Highlights
- No Man's Sky has evolved from a misfire to a masterpiece, offering immersive RPG experiences with diverse ship styles.
- Luck plays a role in finding the best spacecraft in the game, with new ships and content updates keeping players engaged.
- From Shuttles to Interceptors, each ship type has unique characteristics and benefits, catering to different player preferences.
No Man's Sky has transformed itself from a creative misfire to a redeemed masterpiece as one of gaming's greatest evolutions. What started as a limited space simulator has become an immersive RPG. Alongside such changes have come a steady stream of ship styles and classes.
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It's no secret that some ships are more difficult to obtain than others, but this doesn't always make them better. In the game's procedural universe, luck can often strike when players least expect it, as many of the best spacecraft in No Man's Sky can simply be stumbled upon.
Updated July 11, 2024 by Juliet Childers: Hello Games continues to support No Man's Sky with content updates such as their Expeditions. This means new ships, cosmetics, and more for players to get their hands on. But it also means a shuffle in which ship classes remain the most popular among the community.
Has the Interceptor been unseated by a new unique Shuttle? Probably not, but there have been some shake-ups with the introduction of the latest unique Hauler -- The Iron Vulture. There have also been several unique Freighters and Frigates created across Expeditions, but this article only focuses on personal starships that players can find throughout the game.
8 Shuttle
Is Your Air Conditioner Working?
- Inferior to other ships that players can get early on in the game
- Not as aesthetically pleasing as other ship types
Shuttles are comfortable pieces of transport in the continuously expanding open-world sandbox that is the No Man's Sky universe, offering balanced stats but sadly little else. The lack of class bonuses as well as the general blockiness of the ships make them clunky when flying. Jokingly, some members of the NMS community refer to them as "air conditioners" as some can have huge vents on them that resemble air compressors.
There is some variety in terms of engine parts and colors, so shuttles can be cosmetically appealing to some players. However, the huge limits on power and storage -- both critical traits in the late game -- and the fact that players can start with a somewhat better ship make shuttles one of the least popular ship types.
7 Living
A Unique Biomechanical Ship That Leaves Players Wanting
- Expensive to get and upgrade
- The only ship of its kind in the game so far
By far the most difficult ship to acquire, living ships are hatched over multiple days from Void Eggs -- rare items purchasable with quicksilver aboard The Space Anomaly. They require multiple pieces to be assembled and communicated with but offer rich bonuses and highly unique styles that make them eye-catching choices in the game.
Unfortunately, living ships suffer from one huge flaw: traditional upgrades don't work on them. Instead, players must hunt down organic modifications that can take a long time to accumulate. Additionally, the huge initial investment of quicksilver is followed by an eye-watering 10,000 nanites for each subsequent ship. This makes Living ships more status symbols than anything else. Those that have the patience for living ships, however, can create powerful spacecraft rivaled by few others.
6 Exotic
Think "Gotta Catch 'Em All" Instead Of "Look Good, Play Good"
- Always appear as S-class with good stats
- Limited stats compared to certain ship types
Exotic ships are difficult to categorize uniformly as there is such diverse variation among the ships that they look unrelated side-by-side. Some bear a resemblance to a squid while others are tiny little balls of bright colors. What all exotics share, however, is a hugely desirable set of balanced stats and the fact that they always spawn as S-class.
Exotic ships can also spawn with a variety of bonuses and, coupled with their visually striking appearances, remain a popular pickup for most players. By the late game, the hundred-or-so million unit price isn't an issue, so exotic ships are a worthwhile vessel to keep in any starship collection -- even if they are more for display than use.
5 Fighter
A Solid Starter Ship Players Love But Outgrow Quickly
- Lore appropriate for Travelers and Anomalies and good for dogfighting in space
- Limited stats compared to some other ship types
Aggressive attack vessels that offer a potential damage bonus, the fighter is the first ship players start with in No Man's Sky and is a smart choice for much of the hostile early game. Fighters tend to appear with sleek wings and sci-fi shapes that make them the primary choice not just for newly resurrected anomalies but also for the many pirates that may desire valuable cargo.
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Fighters are strong choices for gamers wishing to play as outlaws or space marauders, but their lack of hyperdrive bonuses, as well as the rare tendency for the ship design to affect first-person visibility, makes them an acquired taste for seasoned veterans or explorers in No Man's Sky.
4 Hauler
Interceptors Aren't The Only Ships That Can Hover Now
- A great jack-of-all-trades with solid aesthetics
- Fantastic inventory size and overall tankiness compared to other ships
In earlier updates, haulers were critical ships in a player's fleet, offering nigh unmatchable storage capacity, even if their overall jump range and speed could be very weak. With the more recent updates making ship gameplay more or less universal, much of what made haulers so inviting has become redundant.
Despite this, haulers still benefit from a shield-absorption bonus that can make them damage-taking tanks and do tend to appear with higher-than-average cargo space, making them desirable and expensive to aspiring explorers. What's most interesting about this ship class is that the No Man's Sky: Adrift expansion debuted a unique Hauler called The Iron Vulture. It can hover just like Interceptor ships and has a unique cockpit that has players very excited about ship customization possibilities.
3 Explorer
A Fantastic (If Limited) All-Rounder With Ample Inventory
- Unique aesthetics mixed with more economic fuel costs
- Not as well suited to combat as other ship types
Explorers are for those who want to see every corner of The Universe in No Man's Sky. They boast a class bonus that increases the range of their hyperdrives and have excellent launch costs and maneuverability for those who find themselves in fight-or-flight circumstances.
Explorer ships usually have large engines mixed with tiny wings or cockpits, giving them a unique look that stands out from the other ships available. For a reliable, if occasionally outclassed, vessel that can reach great distances, there is no better ship than the explorer.
2 Solar (Sail)
Sleek And Aesthetic With Solid Stats And One Drawback
- The only ship type with its unique sail technology that augments fuel costs
- "Look good, play good" definitely applies here
Usually found in outlaw systems, solar ships are always equipped with a Vesper Sail, a unique piece of technology that allows them to slowly recharge launch thrusters at no cost. It makes these ships valuable exploration vessels, especially if gamers want to visit many inhospitable planets, and the pulse drive bonuses that accompany these unique sails are excellent additions, too.
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They may have fewer bonuses to shields and hyperdrive efficiency, but they make up for this with unique landing animations that spread the solar sails like a ship at sea. For those willing to brave the dangers of outlaw systems, the solar ship is a worthwhile prize.
1 Interceptor (Sentinel)
Intimidating Looks Come At The Cost Of Unique Item Requirements
- Sentinel ships repurposed for players with Cylon-style aesthetics
- Requires unique materials for construction and repair (like the Living ship)
The most recent ship class to join No Man's Sky, Interceptor ships are high-tech beasts that contain unique technology and aggressive designs that mirror the machines they were once used by (Sentinels). Although they don't make use of the traditional base technologies or materials, Interceptors can still be upgraded with the upgrades available at space stations, bridging the gap between Living ship and base game vessel uniqueness.
The former Sentinel ships require an extensive list of construction materials to repair them for use, but these are almost all acquired through combat with Sentinels and their corrupted counterparts. The unique first-person interfaces, animations, and powerful class bonuses make Interceptors one of the finest choices around when it comes to player travel in No Man's Sky.
No Man's Sky
Adventure
Action
Survival
- Platform(s)
- Switch , PC , Xbox One , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X , PS4 , PS5
- Released
- August 9, 2016
- Developer(s)
- Hello Games
