Despite the developers at Hello Games working on their super ambitious new project, Light No Fire, that hasn't stopped them from continuing work on No Man's Sky. Today, Hello Games released their "Worlds Part 1" update, otherwise known as No Man's Sky 5.0.
With the full and very extensive patch notes having just gone live, it seems clear that the studio has no shortage of new content and update ideas up their sleeves. Worlds Part 1 brings to the table "new technology, new flora, new fauna, and new gameplay."
Some of the new technology offered in the update includes things like updated water tech. The water can now create waves and ripples as well as having reflections. Planets now have simulated wind patterns. These new water systems also dynamically react to the new wind and weather. Hello Games says that these bodies of water can turn from calm to turbulent depending on the wind strength and depth of the water. Violent storms in particular "can generate dramatically choppy seas and huge ocean swells."
No Man's Sky now also offers enhanced "volumetrics and atmospherics." These new systems add "rolling fog, rain, blizzards, lava sparks, [that] combine with wind and clouds." Hello Games says that these new systems "adds so much more life" to planet exploration.
Some of the new gameplay mechanics in Worlds Part 1 include the addition of water landings for ship. There is also new planet and animal life on planets. Hello Games also added a "very Starsship Troopers-inspired" expedition for you to tackle if so inclined.
There is a ton of goodness included in the Worlds Part 1 update for No Man's Sky. Obviously, there is still more to come. You don't just call something "Part 1" and not expect there to be a "Part 2" or perhaps more.
The full list of changes will not be included below because it's a lot. Other highlights from today's update included improved shadows, self-shadows on objects, customizable Solar starships, new volumetric clouds, discovery renaming, additional sky colors, improved frozen worlds, improved desert worlds, improved visuals, increased performance, improved levels of detail, improved object density, faster load times, new bug creatures, new emotes, and so much more.
