Interstellar Utopia preview: No Man’s Sky meets EVE Online, but to what end?

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Among all the games I experienced at Gamescom 2025, Interstellar Utopia felt more like an early prototype or concept demonstration than a fully-fledged game. Truth be told, it’s hard to categorize this game into one single genre. Remember the anticipation we all had for No Man’s Sky before its release? The idea of exploring a colossal, interconnected universe filled with other players and their creations? Interstellar Utopia aspires to deliver something similar. However, it’s ambitions go even further: Tencent Games is attempting to blend the vastness of EVE Online by incorporating a galactic market, scarcity of resources, and powerful guilds capable of seizing entire planets and waging epic PvP space battles against adversaries. It seems that you could even embark on a life of piracy in space, allegedly stealing other players’ ships.

Wow, you know, even on my phone, this game runs smoothly! Caught a glimpse of it at the event. Admittedly, it could use some refining, and the PC version was undeniably impressive, but it’s an amazing demonstration of what today’s smartphones can handle. Honestly, for me, it’s all about Honkai: Star Rail and Umamusume on my device.

In the style of No Man’s Sky, you’ll have the freedom to pilot your own spacecraft through the vast galaxy. You can traverse numerous planets at your leisure, landing whenever you wish to gather resources or mine asteroids for essential items. The universe teems with non-player characters (NPCs) and their ships. Additionally, you can construct bases that you’re able to disassemble and rebuild on a different planet, offering an exciting level of flexibility.

The game boasts an extensive variety of vessels, ranging from compact fightercraft to spacious freighters – each featuring detailed interiors. Additionally, it offers multiple playable character options as well.

In simpler terms, the final exhibit features a wife-like character from anime with violet hair, a chimpanzee, and an intelligent octopus alien that transforms into a ball for mobility. This unique trio was reportedly the audience’s favorite at the event. Frankly, who wouldn’t appreciate a character like that, given its ability to roll up?

In this game, you gather resources, construct, and engage in combat as if you were playing No Man’s Sky. However, there is an MMO component, but many other specific details are yet to be revealed. The most common response I received when asking questions was “We’re brainstorming ideas” or “We’re deliberating on the best approach.

The reason Interstellar Utopia seems like a preliminary version, as I previously mentioned, is due to its remarkable technical base capable of simulating an entire universe within a handheld device. However, it appears the studio is still figuring out how best to utilize this technology. Back then, releasing a game similar to No Man’s Sky (the one initially promised) would have been groundbreaking and could potentially rival reality. But today, No Man’s Sky is cherished, with its initial false promises and deceit long overshadowed by years of dedicated work and regular content updates that have earned Hello Games respect from both fans and critics.

The Interstellar Utopia project is undeniably a grand endeavor, with its immense scope being a testament to that fact. However, it seems that beyond this impressive scale, the game may not yet have a compelling draw for players. For enthusiasts of No Man’s Sky (NMS), they already possess a top-notch exploration experience, while EVE Online players view the title as an additional commitment. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement. As Interstellar Utopia has yet to announce a release date, its developers have ample time to refine their work, benefiting from Tencent’s extensive resources.

I’m really hoping they’ll improve the game controls during development, as the PC version lacked hotkeys and required using the mobile action wheel for various tasks, such as summoning your ship, activating your vacuum suit, and even ejecting during combat. Frankly, that’s a major issue, but it pales in comparison to the larger problems Interstellar Utopia needs to resolve first.

Developed by Tencent Games, Interstellar Utopia is planned to come to PC, iOS, and Android.

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2025-09-01 17:47