There’s Only Competition If You Want It
Some people have complained about the fact that No Man’s Sky isn’t really a multiplayer game. The downside to this is players really are out there on their own.
There has been talk about the ability for people to get really lucky and run into another explorer, but so far no one has managed to do it. The upside of this is that players don’t feel the need to beat their friends to a spot in order to mine the most gold or zinc or any other element.
Players also don’t need to feel as though they’re looking over their shoulder and worrying about someone coming to kill them and take their stuff. At least there aren’t going to be other players doing. There are pirates and Sentinels, but no one is competing for a spot on some kind of standings list. This leads to more relaxing gameplay for people who might not be able to spend hours and hours honing their marksmanship.
On the other hand, there is an overarching goal of making it to the center of the universe. If a player decides they want to compete with others in that aspect they absolutely can. The pressure to succeed is exactly what the player wants it to be.
