Thanks to continued support and updates, No Man's Sky is now much closer to the original title that developer Hello Games first promised gamers. It has online co-op for up to four players, millions and millions of procedurally generated planets, and a world full of unique lore to unearth.
With a free next-gen update coming with the launch of the Xbox Series X and PS5, the game might see more users hopping on in the near future. But players can get bogged down by the sheer number of things to scan to also make time for lore.
Both newbies and veterans alike will be fascinated by the species known as the Korvax. Unlike the Gek and Vy'Keen, the Korvax are a peaceful race committed to science. But their past hides a gut-wrenching history and mysterious idolatry.
10 The Korvax Aren’t Organic
Compared to the Vy'Keen and the Gek, the Korvax are vastly different. For one, the other two species are organic, so they need things like air and food. But the Korvax are, essentially just robots with the spark of intelligence. They also consider themselves to be highly intelligent, being the most science-minded species found in the Euclid galaxy.
But this mechanical species is not native to the Euclid galaxy. Their homeworld was known as Korvax Prime and the Korvax traveled throughout many areas in space. They established and maintained several systems for research purposes, but these areas have all but been wiped out.
9 Helmets And Titles Matter
As with humanity, species in the Euclid galaxy have honorifics and monikers for status. While the Gek use things like "ToilGek" and "Overseer", the Korvax opt instead for a visual cue.
Their different helmet types indicate status within Korvax society. Like the Gek, titles carry weight to display the entity’s place or status in society. Of 15 possible titles, Korvax can be a simple "Analyst Entity" all the way up to a "Divine Atlas Entity". For Travellers, the highest rank to achieve with the Korvax is "The Echo of [Username]".
8 They Recycle Their Bodies
Korvax bodies work kind of like hermit crab shells when it comes to their carapaces. Basically, a new Korvax will move into an empty shell once the previous Korvax has passed. As inorganic beings, Korvax "die" by initiating something known as the fading process.
Using the “fading process”, Korvax move from their carapace into the Korvax Echoes thus making room for a new entity in the shell. Damaged shells get recycled unless the Korvax dies too far away from others. This degradation of the abandoned carapace eventually forms Korvax Casings.
7 The Cult Of The Atlas Originated With The Korvax
Current players will instantly conjure up a giant red orb when "The Atlas" gets mentioned. It might also spark visions of pesky and invasive Sentinels. But there's a cult dedicated to the Atlas all around the Euclid galaxy and it started with the Korvax.
Their society has long been loyal to the Atlas going so far as to worship them. An unknown entity created the Atlas who then created the Sentinels to ensure order and peace throughout the galaxy. Think of it like the Leviathans, the Starchild AI, and the Reapers from Mass Effect. But the Korvax lived and worked alongside Sentinels, honoring their rules and laws.
6 How Korvax Transfer Knowledge
Every culture in No Man's Sky has its own ways of recording important events as they do in the real world. But instead of keeping physical records of some kind, the Korvax just use data. Information cubes enable the species to share information by putting data on them, inserting the cube into another carapace, and having another Korvax download the data.
Since all Korvax have access to the Echoes and constantly upload information, they operate similarly to how the Geth might from the Mass Effect universe. Though every Korvax is a unique entity, they are also all connected through the Convergence.
5 Korvax Prime When The First Spawn Attacked
The Korvax language can be referential, often referring back to information and memories in the Korvax Echoes. Think of that now-infamous episode of Star Trek: Next Generation where Picard is stranded on a desolate planet with a foreign leader whose language he doesn’t speak. He says specific phrases such as “Darmok and Jilad at Tanagra. Shaka When the Walls Fell.” when specific things happen.
These phrases reference historical events, but also convey emotions and moods. While not as allegorical, the Korvax language requires more knowledge of Korvax culture and history than just phrases or sounds.
4 The Gek Dominion Murdered The Korvax En Masse
Korvax Prime was blown up by the First Spawn in order to gain fuel for their empire and war. The Korvax called this the “Great Disconnection” and is the most serious event in their history so far. Not only did it wipe out most of their population, but it also evaporated tons of data and information the Korvax had spent centuries collecting.
This included their own Echoes and memories. As a result of the First Spawn war, the Korvax will never be able to return to their home planet.
3 The Korvax Worked To Undermine The First Spawn's Regime
The First Spawn's domination of the Korvax and destruction of Korvax Prime was devastating. Surviving Korvax became enslaved and dead Korvax were broken down into components for the war effort. But some of those who survived made a noble sacrifice after the First Spawn War.
In an effort to quell the zealotry of the First Spawn within the Gek Dominion, the Korvax released their own nanite clusters (essentially their blood) into the Gek spawning pools. The Korvax hoped that they could rewrite the Gek DNA to humble them and encourage dissidents to overthrow the First Spawn. This plot succeeded as players now see new Gek who are more passive traders.
2 Disconnection Is Not The End For Korvax
The Korvax Echoes offer a glimpse into a time before the Atlas were absent. The Atlas monoliths inspired other creatures to pursue knowledge with the Korvax being one. Supposedly, worshipping the Atlas and studying them granted the Korvax a formula for enlightenment. As such, the Korvax don’t view disconnection as permanent; it’s just the start of a new equation.
This relates to how the Korvax stored information in the foundations of their now destroyed homeworld, Korvax Prime. The echoes of previous Korvax all worked to solve the equation of life. As new Korvax create new echoes, the process begins anew with a new equation. There’s a spiritual approach to the recycling of carapaces, uploading of Korvax minds and data, and finding an explanation for why the Korvax exist.
1 Nada Doesn’t Subscribe To The Atlas Worship
Without spoiling too much of the in-game story for new players, there’s a Korvax named Priest Entity Nada. They reside on a unique spaceship known as the Anomaly that acts as an online hub for all No Man’s Sky players to meet. Along with their Gek friend Polo, Nada hands out missions and helps the player progress through the story.
Categorized as “non-compliant”, Nada is not a part of the Convergence. The player can confirm this by a lack of the “cervical connection” which looks like a metal spine on the back of most Korvax. Precisely why Nada chose to break off is not truly known. But they don’t believe the Atlas are the end-all, be-all as other Korvax do.