No Man's Sky: 10 Valid Complaints In A Sea Of Hate

7. There's Virtually No Context Around The Player's Actions

The idea of fitting a cohesive or meaningful narrative into game that's primarily about wandering off into the great unknown and seeing what you can find would always be difficult to pitch. The introduction of the mysterious 'Atlas' is No Man's Sky's attempt at doing this, but it doesn't quite hit the mark.

The goal of reaching the centre of the universe under Atlas' guide does at least give something of a directional hand to follow, but the motivation for this is is severely underdeveloped. You're pulled almost inexorably towards the centre, but the point of this is never clear other than "what else should I do if not this?".

Many reviewers have attempted to suggest that this narrative goal is meant to invoke questions about the meaning of life and existence, but this is a major stretch given the underwhelming ending that greets players once they achieve this goal. We'll try to avoid spoilers here, but let's just say there isn't exactly a grand revelation or resolution awaiting you...