No Man's Sky Atlas Rises Overhauls Much of the Game, Adds New Missions, Co-Op

It's been one year since No Man's Sky first came out, and Hello Games has been quietly working on a big update meant to address some of the biggest complaints regarding the game (of which there were many). Dubbed "Atlas Rises" the new update adds more story, better graphics, new mechanics, and even co-op.

In a big update posted on the No Man's Sky website, Atlas Rises promises a host of new updates including specifically: 30+ hours of new story content, a procedurally generated quest system, new systems for wealth, economy, and conflict level for star systems, better waypointing, more diverse planets, scavenging quests for giant Freighters crashed on planets, improved UI, quick travel, joint exploration, and a whole bunch more.

There are a couple caveats however. "Joint Exploration" co-op is rudimentary, allowing up to 16 players to join your game, but only as floating orbs with limited actions. As it stands you'll only be able to talk to them in voice chat and wander the planet together.

Atlas Rises adds some much-wanted features to No Man's Sky. When the game first came out, the lack of story, and planet diversity really hurt the game early on. It also looks like Atlas Rises adds more mechanics to the game, incentivizing players to really engage with their surroundings, rather than just catalogue new plants and animals on different planets.

"It's been a year since No Man's Sky first released, and it's been an exciting, intense and emotional time for us at Hello Games," wrote Hello Games founder Sean Murray in a PlayStation Blog post. "We have been quiet, but we have been listening intently."

Check out the new update trailer below.