No Man's Sky 'Next' update will finally give players features that were missing after controversial launch

The game is still haunted by its much criticised initial release

No Man's Sky might finally be fixed.

Developers Hello Games have announced a vast number of changes that hope to fix the problems that have dogged the game since it was first released two years ago.

Before its launch, No Man's Sky was one of the most lauded games of the decade. Critics were thrilled by the way the game offered an entire universe that would be generated by computers, all of which would be waiting for players to discover.

But when it arrived, it was hit by a wave of criticism. Players argued that a whole host of features that were advertised in the game were not actually present, including any kind of multiplayer mode, and that it was rife with bugs that stopped them from playing the game properly.

Those controversies led to suggestions the game should be investigated by advertising standards and that it should give players refunds. Developers attempted to address those problems by explaining themselves and offering new updates – but fans stayed angry.

Now No Man's Sky may be getting the update that has long been promised, two years after launch. It offers a complete visual overhaul of the game, new multiplayer modes, and improvements to the building and flying aspects of the game.

Probably the most notable change is the addition of full multiplayer, which allows players to explore the game's vast universe together. That was much discussed ahead of the game's launch in 2016 – and the discovery when two players arrived in the same place that they couldn't see each other was one of the most disappointing moments in the aftermath of its release.

But the update is significant and offers a whole host of changes to the game works, too.

"Nearly two years ago our small team of friends, with a shared love of sci-fi, opened up the universe of No Man’s Sky for the first time," wrote Sean Murray from Hello Games in a blog post. "It was an innovative, weird and at times lonely game. I loved that, it reminded me of the science fiction books I grew up with. It was broad in a way that almost no other game is, but with four updates it has become broader and so much deeper too.

"That will be even more true with the launch of NEXT, bringing a full Multiplayer experience. We can’t wait for you to play, but hopefully you can see from the trailer this is a very new experience."