No Mans Sky meets Alien with the quiet addition of “biological horrors”

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No Man’s Sky has multiplayer (opens in new tab) now, and you’ll probably want some friends with you in case you encounter one of the unpublicised new features in the big NEXT update. That way someone can hear you scream when you discover your first swarm of biological horrors. I’m not trying to sensationalize anything here, that’s what they’re called: biological horrors.

Reports have started filtering out online of players who encountered the creatures. You should read this whole Twitter thread (opens in new tab) from Hypnospace Outlaw narrative designer Xalavier Nelson Jr., who harvested mysterious eggs on an allegedly lifeless planet with amazing foolhardiness, but here’s a highlight: 

Again, not to overstate this, but:BIOLOGICAL*HORROR*HORNED BEINGS WITH UNREADABLE VITALS THAT MOVED FAR FASTER THAN THEIR LEGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CARRY THEMLIFELESS PLANET *MY ASS* pic.twitter.com/Y9BhB7jUICJuly 25, 2018

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And here’s a video of a player narrowly escaping from one; if you evade the horrors for long enough, the swarm will subside. But they’re still down there… somewhere. 

The stats that show up if you manage to keep your cool long enough to scan them tell quite a story on their own: 

• Burrowing Monstrosity
• Behavior: Apex predator
• Diet: Hypercarnivore
• Notes: Night vision

A hypercarnivorous apex predator who can see you in the dark? No problem. Nooooo problem. But if you thought a horned beast from space chasing you around and trying to eat you wasn’t bad enough, they’re just as horrifying if you manage to escape into your ship. They have this awful way (opens in new tab) of standing right outside your cockpit and staring in, directly at you. Sizing you up. Then sometimes they clip through your ship, so, uh, maybe it’s a bug. But it’s still super creepy. 

No Man’s Sky has grown in many ways since it launched two years ago – a deeper narrative, base building, community led Star Fleet-style federations (opens in new tab), and now even true multiplayer. But “surprise horror game” might take the cake for its least expected transformation. I know I’ll give any “Whispering Eggs” I find in my travels a wide berth.

Suddenly finding yourself interested in No Man’s Sky again? Check out this interview with Sean Murray about No Man’s Sky’s shaky past and bright future (opens in new tab).