There's more controversy surrounding the online features included in No Man's Sky, as it emerges that the game's boxart features a reference to online play covered by a sticker.

It was always going to be a challenge for Hello Games' No Man's Sky to meet the enormous expectations of its audience. However, there's a sense among some players that the finished product isn't quite what was advertised, partly because it doesn't allow players to meet up and interact with one another.

Shortly after the game's launch, Hello Games co-founder Sean Murray commented on the possibility of two players crossing paths, noting that the team added functionality to encourage the prospect. However, the first high-profile example of two players reaching the same planet was something of a disappointment, as neither could see the other.

Now, a fan that bought the limited edition of No Man's Sky has made a discovery that might shed more light on the game's implementation of online play. The features and age rating listed on the back of the box have been covered by a sticker, changing the information that's offered up.

It seems that when the limited edition cases were printed, No Man's Sky was intended to feature online play, and be rated for players who are 12 years of age and older. The sticker removes the reference to online play, and tweaks the age rating to 7 and up.

Murray initially blamed server strain for players not being able to see each other when they travelled to the same planet. However, the fact that this edit has been made to the box art suggests that the problem won't be fixed as the initial rush to play No Man's Sky calms down.

A report from Rock Paper Shotgun suggests that the limited edition boxart was printed ahead of the game's standard packaging, which could explain the discrepancy. Speaking to the publication, a Sony rep stated that the change came as the result of a production issue.

Whatever the backstory is, what this means to players is very clear — late in the development process, it was decided that advertising online play as a part of the game would be misleading. As such, there's doubt as to whether the game's online component will be enhanced once the server strain has subsided.

It seems that No Man's Sky has fallen victim to its own hype. Ahead of release, we really didn't know that much about what the game would offer, and it seems that bloated expectations have caused some disappointment about what's actually included.

No Man's Sky is available now for PlayStation 4, and releases for PC later today.

Source: Rock Paper Shotgun