No Man's Sky could have easily gone down as one of the biggest gaming disappointments of all time, with myriad missteps by  Hello Games and some pretty hefty misunderstandings of interviews from fans leading to a messy launch. While the game wasn't inherently bad when it released in August 2016, it lacked what many fans expected.

However, Hello Games didn't give up on No Man's Sky, and those who haven't checked it out since launch will find that the game today is more than just good. Five years later, No Man Sky's far closer to what was originally promised thanks to 17 major updates that have focused on unique aspects of the space exploration genre.

RELATED: The 5 WEIRDEST Planets in the Mass Effect Trilogy

Initial Launch

No Man's Sky was set to be a massive space exploration game with an entire simulated universe of planets. These would have uniquely generated flora and fauna that players could discover, document and name. However, one of the bigger misunderstandings of the game was that players would be able to meet each other in this infinite galaxy. Some major criticisms of the game at launch involved the lack of the kinds of generated creatures that were shown off before release, no real multiplayer and a general lack of things to do within a massive, open galaxy.

Foundation

The promotional art for No Man's Sky's Foundation Update

The game's first major update, Foundation, was released in November 2016. Like the title suggests, this update was meant to apply a solid foundation to the game that would allow future updates to shine. Foundation wasn't met with much enthusiasm, as fans were hoping for a more substantial update. But while Foundation did add much in terms of content, what it did add (such as improvements to the terrain generation system and critical bug fixes) would ultimately be essential for No Man Sky's future.

RELATED: Fallout's Weirdest Event References One of Star Trek's Most Iconic Episodes

Pathfinder

No Man's Sky Pathfinder Update Promotional Art

Pathfinder released in March 2017, serving as a continuation of sorts to Foundation. The emphasis was again on establishing a solid core experience for the game, but this update would also include a pretty hefty amount of new content. Pathfinder introduced on-planet vehicles, online base sharing, double the parts for base building, ship specialization and the ability to own more than one ship.

These made the game feel more open, as players were no longer limited to walking around planets on foot or having to sell their first ship to get a new one. Coupled with some high-res textures and a brilliant photo mode, Pathfinder was the first real step forward for No Man's Sky.

Atlas Rises

No Man's Sky Atlas Rises Promotional Art

While removing limitations and expanding what players could do on planets certainly provided more reasons to play, No Man's Sky still lacked any defined narrative. A year after the game's launch, No Man Sky's third major update would take the first steps towards true multiplayer while also adding some lore behind the universe they were exploring. This update made the galaxy feel more alive, and trading was a huge part of that. Players now had far more options when it came to selling goods to trades, such as farming. Atlas Rises also marked the first No Man's Sky update that felt devoted to new content rather than fixing past mistakes.

RELATED: The Elder Scrolls V: The Five Most Powerful Amulets in Skyrim

NEXT

No Man's Sky Next Promotional Art

NEXT is one of No Man Sky's most notable updates, possibly being the one that won back gamers. Hello Games took its time with NEXT, releasing it nearly an entire year after Atlas Rises. This time paid off, and NEXT showed gamers that the developers had stayed true to their promise of improving the game. Most importantly, NEXT brought true multiplayer to the game. While Atlas Rises had multiplayer elements, they involved viewing planets together rather than exploring the galaxy in a joint operation. On top of that, NEXT added dogfights with space pirate, which made journeys between galaxies that much more exciting.

Abyss

No Man's Sky Abyss Update Promoart

Everything from Foundation to NEXT felt like the first part of an amazing redemption arc for Hello Games and No Man's Sky. With major bugs eliminated and missing features reimplemented, Hello Games shifted focus to specific sections of the game with future updates. Abyss served as the first of these specialized updates, focusing on making the oceans of these alien worlds more interesting to explore, much like Subnautica.

Underwater creature generation was overhauled and made more common, which helped make the new biomes feel much more alive. Players could build their own submarines to better explore the depths for new resources or to find the perfect place to build their new underwater base.

RELATED: Digital Devil Saga Is the BEST Sci-Fi RPG You Never Played

Visions

No Man's Sky Visions Promo art

After Abyss revamped the world underwater, Visions took a similar approach to the surface by creating a more colorful space to explore. Planets got a ton of new generation options that improved some of the tedium of exploration. Not only did flora gain more varied appearances, but new hostile flora were added to keep players on their toes during exploration. However, Visions' most notable additions were all of the weird planet generation options. It added exotic planets hosting some of the most unique visual experiences No Man's Sky has to offer. Non-exotic planets also got Anomalous Biomes, which made day-to-day exploration more exciting.

Beyond, Synthesis and Living Ship

No Man's Sky Beyond Promotional Art

No Man's Sky Beyond was the game's official 2.0 update, serving as another massive overhaul to the game's core experience. It further expanded upon multiplayer, allowing more players to enjoy the same galaxy together. Beyond also updated the tutorial messages, expanded on the story Atlas Rising introduced and scrapped the blueprint system was scrapped in favor of technology trees. NPCs were also given more ways to interact with their surroundings.

Beyond really felt like the second full version of No Man's Sky. By this point, most of the game's launch issues were taken care of, and Hello Games' work was evident in just how many smaller features and mechanics were revamped. The next two updates, Synthesis and Living Ship, would focus on community-requested features and revamping Beyond.

RELATED: How the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's Design Encourages Exploration

Exo Mech and Crossplay

No Mans Sky Exo Mech Promotional Art

By this point, No Man Sky's updates generally focused on adding smaller chunks of content and quality of life changes into the game while bigger updates were in the works. Exo Mech and Crossplay, however, totally changed the game. The former added the massive Exo Mech, which could be upgraded to give players a significant amount of defense from both physical attacks and the environment. It could also get weapon upgrades to help players battle rising threats in the galaxy. Crossplay was a similarly small but important update that opened No Man's Sky up to crossplay on all platforms.

Desolation

While this update wasn't as massive as its two follow-ups, Desolation changed how players treated space. It expanded No Man's Sky's lore by introducing abandoned freighters that drift through space along with new upgrades for the player's own freighter. Abandoned freighters come with their own generated interiors, unique hazards and stories that players can discover as they explore.

Desolation also implemented a ton of balance changes and updates to space flight and combat. Everything from ship upgrades to capital ship management was reworked, which made spending time in space far more engaging. An update to the lighting system that added volumetric lighting helped improve the visuals of space too.

RELATED: Fallout New Vegas: The 5 Best Skills, Ranked

Origins and Next Generation

No Man's Sky Origins promo art

Origins and Next Generation both serve as massive landmarks for No Man's Sky in different ways. Origins brought in a ton of new content when it released in September 2020, including more planets added to existing galaxies, more ways that plane terrain could generate, and brand new flora and fauna. It serves as another huge refresh to the game's exploration aspect, with something to keep every kind of player exploring.

Next Generation came two months later alongside the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. This update was focused on graphical overhauls for the new consoles and PC, including 4K support, 32-player multiplayer, bigger bases, denser environments and brighter colors. These took advantage of the new hardware while pushing No Man's Sky towards becoming the grand sci-fi exploration sim it had always promised.

Companions

February 2021's Companions allowed players to head out and tame almost any creature they found on their travels. These would serve as pets that players could care for and, in some cases, ride. If a pet happened to lay an egg, the player could take it to a genome editing station and customize the look of the offspring. There's a staggering amount of detail involved in the new pet system, including animal personalities, a bond system, creating genomes for randomly generated creatures and even the ability to mix genetic code from different species. Players can even trade and sell valuable eggs with each other.

RELATED: Endless Space 2: How Approval Can Make or Break Your Empire

Expeditions

No Man's Sky Expeditions Promotional Art

Another massive update, Expeditions released in March 2021 and introduced multiple MMO-like systems, such the ability to join with other players for expeditions. These are timed missions in which a group of players has to work together to complete a series of milestones. Expeditions also changed some of the mission-like aspects of No Man's Sky. For one, the quest system as a whole received many of quality of life changes, including rebalanced rewards for space station missions. Save files and planet discoveries were also made cross-platform.

Prisms

No Man's Sky Primism Update

No Man's Sky's most recent update (until the announced Frontiers update launches) involved another graphical update, as well as some nice accessibility options. Volumetric lighting received new settings that let players adjust for colorblindness, the audio and visuals for going into hyperdrive were overhauled, and the game's UI got a ton of improvements. Gameplay-wise, caves were given a much-needed visual overhaul and more exotic pets were added.

Much like Next Generation, Prisms is focused on making No Man's Sky's visuals just as exciting to look at as the now-massive variety in flora, fauna and other lifeforms are to discover. In five years, Hello Games has taken an empty wasteland of a universe and transformed into something beautiful and packed with content. With the game fully redeemed on on the right track, gamers are more excited than ever to see what comes next for No Man's Sky.

KEEP READING: Why You Should Make Indie Games