TL;DR No Man's Sky is not for everyone.

The latest update (NEXT) has pretty much delivered on every feature we were promised. HG could definitely have been more vocal at first but I believe they have more than made up for themselves. I'd recommend this game to anyone who wants to play a **story based** survival with their friends.

Unfortunately though, this game is NOT for everyone. There will be tedious tasks, there will be satisfying moments, there are ways to avoid the grind entirely. But if you don't mind the grind, play it on survival with your friends.

As for the different modes, for me:

Normal is too easy.
Permadeath isn't for me.
Survival is my love altough it gets tedious at times.
Creative is boring

The game's single player was worth recommending after the Atlas update. NEXT has just given it new life, fixed progression and made it possible to play with your friends.