Skip to main content

Can Wonderstruck’s ‘Boundless’ succeed where ‘No Man’s Sky’ did not?

No Man’s Sky released to a decidedly lukewarm reception earlier this year, with critics pointing out the game’s repetitiveness, lack of content, and somewhat homogeneous procedurally generated worlds. Boundless, produced by developer Wonderstruck, coming soon to PC and PlayStation 4, looks like it could deliver much of what fans were expecting when No Man’s Sky released in August.

Unlike the solo adventures of No Man’s Sky, Boundless takes place in a single, online universe described by developer Wonderstruck as a “huge graph.” Worlds begin as unsettled regions that must be developed by individual players.

Recommended Videos

“Claim a plot of land to build and protect your first home. Then gather together in a guild to claim enough land to construct a city,” said director James Austin on the PlayStation Blog. “If your city is the most prestigious on the planet then you claim the title of its capital and rule the world.”

The goal of the game, however, is not just to rule an individual planet, but to reign over the entire universe. Players can even dictate the economics of the world — unlike the AI-controlled shops of No Man’s Sky, every shop in Boundless is created and stocked by another player.

Planets in Boundless appear to have the bright, varied color palettes we’ve come to expect from science fiction, but individual components bear more resemblance to Minecraft than anything else, with cube-shaped structures and wildlife that appear almost like plastic action figures. The sky-boxes on display, which show off beautiful planets in the distance, are not just for show. Any planet you see can be traveled to, and once you’ve visited it, you can place a Totem there to create a link capable of instantly transporting you back.

In addition to predatory creatures, you’ll also run into “impossibly huge” enemies known as “Titans.” These behemoths must be climbed by multiple players in order to be defeated, almost like a multiplayer Shadow of the Colossus. Get some friends — you’re going to need the help.

Boundless is currently available in Steam Early Access, and will see its full launch on PC and PlayStation 4 in 2017.

Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
PS5 restock update: Where you can buy a PS5 right now
PS5 and DualSense art.

When the PlayStation 5 first launched back in November 2020, it was nearly impossible to get your hands on the highly anticipated console. Despite demand being through the roof, chip shortages heavily cut production -- and due to sustained consumer interest, it was a problem that plagued the PS5 for years after launch.

Thankfully, we're happy to report that those issues have largely been resolved, making it pretty easy to grab a PS5 these days. The launch of the PS5 Pro has ignited another buying frenzy, and with Black Friday coming up, Sony has even cut the price of the base PS5.

Read more
Analyst believes Nintendo can succeed in Palworld lawsuit
A pal aiming a gun in Palworld.

Nintendo shocked the video game industry this week when it announced a lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair for infringing on "multiple patent rights." While Nintendo hasn't revealed with patents it believes Pocketpair infringed upon -- and Pocketpair has no idea either -- one analyst thinks that Nintendo will probably win out in the end.

In an interview with 404 Media, Serkan Toto, the CEO of Japan game industry consulting company Kantan Games, said that the video game conglomerate has a history of suing other companies on patent grounds. While some cases may have been settled out of court, the point is that Nintendo succeeds in some form, whether by getting licensing fees or getting a game, app, or product taken down.

Read more
Now No Man’s Sky now has fishing, too
A No Man's Sky player character in an orange suit fishing on a raft in front of an orange sky.

Everybody loves fishing minigames (so we've heard), and now No Man's Sky has one. Developer Hello Games announced a new fishing update coming to the game for free, and it will being along fish farming and a limited-time expedition.

The fishing in the Aquarius update is about what you'd expect if you've fished in any other video game. You take your fishing rod and equipment, explore different bodies of water and biomes, and see what you can catch. Different kinds of bait can also help you catch rare fish, which you can use to help fill up your fishing log. You can also compare your stats against others with an update to the Wonders Catalogue, which now includes your fishing records.

Read more