What’s New in No Man’s Sky’s Path Finder Update

Visual Improvements and Photo Mode

Making good on their promise to constantly deliver new content and updates, Hello Games has now released the Path Finder Update (Update 1.2) for their game No Man’s Sky. And while new vehicles are definitely part of the package, they’re just the tip of the iceberg.

First up are the visual improvements. Update 1.2 bring with it support for the PlayStation 4 Pro, allowing players to experience the game in 4K resolution for the first time. Compatible monitors and TVs also receive HDR support, bringing with it high contrast lighting effects, ambient occlusion and greatly improved textures.

And what better way to capture these improved visuals, than with the brand new dedicated photo mode that has been added to the game. Entering photo mode allows you to move around the landscape in free camera mode, with additional features that let you pause, change time of day, change cloud layers and fog density, all so players can arrange that one perfect shot. And if that’s not enough, you can also apply an array of filters to give your picture that one finishing touch before your share them with the rest of the community using Steam’s or the PlayStation 4’s sharing functionality.

Base Sharing

Using Steam Workshop integration, PC players can now upload and share their custom base designs online, allowing others to find and explore their unique planetary outposts. They can also engage in other activities such as custom created races. This is a solid step towards allowing the community to play with one another, even if it isn’t direct multiplayer just yet.

It’s also a great opportunity to see the creativity possible in the vast universe of No Man’s Sky. 

Starship Specializations

Starships in No Man’s Sky now have different new specializations assigned to them, with each ship being classified into either the Hauler, Shuttle, Fighter, or Explorer category. As evident from their names, each of these 4 classes allow you to specialize in a particular role, and are further divided into either A, B, C or the S class depending on their rarity and quality. Additionally, Freighters are now able to store multiple different ships, allowing players to switch to different specializations when needed.

Multi-Tool Specializations and New Weapon Modes

Similarly to Starships, Multi-Tools now also possess different specialisations and classes. They are categorized into Pistols that offer improved mining capabilities, Rifles that provide an edge in combat, Experimental weapons that focus on scanning and Alien Multi-tools that are the strongest and most rarest of the four. They are also divided into either classes A, B, C or the S depending on their rarity and quality.

The weaponry on both your Multi-Tool and your Starships can now also be upgraded for greater combat prowess.

Alongside the default Boltcaster weapon, Multi-Tools can now be equipped with either the close range Scatter Blaster, the mid-range Pulse Spitter or the long range Blaze Javelin.

Ship weaponry similarly includes the Cyclotron Ballista, the Positron Ejector and the Infra-Knife Accelerator.

All of these new weapons are suited to particular situations, and will add a lot of diversity to the game’s otherwise bland combat.

Exocraft and Races

The Exocraft include three land based vehicles that were designed for the sole purpose of helping players better navigate the large, and often varied, landscapes of the game’s planets. Once constructed on a specific planet, they can easily and effortlessly be summoned anywhere on that world.

First up is the Nomad, the smallest of the three Exocraft. This hovercraft is built for speed and allows players to cover large tracts of lands fairly quickly. It’s not very effective as a cargo hold, but it makes up for that with the ability to glide over water.

Then we have the balanced Roamer, which is a mid-range vehicle that can adapt to almost all types of terrain.  It features greater storage options than the Nomad and even possess a turbo boost to allow players to cover distance quickly.

And finally we have the massive Colossus, the largest, and slowest, of the three Exocraft. This vehicle is able to store very large quantities of cargo, and even possess mounted lasers that can allow players to harvest materials without ever having to leave the comfort of their seats.

You can also set up races with these new vehicles. Upon acquiring the Race Initiator and placing it inside your Base Building zone, players can create their own custom races on their home planets. Simply hop into your preferred Exocraft and drive around your desired path, dropping checkpoints wherever you feel like. And when other players visit your Outpost via the Base Sharing feature outlined above, they can attempt to race and beat your own set lap times on the courses.

Shops And Traders

This update also adds brand new traders to space stations, as well as a new currency known as Nanite Clusters which can be exchanged at these traders for blueprints. Your standing with the alien races also serves a greater purpose now as they will only sell their best technology to those with higher standing with them, so offerings in the form of relics and curiosities to their representatives will aid you in this endeavor.

New Base Building Options

More than 40 new construction parts have now been added to the game, allowing you to customize your outpost with a number of new material such as Wood, Stone and Metal in various different colors. These include, observation domes, lights, etc. And if players decide to spruce up the interiors of their bases, they will also have access to a selection of new furniture items and decals.

Permadeath and Updated Survival Mode

The final addition to No Man’s Sky with the Path Finder update is Permadeath Mode. As the name suggests, you only have one chance in this mode to reach the center of the universe, and doing so will reward you with a new permadeath Trophy. However, if you die, you can’t just try to sneak in a reload. Your data will be wiped ensuring that your adventurer is truly dead. 

The  difficulty of Survival mode has also been ramped up, and dying in space will now restart you on the surface of the nearest planet away from your crashed ship. This should up the ante, forcing you to use your wits as you search for your ship again.