Due to the recent release of Starfield by Bethesda Softworks, the craze for space exploration and games based on cosmic journeys has increased significantly. Despite Starfield being a revolutionary title in many aspects, it also takes a lot from classics of the genre, like Eve: Online and No Man’s Sky. This is why today we are trying to answer the question: Starfield vs. No Man’s Sky – which game’s better? Let’s get straight into it!

• Release Date: September 6, 2023

• Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

• Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X|S, Steam

• Metascore: 86

Starfield is the latest and biggest Bethesda launch in many years. It has provoked such commotion that millions of people around the world were eager to try it and check out what it has to offer. SPOILERS! Starfield does not disappoint from any point of view.

Starfield follows the tradition of games like Elite: Dangerous and EVE Online, in which you traverse the universe or a vast galaxy looking for resources and expanding your knowledge about the mysteries of the cosmos.

Starfield is the arrival point of games like the previous since it picks the best aspects of both titles and improves them significantly. 

Starfield Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.

• Release Date: August 9, 2016

• Developer: Hello Games

• Publisher: Hello Games

• Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, macOS, iPadOS

• Metascore: 77

No Man’s Sky, contrary to Starfield – which was released just a few months ago – is already a classic of space exploration. Here, you control a pioneer who, in a similar sense to the protagonist of Starfield, must find their way across the stars. Still, No Man’s Sky is more focused on survivability. The official site describes this title as built-in five fundamental pillars: exploration, survival, combat, trading, and base building. With this in mind, you know what to expect from No Man’s Sky.

No Man’s Sky is a giant space adventure, even overwhelming since its scale is immeasurable. Yet, it offers a great sense of joy and gives you the opportunity to build your path across planets, moons, and more.  

No Man’s Sky Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.

Below, we compare crucial aspects of both games. This way, you can know what game fits your taste better.

This is a tough one since both space games are mostly based on space exploration. So, we have to stick to the evidence. No Man’s Sky, as a realistic space game, presents 18 quintillion planets to explore. This is because all the planets’ possibilities are procedurally generated, so you’ll visit a different planet every time you land on one. Besides, No Man’s Sky has more than 6 years of existence, so it has been updated to improve the experience and add new elements to the planets, such as trading outposts and settlements.

On the other hand, Starfield is a relatively new game, although it has earned millions of followers worldwide. Its condition of being a novice in space exploration turns it into a smaller experience in comparison to No Man’s Sky. For example, Starfield only boasts 1965 planets, which is a significantly smaller number than its space counterpart. However, exploring and scanning is not easy since every planet is meticulously designed with multiple corners, caves, and zones to discover.

Verdict. Despite the above, No Man’s Sky is a clear winner in this regard.

Starfield, like a good Bethesda RPG, is based more on developing characters, completing quests, interacting with non-playable characters, and other role-playing elements. In this sense, Starfield pays special attention to the storyline rather than exploration. Moreover, quests in Starfield that are related to exploring a planetary settlement, finding a crucial element in a vast corner of the universe, etc., are well rewarded with items that make you improve in the gameplay.

Quests in No Man’s Sky tend to be more abstract since you don’t know exactly how to address or complete them. This way, quests do not show exactly where to go, instead allowing you to figure out how to follow the quest path. These circumstances make No Man a more intuitive game than Starfield but also a more nebulous one.

Verdict. Starfield boasts a stronger quest system with multiple details, characters, missions, and more.

Since a big part of Starfield is played from a first-person perspective, it undoubtedly was designed to provide a shooter experience. This is true from the very beginning of the game when you must face and repel an attack of space outlaws. In this sense, Starfield entails competent gunplay, very similar to those you can find in games like Cyberpunk 2077 or even Call of Duty. The system feels smooth, which is an important achievement.

No Man’s Sky, on the other hand, is predominantly played from a third-person perspective. It means the gunplay is a bit more impersonal. Still, No Man’s Sky offers a good gunplay experience full of action and vertigo. Through the years, the third-person shooter genre has significantly improved – thanks to games like Resident Evil 4 or even Fortnite – and No Man’s Sky does not disappoint in this regard.

Verdict. Starfield is a kind of shooter, and it does it very well.

Both titles encompass many worlds you can visit, some small, other gas giants that look very similar to Jupiter or Saturn. Experts in both games say that in Starfield and No Man’s Sky, you can visit over one million planets, which is totally insane! But whether this is true or not, each game presents worlds, systems, and planets from a different point of view.

Starfield is a more realistic experience – if that can be said about a game that takes place in deep space – thus, it contains planets whose atmosphere is similar to Earth or Moon. Grey and brown tones abound, and vegetation is similar to our planet’s.

No Man’s Sky, on the other hand, contains millions of different biomes and environments due to the procedural generation of planets. It includes flora and fauna in unique combinations of textures, colors, illumination, and more.

Verdict. No Man’s Sky is undoubtedly a better game in this regard.

Although these two games stand out for their funny and memorable space battle systems, Starfield boasts a more robust and complete battle structure. It allows you to customize your ship and distribute the power throughout the different components of your spaceship. For example, on certain occasions, you can lead power to weapons and, on other occasions, to shields. This situation makes Starfield space battling very versatile and funny to play.

In the case of No Man’s Sky, space battling is simpler and does not involve major adjustments or factors that make the system complex. Besides, since you cannot build your spaceship in No Man’s Sky, battles feel pretty similar in the entire game.

Despite many players not loving the Starfield battle system, it stands out over its counterpart since it’s more realistic regarding aiming, control sense, damage, sustainability, and more. We have to say that the developers did a great job developing the space struggle.

Verdict. Starfield’s space combat is one of the strongest points of the game. Nothing more to say.

In both titles, you control a star citizen wandering through the galaxy but from a completely different point of view. On one side, Starfield introduces us to a silent protagonist who starts their adventure on a lonely rock in the galaxy while mining crucial resources. From there, becoming a space explorer is just a matter of time.

Starfield is set in a vast portion of the galaxy. It boasts a rich plot that involves the expansion of the human race across the universe and the creation of the United Colonies in 2159, with a very important settlement in Alpha Centauri.

In the voyage across the universe, you‘ll have the opportunity to meet several factions, races, characters, space settlements, like the International Space Station, and more, providing a wide context where the plot can unfold smoothly.

No Man’s Sky is a more organic game from the perspective of a plot that develops as you discover planets, creatures, and alien races. Although No Man has a background that supports facts and events, these seem more like coincidences than events that emanate from the plot. This is not something bad, and it can even be like you if you enjoy more free games where you develop the plot.

Verdict.  Like most Bethesda games and role-playing games, Starfield stands out due to its story, plot, and the context in which events unfold.

Likely, all space games on the market include a scanning system through which you get resources to craft items and equipment or improve your ship. You can also sell the resources you get through mining to get money and improve your performance.

The same story is for Starfield and No Man’s Sky. Regardless of some players saying that Starfield took a lot from No Man’s Sky, most mechanics that both games deliver have been in the sci-fi world for decades. 

Moreover, since in Starfield you control a miner, the importance of mining for resources is the quintessence of the gameplay or at least one of the most relevant aspects of the game. In this sense, Starfield’s system map allows you to see the available resources on any planet.

In No Man’s Sky, mining is equally relevant, but it lacks some features and the depth of the Bethesda game. Although mining in No Man provides a better quality of life to general gameplay, it does not engage gamers like Starfield.

Verdict. Starfield is the perfect combination of mining, scaving for resources, and exploring.

Since Starfield is a role-playing action game. It develops much content based on interactions among characters, crew, and other companions. In this sense, Starfield introduces a dedicated system through which you can assign members of your crew to different activities within your ship or outpost. Each of your crew members has unique abilities and skills that determine what they are good for.

In No Man’s Sky, you also have companions, but they are like pets that can assist you during your planet exploration. They can protect you and help you to find resources, but they have their own needs, like hunger and thirst.

Verdict. Starfield RPG elements give this point to the Bethesda game.

At this point in the article, we must highlight the incredible ship-building that Starfield develops during the entire game. It means you can practically build the spaceship of your dreams with the spare parts you desire. Undoubtedly, you will spend hours and hours tinkering with each aspect of your ship and trying to calibrate its internal systems to get good attack and defense. You can add from storage tanks to shields and even pieces that only have a cosmetic function. In a nutshell, in Starfield’s ship-building system, you can give free rein to your imagination.

Regarding No Man’s Sky, sadly, it does not have any ship-building system. Of course, you can get new ships but only purchase them directly in the market, not build them. Still, purchasing these ships requires you to see them first. Many gamers called this activity “ship hunting.”

Verdict. Starfield provides you the opportunity to create the fleet of your dreams. No doubt that Starfield is the winner. 

We have to bow down for Starfield. The last Bethesda launch has learned from previous entries of the genre and RPGs like Fallout, delivering a great game that does practically everything well. Starfield is one of those games that brings multiple things to the industry and beyond.