered roaming the terrain, rolling along it, or even burrowing through it – and all may be harvested for edible produce.
CLOUD AND WEATHER VARIETY: Cloud rendering quality has been significantly improved, and the range of cloud cover has been expanded, creating more variety between clear skies and overcast planets.
MARSHES: A number of fertile worlds have formed swamps and marshes, thick with mist and luminous fungal growths.
INCREASED COLOUR VARIETY: The palette of colours for planetary generation has been increased, creating more possible variations than ever before.
IMPROVED TELEPORTERS: The teleporter interface has been improved. The UI is now consistent with the Space Anomaly teleporter, and now offers more information available about the target planet or system prior to warp.
PHOTO MODE: Photo mode has been revamped, with new filters and increased control over clouds, fog, vignettes and depth of field.
COLOSSAL ARCHIVE BUILDINGS: Enormous buildings have risen on planetary horizons, creating new hubs of alien life. These huge vaults are repositories of data, treasure, and directions to long-forgotten ruins.
HISTORICAL STORIES: Visit the colossal archive buildings to uncover new cultural and literary histories, hidden away by ancient alien civilisations.
INFESTATIONS: A number of planets have become infested with anomalous lifeforms and vegetative growths. Take extreme caution while exploring such planets.
NEW LIGHTING CONDITIONS: The range of atmospheric illumination has been broadened, generating more unique combinations of lighting conditions on planets.
ANOMALOUS BUILDINGS: Abandoned and ancient settlements can be discovered on dead or anomalous planets, increasing the range of planets available for missions and exploration.
VOLCANOES: Tectonic disruption has stimulated the molten cores of some planets, giving rise to active volcanic mountains.
STORM GAMEPLAY EFFECTS: Advancements in Exosuit and Multi-Tool technology enable beneficial effects from storms.
Blizzards allow you to mine for longer with a cooled Mining Beam; sprint further in toxic storms with assistance from Exosuit gas processing technology; benefit from increased jetpack efficiency in superheated atmospheres; and mine additional substances during times of high radioactivity.
NEW ITEMS AND CRAFTING: Crafting has been streamlined, with a number of rarely-used items trimmed to reduce inventory clutter. Other frequently used items have had their inventory stack size increased.
New caches of resources may now be found underground, ready to dismantle into usable parts.
This isn’t even everything, either! There are dozens more game-changing improvements listed in the complete patch-notes, ranging from minor graphical tweaks to tornados, lightning and meteors!
Game-creator, Sean Murray, and the team at Hello Games have done a remarkable job at not only getting back to their feet following a disastrous launch but turning No Man’s Sky into one of the most memorable games I have ever played. If you are yet to don your spacesuit and step into the unknown, I suggest Origins be your jumping-off point. No Man’s Sky Origins is a free update, and launches today for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One – including Xbox Game Pass.