Open-world space shooters seem to be more commonplace now, which we’re good with. Being able to fly into the reaches of space to kick alien (or human) butt while collecting goods is something that never gets old. Heck, we’re still playing Chorus just because it’s so damn good.
Now we have another one to add to the ranks, Rockfish’s long-awaited follow-up to Everspace. But instead of just being limited to the roguelike structure of the first game, Everspace 2 is much more wide open. Not to mention loaded with loot and dangers that you can blast into nothingness (if you’re good enough, of course).
Considering that the game is due for consoles next month, we’ve put the original PC release through its paces. And, honestly, we’re excited to see this universe open up a little more.
Taking Flight Is Fun, And There’s Room To Grow
We’re happy to report that the controls have been improved nicely over the first game. Space flight feels a bit more natural now, as you maintain full 3D control of your ship and speed. This is vital, as you’ll see in the start of the game when you’re required to fly through tight internal spaces to reach your destination.
But that’s just part of it. Everspace 2 is all about trading up and finding a better ship down the road. There’s all sorts of amazing vessels you can pick up, along with various weapons that will help you over the course of your space adventure. And you’ll need them too, because tougher enemies await, and your default rust bucket isn’t going to be enough when it comes to taking them down.
The game’s XP progression system is excellent, and you can really clean up on the loot and buy some bad-ass ships. Repetition does set in on occasion – there’s only so much you can do with space battling – but the pure scope of becoming more and more of an ultimate galaxy savior is magnificent. You’ll be playing this one for a while just for the sake of getting the next big ship and tearing all sorts of ass with it.
There’s a lot to do, including neat little nooks and crannies (well, space variant) to explore, and lots to unlock. Expect to be digging into Everspace 2 for some time, and loving what it offers. We’re talking nearly 100 hours of gameplay here. (And we’re still digging.)
A Swell Looking Space Trip
Rockfish Games has also managed to excel the appearance and sound of Everspace 2, evolving it into a true work of mastery along the lines of the polished Chorus. Which we’re totally fine with.
The visuals are stupendous – well, on a good PC rig, anyway – with beautiful lighting (especially with vapor trails), a smooth frame rate, great interior and exterior settings, and a whole lot of sweet explosions. It looks just as a whopping space adventure should, with something to see around every corner. It’s nice to see how well this all came together. The loading time does take a bit long in places, but that’s a small price to pay for the show on display here.
Likewise, the audio is terrific. The voice acting is dedicated, as you can feel the plight of your character as they get into ever situation; and the sound effects are spot-on, from the small burst of your thrusters to the thunderous explosions and the proper music cues. You aren’t full-on blasted with an orchestra here, but it comes in right where it counts.
Overall, this is a very polished shooter that will make the most out of your PC set-up. And something tells us that the PS5/Xbox Series S/X ports coming next month will easily follow suit. (Sorry, Switch owners, you’re out of luck…but there’s always the original game.)
Everspace Lives Up To Its Name
If you can accept some of the longer load times and repetitive nature of blast, fly off, blast again, then you’ll love Everspace 2’s grand package. There’s a lot to do here, with upgradeable ships and awesome missions to take on, along with a presentation that’s wonderful to look at. You’ll want to get a good headset as well so you can soak in the impressive audio package.
It’ll probably be a bit before we take flight with Everspace 3, so enjoy everything this space journey has to offer. We sure are.
