When comparing No Man's Sky vs Kentucky Route Zero, the Slant community recommends Kentucky Route Zero for most people. In the question“What are the best indie games on Steam?” Kentucky Route Zero is ranked 55th while No Man's Sky is ranked 82nd. The most important reason people chose Kentucky Route Zero is:
From the soundtrack and sound effects to the stylistic graphics, Kentucky Route Zero exudes atmosphere.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Endless procedural generation
This game procedurally generates almost everything. Your spaceships are procedurally generated, so are the planets, moons, every animal on these planets, the resource nodes, trade routes, languages, etc. When discovering new species or planets, players get to rename these and leave their mark on the galaxy.
Pro Good graphics
The art style of this game is very colorful and saturated and uses hues in a way that it gives you an otherworldly feel. Graphics like these tend to remain good for a much longer time than classic 3D graphics.
Pro Massive galaxy to explore
Thanks to the fact that the entire galaxy of No Man's Sky is procedurally generated, the amount of planets to explore is almost endless. The number of planets would be 18,446,744,073,709,551,616. However, the fact that 2 players managed to find each other in game on the first day, seems to make this number quite questionable.
Pro Seamless space to planetary flight
Pro Freedom to choose how you want to play
Ally with factions, trade or just be a pirate. When trading with NPC aliens, you build up a positive reputation with the faction they belong to. Alternatively you can also be hostile and attack trade ships, or even be attacked by NPC pirate spaceships. Both can be ways to get what you need, so do whatever suits your play style.
Pro Very atmospheric
From the soundtrack and sound effects to the stylistic graphics, Kentucky Route Zero exudes atmosphere.
Pro Camera movement pulls player in
Unlike a lot of adventure games that have static cameras, Kentucky Route Zero has a camera that pans, zooms and rotates, giving a deeper sense of immersion.
Pro A game about the journey, not the destination
Players can casually play Kentucky Route Zero without being punished.
Cons
Con No clearly defined missions
The objective of the game is to ultimately reach the center of the galaxy. However, the player is completely free and unguided from the beginning. You figure it out for yourself as you start mining, crafting and upgrading your ship and gear. This game doesn't have a big story to tell.
Con Expensive
No Man's Sky is a pretty big production for an indie game as the team of devs and artists consisted of 14 people in the later stages of development. The game stands out above most indie games in size, features, technology and graphics. Along with the amount of enthusiasm from the gaming community, this has allowed the studio to set the launch price at $60 (or €60).
Con No puzzles
Deviating from the norm of a point and click adventure, there are no puzzles to be found in the game. So for those looking for a traditional point and click may be disappointed.