I can definitely see why the community was enraged at release, and the game definitely doesn't fit the magazine cover descriptions I remember reading about it.

I can definitely see why the community was enraged at release, and the game definitely doesn't fit the magazine cover descriptions I remember reading about it. That said, I bought it a few weeks ago for $20 and it's exceeded my expectations. If I had bought this game on release expecting what was promised, I don't know if I could even enjoy it now. But having gone in with pretty low expectations and for the price of a movie theater outing, it's definitely been a great experience. I agree with the author, that NMS occupies a space that doesn't really have a standout title that accomplishes what everyone really wants in this genre. For now I'm enjoying the exploration and base building quests - it's a great pick up/put down game that I can play after work a few times a week to unwind.