Everspace 2

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 5,953 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Everspace 2 Game Cover
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Everspace 2 is a single-player space exploration and combat game with RPG elements. Traverse a vast open universe, gather resources, upgrade your ship, and engage in high-stakes dogfights against hostile alien forces. Experience a compelling story with diverse characters, factions, and quests. The game features stunning visuals, detailed space environments, and immersive sound effects.

  • PC
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Gog Com
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 5,953 reviews
story921 positive mentions
grinding223 negative mentions
  • Engaging space combat with a variety of ships and weapons, allowing for diverse playstyles.
  • Gorgeous graphics and well-designed environments that enhance the exploration experience.
  • Strong customization options for ships and a satisfying loot progression system.
  • Repetitive gameplay with tedious puzzles and fetch quests that can detract from the overall experience.
  • The story and character development are often seen as weak and unengaging.
  • Frequent loading screens and a lack of seamless travel between locations can disrupt immersion.
  • story3,271 mentions

    The story in Everspace 2 has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it engaging yet somewhat predictable and linear. While some appreciate the character development and humor, others criticize the simplistic plot and repetitive mission structure, often likening it to fetch quests. The game's presentation, using comic-style cutscenes and voice acting, has been noted as a unique approach, though some players feel it lacks depth compared to other narrative-driven games. Overall, while the story serves as a decent backdrop for the gameplay, it may not be the main draw for players seeking a rich narrative experience.

    • “The story is engaging and keeps you wanting to see what happens next.”
    • “The story is interesting and takes some surprising twists, but is just tedious the second time through.”
    • “The story is captivating and the lore is great!”
    • “But unfortunately the story was quite simple and weak.”
    • “The main storyline lacks compelling hooks, and character development is shallow.”
    • “The story is bland, which is worse than being bad.”
  • gameplay1,134 mentions

    The gameplay of Everspace 2 has received widespread praise for its engaging mechanics, smooth controls, and polished core gameplay loop, making it enjoyable for both newcomers and fans of the original. Players appreciate the variety of ship types, combat styles, and the balance between exploration, crafting, and puzzle-solving elements, although some have noted that the gameplay can become repetitive over time. While the story may not be as compelling, the overall experience is enhanced by beautiful graphics and a satisfying progression system, making it a solid choice for fans of space shooters and RPGs alike.

    • “The gameplay is fast and smooth, the visuals are beautiful and immersive, and there are so many things to do: fighting, trading, crafting items to perfect your setup, exploring, discovering secrets and solving puzzles, lots of campaign and side missions, different jobs to do...”
    • “Everspace 2 has a very strong core gameplay, combining the streamlined gameplay and arcade-style controls of modern games with the old-school exploration and ship customization we loved in classics.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly engaging, with smooth mechanics that make exploring the vast universe a joy.”
    • “The gameplay loop quickly becomes tedious and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged for long periods.”
    • “Despite the initial excitement, I found myself doing the same dull gameplay loops over and over again and lost all motivation to finish the campaign.”
    • “The gameplay is solid, but the core mechanics feel shallow and uncreative, leading to a lack of depth in the overall experience.”
  • graphics906 mentions

    The graphics in Everspace 2 have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and immersive environments, showcasing beautiful space vistas and intricate ship designs. Many players noted the game's use of Unreal Engine 5, which enhances the overall aesthetic and performance, making it visually captivating even on lower-end hardware. However, some critiques were directed at the quality of cutscene animations and occasional graphical inconsistencies, but these did not significantly detract from the overall positive reception of the game's visual presentation.

    • “The graphics are beautiful, even the lens flare is great which I generally turn off in games except this one; motion blur was definitely disabled shortly after starting, but the overall space and ships are gorgeous.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, the gameplay is polished, gives lots of options and rewards exploring.”
    • “The visuals are breathtaking, the arcade shooting is solid, the story is (so far) very good and the fluff like trading is there.”
    • “The quality of the animations and graphics in the cutscenes is awful; a 5-year-old could draw better and with more creativity.”
    • “The graphics look like a game from 10 years ago.”
    • “The in-game visuals are not as busy, detailed, and entertaining as the trailers suggest.”
  • music322 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its atmospheric qualities and catchy synthwave tracks, while others criticize it as repetitive and generic, likening it to elevator music. Many users express a desire for more variety in the soundtrack, particularly during exploration and combat, as the current tracks can become monotonous over time. Overall, while the sound design and effects are generally well-received, the music often fails to leave a lasting impression, leading some players to opt for their own playlists instead.

    • “Each star system has its own soundtrack, and it's good.”
    • “The soundtrack is insanely good and an awesome creation all on its own!”
    • “The dynamic soundtrack enhances the sense of tension and adventure, creating an atmospheric backdrop that further immerses players in the game world.”
    • “The music is very generic and almost sounds like royalty-free stock music you would find in a YouTube video with 43 views.”
    • “The music, sadly, does not feel matching to the game even though the sound design is good.”
    • “The music is worse than elevator music and again, has zero effort applied to it.”
  • grinding237 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in the mid to late game. While some appreciate the RPG elements and the opportunity to optimize builds, others feel that the excessive backtracking, resource gathering, and puzzle-solving detract from the overall experience, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging gameplay loop. Overall, players who enjoy grinding and exploration may find satisfaction, but those who prefer a more streamlined experience may be left frustrated.

    • “Gathering resources is not too tedious; there are some puzzles requiring a bit of looking here and there.”
    • “Travel times are long, but aren't tedious (Elite Dangerous), and the player has ways of making travel faster if they finish the relevant side quests.”
    • “Trading and mining are simple and not too grindy.”
    • “The game is extremely grindy and repetitive to a soul-draining level, and I really tried to enjoy it.”
    • “This was charming at the start but became very tedious and more drawn out as you get further in the game.”
    • “The core gameplay loop becomes tedious really fast.”
  • optimization160 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players praising its smooth performance and beautiful graphics, while others report significant frame rate drops and stuttering, particularly in demanding environments or during intense battles. Many users noted that performance can vary greatly depending on hardware specifications, with high-end systems generally experiencing better stability. Overall, while there are optimization issues that need addressing, the game is considered well-optimized for a title in early access, with ongoing improvements expected.

    • “Gorgeous to look at, great level design (not an easy task in a game based around space flight), well optimized and overall - fun!”
    • “The game looks great, it plays well, and is optimized.”
    • “It's very polished in terms of graphics, performance and stability, which is a feat in itself nowadays.”
    • “On the technical front, Everspace 2 suffers from optimization issues, with frame rate drops and stuttering occurring even on high-end PCs.”
    • “However, the worst problem of this game also comes from the environment: well into the latter half of the game, some areas have very poor optimization that shot up my GPU usage to the point it would shut down, and in multiple instances forced me to restart my PC.”
    • “To scare off those potential players that will get upset at bugs or performance issues when the game is incomplete, here is everything negative I have to say first: I'm only 1 hour in and already have hit performance issues in areas where the original Everspace didn't even make my computer break a sweat.”
  • atmosphere75 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning graphics, immersive sound design, and engaging environments that effectively capture the vastness of space. While many players appreciate the captivating visuals and dynamic soundtrack, some critiques highlight inconsistencies in gameplay mechanics and a lack of variety in atmospheric experiences. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, contributing significantly to the game's appeal despite some noted shortcomings.

    • “The attention to visual fidelity creates a captivating atmosphere that truly captures the awe-inspiring vastness of space.”
    • “The dynamic soundtrack enhances the sense of tension and adventure, creating an atmospheric backdrop that further immerses players in the game world.”
    • “Amazing game, amazing graphics and atmosphere.”
    • “What holds this game back in my opinion is the overall crippling lack of atmosphere and immersion.”
    • “Then there's the music, which if it doesn't manage to fade into the background is actively undermining the atmosphere of the game by being way too upbeat and just devoid of ... I guess tastefulness?”
    • “Everspace 2 is a pseudo-open world action RPG where you will gain the basic parallel of experience points to put into things, equipment have levels like any isometric RPG such as Diablo, and you get imitations of planets to fly in, but it really just feels like you are flying in space still with different scenery; the flight model doesn't even change... at all... between space and an atmosphere... so - being 'on a planet' really just feels like an overlooked gimmick put in just so they 'can say' that they have such a feature as 'landing on planets' or however they want to spin it - it's still just like being in space 100%.”
  • stability68 mentions

    Overall, the stability of the game is mixed, with many players reporting a smooth experience and minimal bugs, especially for an early access title. However, some users have encountered significant glitches, crashes, and control issues, particularly when using specific configurations or during certain gameplay scenarios. While the game is generally praised for its performance and polish, a few players have noted persistent bugs that can affect immersion and gameplay.

    • “The game is smooth, no glitches or hiccups, graphics are spectacular, story is interesting, many things to do because of the abundance of side missions, and it is very very fun.”
    • “Most importantly, it is virtually bug free.”
    • “The game is so smooth and not buggy for a pre-release game.”
    • “No amount of reinstall/integrity check/troubleshooting is fixing this ...”
    • “The main menu wouldn't open once I started the game, and it was massively buggy in all respects.”
    • “Tons of bugs, all the time game freezes (not as in actually freezing) and I can't press anything, game runs but in a 'paused' mode where it just, well, it's just there, nothing is clickable, can't skip, can't do anything...”
  • replayability55 mentions

    The replayability of Everspace 2 is a mixed bag among reviewers. While some appreciate the game's engaging mechanics, exploration, and customization options that offer significant replay value, others criticize its limited endgame content and lack of multiplayer features, which detracts from long-term replayability. Overall, opinions vary, with some finding it highly replayable and others feeling it lacks depth for repeated playthroughs.

    • “You'll fall in love with the world, systems, combat, end-game replayability, the ship class-system, and more.”
    • “Has lots of replay value, exploration, challenges, and an excellent variety of customization.”
    • “Truthfully, everywhere I look I see enough depth and replayability for this being one of my titles I play for a few hundred hours.”
    • “I don't think there's a high amount of replayability here.”
    • “The big downside is the lack of endgame content and replayability.”
    • “The game, at least for me, is not replayable as you already know what is going to happen, where everything is, etc. So it is labeled 'open world' but it does not feel that way at all.”
  • humor49 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the witty dialogue and engaging voice acting, particularly from the AI companion, Hive, who delivers sarcastic and amusing commentary. While some found the humor hit-or-miss, with certain jokes falling flat, others enjoyed the ironic storytelling and funny character interactions that added charm to the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully incorporates humor into its narrative and gameplay, making it a notable aspect for many players.

    • “A very amusing and ironic story, with funny and likeable characters.”
    • “The space combat is fun, the storyline is decent, the voice acting and dialogue is often hilarious.”
    • “Great graphics, funny dialogue, and a nice explore/kill/loot loop.”
    • “The writing chooses instead to place the emphasis on largely unfunny humor that results in a jarring tone that wildly swings between somber and kooky.”
    • “The attempts at humor often fall flat, leaving moments that should be funny feeling awkward and forced.”
    • “The jokes feel outdated and lack the cleverness needed to make them truly entertaining.”
  • monetization17 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the absence of microtransactions, DLC, and intrusive ads, which they find refreshing compared to many AAA titles. However, there are concerns about potential future monetization strategies, with some users suspecting it may turn into a cash grab as the game progresses. Overall, while the current model is praised for its integrity, skepticism remains about the long-term intentions of the developers.

    • “There is zero DLC or in-game purchases for this game.”
    • “In a time of the so-called 'AAA' games, which are released unfinished, with performance issues and plagued with microtransactions, Everspace 2 is a refreshing experience.”
    • “No forced FOMO mechanics, no microtransactions, just a well thought out game that is gorgeous and fun to play.”
    • “Devs, fix it posthaste and apologize for falsely advertising the game as complete.”
    • “Free content or a cash grab after a free content update, that is what I am guessing at this point.”
    • “Money grab (I paid my money and I ain't got time to wait 2 years. By then I suspect this will be abandoned or a further cash grab ensued.)”
  • character development15 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players noting a lack of depth and emotional investment, particularly in the protagonist, while others appreciate the complexity of the character and ship development systems. Despite the engaging gameplay and beautiful art style, many feel that the character arcs are underwhelming and hinder the overall narrative experience. Overall, while there are moments of strong writing and potential for growth, the execution of character development leaves much to be desired.

    • “It's a labor of love - great complexity in the ship/character development tree that remains strangely accessible.”
    • “There's so much to do, great balance, beautiful UI and in-game art, nice pacing with the character development, etc. it's really impressive.”
    • “Just played through the part of the story that was available, it's very well written and has deep character development.”
    • “The main storyline lacks compelling hooks, and character development is shallow.”
    • “One aspect where Everspace 2 falls short is in character development and emotional investment.”
    • “For the amount of effort they put into the main storyline, there's very little stakes and even less meaningful character development.”
  • emotional14 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players feeling a deep connection and nostalgia, particularly for its immersive universe and wholesome themes, while others criticize the storyline and character development as lacking depth and emotional resonance. Many express disappointment in the underdeveloped relationships and illogical plot, contrasting with those who appreciate the heartfelt effort of the developers. Overall, the emotional impact varies significantly among players, with some experiencing a strong connection and others feeling disconnected.

    • “I love this game too, everything feels so wholesome, like everyone pieced together an unimaginable futuristic game with their heart, soul, sweat, and tears.”
    • “Thanks for the emotional rollercoaster, devs! :( t.t”
    • “There comes a new game called Everspace 2 after nearly two decades and it made me feel exactly like Freelancer did, awestruck.”
    • “The story is boring; it's not really difficult to step outside your comfort zone and create something unique.”
    • “The emotional depth is lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “I felt no emotional investment in the storyline, which made the experience feel flat.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

28hMedian play time
48hAverage play time
12-60hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 96 analyzed playthroughs

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