Everspace is a game that came out back in 2016 to a generally good reception. Its spaceship combat and roguelike elements make it one of the sleeper hits that came out that year. However, the game felt that they could have improved on some things. Thus, developers came out with Everspace 2. And for an Early Access game, it looks pretty good.
What Is Everspace?
Everspace is a single-player, roguelike 3D space shooter created and published by Rockfish Games. The game was released in 2017 with decent reception and good sales. However, it doesn’t have that much success in the gaming sphere, even with the interesting premise. There is, however, a sequel by the name of Everspace 2. This game is currently on Early Access on Steam, which is what we’ll discuss below.
If you’re looking for other titles to play as well as enjoying a good plot, check out our list of the best video game stories on Steam.
Everspace 2 Overview
Everspace 2 is a space shooter game. Now for those unfamiliar with the game genre, you fly spacecraft and clash with other spaceships in a shooting battle in space. A pretty simple premise, though one with its nuances and twists. Some of these nuances we’re going to be discussing in other sections of this article.
But first, how exactly are you going to play Everspace 2? Well, let’s talk about the fact that it’s on Early Access first.
Everspace 2 Early Access
As of right now, the game is currently on Early Access. This means that it’s not yet complete, but players can now go in and play the game. That does mean that the game isn’t polished yet and will have some bugs and glitches. However, players can report these bugs and glitches to the developers to help in the development of the game.
How to Get the Early Access
Getting early access to Everspace 2 is pretty simple. Everspace 2’s early access is available on Steam for anyone to play. Simply log in to your Steam account to access the game store to find Everspace 2.
What’s New With Everspace 2?
When talking about new things in Everspace 2, there isn’t that much to talk about. However, there are a few things that might interest both old and new players alike. Here’s a few of them:
Gameplay
In terms of gameplay, you don’t need to say much. It’s a space opera, shooter roguelike game. However, it took those concepts and brought them up to 11.
One of the things that makes the previous games interesting is the fact that once your spaceship is destroyed, it’s done. Any upgrades that you have on the ship currently would be lost to the void. Except for the money, which you can use to improve and upgrade a new ship.
In addition to this, the game’s main draw is it’s space combat and exploration. There’s a lot to uncover and a bit of it would be looking around sectors in space for interesting things. From asteroid bases to new planets, you can expect that your journey wouldn’t be uneventful. That is if you survive.
In terms of perspective, the players can go from first-person to third-person easily. You might need to swap between perspectives depending on what you’re doing. Some people might prefer the “realism” of first-person, allowing them to act as if they’re piloting a spaceship. Otherwise, they might prefer the ability to see all around them and the increased spatial awareness of third-person. That, and they want to see their cool spaceships while they’re doing massive dogfights in space.
Controls
Controls-wise, there weren’t any overt changes to their layout on Everspace 2 when compared to the first Everspace. Everything still works as they were back in the first game and there aren’t any changes. So let’s move on.
World and Environment
The game’s world and the environment are pretty neat. There are a few improvements from the first Everspace, namely, the coloring and environmental effects. The void of space never looked this good and you can fully expect new things to be seen when flying through the void.
Combat
The game’s combat hearkens back to the old space combat days of yore. Back in the day, space combat was a fun genre. This hearkens back to Freelancer, one of the best in the business of space combat. You can see some inspiration in its space combat and exploration there, and a lot of things have improved since.
An example of this would be the game’s orientation, the way that the game orients itself with the player’s movement in space. After all, you can get a bit confused if you’re doing barrel rolls in space with no clue as to what you’re doing. So, it’s a good thing that the game automatically orients your position and clues you in on important areas. This is useful in exploration and combat, as it allows you to immediately adjust on the fly.
Graphics
Graphics-wise, the game nails the image of a space opera. You go around your spaceship, looking for cool things and blasting enemies. If your PC is one of the best in the industry, you’re practically guaranteed to have a feast for the eyes. However, this doesn’t mean that the lower end of the spectrum is bad.
The game looks decent on the medium and low graphics qualities. And while this is a shock given that it’s from an indie developer, it’s not that bad as the first game looks similar. Though some quality is sacrificed in the game’s looks, you can still go and see the majesty of space, whether it be on the higher end or the lower end of the graphics spectrum.
In addition to this, the colors are incredibly vibrant and distinct. Explosions are highlighted, and you can see the trails that other ships leave when they move. One of the great things about it is the fact that a lot of the game’s graphical fidelity is intact. This is even when you’re playing on the lowest setting, which is great for a lot of people on lower-end PCs.
Music and Sound
The game’s music and sound are atypical and expected from a game like it. A lot of techno and synth is on the music. Meanwhile, the various sound effects of the weapons, engines, et cetera are incredibly detailed and well made. The player can hear the shots of lasers, missiles, and engines well.
Everspace 2 Review
A full, comprehensive review of Everspace 2 can’t be done yet as it’s still in its early access stages. However, what we can do is to see the things that the game currently has that are great. That, and maybe nitpick a bit on the bad things.
Anyhow, we’re taking too long. Here are a few of the things that Everspace 2 did well, what things they kept from the first game, and what it did badly.
What Did It Do Well?
First off, the game’s combat is incredible. It makes the whole space combat theme pop out. This is because the deep spaceship customization and movement mechanics offer quite a bit of depth to the game. In addition to this, the game’s ship customization needs to be mentioned heavily.
The way that Everspace 2 does its ship customization is great for both new players and old ones. For now, players can only customize the exteriors of their spaceships. Eventually, though, they can customize the interior as well. There are currently only three colors for the ship’s exterior, two for the light emission, and a player’s symbol. This symbol can be added to the ship anywhere they wish.
Combat, Ships, and More Ships
In terms of combat capabilities, players can currently choose between five ship types in the Early Access. These are the Scout, Sentinel, Striker, Gunship, and Interceptor. Also, these ship types are further divided into what class of ships they are. The Scout ship, for example, is on the Light class of ships. Meanwhile, the Sentinel, Interceptor, and Striker are on the Medium class, an incredibly versatile class of ships. Last but not least, the Gunship is part of the Heavy class of ships, the Heavy class trades speed with tough defense and high DPS.
The differences between these ships are readily apparent if you look closely. An example of this is the Scout ship, which is incredibly mobile and geared for high speed and great handling. Meanwhile, Gunships are exactly what it says on the tin, gearing for overwhelming firepower and enough DPS to shake a fist to the heavens.
Other than the ships mentioned here though, there are other spaceships available when the game comes out of Early Access. Like before, these ships are divided into the three ship types available on Everspace 2. These are the Spec-Ops and Patrol Ship for the Light Class, and the Bomber and Defender Ships for the Heavy Class.
These ships each have their own special and ultimate skill and other additional customizations, from how many shield points they can have to the damage they deal, what weapons they can equip, et cetera. Do take note that each ship type has its limit to what they can equip. So take your time, research, and keep your ship capabilities in mind when customizing.
Graphics
The game’s graphics, as already mentioned, is a sight to behold and one of the best in the space shooter genre. Not that there’s a lot to compare in this category. True, Battlefleet Gothic Armada 2 and other similar games take place in space and they do look pretty. However, none of them offer the 1 vs. 1 feel of fighting for your life in the void of space against others, which Everspace 2 does well.
The game’s great when you play it in the highest settings. However, it’s also great when played on the lowest settings. It’s beautiful to see the trails of light that ships leave behind when they travel. The planets are incredible to look at, asteroids fly around when you pass by them. The various space stations you encounter are unique and varied, though they also have similar aesthetics.
The ships also look better when compared to Everspace 1, which is good since they look a bit on the chunky and squat side back then. Other than that, nothing much can be discussed here. The game looks great graphically and overall seems to be appealing to play.
What Did It Do Badly?
As for what Everspace 2 did bad? Well, there isn’t much. And it’s a bit too on the nose to nitpick the game at its current state. After all, it’s on Early Access. Thus, anything that we might say here is probably going to be fixed before the game comes out officially.
Ship Differentiation
As of right now, the ships tend to be similar-looking. At least until you customize them and make them your own. However, in general, there’s no real way to tell what type of ship you’re going for unless it’s stated to you point-blank. If one thing needs to change when the game goes live, it’s this. A better way to differentiate ships visually should be one of the things that need to be in the game. Especially since each ship has its capabilities and strengths.
Other than this, there’s nothing much to say in terms of the bad things in Everspace 2. There are some bugs and other glitches here and there, but as we’ve mentioned, it’s still on Early Access. Overall, it’s a pleasant experience for an Early Access game and one that we can still influence to better itself when it finally comes live.
Should You Buy Everspace 2?
Everspace 2 is a massive improvement to the previous Everspace by a large margin. The increased ship diversity allows player customization, and the game’s greater scope makes for a better game in general. It’s one of the best-looking Early Access games we’ve seen in quite a long time. Thus, it’s a highly recommended buy if it goes through this path of development in the future.
