Games

NMS is ok. I play it from time-to-time, and probably have 10s of hours in it. In survival mode, it feels similar to subnautica; or I guess most survival games (I personally haven't played many). The breadth of mechanics is huge, but they all lack depth. Combat on ground and in space is very simplistic, for instance. Space combat is just pressing a button to have your ship auto-lock on a target, pressing another button to switch between anti-shield and anti-hull weapons, then pressing the shoot button. I really don't like the cartoonish aesthetics of the other sentient alien races, or my character.

I used to really like the Freespace and Wing Commander games when I was a kid; and haven't really played anything comparable (i.e. high production value with good stories and voice actors).

I've played X4, just for maybe an hour or so, and it seems like it's another sandbox-like game.

Just play NMS. Get it on sale if the price is a concern. It's neat.

I fucking love No Man's Sky. I play video games to relax. Most of the time I ignore objectives and find my own way around. I used to follow people and creatures around Skyrim. I had been playing a ton of Red Dead Redemption 2 just to go ride hourses and look at stuff. My friend Trudi had me play 20 minutes or so on her computer and I bought my copy that day. I have been playing it off and on for a few years now.

Depends on what you want out of the game. Freelancer is old, but it's still one of the best experiences you can get. If you really want to feel like a nobody pilot going from rags to riches, X4 or Elite: Dangerous can scratch itch, but both have considerable learning curves, with X4 allowing you to own space stations and pilot anything from fighters to frigates.

I wouldn't base your decision on what Lemmy says. They're pretty unreasonably salty about the game. Reviews from players are very positive and the game's only $23 right now.

• Despite what they're saying,, there is actually a lot of legitimately interesting and sometimes fantastical biomes and this update has added even more.
• There are a lot of different parts of the game that you can pretty casually engage in. Various missions, settlements, settlement management, ship collecting, manufacturing, fleet management, trading, piracy, archeology, and more.
• It's a relaxation game for me. Just hop on, pick a direction, and go. Do whatever piques your interest in the moment.

If "casual" and "relaxing" are dirty words for you, then it probably isn't up your alley. It's certainly not going to be intense and action packed (though it does have its moments). But it's a good game if you, like me, sometimes get tired of the sweaty online shit, crunchy brain melting games, and the overall weight of life in the real.

There’s a lot of different types of space sims. What kind of gameplay are you looking for?

I'm enjoying x4. I also liked Elite Dangerous but that one was more limited in what you could do. They have added more in the years since I've played it though

Not really a sim, but def a fan of space games. Void Crew has been great.

Depending on what you want, Freespace 2 and all its mods/updates are still excellent. Wing Commander Saga is a standalone game based on it of remarkable quality.