Summary
ANo Man’s Skyfan has taken the space exploration game in an even broader direction, showing their interpretation of what one of its far-off planets would look like if presented in pixel art. There have been major transformations toNo Man’s Skysince its initial launch, but this version goes beyond anything Hello Games has presented.
Released in 2016,No Man’s Skywas a divisive title at launch. Supporting a whopping 18 quintillion procedurally generated planets for players to visit, research, and gather resources from, early versions also saw plenty of complaints about repetitive gameplay and barren environments. Hello Games has continued to build on the game’s foundations over more than eight years to a great deal of player approval, including arecent BAFTA nominationfor Best Evolving Game.
With its never-ending stream of content-heavyNo Man’s Skyupdatesfilled with sci-fi oddities, Hello Games has yet to show its game in the same light as a recent image created by Reddit user Anomaly_Pixel. This artist, who has been creating pixel art for five years, is sharing their idea of howNo Man’s Skycould work in a completely different format, eschewing its normal follow-behind camera for a bird’s-eye view of a wintry planetary biome filled with abundant organic and mineral resources.
No Man’s Sky Player Imagines a Pixelated Version of the Game
Probably the centerpiece of this image is the pixelated recreation of the Radiant Pillar BC1, the red and white startership inNo Man’s Sky, which is instantly recognizable with its twin engines and upward-folded wings. Also drawing the eye’s attention is the Traveler dressed in a matching Exosuit that reflects the player character’s appearance at the start of a new save file. In addition to these elements, two more things that make this scene recognizable toNo Man’s Skyfans are the clusters of red oxygen and blue hydrogen crystals — rare instances of consistency between almost all the planets in the game — denoted by their trademark HUD markers floating overhead.
A lot of fans seem like they would be eager to jump into a pixelated version ofNo Man’s Sky. Several have compared the image toStardew Valley’s art style, and some would welcome a cozier approach toNo Man’s Sky, even offering some existing alternative games that combine the art style with some sci-fi-heavy outer space elements. Still, it’s unlikely that Hello Games will offer up anything like this soon, as its developers are still working on its single-world adventure,Light No Fire.
