I was always going to be hyped for whatever Hello Games did next. I’m a massive fan ofNo Man’s Sky- both the initial release andwhat it has transformed into since, and its unique space exploration hashelped me through a tough timerecently. But the moment I heard Alt-J’sHunger of the Pinesstart in that reveal trailer at The Game Awards 2023, I was sold onLight No Fire.
Now, I know what you’re thinking.Here we go again.I understand the scepticism, given how much No Man’s Sky over-promised and then under-delivered, but I could spend hours talking about why this no longer matters. Whatdoesmatter is howHello Gamesresponded to valid criticism, before going on to craft one of the best open-world sandboxes through creativity and perseverance across31 feature-packed updates.
We’re eight years in now, and we still just want to do really big things… I’m so proud of the team and the love they’re pouring into it -Sean Murray
This year has been one of the best, too. Omega massivelyredesigned timed expeditionsand reworked the main Atlas story. Orbital expanded space stations and allowed us to construct our dream ships from salvaged parts. Adrift took us into sci-fi horror territory, while Worlds Part 1 radically enhanced how we see the universe, visually. Then, less than a few weeks later,we got fishingin the Aquarius update. Just give No Man’s Sky the Game of the Year award already.
Jokes aside, it’s this dedication to improvement that has me most excited for Light No Fire. Each and every one of those updates has beenat no cost, and while we’ve no information about how their next title will be monetised, we can be fairly confident that No Man’s Sky’s financial success means Hello Games is afforded the freedom to follow a similar path as a fully independent studio.
No Man’s Sky has shipped over ten million units in its lifetime, and even appeared on Steam’s list of best-selling titles in 2023 - it’s seventh year - a feat no doubt helped by Steam Deck verification andfrequently being mentioned as an alternativeto Bethesda’s underwhelming big-budget title, Starfield.
The second thing that has me salivating at the thought of getting lost in Light No Fire’s colossal world is what we’ve seen both in the trailer and in No Man’s Sky recently - the evolution of Hello Games’ groundbreaking-but-understated procedural generation technology.Worlds Part 1, with its storms and realistic water effects is essentially a proof of concept of the kinds of things we can expect to see while traversing the fantasy-themed Super-Earth.
There’ll be a feeling of familiarity among No Man’s Sky players, but with Murray at pains to stress the ambition of Light No Fire, I think we can safely anticipate more without stepping into its predecessor’s overestimation. It takes a lot to be more ambitious thana virtually infinite universe, and while Hello Games are aiming high, I’d back them to use the lessons learned to create something very special. They won’t under deliver this time, and of that I’m sure.
Now, again, I’d understand any eye rolls here. But what we have is a game positioning itself as something unlikeothers in its genre. To me, it feels like a game that could redefine a space dominated by games where metas, optimum builds, and FOMO pushing players to be constantly online are prevalent. Light No Fire feels much more like ado what you want, when you want, and just have fun with itgame, and that is exactly what I want.
My worry is that people will inevitably make the same mistakes as with No Man’s Sky when it comes to expectations. Given the nature of the genre, they’re going to expect MMO-style content, a laFinal Fantasy 14orWorld of Warcraft, but while details are scarce at the moment, I really don’t think Light No Fire is going to be that type of game. There’s likely little hand-holding or god hand; content is going to be entirely player-driven within the framework. Think theNMS Galactic Hub, a community of players who build cities and claim home worlds in each galaxy.
Ultimately, it’s the people who are driving my hype for Light No Fire, from the communities that will spring up to Hello Games themselves.
