After a long spell in Early Access, Everspace 2 is finally set for departure, allowing fans of space operas to dive into a vast and treacherous galaxy. This is an unapologetic action combat game deeply rooted in an involving storyline, and one of those cases where it knows very clearly what it is aiming for – an adventure of galactic proportions with an arcade style and a well-rounded and polished feel, albeit with a significant dose of grind on the side.

Descent Into Space

The campaign in this single-player space shooter takes you across a map with various planets that opens gradually, with missions in procedurally generated maps. This is perfect for players looking for additional thrills in subsequent runs, but the average gamer will find comfort in the dozens of hours that a single run offers. With all the side-missions to dive into and the fierce dogfights to engage in, there’s more than enough to keep you busy for several days, and it’s impossible to overlook the Star Wars feel, despite the obvious discrepancies between the two franchises.

Speaking of parallels, some missions drive you to enter caves or destroyed vessels, man-made metal beasts where there’s a fine line between orientation and bewilderment, and veteran gamers will fondly remember the Descent series, especially if you select the cockpit view. Extremely immersive and fully functional, this first-person perspective is a rollercoaster ride with terrific sensations and an arcade feel like very few, and consequently isn’t recommended to the most sensitive players, as it easily conveys feelings of dizziness and disorientation that are all part of the concept of flying a powerful ship – or at least I assume.

Everspace 2 screams for mouse and keyboard control, the best way to participate in frantic dogfights that literally sweep you off your feet and turn you upside down. With accurate mouse control you can pick the targets carefully, even those that are visible through a small gap that your ship can’t fly through – aim your cannons and take out that target with precision.

The story is interesting, picking up on the first game’s persona of Adam Roslin, a clone that enjoyed immortality for some time but is now on his last life. This is also a great excuse to ditch the roguelike elements of the original and push the game towards a story-based experience where scripted missions are key. Adam also shows some signs of humanity here and there, such as when a haphazard mission ends up bringing an uninvited guest into homebase, a delightful touch for an identity previously regarded as leaning on the bland side. While there isn’t a way to steer the story in significant ways, the many graphic novel-like cutscenes and voice acting help us feel like a part of the grand scheme of things, when we’re not shooting down drones and other enemies.

Dogfighting is at the core of Everspace 2, and it is where the game truly shines. With a control approach that once again harkens back to the days of Descent, your ships are a responsive bunch, maneuvering almost as a gaming character with a no clip hack activated, except for the part of going through objects, but this fully in a positive light. The way you strafe and roll, hover and boost, everything feels reactive and refined, frantic and weighty, with a great feel for the way each laser or missile tracks down and hits your enemies with the resulting satisfying explosion, in both visual and aural sense. This is a gorgeous beast of a game, a looker of galactic proportions that is going to make you pause to look at the cosmos, drunk from the grandiose color arrangements and special effects that are seen every step of the way. A photo mode is there for any wannabe space tourists with the desire to show off.

Your ship comes with an ultimate and a few skills to use when the going gets tough, from a last resort boost out of dodge to an EMP that stuns rival ships for a few seconds, to use a lingo that may be straight out of tactical battlers, but entirely fitting the bill here. This action-packed combat ends up being inadequate for gamepad control, a somewhat underwhelming alternative for all the freedom and neck-twisting action that unfolds right in front of your eyes. And behind you, as it should be expected.

Space Hoarders

For all the action there is, Everspace 2 does try to balance it with a little puzzle-solving, oddly enough for a game set in space. Using the very precise ship control, you are thrust into true claustrophobic challenges, searching for generators to blast and power sources to carry around, unlocking doors and gateways to progress. The tight spaces and reduced visibility greatly contrast with the open space areas and are more of a resilience and accuracy test than a playground for shootouts, although there’s the occasional action as well.

The downside is that some of these sections lack distinguishing landmarks, which added to the dim lighting and directional freedom make it extremely easy to get lost and frustrated. Moving back and forth inside a neglected hulk or cave gets tiring when the objectives are somewhat unclear, or your ship’s radars just don’t want to pick them up, making you yearn for your times out there in wide open space.

Your objective radars can be quite fiddly, with over a dozen markers in front of you, but barely any difference between them. Searching for a specific goal becomes a bit of a challenge when the symbol only changes into what it truly represents as you approach the spot, so it may take some thrusting and patience to investigate everything around you.

Fighting With My Ship

The outcome of the fights often turns into a deluge of loot to pick up, naturally divided into various rarities, from the lowly uncommon right up to the sought-after superior. The open world roaming is made via jump drives and encourages planet exploration, with plenty of materials ripe for the taking. Some of them are hidden inside metallic hulks, others are simply drifting in space, waiting to be pulled into your ship. Minerals can be shot so that you can collect the shards, and some merchandise that you discover may fetch a good price in one of the trading posts.

It’s true that there’s a certain degree of grind to Everspace 2 that you must accomplish if you plan on crafting the best gear, leveling up companion perks, and staying competitive. A constant search for materials is needed if you want to face the fights with a confident outlook, unless you prefer to head over to the settings and lower the difficulty. Some players may love the incessant push to find every container and grab every piece of loot, while others would prefer a more streamlined approach.

Everspace 2 isn’t a breakthrough or a significant step forward to the genre, but it’s not exactly trying to be. An extremely engaging and gorgeous space shooter supported by a gripping storyline, the action is frantic and head-turning, and cunningly balanced by the interior sections with a puzzle approach. Forget any complex simulation aspects and profound economic systems, indulge yourself in this vast galaxy (somewhat) open to exploration, and enjoy the heated dogfights, even if every once in a while, curse words may echo within the labyrinthine confines of a derelict metallic husk.

Score: 8/10

Pros:

• A gorgeous space shooter
• Dogfights are smooth and dizzyingly immersive
• Fitting storyline that keeps you involved
• Many hours and planets ahead
• Puzzle sections are a welcome break from the shooting…

Cons:

• … But sometimes they will frustrate you
• Some grind to keep up with

Everspace 2 review code was provided by the publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.