No Man’s Sky Worlds Update Part I Refreshes the Universe’s Flora, Fauna, Weather, and Gameplay

Hello Games returns once again with a major No Man's Sky update called Worlds, which is only Part I of a larger overhaul. It's so big that the UK studio also created a deep dive video this time around.

Founder and game director Sean Murray explained that this update adds a lot of new technology to No Man's Sky, some of which has been borrowed by the advancements made while developing Light No Fire over the past five years.

For example, the new water tech can create waves and reflections, giving life to oceans that look so different from what you've seen before in the game. Ocean planets feel completely new, and ships can now land on water. Planets have wind patterns. Waves are dynamic and react to the weather. A brand new cloud technology also creates detailed skies with weather conditions, providing beautifully detailed skies with tons of variety.

Hello Games also added new volumetrics and atmospheres to the planets' surface: rolling fog, rain, blizzards, and lava sparks now combine with wind and clouds. According to the developers, this changes the feel of exploring planets in No Man's Sky and adds much more life to the experience. Sometimes, there is a storm, and you might see the waves rising and the clouds gathering. The new wind, the clouds, the oceans, and the atmosphere all come together for a visual spectacle.

The Worlds Update Part I also introduces new creatures to discover in these new biomes, all of which can be pets or mounts. Moreover, Hello Games is trying to add more activities. The new Expedition is reportedly very Starship Troopers-inspired and takes players on a tour of some of these cool new planets. The No Man's Sky community will fight bugs together, and progress is community-driven. There's a new mech with heavy armor and a cool flamethrower arm, and you will need it.

Finally, Murray expressed the desire to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible in No Man's Sky, doing things that people haven't seen before. As hinted by the fact that the update is called Worlds Part I, more improvements to the overall variety and realism of the universe are coming in a future patch.