Everspace 2 has expanded upon what made the original a success to create a modern yet accessible space simulator that appeals to genre veterans and newcomers alike.
Singleplayer.
Everspace 2 is an action-orientated space simulator with easy-to-learn combat mechanics similar to those found in titles such as Star Wars Jedi Starfighter or Colony Wars while still offering veteran players a high level of control over their ship’s shields, weapons and engine output.
Apart from offering excellent combat mechanics, Everspace 2 allows players to solve puzzles, enter wrecks of capital ships, hack into enemy systems, take control of drones, solve mysteries, complete bounties, and jump to lightspeed in a way that makes even the most mature gamer feel for just a moment that they are Han Solo.
Everspace 2 is an indie game that doesn’t know indie games are not supposed to look this good.
While the art style differs from that of AAA titles, the ship models, environments, and textures in Everspace 2 are, without a doubt, AAA quality.
Explosions, lighting and weapon effects are satisfyingly flashy and incredibly immersive when playing in first-person mode.
While I can understand why ROCKFISH is not supporting VR in Everspace 2 and agree with their argument (low player participation), I can’t help but wish Everspace 2 supported VR, especially as VR Gaming is more affordable and vastly more popular than when the original Everspace released.
Everspace 2 is a vehicle-based looter shooter, and as such good loot is a necessity; while it doesn’t redefine the genre, it offers a vast array of upgradable loot suitable for every playstyle, from long-range sniping to up close and personal dog fights, every playstyle preference is supported, and this will go a long way towards replayability and player retention.
Everspace 2 allows players to invest scavenged materials into perks and passive abilities; this alone is a nice form of progression. Still, Everspace 2 allows players to decide which perks and passive they want to invest in.
Both companions and ship components can be improved and upgraded, granting new passive and active abilities; choosing to specialise or become a jack of all trades is left up to the player.
This type of player agency helps to immerse the player into the narrative and aid replayability, allowing for near-infinite combinations of active/passive abilities and equipment.
I grew up playing games like Star Wars Rogue Squadron, Star Wars: Battle for Naboo, Star Trek Invasion, Colony Wars, and the Star Wars Star Fighter games; the genre holds a lot of nostalgia for me and many others, and its great to see that there are modern titles still being produced for the space sim genre that captures the magic of the 1990s/2000s while utilising all of the quality of life improvements we have come to expect in 2022.
Narrative.
Science fiction is one of my favourite genres, but I will be the first to admit that it’s not exactly great literature, a mix of fantasy, drama and techno-babble that somehow works; Everspace offers players a glimpse into a universe that doesn’t feel made just for the player nor exists only around them.
Lore snippets and conversations refer to wars, peace treaties, atrocities and events that you have not been part of and may never be part of. Yet it feels immersive and intriguing all at once and helps set Everspace 2 apart narratively from most other space sim sandboxes.
Blur and similar companies make some amazing CGI cutscenes, and games like Star Wars the Old Republic have greatly benefitted from them. However, AAA-quality cutscenes costing over a million a minute are not always needed.
The graphic novel-style cutscenes used by ROCKFISH to move the story along in Everspace 2 are fantastic and help elevate the narrative considerably.
It’s better to have high-quality 2D cutscenes than poor-quality CGI ones, and I am very glad that ROCKFISH took this approach.
Voice Acting.
Everspace 2 is a true Sci-fi game in every aspect, including wonderful voice acting for everyone except the protagonist, who sounds like he is suffering from a sinus infection and severe Monday blues.
This, however, does not reflect poorly on Everspace 2, as every other voiced character is well above indie standards and, in the case of the character Dax, easily on par with any AAA title.
One day we will get a sci-fi game where the protagonist doesn’t sound worse than the rest of the cast, but that day is not this day, which is ok.
Everspace 2 was developed to be a multi-platform title, and controller support is exceptionally good, offering easy access to a wide arrange of moves and abilities with simple, easy-to-memorise keybindings and onscreen prompts for both Xbox and Sony controllers.
Everspace 2 is a role playing game video game developed and published by ROCKFISH Games, it was released on 18 Jan 2021 (Early Access Release) and retails for $29.99.
Everspace 2 is available on the following platforms: PC, Playstation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
On average Everspace 2 takes between 20 and 100 hours to complete.
Estimated completion times are derived from various sources and may vary based on the skill level of each player.
The following peripherals are officially supported:
Everspace 2 is rated PEGI 12+ and contains:
