Review – EVERSPACE
From the first time I watched Star Wars as a child, I have been enamored by anything and everything involved with space. From movies to video games, the idea of space exploration and epic battles always gets me giddy like a school kid on their last day of school. EVERSPACE promises a fine mix of both in a fast paced rogue-like environment.
EVERSPACE opens up with a series of mysterious cut scenes that lead to the eventual escape of whomever the player controls. Upon dropping out of hyperspace, a voice chimes in, the ship’s AI, to give a quick rundown on how to pilot the ship. This tutorial is quick, easy, and does a great job of getting players right into the action of the game.
Each level that a player warps into spans across a section of space riddled with enemy ships, resources to gather, and if you’re lucky, a trader ship where you can fill up your fuel and buy materials. These levels are unlike anything I have played in any other rogue-like game. In titles like Binding of Issac and Crypt of the Necrodancer, each level is comprised of rooms that intertwine together. In EVERSPACE, it is wide open with only asteroids and run down ships between you and your enemies. This allows players to go wherever they want in the level right away. If they’re ready for a fight then they can head right for the enemies. If not, then they can spend time gathering resources to help them craft new items to battle with. Be wary though, as there is only a limited amount of time you can spend on each level before the dreaded Okaar fleet shows up and has their way with your ship.
EVERSPACE is all about progression through death and unlocking items or skills to help progress further and further with each run. During a run, players earn credits by taking down enemy ships and completing certain objectives. Credits are used to upgrade various parts of the ship to help ensure future success. Upgrades can range anywhere from scanning an area before warping to it, to reinforcing hulls of the ship. I found myself trying to increase my credit gain before anything else since if I can only survive a few levels before being killed, might as well reward myself as much as I could right?
The big draw toward EVERSPACE for a lot of people (including myself), is the combat. Trailers showed off epic dogfights taking place in space where the player is weaving between lasers with explosions going off all around the ship, and for me that is where the game really shines. Naturally, trailers showcase the best of the best gameplay so all of the battles that players encounter won’t quite be as epic. However, I did find myself creeping closer and closer to the edge of my seat each time I encountered 3 or more ships waiting to take me down.
Handling the ship was smooth and easy. I found no problem whipping myself around the target ships or ducking in and out of asteroid cover to avoid enemy fire. The controls felt a little floaty at first and took a few runs to get used to, but once I got a feel for them I felt a lot more comfortable battling enemy ships head on instead of baiting them around cover. I do wish that I could use my flight stick instead of mouse and keyboard, but thankfully the developers have already announced that they will be adding stick support to the game as soon as possible.
EVERSPACE is another example of a game that shines from going through an early access stint. While some may argue it was in early access for too long, the polish on the now-finished title definitely does show and I feel it results in a strong final product. Even if rogue-like games aren’t exactly your favorite, I strongly suggest giving EVERSPACE a try. Especially if you’re as fascinated by space battles as myself.
Arcadey Dogfighting
Summary: EVERSPACE's combat is what will keep players coming back, even if they aren't a fan of rogue-likes.
3.5
stafunoob
TimHost of Rough Tims & Waking Up w/ Stafunoob. Broadcaster and Content Creator for KBMOD. Hot Cheetos, Takis, and Gushers are my lifeblood, feed me them so I know it's real.
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