I’m not usually one to write down my grievances with video games, but the release of 4.0 was so disappointing I feel I need to get up on my soapbox and give my opinion, especially since others are telling those of us against the 4.0 update that how we feel is an overreaction.

I installed NMS when it was added to game pass, and since then I’ve gotten 500+ hours under my belt as an interloper. I’ve learned the ins and outs of this game. I’ve hunted for my perfect ship, spent hours reloading for an elusive S-Class freighter, and figured out adjacency bonuses to really unlock my gear’s full potential. Every update I’ve played has had me singing praise for NMS, and 4.0 sounded like it would be no different. It promised a streamlined UI, higher level caps, and major QoL changes. After playing it I feel lied to. 4.0 did not feel like the step forward it was supposed to be. Instead, it was more like three big steps back.

The new inventory system completely ruined the gear I spent so long finding, leveling, and perfecting. Over 2/3 of my tech upgrades were removed from my gear, upgrades I spent hours hunting for down in the depths of derelict freighters and across the galaxies space stations were rendered completely useless. I’ve seen people saying that we didn’t need our maxed out gear, and that this change wasn’t a big deal, and maybe they’re partly right. We didn’t need maxed gear, but we wanted it, so we put in the extra time and effort to level up our gear and perfect it and make it ours. Now it’s all gone, and the time and effort we spent is wasted.

To add insult to injury, the new UI makes it harder to try and salvage what I can from my equipment. It feels like a total downgrade from the legacy UI. The inventory tabs were cleaner, felt much better to use, and moving stuff around in them was efficient and easy. The new one-page inventory feels claustrophobic, and the page scrolls too fast on console to move anything around effectively. It’s been a pain in the ass to try and fix my stuff with this new “streamlined” UI, and I’m wishing I could switch it back.

This update broke my heart. I’ve loved playing this game, exploring its vast galaxies on my quest through the cosmos and leaving my small mark on the wonderful worlds I’ve visited, but I feel like I cant play the game in its current state. I sincerely hope Hello Games will do what they can to try and fix this, and in the future think about both new and old players when making updates.

As a final word, if you aren’t happy with 4.0, please don’t use it as an excuse to be rude to or harass the NMS devs. If you are messaging them, remember that they are real people with real feelings. With that being said, I’m done here.

Phoenix out.

During the covid lockdown I’d play a ton of NMS with my father. Living overseas it was a great way to connect. We built these crazy settlements and massive towers. I had about 150 hours in the game. He had well over 3000 hours, was a billionaire infinite times over, every ship, carriers with farms of every crop in the game as far as the eye could see. He had about 400 bases, all decked out in the pimpest shit in the game, and probably the biggest water base I’ve ever seen in NMS as well. Guy was 78 and gamed hard.

He passed away few months ago and it hit me pretty hard. I completely forgot about NMS as we hadn’t played for a while together. He told me in a casual conversation previously that he had deleted his NMS account completely becasue he wanted a new challenge. I was a little disappointed he had done it because it meant the bases we built together would suddenly be half built, but I understood.

A week ago I logged in just to check if it was all gone and it was. Just open fields and trees. Still looked beautiful so I accepted it.

Off the cuff I decided to look at the first base I had built. My dad had also built a base nearby but I had forgotten about it.

I landed in an acid storm. I had forgotten the buttons and my suit wasn’t ready for it and was dieing quick. Just as I was about to die I spotted a hologram of a buggy. But I didnt own a buggy at this base.

I turned the corner and there was his first base. I ran inside just before I died. For whatever reason his first base was still there and it saved my ass just in time. Still full of all his statues and gardens and exotic ships.

I sat on the couch upstairs. As I stared out the window, the acid rain stopped and the sun came out.

Definitely one of my favorite moments in gaming.