No Man’s Sky Voyagers customization update massively puts Starfield to shame

No one could have predicted the trajectory of No Man’s Sky, rising from the ashes of a stale launch to one of the greatest RPG offerings of the decade. I hop back into the game with each huge patch, but the latest No Man’s Sky update is on another level. Voyagers adds huge depth to ship customization and, more importantly, brings your friends along for the ride.

Customizing ships has been quite limited in No Man’s Sky, but the Voyagers update reworks it with the addition of Corvettes. By obtaining interchangeable modules from Space Stations, you can freely build big or small aircraft that are capable of housing you and your squad. Parts like landing bays and walkways give you the freedom to gaze upon the stars, with hatches that can open up to reveal the galaxy around you. Honestly, it is stunning.

I spent two hours last night digging into ship crafting, attempting to make a vessel that would put the Millennium Falcon to shame. I’ve still got some ways to go before I reach perfection, though. To accompany the added layers of customization for ships, Hello Games is also making it possible to spacewalk and skydive onto planets from their atmosphere. Spacewalking lets you zoom around with your jetpack, or simply float among the stars, depending on your height.

For the first time in the RPG‘s history, players can experience the vastness of space face-to-face. That’s without finding exploits to get on top of your freighter or out of bounds, of course. Corvettes come in different classes, with the Ambassador tier reigning as the most coveted range of modules to use. If you’re more of a scoundrel, then the Thunderbird class is likely the aesthetic for you.

You can also set Corvettes to autopilot, whether you’re headed toward a specific system or the nearest Space Station for resources. Module parts aren’t cheap, however. The good news is that if you don’t care about tweaking the game’s settings, No Man’s Sky’s custom game menu easily lets you enable free items and more, saving you the hassle of grinding.

Don’t worry, though, you can earn a Corvette the old-fashioned way if you’d prefer. A limited-time community expedition offers exclusive rewards and a new narrative to explore. Hello Games says that it revolves around the following: “Your former starship has been damaged beyond repair, and the Sentinel horde is closing in. Take refuge in your Corvette, your one and only ship, maximise its stats and potential, and fight back against the horde.”

I can’t get over how granular the customization is here. While the method of construction will draw comparisons to Starfield, this is something far better in my opinion. As there is a focus on exploring the galaxy with friends, there is an incentive to add tools and workstations around your Corvette. I don’t feel like I’m just adding stuff for the sake of it, or to please Sarah Morgan.

With No Man’s Sky crossplay fully functional, whether you’re on Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 5, now is the time to get the band together. Elsewhere in the reaches of space, you can also check out our Destiny Rising review for a different flavor of adventure.