With the prospect of 18 quintillion planets, I suppose it is unreasonable to expect that there won't be any repetitive aspects to the game. But after playing for more than 18 hours, it is clear to me that repetition is at the heart of this game. Constant, mind-killing repetition. I may have played for 18 hours, but it feels like the same hour 18 times.
Almost all of the outposts look the same. There is only one NPC, if any, at the outposts to interact with.
The space stations are massive, but there is only one room that can be accessed, with possibly one NPC to interact with.
What the heck is going on with the exosuit and ship's power??? They are both powered by Plutonium. Plutonium has a half-life of 80 million years. OK, maybe we're using the cheap kind that has a half-life of only 14 years, but come on!!! my suit cant stay charged up for more than 10 minutes!!! Same with the ship. If it really does use nuclear fuel, then the stuff should last longer!!
While I'm on the topic of ships, I have the X-wing ripoff. In atmosphere, it has the worst handling characteristics I think I've ever seen. It can't low level - at least not the PC version. I've read PS4 players say they've crashed a bunch of times already. It's impossible with the PC version as the ship flies a minimum of what looks like 500 feet AGL, and compensates for changes in terrain elevation. Additionally, trying to maneuver at landing is impossible. I get to push the "E", and the ship decides when and where it will land, if at all. I am being kind when I say the ship is very sluggish responding to control inputs. It should be able to maneuver at least as well as a typical general aviation airplane, but instead it gives one the impression of being in a grossly under-powered and unresponsive to control input. If it were a car, the car magazines would destroy it in the press.
If the game is supposed to be about exploring, or being a pirate, then it should be geared to allow that to happen without the constraints and limitations of of the suit and ship slots. Yes, I realize there should be some need for gathering, or purchasing the materials needed, but is that really what the game is about?
If we are supposed to be travelers, should we be penalized because our ships don't have the guns to fend off multiple waves of pirates? If I use up slots for defensive improvements, how am I supposed to trade at a meaningful level? Sure, its a common conundrum that gamers face in almost every title, but does that make it right, or even necessary?
I was really looking forward to playing this game. I wanted to enjoy it. The potential was exciting: a whole universe (or galaxy, depending on who is talking) to explore. But the truth is, to do what the game requires really could have all happened in one or two star systems. After all, what is the point of all the planets? There are only 3 civilizations, and the Atlas ancestors. Did we really need 18 quintillion planets to tell that story? GTA makes it all happen in one city, as does Fallout. Counterstrike made it all happen in one warehouse. Yes, it may be an unfair comparison because they are largely FPS that would actually be hurt by a very large area, but the point is that the activities of NMS are not varied enough to require a universe to do them in. Unless of course the point of the game really is to get to the center of the universe in the shortest time possible, in which case all the pretty scenery in not needed. But we've been told that getting there isn't the key driver of the game, and that if you don't want to race to the center, you don't have to. I guess what they failed to mention was that if you don't race to the center then you should be prepared to be bored.
My computer has an i7-3770 processor with 25 Gigs of RAM, and an Invidia GeForce 640 video card., and yet I watch the procedural terrain generation, even while flying at a snails pace. I'm pretty sure its not the system, as I've had other flight sims work just fine and provide similar levels of detail without issue, or doing it right in front of me.
The net net is, I think that the game is no different than 50 other games like it such as SW galaxies (which bit the dust even though it was beautiful. It was as good as NMS in that regard, and that was 20 years ago.) or WOW, which is still going strong, but is commonly known as a game of grinding. But WOW has the attraction of real group interaction whereas NMS is a solo flight. Its a shame. Maybe my expectations were pushed too far by the pre-launch hype, but I was anticipating something that was as cool as they said it would be.
