No Man’s Sky takes players and drops them in the middle of a virtually endless universe with nothing more than the gear on their backs, a worn down ship, and a taste for adventure. To survive the unknown you’ll have to rely on the stars, your wits, and an arsenal of versatile weapons to help you triumph over any and all threats.
There aren’t a lot of different weapons on offer in No Man’s Sky, but thanks to a large list of modifications that you can apply and upgrade to the different ones available, there are a lot of opportunities to customize your firepower to your playstyle.
Land Weapons
A lot of your battles will be fought on foot with your Multi-tool. This item is modular, meaning different attachments serve as different weapons. Pressing Triangle/Y allows you to switch between the different modes that you have equipped, just like most other first-person shooters. The Multi-tools modes break down into three distinct firing styles:
- Minelaser: This is the base mode of your Multi-tool. It’s what you start with and it’s going to be your most used mode as you play No Man’s Sky. Holding the trigger delivers a continuous beam of energy that is used to mine resources from rocks, plants, trees, animals, and other structures in the game. In it’s base form it isn’t particularly powerful and will do little more than tickle most enemies. There are some recipes in the game, however, that add a bit more oomph to this mode allowing it to even seriously harm Sentinels. Still, it should only be used as a means of harm as a last resort.
- Boltcaster: Boltcaster is your Multi-tool’s full on weapon mode. It’s pretty much a plasma assault rifle in its most basic form, capable of dealing with most enemies thanks to a decently sized magazine and able to break through certain materials such as reinforced steel doors. Upgrades for this weapon provide a multitude of different affects such as ricocheting rounds, burst fire, increased damage, and even an alteration that changes it to much more of a shotgun blast. When the going gets rough, this will be your best friend in No Man’s Sky. Just remember, even this formidable weapon has its limits so don’t go starting fights with just anybody.
- Plasma Launcher: The Plasma Launcher is not like other weapons in No Man’s Sky. In fact, depending on the form of this alternate fire mode that you obtain, it may not be very useful in a fight. The Plasma Launchers’s primary purpose is excavation, and it’s your only means of destroying land that isn’t a resource. That means you can use it to create caves, tunnels, or draw happy faces in he world.
Space Weapons
On the many planet surfaces is not the only place you’ll find yourself doing battle. There are space pirates lurking among the stars and asteroid belts you’ll find yourself navigating, and they will stop at nothing to relieve you of your precious cargo in No Man’s Sky. Sentinels have a presence up in space as well, and their weapons far exceed those of some random scoundrel. Luckily, you have options up in the stars as well. After all, it wouldn’t be so fun to go up there and be defenseless, right?
Here are your options when you’re planet hopping:
- Photon Cannon: This is your standard-issue Starship blaster that fires two streams of rapid plasma rounds at enemy ships. It’s fast, but make sure to keep an eye on that heat meter or else you’ll find yourself unable to fire for a few seconds. Mods for your Photon Cannon center around cooldown, damage, accuracy, and firing speed.
- Phase Beam: This Starship weapon fires a lot like your Multi-tool’s Minelaser, only it fires in a single burst rather than an endless stream. It’s potent, but relies on timing and lining up your shots since it isn’t exactly fast.
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