Reading about NMS, I can't help but draw a personal comparison between it and Overwatch. From what I've seen, the critics say similar things about both: They cast a wide net, but have the depth of a puddle.
If one considered just the games themselves, they'd probably be right. Served cold, Overwatch boasts innovative mechanics and a unique artstyle; but has no campaign mode, no ability to play against bots, next to no options for custom games, and essentially zero ingame story. However, to end it there would be downright criminal when one considers the incredible amount of extra content Blizzard has created to flesh out the gameworld. I'm talkin' webcomics, animated shorts; even a full-fledged, printed comic book coming out this year! And don't even get me started on the fanbase. From dozens of in-jokes, voiceovers of fan-comics, and heaping mountains of fanart (And the porn. Can't forget about the porn.), the Overwatch fandom is one of the largest and dedicated I've ever seen. It really gives you the impression that the game has a soul, which is something I haven't said since those halcyon days of Halo 3.
Now let's try NMS on for size. Again, an extremely innovative concept (It's like Elite crossed with Noctis IV!), but at its heart it's very simple: You walk around planets, collect resources, shoot robots; then you hop in your ship, fly around space, trade resources, and blast pirates. I hear there are gonna be some interesting features (like warring factions), which is nice, but like all procedurally-generated games they're likely gonna be nearly identical to each other. And on that note, I can't help but wonder what the devs were thinking when they said we wouldn't be able to customize our ships. Like, for Pete's sake, it's 2016: At least give us the option to put some stickers on it a la Forza Motorsport. The lack of customization in a game that has you spend most of your time alone is more than insulting; it's enough to dissuade me from preordering it.
I want the game to succeed. I really do, despite being its dev's first project. But my only fear is that it's gonna end up for most people like solo Minecraft did for me: A lonely game, with unrewarding exploration and nothing worthwhile to look forward to.
