This week, No Man’s Sky received a free update for PlayStation, PC and Xbox gamers called The Abyss which introduces aquatic environments with over 5 times more variety, varied creature behaviours, improved underwater visuals and much more. As the update dropped worldwide, Sean Murray from Hello Games posted the following messages to Twitter fans:
“We wanted to focus on improving underwater, and also on some of the eerier elements of the game. Oceans are now a huge part of our gameplay, and a new story, The Dreams of the Deep, brings context to the depths. In The Abyss, you can discover this dark ghost story about a stranded freighter crew – as well as explore underwater ruins to uncover the tale of another lost soul trapped deep beneath the waves.”
Underwater creatures have become more frequent, and more interesting. Aquatic life inhabits the full depth of the ocean, and unique terrifying creatures can be encountered on the ocean floor. Exploring the sea bed can be lucrative, yielding Crystallised Sulphur, Living Pearls or Hadal Cores, but avoid the territorial creatures that lurk there. From poisonous Jellyfish, to snapping clams and predator fish rumoured to be larger than Starships. And beware the Abyssal Horror, which has lured many explorers to a grim end.
The Dreams of the Deep story brings a new context to the depths and a dark narrative to No Man’s Sky. Discover the fate of a troubled crew stranded from a freighter crash by the rising tides, or explore underwater ruins to uncover the tale of a lost soul trapped deep beneath the waves. Investigate submerged buildings to find remnants of their lost occupants. Discover and scavenge lost cargo from gigantic freighter wrecks. Use the terrain manipulator to excavate treasures buried in the nearby ocean floor.
Master the depths of planets using a new Exocraft, the Nautilon. This submersible vehicle give new meaning to underwater navigation, combat and mining – and can be summoned to any ocean on the planet, as well as docked at underwater buildings. Upgrade your submersible with installable Submarine Technology and customise the Nautilon to stand out from your fellow explorers.
Over a dozen new base parts have been added to unlock more creative possibilities underwater. Construct the new Marine Shelter for brief respite from the oceanic pressure, and use its protection to reach new depths. New glass corridors, viewing bays and multistory submersible view domes provide travellers the perfect view of the surrounding ocean. Bring aquatic life into your habitat with a decorative indoor Aquarium. Controls for swimming and diving have been overhauled. Boost through the ocean with your jetpack, communicate to other divers with underwater gestures, and swim more easily on the water surface.
In addition to the underwater focus of The Abyss, freighters and frigates have also been enhanced. Both vessel types can now be scanned using the Analysis Visor, and explorers can repair their friends’ frigates in multiplayer. To read more about all of these features plus the full patch notes, head to the No Man’s Sky website. For those that are feeling a little stale above ground, this update is sure to add some more ‘depth’ to the game … see what I did there?!
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