No Man's Sky: Adrift - Best New Features (2024)

No Man’s Sky has the dubious honor of being one of the most-hated space games immediately post-launch. Yet despite this notoriously rocky start, the game is still going strong almost a decade later. Hello Games has earned the respect of the NMS community by addressing all the launch issues, and constantly delivering fresh new content for free.

New content in this game comes in the form of major updates, the latest of which is the Adrift update. This brings some new items to the game, and a great new expedition in a deserted universe. Overall, this is one of the better No Man’s Sky updates, and has been well received by the player base. Here's what gamers love about it most.

7 New Stealth Paint

Cool New Paint Job For Ships

The No Man’s Sky: Orbital update added ship customization to the game. This includes both the design of the ship, and also the paint job. The No Man’s Sky: Adrift update builds on this new addition, by giving players a new paint job as a reward.

The new stealth paint has a camouflaged look, and can be applied to any ship that the player currently owns. This is one of the best rewards given out in this update, especially for players that lack the artistic flair to design their own using the ship customization terminal.

6 New Base Decorations

Scatter Damaged Starship Parts Around

One of the most enjoyable aspects of No Man’s Sky, for many players, is the base building mechanics. Bases are functional, and are even required to achieve certain goals in the game. However, nobody wants to live in an unattractive base. Players can use the various decorations to place around their base, helping to spruce it up.

No Man’s Sky: Adrift adds several new base decorations to the game. All of these are wrecked ship parts of various shapes and sizes. Players who like to build a base with a lived-in look might like to give these a try.

5 Gnawing Scuttler Pet

Not Exactly Cute

Players who complete certain goals in the new expedition that forms part of the No Man’s Sky: Adrift update will receive an Appalling Egg as a reward. This isn’t just an oddity or decoration, it is a live egg that can hatch a Gnawing Scuttler, a type of player-owned pet.

The Gnawing Scuttler is vaguely insect-like in terms of looks, but it does have some possibilities once it has been fully raised and trained. It can adapt to either the Nightmarish or Soul-Consuming states. Depending on which of these traits it evolves to have, it could become quite good over time.

4 No NPC Mode

Play No Man’s Sky Alone

The No Man’s Sky: Adrift update gives players a completely new way to experience the game. This comes in the form of an alternate reality, where there are no other sentient beings anywhere. The player is completely alone.

There are still buildings, space stations, and other locations where NPCs would be located, but they are all empty and derelict. Although it can be quite pleasant not to keep bumping into funny-looking NPCs, this game mode does add some challenges. For example, the player won’t be able to purchase items from vendors, or take missions, since there's nobody to sell items or give objectives.

3 Awesome New Frigate

S Class Ghost Frigate

The Foundation update introduced player-owned freighters to No Man's Sky. Further updates expanded the player’s capital ship capabilities by allowing them to recruit fleets of frigates, which can be sent on missions.

In No Man’s Sky: Adrift, the player can unlock a brand-new frigate to add to their fleet. This is a unique ghost ship frigate, which has a spooky, vaporous look about it. Despite its odd looks, it is incredibly capable, being an S class capital ship. It is a great new addition to any player’s freighter fleet.

2 Iron Vulture Ship

Styled On The Razor Crest

Hands down, the best reward that players can get in the No Man’s Sky: Adrift update is a brand-new Hauler ship, which is named the Iron Vulture. This is an S class ship with a unique model. It is intended to give players a useful platform for exploring a universe with no NPCs.

The Iron Vulture is styled on the Razor Crest, the iconic Star Wars ship flown by Din Djarin in Star Wars: TheMandalorian. This is a fantastic new ship that all players will want to add to their collection.

1 Great New Adrift Expedition

Quick To Complete With Good Rewards

Every new No Man’s Sky major update has an associated expedition. These expeditions are a series of linked challenges that the player can complete to unlock all the rewards added in the update.

This is a pretty short expedition, as far as No Man’s Sky expeditions go. Experienced players should be able to complete it in 3 or 4 hours. Many of the challenges revolve around following a series of galactic waypoints to reach certain rendezvous locations, completing tasks along the way.

No Man's Sky

Platform(s)

Switch , PC , Xbox One , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X , PS4 , PS5

Released

August 9, 2016

Developer(s)

Hello Games

Engine

Proprietary