No Man’s Sky might rank as the best comeback story in gaming. The highly ambitious space exploration game went from a mediocre launch to… well, 2024 by adding more than players could have asked for – all for free. Aquarius, the game’s latest update, adds something completely unexpected. Fishing.
It’s an odd thing to find in a game that has let players explore derelict spaceships, mine planets (extensively), discover entirely new universes, build bases, and learn alien languages (very slowly) but it’s also a welcome addition. Instead of facing off against automated guards, you can relax and throw a line in.
Sign of Aquarius
Players will still be toting their customised suits while they do so. Aquarius builds on previous updates that upgraded the game’s water to introduce various fish species that can be hooked and dragged to shore. These range from manageable to massive but since this takes place in space, there’s some tech involved to get your catch to shore.
No Man’s Sky‘s Aquarius update adds a customisable fishing skiff that players can use as a platform to fish from. It also has its own storage, meaning you can go deep-sea fishing for truly large prey. The Exo-Skiff hovers over the water, letting players heave in various baits (there’s an all-new bait mechanic now) in search of the one that got away.
As is usual with developer Hello Games, that’s not all. The update also adds new recipes, fishing traps, floating messages in bottles (why this is a thing while exploring space isn’t explained), and also a whole new catalogue system so you can prove that you really did pull in that monster on an uncharted backwater nobody will ever see but you.
Also included, among other updates, is a new deep-sea diving suit and the Aquarius quest line that runs for the next six weeks. The latter provides players with custom fishing tackle when they complete it. It might be time to venture back into No Man’s Sky. Again.