When imagining interstellar exploration, faster-than-light traversal and combat between spaceship armadas might come to mind. Everspace 2 delivers on those premises with fast-paced action and a travel system that lets you fly around the galaxy. It’s a fun experience that tests your skills as a pilot while exploring the universe. We will break it all down in our Everspace 2 in-depth review.
If that’s the experience you seek, Everspace 2 undoubtedly delivers, but the game offers little more beyond that. While there is a story behind your adventures, along with a few visits to planets, your opportunities to explore are limited. Conversely, you will love this game if you love spacecraft customization and aerial combat. Fans of hands-on planetary exploration like what’s featured in Jedi Survivor might be disappointed.
Story: Making Sure Friends Are Alright
Everspace 2 puts you in the role of Adam Roslin, or more specifically, his clone. After the events of the first Everspace game, he’s doing his best to fly to a new solar system. As he is working for what is likely his final job, he is attacked and captured. The outlaws who find Adam realize he’s a clone and try to sell him off. Another prisoner, Dax, rescues Adam and assists in his escape to flee to safety.
Adam’s goals inevitably put him up against his past, along with several factions whose plans are underway. He must put himself at risk by carrying out missions to help his friends. But as he gets closer to achieving his objectives, he gains more allies to help him fulfill his ambitions.
Most of the narrative is told in comic form, which cuts out the action and focuses on important points of the story. Other scenes are shown while flying through space, which shifts the focus to the in-game moment. It’s a nice mix of storytelling that separates the two mediums and lets you know when the action is happening.
The story does get repetitive at times because it revolves mostly around Adam flying about and completing tasks. Moreover, he’s always one step behind his objective, which can eventually drain your motivation to progress. While Adam does manage to get the important tasks done, it makes you wonder why such effort is even necessary.
For example, something’s always broken, missing, or locked away somewhere. People are always running, fleeing, or hiding. While it’s not necessarily a bad trope, the story becomes very predictable after a while. Every twist and unexpected turn leads to more fetch quests or errands. Not everything Adam does is tedious, but it does get tiresome when there’s always something in need of repair.
Gameplay: The Space Pirate Dream
Flying around in Everspace 2 is a fantastic feeling, especially because it’s an open-world environment. Every location you travel to has its own set of obstacles and layouts. Discovering unexplored zones can make you feel like you are pioneering new areas. It’s not a roguelike experience like the previous entry, but it pays off when you explore familiar locations.
Adam isn’t exactly a space pirate, but he certainly seems like one when you are carrying out missions. Various side objectives present themselves as opportunities to upgrade your spacecraft. You can fight different enemies and plunder areas without severe consequences. Even if a fight is too difficult, there’s nothing wrong with cutting your losses and running. The freedom to explore as you wish is exciting, especially as the game opens up and new locations become available.
PlayStation 5Â has gameplay locked at 60 FPS, helping you get the best experience possible. While it may not be the most graphically intense setting, flying around feels both smooth and responsive. Trading graphics for performance is a smart move that you can appreciate when combat becomes intense. Incoming radio through your controller further immerses you in the experience, making the PS version stand out from PC and Xbox.
Spaceship customization drives this experience home even further. You won’t get many customization options when the game begins, but more additions arrive as you complete quests. You get several ships with subclasses, letting you choose the playstyle you enjoy. The freedom to fly around and fight is exhilarating and one of the gameplay’s best aspects. But it’s also a double-edged sword since that’s all you’re essentially able to do.
Flying Around: Your Enemy & Ally
The freedom to explore and fight in space is undeniably the main attraction of Everspace 2 review. The initial fetch quests feel less like drudgery and more like opportunities to delve into immersive interstellar exploration. Getting the hang of flight is like riding a bike for the first time, and trying out new features is fun. Fighting in space is a similar struggle, but you feel like a true pilot once you master it.
Unfortunately, the thrill and wonder start to fade when you realize there’s little variety in gameplay. Quests will begin to feel repetitive, and combat eventually falls into a monotonous rhythm. You simply fly around and complete objectives, and Adam’s seemingly always one step behind his enemies.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with an open-space narrative flying adventure where you travel with your ship in Everspace 2. But the lack of additional activities to break up the monotony can harm the overall experience. Side quests have you do different activities with their own backstories, with the main mission offering more substantial parts of the narrative. But fundamentally, they are all variations of the same activities you did at the beginning.
Graphics/Audio: Clear & Majestic
Even though the PlayStation 5 version we played for our Everspace 2 review is locked into the performance settings, the game still looks fantastic. You can clearly see the detail of the ships you pilot and the environments you explore. Planets look majestic from a distance, as if you are viewing a grand scenic view for the first time.
The audio is crisp and captivating, especially when you hear it from the controller. Hearing your partners communicate with you can immerse the idea that you’re piloting within a cockpit. The audio’s high quality also makes it easy to pick out warnings from the UI and listen to cues whenever something is going wrong.
The smooth gameplay helps you enjoy the visuals in the heat of combat. In our experience, we didn’t suffer any lag or drop in framerates. That said, visually and audibly speaking, Everspace 2 is quite a treat for sci-fi lovers, even if it isn’t S-tier in graphics.
Conclusion: The Space Adventure Of Dreams
During our Everspace 2 review, it became clear that it doesn’t skimp on fantastical space exploration or fighting dangerous spacecraft. It’s a thrilling experience from start to finish, especially as you start unlocking new ships. But be prepared for a lot of monotony, as the only thing you do since most of the game is voyaging across space while completing repetitious objectives. As a result, Everspace 2 can become redundant after a while with flying. Still, if you love space travel, this is definitely an experience you shouldn’t miss out on.
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