Warning: Major spoilers ahead for "No Man's Sky." Obviously.
When I meet new people and tell them I write about video games for a living, they immediately bring up one of two things: Pokémon Go or "No Man's Sky." They're the two games that seem to have captured the imaginations of those who otherwise don't follow the gaming industry that closely.
The idea of exploring a vast and nearly infinite number of planets is undoubtedly an exciting premise for a video game, but there's one other thing that's kept people interested in "No Man's Sky" - the mystery of exactly what's at the center of the universe. In just about every bit of marketing for "No Man's Sky," this mystery is touted as the ultimate goal of the game.
Well, for those of you who are curious about it but don't have the hours to pour in, here's exactly what happens when you get there.
You enter a new universe and basically start over from scratch.
I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but it turns out the center of the universe is a bit anticlimactic.
Essentially, once you zip your way from planet to planet and get close to the center - which takes a ton of travel time, harvesting of materials, crafting of upgraded ship parts, etc. - you'll have the option to warp to the universe's center.
When you do so, you'll watch a cutscene that lasts about three minutes, complete with a triumphant choir and an increasingly energetic drum beat, showing you rapidly zooming through space, seemingly away from the center.
Eventually, you discover that you've entered a new region of space, called the "Hilbert Galaxy." You'll find yourself on the surface of a new planet, surrounded by your now completely broken equipment, in a nearly identical way to how the game begins.
And that's pretty much it.
Wait, so what was the point?
Understandably, a lot of people are pretty upset at this ending. They feel let down, as if they were misled to think that something profound about the nature of the game's world would be revealed, only to essentially have their game reset.
Are they right to feel misled? Yes and no.
Throughout the game, you'll come across characters as a part of a series of quests who remind you to continue journeying to the center of the universe. In this way, the goal of reaching the universe's center is more than just marketing hype separate from the game itself.
Certainly, the journey to the center of the universe was touted as having some kind of solid answer, but anyone who's played "No Man's Sky" for an extended amount of time will tell you that playing it with a concrete goal in mind is a surefire way to get frustrated. Instead, the joy of playing "No Man's Sky" comes from the process of discovery. It's a series of slow, patient journeys rather than sprint to a finish line. In a way, the game's ending just re-inforces that point even more.
So, if the mystery of what's at the heart of the universe is the only reason you're playing, the ending will probably be a disappointment. But don't fret too much. Take this spoiler as a pass to continue exploring as slowly and lackadaisically as you want!
Basically, don't rush to the center of the universe, because there's not really much there.
YouTuber ShoSho uploaded a full video of what happens when you reach the universe's center, which we've embedded below.