There was plenty of build-up to the launch of No Man's Sky, a game exploded onto the scene with plenty of controversy and mixed reaction. Hello Games has continued to improve its product post-launch with the Foundation Update 3 months ago, and now the time is here for the second major No Man's Sky update: Path Finder. The studio has just released a new trailer for the now-available update, which can be seen below.

The most significant change brought in with the Path Finder update will funchange how players traverse each planet. The Path Finder update introduces Exocraft, a variety of vehicles which can be constructed and summoned on any suitable planetary surface. These crafts can be customized and upgraded (including the inclusion of weapons!), and come in three types: the small and nimble Nomad sacrifices cargo space for speed and the ability to traverse over water, the Roamer is the mid-range of all exocraft, and the bulky Colossus moves slowly, but is capable of holding the most resources.

Gamers can take a look at the exocraft - and more - in the trailer below:

Of course, what good are vehicles without the concept of racing them? Hello Games has also included exocraft races, which players can initialize by placing an aptly-named Race Initiator within their base. Anyone who visits the base will be able to compete in time trials against the custom race, allowing one to plant some serious bragging rights on somebody else's home planet. To make such visits possible, the Path Finder update has also introduced Base Sharing, which allows for players to discover and explore another pal's outpost. This feature comes with full Steam Workshop support to make sharing creative bases even easier.

The game will also introduce an all-new permadeath mode for the most stalwart of adventurers who think they can find the center of the galaxy within a single life, and updates to survival mode mean both difficulty modes will bring new trophies and achievements to those who perform well in them. The Path Finder update also adds PS4 Pro support to the title, allowing gamers to explore the galaxy with full 4K visuals and HDR. Regardless of if gamers are plying their trade from PS4, a new Photo Mode will allow explorers to keep a permanent recording of interesting sightings.

Starships now also feature specializations, which increase their performance in one area depending on their specialty. These categories include shuttle, fighter, hauler, and explorer, and players purchasing a new ship will now given the option of trading in their old starship for a discount. Multi-Tools are getting the same specialization treatment, with pistols (increased mining), rifle (combat advantages), Experimental (scanning), and Alien (most powerful and rare) specialties coming into play. Players will also find new shops and a new currency have found their way into the update,  along with over 40 new customization items for base building to make one's own home a little more unique.

Interested gamers can read the in-depth patch notes here.

It goes without saying that the Path Finder update is a significantly large increase to the game's quality of life. Will you be exploring the Path Finder update, Ranters?

No Man's Sky is available now on PC and PS4. The Path Finder update just released today!