VIDEO GAMES ‘No Man’s Sky’ reaches to infinity and beyond

By Derrik J. Lang

AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES

“No Man’s Sky” creator Sean Murray wants everyone in the world to know that his galaxy simulator isn’t merely a ridiculously ambitious idea that’s wowed crowds at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. It’s actually a video game.

“I think people really like the concept, but it’s very important for me to deliver on that,” said the Hello Games co-founder during a recent trip to Los Angeles to show off “No Man’s Sky.”

While the virtual environments in most games are meticulously crafted by artists and designers, “No Man’s Sky” transports players to a fictional sci-fi galaxy populated by an almost infinite number of planets – each with their own ecology – that are generated by a PlayStation 4 or PC using mathematical rules devised by Murray and his Guildford, England-based indie studio.

It’s “Minecraft” meets “The Martian.”

“When we set out to make the game, we wanted people to have this emotion, like they’re landing on a planet and feeling like no one has ever been there before,” said the lanky Irish-born, Australian-raised developer as he demonstrated the game with an almost permanent grin.

With its breathtaking vastness, colorful art style recalling classic sci-fi novel covers and moody score provided by electronic-rock band 65daysofstatic, “No Man’s Sky” captured the gaming industry’s attention in 2014 when it was first teased at the Spike Video Game Awards and E3.

The game, which is scheduled for release June 21, doesn’t feature a traditional narrative. Instead, there’s lore players can uncover when interacting and learning languages from alien races scattered across an estimated 18 quintillion – that’s 18 billion billion – planets.

“It’s not like a typical video game,” said Murray. “You don’t start off in prison, then someone throws you a gun and you have to rescue your dad or something. It’s about finding these places and becoming more engrossed in them.”

For instance, players can record a planet’s lifeforms and upload them to earn the game’s currency. Or they can shoot ’em with a laser gun.

“You can be a good citizen of the universe or you can be a jerk, a space jerk,” said Murray. “It’s up to you.”

However, it’s not consequence-free gameplay. There’s an intergalactic force called Sentinels who will sometimes hunt down players who cause too much mayhem, such as breaking into alien factories to steal blueprints or killing too many dinosaur-like creatures.