No Man's Sky: Tips to Boost Your Success in The Cursed Expedition

Surviving the cosmic trials of The Cursed Expedition in No Man's Sky requires swift action and constant movement. This universe is ever-shifting, and to thrive, players must be well-acquainted with the resources at their disposal before hopping from one star to another. This guide provides essential tips to enhance your chances of success in this limited-time expedition, covering everything from the new Boundary Integrity mechanic to navigating the Main Quest and achieving your objectives.

Monitor Your Boundary Integrity Levels

The core feature of The Cursed Expedition is the Boundary Integrity level, represented by a purple bar at the bottom left of your screen, situated above your Life Support System indicator. This bar gradually decreases over time and depletes more rapidly when players are surrounded by the Horrors from Beyond.

These new foes emerge from the ground, initially whispering strange messages but quickly becoming more aggressive and attempting to lead players into "the Beyond." This mechanic resembles a "sanity level," where players experience hallucinations triggered by enemy attacks.

The more Horrors appear, the quicker your Boundary Integrity declines. To avoid this, players should consume the Elixir of Glass, a new consumable available after completing the first Milestone of Phase 1. While other methods exist to restore Boundary Integrity, they aren't always accessible, making this consumable essential.

Choose Your Planets Wisely

Before landing on a planet, scanning it is crucial in No Man's Sky, and this is even more important during The Cursed Expedition. Players will face danger as soon as they touch down, regardless of their location. The Horrors from Beyond are unyielding, complicating the task of uncovering their mysteries while fending off aggressive wildlife, hostile climate conditions, and Sentinels.

Thoroughly checking a planet before landing can be the key to survival. Always ensure your Shields, Life Support, and Resistance Mods are charged in your Exosuit, as unforeseen hazards like Radiation Storms can arise unexpectedly. Carry enough ammunition to defend against wildlife and Sentinels when necessary.

Remember, Sentinels become hostile if players start harvesting resources or attacking wildlife nearby. Scan your surroundings before mining or excavating to avoid unwanted attention. Facing off against both Sentinels and Horrors simultaneously can lead to disaster.

Always keep Life Support Gel, Di-Hydrogen Jelly, Anti-Matter, Tritium, and Elixir of Glass in your inventory. These supplies are invaluable while exploring the treacherous planets of The Cursed Expedition.

Don’t Overlook Other Game Mechanics

With numerous mechanics available, players have the freedom to explore as they wish. However, base building can become problematic under constant attack from Horrors. Once players complete the first Phase of the expedition, establishing a base becomes necessary for jumping to another system through portals using Elixir of Blood.

Finding a safe planet to set up a small operations base is crucial. Make it a priority to gather as much technology as possible from surrounding resources. Don’t neglect the importance of farming for Tech, Multitools, and other valuable items while solving the Expedition's puzzles. Learning words from Ruins, collecting bones, selling items at Space Stations, and amassing Credits and Nanites are all essential tasks.

Collaborate with Other Players

The game’s multiplayer feature is designed for collaboration. If the relentless assault of Horrors becomes overwhelming, teaming up can be beneficial. While going solo might seem appealing, working with others can significantly speed up your progress in the Expedition.

Other players often have bases with resources you can utilize. However, be courteous; depleting resources from a base without first disabling multiplayer can upset the No Man's Sky community. Before landing at an allied base, open the menu, disable Multiplayer, gather the resources, and reload from a save point before reactivating Multiplayer. This practice ensures that resources remain available for others.

Look for Communication Stations on Planets

While orbiting a new planet, activate your Ship scanners to reveal various Message Icons around the world. These messages, left by other players through Communication Stations, frequently indicate locations of valuable resources, Abandoned Ships, Points of Interest, and more.

This community-driven aspect of No Man's Sky fosters collaboration and camaraderie while battling cosmic foes. However, be wary of misleading messages; although rare, they can sometimes lead you astray.

In The Cursed, Portals operate slightly differently; players must offer Elixir of Blood at Altars to activate them. Keep this in mind as you prepare to venture through a Portal, as the destinations are completely randomized.

Seek Better Ships and Multitools Early

A key part of the No Man's Sky experience is upgrading your gear. Discovering an abandoned ship can be a significant step forward in your adventure. Emergency Calls from abandoned structures may lead you to such ships, and community messages often mark their locations.

Exploring alien buildings and stations is also an excellent way to find an upgraded Multitool to replace your starter model. However, be polite when interacting with aliens, as incorrect responses may offend them. Investing time to learn the local language through Ruins, Monoliths, or NPCs in off-world Stations can pay off.

The No Man's Sky community forums are also great resources for information on Special Grade Spaceship locations, Frigate locations, resource bases, and interesting planets along with their coordinates.

Remember: Multitools and Ships can be sold or traded with NPCs. You can exchange your old Multitool (along with some Credits) for a better one, and the same applies to ships. Engage with every NPC you encounter to maximize your chances of acquiring powerful upgrades.

Don’t Forget to Claim Milestone Rewards

Milestone Rewards in The Cursed Expedition, including Elixirs, are automatically claimed as they are vital for progressing through the Phases. However, other rewards will remain in the Milestone Expedition menu until players actively claim them. Make it a point to review every Phase and Milestone, checking their objectives and corresponding rewards for completion.

Open the Expedition Menu, navigate through completed Milestones, and select them to claim your rewards. These could include Mods for your Exosuit, Multitools, or Ships. Some Milestones grant Inventory Slot Mods, crucial for carrying additional items—particularly useful when repairing a ship requires gathering multiple resources.

By defeating numerous Horrors, players can also unlock later stage rewards. Some of these rewards may include S Grade Modules and additional Exosuit Inventory Slots, making it worthwhile to eliminate every Horror encountered. Additionally, players can farm Shattered Qualia, which will be helpful for crafting Elixirs.

Don’t Hoard Nanites—Spend Them on Mods

While exploring damaged technology and interacting with collectibles or locals, players will accumulate Nanites. This special currency can be exchanged with Technology Vendors for useful Mods for their Gear. Holding onto too many Nanites may result in being under-equipped later on, so use them as you earn them!

Visiting multiple Space Stations and Planet Vendors can refresh merchants’ inventories, and each Technology Merchant specializes in a different type of Mod—Ship, Multitool, or Exosuit. Prioritizing an upgrade for your Multitool may be the smartest move, but don’t neglect your Exosuit, as it provides necessary protection and mobility to evade the relentless Horrors.

Nanites can also be gathered from other sources, particularly Organic Materials like Residual Goop, Viscous Fluids, Living Slime, and Runaway Mould. Refining these materials in a Refinery can yield additional Nanites, so stock up and refine them to maximize your resources.

Some players also create Nanite Farms for others to harvest. Remember to save your game and disable multiplayer before gathering resources from these bases, allowing others to benefit without depleting them completely.