Hello Games has announced the next free content update for No Manās Sky, and like all their hefty content updates, the Omega update is a hefty one.
Itās also the patch Iām having trouble wrapping my head around. One of the features they tout is that Omega enables people to play for free, and in this business, that can mean a lot of things. What is clear is that this isnāt No Manās Sky going completely free-to-play. So, we can scratch that off.
At the top of the patch notes page, Hello Games notes the update āinvites everybody to embark upon a new shared interstellar expedition entirely for free, whether they already own No Manās Sky or not.ā That sounds like thereās a separate mode that is available to play for free as maybe a trial or demo.
However, further down, it says, āFrom 14:00 GMT, Thursday 15th Feb to 18:00 GMT, Monday 19th Feb, the entire Omega expedition will be open to everyone, entirely for free, even if you donāt own No Manās Sky!ā What? So, it is still just that one slice of game, but that slice is free for a weekend? Do I have that right? If so, why is such an ephemeral moment being so heavily advertised?
Like, look at this Tweet and tell me what you think it means.
The stuff I can understand
Okay, so, beyond that, there are some cool features being added. One of the big ones is that you can now launch into community expeditions from an existing save game and bring some of your loot back with you. You can also attack pirate dreadnaughts, board them, and claim them as your own, which sounds pretty rad.
There is also a new ship and some equipment, as well as new planetary missions. If you want all the minutia, you can find it here in the patch notes.
Iāve tried a few times to get into No Manās Sky, and I just donāt feel it. I appreciate what has been added over time, but to me, it feels very artificial. However, if you havenāt tried it, you maybe should. You can do that for free this weekend, but maybe only a small part of it. I donāt know. It could be clearer.
No Manās Sky is available on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch.
Published: Feb 15, 2024 09:35 am