This week sees the long-awaited arrival of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune in UK cinemas, and, not to be outdone, No Man’s Sky is getting in on the big, wormy sci-fi action too, giving its burrowing space sausages a terrifying makeover as part of its latest update.
This newest addition to Hello Games’ ever-expanding exploratory space sim is described by the developer as an ‘accidental’ Halloween update, and primarily takes the form of a brand-new limited-time Expedition event, titled Emergence – the first to feature narrative elements.
“Across the universe, planets have been blighted by the activity of Titan Worms,” explains Hello Games. “These colossal sandworms plough through the desert sands, blacking out the sun as they arc overhead, and defiling the very terrain with their cursed dust.”
Emergence strands players on Wasan, a barren, sandworm-infested planet ravaged by dust storms. Here, they’ll follow the threads of a dark narrative as they attempt to defeat the titanic creatures and rid the planet of cursed dust. “Locate the Titan Worm impact sites, destroy the wretched Hungering Tendrils, and collect the Vile Spawn that lingers behind,” teases Hello Games, before ominously adding, “The vessels of the many mouths must be purged!”.