Gas planets, deep sea and much more: "No Man's Sky" gets new update

Hello Games has done it again and given its game "No Man's Sky" a huge, free update. It's called "Worlds Part II" and, according to studio boss Sean Murray, brings "billions of new solar systems with trillions of new planets". Space travellers can now explore the deep sea and visit gas giants for the first time. The English studio's development team has also provided a major new story quest.

This is what "Worlds Part II"

brings

A visibly enthusiastic Sean Murray presents the new features of the update in a six-minute video. As the name suggests, this is the second part of the "Worlds" update. The first part was released in July 2024 and brought new biomes, creatures, clouds and fog effects, among other things.

Update 5.5 includes many new features resulting from the team's work on its yet-to-be-released game "Light no Fire". According to Murray, the progress and engine improvements made there will also be incorporated into "No Man's Sky". For example, the game will have more detailed planetary surfaces as well as "high mountains and dramatic landscapes". This could make the sometimes rather uniform landscape a little more exciting to explore.

Gas planets - a new type of planet - are ten times the size of the largest stone planets, according to Murray. Players will have to deal with chaotic and dangerous conditions on the planet's surface. These planets are therefore intended more for advanced players. They are located exclusively in the likewise new, purple-classified star system.

The seas on water planets can now be several kilometres deep. The movements of the waves cast pretty light effects on the bottom in shallow water. The deeper you dive, the darker your surroundings become. Luminous plants are supposed to provide light. Murray reports an "unbelievable" experience for him of a giant creature appearing out of the darkness while exploring the deep sea. It has already been possible to build underwater bases for a while - so now there could be even more of a "Subnautica" feeling.

The entire lighting system has also been overhauled to create more beautiful and immersive lighting effects. There are now water reflections and clouds and stars will be reflected on the oceans. With the new update, the water also reacts better to impacting forces: raindrops leave small rings on the water surface and your spaceship can cause waves on the ocean.

There are new creatures to discover in the oceans and on land, new rewards, and a new quest that ties together multiple strands of the backstory.

Obviously, Hello Games has now also ironed out the small stutter that occurred during the transition from atmosphere to space. These are just a few aspects from the long patch note list for update 5.5.

New updates: the developers aren't getting a bit tired

Since its disastrous release in August 2016, "No Man's Sky" has blossomed into an exemplary game. In November 2024, Murray was delighted to reach the "very positive" milestone in the Steam ratings. You can read more about the bumpy history of "No Man's Sky" here:

First the criticism of the users seemed to spur the developers on, then the praise of the players. In any case, the game, which is more than eight years old, is still receiving new content, free of charge. There are no paid DLCs, content passes or plans.

What do you think of the update? Are the new features a reason for you to check out "No Man's Sky" again?