Mark Buckingham: Ambition is the name of the game here. A procedurally generated, fully explorable multiplayer universe full of planets? I'll believe it when I see it, but from what we've been shown so far, I'm optimistic. It was rumored to be a PS4 exclusive at first (which I don't yet own), but broadening it to PC will only help bring in more players.

Redmond Carolipio: Of all the games coming out in 2015, No Man's Sky shows the most technical and artistic ambition. I also think one of the most intriguing things about it is how much we still don't know — like when the first trailer for "Interstellar" came out and actually, you know, made us think about what it could be instead of serving it up. Any game that basically promises a galaxy of literally infinite possibilities for exploration almost needs to be held to a different standard, especially if it delivers on that promise. If you're giving me a universe to explore on this kind of hardware, I'm all in.

Dustin Chadwell: While I'm excited about a number of games releasing this year, none of them can match my excitement for No Man's Sky. The idea of manning my own spacecraft, discovering worlds, and enjoying the beautiful scenery makes my imagination race. I'm still not entirely sure what No Man's Sky is, but I definitely can't wait to find out.

Brian Dumlao: Even with its offices flooded and its data lost, Hello Games continued working on this ambitious title, and what's been seen so far still amazes. The seamless transition from space to individual planets never fails to impress, especially with no load times, and the graphics look amazing for what they're trying to pull off. There's still no word on a story, but we hope that we'll be able to finally play it this year, barring any other disasters.

Tony "OUberLord" Mitera: What a great time to be a space game fan. If you're not playing current games like Elite: Dangerous, you can pine for the upcoming ones, like Star Citizen and No Man's Sky. The latter in particular is eye-catching in its departure from trying to look realistic. Most interesting is its feature of being able to fly a ship among the stars, then among a planet's clouds, and finally land anywhere you want to explore on foot. If you're a fan of games that let you set off and explore, No Man's Sky promises an unheard-of level of exploration.

Rainier Van Autrijve: When Hello Games' No Man's Sky popped up out of nowhere, it was quite the surprise. Given its procedurally generated open world, it jumped to the top of many people's most anticipated lists. There is no concrete release date yet, but it is generally expected in the second half of 2015. With its vibrant colors, seemingly infinite planets to explore, FPS elements, and space combat (though don't expect an intricate space flight model a la Elite: Dangerous or Star Citizen), No Man's Sky should have any space traveler salivating. The game has yet to answer many question about its functionality, but I can name my own planet and there's a massive amount of exploration to be done. That's enough for me to put No Man's Sky at the top of my anticipated games list.