Accepting A Game For What It Is, Not What It Should Be

No Man’s Sky finally hits the shelves this week, following years of painstaking development from Hello Games to provide a finished product which attempts to live up to the lofty ambitions demonstrated back at E3.

Initial responses to the game are mixed, as expected. Whether it survives the initial barriers of repetitive gameplay, or if indeed there are updates to add further mechanics to the game, remains to be seen.

That isn’t why I’m here, however. I’m here to talk about those seemingly slating the game for being what it is. There are already calls for so many in-game additions for No Mans Sky, in a bid to make the game that people wanted it to be:

“I hope they add Multiplayer. I hope they add factions, space battles, the ability to destroy planets…”.

Stop.

Those ideas are nice, but it’s a completely different game. That isn’t what you bought. If you’re unhappy with what you bought, vent your fury at yourself for buying it. You’ve done your research, you’ve read into the game and you know what the game will involve. To be disappointed by the execution is fine, but to be disappointed by the mechanics or elements involved is something else entirely.

If you want intergalactic shoot outs, find yourself a game which promises that. If you want to create civilisations, factions and rule the galaxy…find a game that offers that. Don’t be angry at a dev for not including it when they haven’t promised to do so.

Star Wars Battlefront was another game that fell victim to this. Promising no Single Player campaign from the off, repeatedly, some areas of the gaming community were outraged when it didn’t appear in the final version — or indeed the DLC. They felt it wasn’t a worthy sequel to Star Wars Battlefront II…but it was never meant to be a sequel. It’s a completely different game!

The accusations that EA released half a game or an incomplete game because of it are so far wide of the mark. EA delivered exactly what they said they would; a fast paced multiplayer experience in the Star Wars universe.

Again, you’re welcome to debate the execution (many felt the multiplayer weapon offering was weak compared to Battlefield, I would agree), but to slate the company for not having a single player campaign which they vocally stated would not be in the game is just madness.

Sometimes you just need to accept games for what they are, and not slate them because of what they could have been.