Space is still one of those hard to conquer things when it comes to making it both palatable and possible for players in games for many genres.
What is the best way to explore it? Is it by ship? Is it by planet-to-planet location? Is it a combination of the two or none of the above?
While the answer is still up in the air for the time being, plenty of games have made an admirable effort to let us see the final frontier and all the fruits that it may bear. We’ve seen realistic depictions of the universe to over the top, alien-filled craziness and everywhere in between.
We’re going to check out the games that do space exploration the best, whether it be by land or in the air where no one can hear you scream.
8 Mass Effect: Andromeda
Charting the Galaxy
Yes I know, my face is tired too, but if you look past that, Mass Effect: Andromeda is actually a pretty solid game with some of the best space exploration there is.
These planets are gorgeous and mysterious, teeming with mysteries to uncover, quests to embark upon and a lot of rewarding exploration either in the form of lore or research points to acquire. Occasionally, you’ll run into some monstrous challenges while exploring, making the feeling of landing on each of the new planets a thrilling endeavor each time you do so.
While there aren’t a ton of planets to explore, they are wildly detailed, with different biomes, habitats and atmospheres that add so much to the feeling that you are discovering somewhere, new, ancient and familiar all at the same time. This game gets a lot wrong for sure, but the space exploration is among the best there is.
7 Star Citizen
All the Potential in the World
While it has yet to see a full release nearly 8 years after entering early access, Star Citizen presents an absolutely staggering amount of freedom when it comes to space exploration. You can seamlessly fly from space to landing on planets, firing weapons from orbit to see the marks they make on the ground and so much more.
The graphics are breathtaking and while the long, long-awaited campaign isn’t quite ready to be played yet, it will theoretically be ready to go in 2026. In the meantime, you have a space sandbox to explore, with thrilling space battles, amazingly creepy and weird locations to explore on foot, and you really get the feeling of being a space explorer in this game.
It takes the word ambitious and spits on it, and that’s an understatement. The visuals are some of the best in gaming today and the whole color tone and vibe the game gives off is just magical. If this thing ever actually releases, we could be looking at a game of the year candidate.
6 Everspace 2
The Galactic Journey
Everspace 2 gives you a vast galaxy to explore from the seat of a variety of different ships and while you won’t be exploring places on foot, that doesn’t mean that the experience isn’t epic in every way.
This is the best ship combat that space exploration games have to offer, so expect fast-paced dog fights, high-speed chases through asteroid fields and confrontations with the unknown while playing through Everspace 2.
It’s an amazing amount of freedom and the controls are tight and allow for precise maneuvering, which you will more than appreciate when the action kicks up and your screen becomes a medley of lasers and explosions.
You’ll get a great mix of exploration, combat and some sharp graphics as well with Everspace 2. If you’re looking to explore the galaxy in a ship with a story to push you along, this is a great way to do it.
5 EVE Online
Scope and Strategy
EVE Online is a massive online space simulation game that has a huge community even though the game is 22 years old. It has had some crazy, famous battles where hundreds of thousands of dollars of real money was lost in the process.
Still, capitalism problems aside, you can explore an endless galaxy and go to war, become a trader, become a space bandit, do pretty much whatever you’d like.
It is intimidating, to say the least. The scope is just so enormous and overwhelming that you might not know where to start, and the game isn’t the most forgiving in that way.
You will need to be prepared to be attacked by other players, and overcome the various challenges that being a traveler through space can present, so a guide is definitely suggested before diving in here. If you’re ready to learn a bit though, the result is incredibly rewarding.
4 Outer Wilds
Alone in the Universe
Outer Wilds is an amazing experience that is so much more than just a space exploration game. It’s a mystery that unfolds in a brilliant way, giving you the feeling of wonder that few games manage to achieve.
There is some amazing space exploration here and while the scale is not really on par with what the others on this list will provide, it’s the detail that counts here.
Every planet is a fascinating experience, and the feeling of being somewhere truly alien is something that Outer Worlds does better than any game out there. It’s a mystery that unfolds in a brilliant way.
I don’t want to say much about the story because the discovery is part of it, but I will say that it’s a one of a kind experience in the gaming world, and how often do you get to experience something like that?
3 No Man’s Sky
The Space Fantasy
-
- Released
- August 9, 2016
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Animated Blood
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Cross-Platform Play
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- PC Release Date
- August 12, 2016
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- November 10, 2020
- PS5 Release Date
- November 19, 2020
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- October 7, 2022
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- June 5, 2025
- How Long To Beat
- 30.5 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 20.36 GB (September 2024)
- Metascore
- 83
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- Supported VR Headsets
- Sony PlayStation VR, Sony PlayStation VR2, Valve Index, HP Reverb G2, HTC Vive Pro 2, HTC VIVE Cosmos, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
- 150 hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
No Man’s Sky is one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had in gaming. In both VR and flatscreen, you can explore an infinite universe. That is not hyperbole, as this procedurally generated wonder gives you endless different biomes to explore with unique aliens that never seem to repeat.
Since its controversial launch, No Man’s Sky has gotten countless free updates that add more and more to the universe, so now there are terrifying sandworms, epic space battles, a much more involved story, options to turn off material requirements and so much more that make the experience just more enjoyable.
The colors in this game are just gorgeous, and the art style is something all of its own, feeling alien in the perfect way, and you can never not be excited while soaring through space as the soundtrack picks up and sends you into an intergalactic trance of euphoria as you come upon another new planet to explore.
2 Starfield
Skyrim in Space
While Starfield has its share of issues, the feeling you get while exploring space here is hard to match. While it is separated by loading screens, it’s still incredibly immersive with amazing visuals. Piloting your ship from either first or third person view and the ability to land on any planet and explore it to the fullest is just amazing.
Yes, the procedural generation does get old after a little while for sure, but it takes a good amount of time before you start seeing repeated areas and even so, there is usually a new tweak, a new item to find, new armor, or something to catch your eye and keep the exploration fun and different.
While you’re traveling through space, you will also be able to encounter other ships, who may demand a payment for being in that area of space, or maybe a ship asking for help. Maybe you help out, or maybe you rob them and kill everyone on the ship. It’s up to you, and it’s an awesome discovery each time it happens.
1 Elite Dangerous
The Real Universe
Elite Dangerous has a 1:1 replication of the entire universe, so if you’re looking for the most realistic space exploration possible, this is where you’re going to find it. Emphasis on the realistic part, because just starting up the game is a mission in itself. You will be piloting a ship throughout space, and it’s so intricate that you will need a real-life instruction manual to figure out just how to do that.
Most of the game is about you piloting a ship, but thanks to an update in recent years, you can actually explore planets on foot as well, with some relatively decent first-person shooting to boot.
It’s a gargantuan game on its scale, and it’s all multiplayer, so you can encounter other players at any time, and you can have voyages that literally last hours if you want to find specific planets.
There are missions to take on, other people to encounter and planets to explore on foot, and it’s one of the most hardcore and realistic depictions of what it may be like to explore throughout space.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
