No Man’s Sky, as you can tell from the amount of coverage we provide it, is a huge game. Not just in the sense that it's been highly anticipated, but it is literally a huge game and until you wake up from a crash landing on your first planet, I promise, you really won’t be able to wrap your head around just exactly how massive it is.
Our review of the game will be up soon, but for those of you that have already bought it or have already decided you’re going to buy it, here is a handy tip sheet to get you through the beginning of your journey in No Man’s Sky.
Claim your rewards
For the longest time there was a notification in the bottom right-hand corner of my screen that told me I had some bonuses that were unclaimed. If you pre-ordered the game, turns out you get a free ship!
The notification tells you to open “options” to claim the reward, but from there it’s unclear as to where to actually claim your reward. Turns out, “options” is referring to a sub menu when you click the actual options button. At the bottom of your list of options is a redeem button. I would recommend doing this as soon as possible, as the “claim your rewards” notification will sometimes take the place of your objective or how much of a certain element you need to collect.
Prepare for a dull first hour
Just want to take this time to thank everyone who watched our midnight livestream of the game on launch day. Especially those that sat with me through my first hour, man, that was a chore, wasn’t it?
On top of the fact that you’re trying to figure out how to handle your avatar and learn the mechanics, the game has you somewhat mindlessly collecting elements to fix your ship and get you on your spacefaring way! It’s monotonous, but learn to love it, because it’s going to be a big part of the game.
Take a breath and take your time
Once you do fix your ship and exit the orbit of you first planet, the scope of No Man’s Sky is going to begin to sink in. The whole quote of “planets sized planets” is no joke.
Traversing anywhere, even with your hyperdrive, takes a while. You’re going to be surrounded by other planets as well as other ships and a space station. I promise you, no matter how many videos you’ve watched of this gameplay, there’s nothing like actually playing it. Your mind will race with the infinite possibilities of the game. I advise focusing on what is in front of you at the moment. Objectives can wait, but exploring the 18 Quintillion planets can also wait. Tackle the game however you want and never feel like you’re missing out on something. I promise you, you are missing out on something and there’s nothing you can do about it. So take a breath.
Learn how to juggle your jetpack and stamina
Without the ability to run or use your jetpack, No Man’s Sky would be nearly unplayable. Your movement is incredibly plodding without either of these things and if you want to move around with ease, you’re going to have to mix both.
Running and your jetpack both require to be recharged after a few seconds, it’s best to keep an eye on these gauges and to never fully deplete either one. Switch back and forth, and you’ll find traversing planets much more enjoyable. Also, when falling, time your jetpack descent correctly. Dropping even from a height can cause a lot of damage and if you to fall into a hole, you can deplete your entire shield in one fell swoop. So always keep that thumb over the X button.
Don’t sweat over your inventory
You’re gonna do it, I know this because I did it.
The more I played, however, the more I understood that resources will always be lootable. Your inventory fills up quick, so if you have several slots taken up by iron, carbon, etc, just get rid of them. You will always be able to mine for more. You will soon have the opportunity to upgrade your suit and add more inventory slots, but until then, try not to sweat it. It’ll dampen your experience.
Mine in space
Gathering resources whilst in your ship is so much easier and faster than when on the ground, plus your ship’s mining beam never drains. So blast away at all the asteroids you can when traveling too and from any planet.
Talk to everyone
It won’t be too long before you run into an alien lifeform. Even if you only know a few, or perhaps no words in their language, you are still able to interact and gain rewards from them. Over time you will begin to understand them better, but make sure you set up relationships with the alien races early. It’ll significantly help you later in the game.
The universe is ever-changing
This is somewhat of a rehash of the scope of this game, but I cannot stress enough how deep the systems in this game are. Planets have their own rotation and gravity, which affects your ship as you travel. The economy shifts depending on supply/demand, meaning one resource or item that was a certain price one day may be more or less valuable the next. Some merchants won’t even accept certain items in a trade if they don’t require them. It’s extremely fascinating, and the sooner you learn that No Man’s Sky is a game that changes the longer it's played, the more comfortable you will be with it.
