Video Game Review - Everspace 2

Where roguelites dare to tread…

Everspace 2 is an action-RPG that’s been kitbashed together with an arcade space shooter. With an eerie vibe that got me reminiscing about famed PS1 shooter Colony Wars, on the surface Everspace 2 promised to scratch my “Top Gun in space” itch. 

If like me you’ve entered Everspace 2 from previously playing Everspace you’ll be a little surprised. While the original game offered a pretty decent roguelite of venturing across a procedurally generated galaxy, this sequel dispenses it for a more structured adventure. In going with a story-driven approach, developers Rockfish Games have improved on the original in every way. Not only is the galaxy bigger, and bolder, the narrative adds deeper meaning to Adam’s plight that was ploy touched upon in Everspace. 

This space opera begins with playable protagonist Adam, performing a simple babysitting job for a group of corporate prospectors. As a hot-shot pilot, it’s Adam’s job to keep the civilian ships safe as they do some dodgy work in a territory that’s controlled by space pirates. Naturally, the shit soon hits the fan and the flotilla comes under attack by said pirates. With Adam and his fellow ace, Ben being the sole survivors they’re soon betrayed by their superiors and thrown into a cell. Of course this isnt the end of the story as you’ll soon be escaping to a delapidated space station with fellow cell mate - and all round mysterious fellow - Dax. It’s also from this central hub that the games main narrative takes place. 

From this hidden base you’ll be sent on a plethora of missions, heists, and scavenging runs as you attempt to escape from the DMZ. The galaxy is pretty much open to explore, and unlocking  gargantuan warp gates further expands this expanse. Considering that Dax will have you playing errand boy, there’s also a great deal to do away from the main quest line. Quite often you’ll pick up rumours of nearby salvage locations, respond to distress calls, and hunt pirates. If this isn’t enough then Everspace 2 also jumps into looter-shooter territory as you’ll be swimming in loot at pretty much a constant pace. 

Much like that seen in games such as Diablo, and Destiny 2, the loot you acquire goes towards upgrading your ship. There’s literally so much stuff to collect you’ll occasionally spend more times in the menu swapping out parts, than flying your ship. Everything from shields, armour plating, sensors, and weapons are io for grabs - with a few exotic items too. As such this offers plenty of customisation and when coupled with the games sandbox there’s a lot of room for experimenting with different load outs. 

Wether your clamping down on pirate activity, or just floating in a most peculiar way, the games controls are a dream. If you’ve played the original then a lot of what this sequel has to offer will be very familiar. However, if you like things a bit more arcade-y then Everspace 2 also has you covered. In no time at all I was able to pull off crazy manoeuvres that really made me feel like the space-ace that the game makes Adam out to be. Dogfighting was great and on a few occasions I did find myself humming “that” Kenny Loggins song! My only complaint is that with the sheer amount of buttons already assigned, it does make playing with a controller somewhat cumbersome. While you do have the capacity to mess about with the layout, it never felt smooth finding a layout that fits. 

As presentation goes, Everspace 2 has definitely benefited from its start in Early Access. The extended development time, and player feedback has allowed Rockfish Games to refine their universe into a living, breathing thing. Across the journey you’ll encounter many different characters, all with their own stories to tell. The main cast all play off each other in a way that feels unique to them. Wether it be Dax’ unfriendly attitude, or Adam’s own hotshot nature, it all flows effortlessly into natural occurring conversations. There’s a lot of love put into making Everspace 2 believable, and Rockfish have certainly delivered. 

When it’s said and done, Everspace 2 is a space sim that’s going to be tough to beat. While it’s not as in-depth as Elite Dangerous, or Star Citizen, it doesn’t need to be. Instead we get a great single-player experience that takes place in a persistent sandbox environment, who’s genre flip hasn’t hurt one iota. Wether your taking part in the games vast narrative, or simply flying around collecting every single piece of loot - Everspace 2  has you covered! 

Rating: 8.5/10 

A code was kindly provided for this review

Everspace 2 is available now and can be purchased via Steam. 

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Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow us on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev, and TikTok @Geekculturereviews.