Elite Dangerous
The simple fact that Elite Dangerous has been referred to as the “No Man’s Sky that’s actually good” should speak volumes in and of itself. Elite Dangerous is a game created with the same principles that No Man’s Sky developers had in mind—space exploration, survival strategies and an experience that feels unique to every player. It’s also a game that reminds everyone of the importance of execution being just as successful as the vision. The game seems to provide everything that No Man’s Sky promised—a vast and diverse universe to explore, intense combat between ships, interesting and strategic trade opportunities, and a game that will feel unique to each player.
It also offers many of the things that No Man’s Sky blatantly ignored. Elite Dangerous focuses on the idea of community and creating a universe that comes to life and reacts to a gamer’s actions within the game. Also, Elite Dangerous players have recently started discovering alien life within the game, which only makes the experience even more fascinating and thrilling.
Astroneer
Much like No Man’s Sky, Astroneer has no set purpose to drive gameplay other than the sheer need to survive. In Astroneer, players will spend time gathering resources and colonizing planets while also dealing with life threatening encounters. There is no combat in Astroneer but treacherous falls, dangerous plant life, and environmental risks can all kill players if they aren’t careful.
Gameplay itself can feel very similar to No Man’s Sky but co-op features make all the difference by providing a social exploration experience. It’s also impotant to note that Astroneer may receive even more features in the future. The game has only been released on Steam since December 16 and there have already been discussions about new features and modes that will likely be added to the game.
Subnautica
This open world game developed by Unknown World Entertainment is a great example of how to truly make players feel immersed in the world they are exploring. The game is set on an aquatic alien planet that forces players to spend their time scuba diving in order to explore their new surroundings. Much like No Man’s Sky, players will have to do some serious resource harvesting to survive and craft new equipment. The difference, however, is that Unknown World Entertainment seemed far more concerned with making resource hunting and exploration a more rewarding experience.
Where No Man’s Sky seemed to drop random creatures in random spaces, Subnautica actually takes its players through a variety of different carefully crafted environments with flora and fauna that reflect the player’s new surroundings. PC Gamer’s Ian Birnbaum praised the game as being an “underwater Minecraft” that reminds gamers how “tense, rewarding and fun” survival games can be.
Everspace
If you’re hungry for intense battles in space, craving high quality visuals, or just want to play with an incredibly detailed crafting system, Everspace may be the perfect No Man’s Sky alternative for you. While the game is mostly focused on intense dogfights rather than exploring planets, there is a certain element of unpredictability the game boasts that makes it feel particularly special. As players go from one intergalactic destination to the next, they will encounter a new set of challenges and foes that will force them to adopt new strategies.
As with most games of this nature, gathering resources is still a key part of the adventure. These resources are used to make repairs and can be offered up through trade for even more precious supplies. With dynamic gameplay, stunning visuals and a great battle system, Everspace succeeds in many areas where No Man’s Sky fell short.
EVE Online
EVE Online takes some big steps away from the idea that space exploration itself is enough to fill an entire game. EVE Online offers a massive universe of nearly 8,000 star systems that are truly unpredictable and diverse. With tons of other players soaring around the great expanse of space that has been created, there is chaos unfolding in nearly every corner of the game.
If you were disappointed with the lack of social features available in No Man’s Sky or just wish you had more reasons to turn your ship into a war machine, EVE Online is exactly what you’re looking for.
The Solus Project
The Solus Project is another game focused on survival in space. While there isn’t necessarily a stunning amount of emphasis on exploring the world you find yourself in, the strategy behind surviving does feel more dynamic here. In addition to dealing with drastically changing temperatures and environmental threats, like in No Man’s Sky, players will also have to provide themselves with sufficient food and water. The environment also seems more threatening here with more dramatic events like meteor showers. Perhaps the best thing The Solus Project does when compared to its Hello Games competitor, however, is the simple fact that it gives the player a purpose.
No Man’s Sky often felt like it had people harvesting for the sake of harvesting. Sure, the minerals could be used to create improvements to your jetpack, ship or other items in the game but there wasn’t much to motivate players to even want to seek out these improvements. The Solus Project, however, offers a story to motivate players to keep trekking forward despite all the obstacles being thrown their way. While the game follows the same model of harvesting for the sake of survival, The Solus Project is successful at making players feel like there is truly a reason to even want to survive.
Rebel Galaxy
Rebel Galaxy was released back in 2015 and it still manages to do No Man’s Sky better than No Man’s Sky. Players can choose to stay on course with the main objective in the game or they can veer off and embark on their own journey. Either way, players will quickly find themselves in the midst of an adventure filled with tons of starship combat.
Exploration is definitely at the game’s foundation but the ability to decide how you want to make your fortune, how you want to interact with this world, and what kind of ship you even want to pilot, adds a great level of customization. Perhaps Rebel Galaxy’s greatest achievement is the simple fact that the game still makes space feel vast despite being on a two dimensional plane.
Star Citizen
Star Citizen hasn’t even been released and yet it already seems safe to say that it will be another space exploration simulator that will steal away current and former fans of No Man’s Sky. To be honest, the alpha version of the Cloud Imperium Games creation already seems to reign supreme over almost every other space exploration simulator on the market today.
Even in its alpha state, Star Citizen offers a beautiful world to explore complete with arcade-style dogfighting, high tech weapons used for intense encounters, and even a gorgeous city that allows gamers to go shopping and hang out with their friends. The game has already combined some of the best elements of a MMO, fast-paced shooter, and space simulator in one game. That’s perhaps why the unreleased game has already found itself as the center of a rapidly growing community. The alpha has also given players the ability to interact with this vast community of players, hang out in their own personal hangars to closely examine their ships, and sift through various rewards and experience the incredible amount of fun there is to be had in zero-G combat.
