Everspace II presents a cosmic adventure filled with combat, exploration, mining, interaction, and simply existing within a vast world that's not tailored solely for your presence, but rather one in which you coexist. It's an immersive space simulation featuring a modest yet distinctly human narrative, eschewing the tired trope of yet another civilization's desire to obliterate us. With solid mechanics complemented by weighty flight mechanics, impactful weaponry, and formidable AI, the game enthralls players with awe-inspiring space vistas. The soundtrack and sound design punctuate every fleeting moment, juxtaposing serene ambient sounds with heart-pounding warning signals, such as those announcing the approach of a dozen missiles.
Gameplay and Mechanics:
In a space simulation, ship maneuverability and weaponry are key elements. Starting with weaponry, from the smallest mining laser to the thunderous explosions of missiles, each emitted a satisfying crunch, encompassing distinct styles that cater to various playstyles.
Everspace II boasts a diverse array of ships, each catering to different approaches in engaging enemies and completing objectives. Smaller ships emphasize agility, enabling you to evade attacks with ease, yet a single hit can deal considerable damage. Medium-class ships strike a balance, offering more weapons and defenses compared to smaller counterparts, albeit at slightly slower speeds. Finally, the larger vessels, my personal preference, sacrifice agility for robust defenses and a formidable arsenal. Each ship comes with its unique playstyle, passive abilities, and ultimate abilities, significantly influencing the ebb and flow of battles. My favored choice, the heavy bomber, featured the largest inventory, altered secondary weapons to consume ship energy instead of personal ammo (a clever mechanic), and an ultimate attack reminiscent of DOOM's "BFG" that obliterated everything on-screen. This ship also allowed me to convert mines into allies, adding to its strategic versatility. The variety between ships is remarkable, offering distinct gameplay experiences.
Another intriguing element is the integration of the perk system. While your character can level up and boost skills every 5 levels, gathering items through mining, raiding, quests, and destruction enables you to upgrade your companions' passive abilities. These incremental enhancements-some quite substantial-alter how you approach different mechanics within Everspace II. This innovative system adds depth to the game.
Graphics and Visuals:
Everspace II maintains visual diversity throughout its journey. It seamlessly transitions from a galaxy bursting with vivid colors and a wide range of planets showcasing diverse biomes, to desolate suns radiating blue-white hues, signifying their impending doom and leaving behind barren worlds. Such stark contrasts invite contemplation about the galaxy's history and its myriad mysteries, fostering immersive engagement. The copious mist effects contribute to the immersive experience, obscuring vision and creating moments of suspense, especially when navigating amidst asteroids and structures. As the game progresses, a different civilization is introduced, ushering in a fresh visual design distinct from the previous settings. Everspace II boasts a plethora of environments to satisfy various player preferences.
Sound Design and Music:
A successful space adventure game strategically employs sound to convey the atmosphere. Everspace II does this adeptly, drenching players in a spectrum of sounds that match the current scenario or, alternatively, allowing moments of auditory serenity to resonate.
Diverse sounds for each weapon are expected, but Everspace II takes this to another level. Missiles barrages, laser blasts, cannons, and autocannons each carve out their acoustic niche, enhancing the sensory experience and emphasizing their devastating impact.
When it comes to the soundtrack, science fiction thrives on boundless potential and wonder. Accordingly, Everspace II's music captivates players by alternating between slow and enthralling melodies that perfectly complement the grandeur of space, whether it's in moments of tranquility or during tense sequences.
Game Setting:
Set in the distant future, Everspace II envisions a universe where humanity has mastered FTL travel, establishing amicable connections with alien species. The game offers a glimpse into the achievements of humanity, showcasing sprawling settlements on space stations, bustling trading ports, asteroid outposts, ship construction hubs, and mining planets. The galaxy appears balanced, with races cooperating in their unique ways-though this harmony is a facade, thinly veiling simmering tensions.
Overall Story, Side Quests, and More:
Everspace II delves into the intricacies of human behavior, reflecting both its positive and negative facets. Without revealing too much, the game underscores that even in the future, our core traits endure, with our flaws magnified on a cosmic scale. The narrative delves into greed and individualism that endanger the greater good, a theme relevant across eras.
Cutscenes employ stop-motion animation, standing out while effectively conveying the story's essence. Regardless of the visual style, captivating cutscenes are paramount. However, an issue arises when cutscene dialogues continue within text boxes, obstructing menus and momentarily wresting control from players.
Everspace II offers a lengthy playtime of around 30 hours for the main storyline. Yet, there are instances where certain main quests feel like filler, with quest objectives diverging from the storyline. While this could have been avoided, the developers chose a grounded narrative over an epic intergalactic war, a bold decision that sets the game apart.
Side quests add depth, with some even intertwining with the main story and touching on themes such as humanity, technology, tradition, and economics. However, an aspect that detracts from their enjoyment is the significant travel time required due to the game's structure, making these quests feel somewhat tedious.
Visuals, Audio, Gameplay, Crashes, and More:
Visual glitches are rare and audio hiccups include sporadic issues transitioning between battle and exploration music. While Everspace II is solid in terms of gameplay and stability, it does encounter the occasional audio bug. Overall, the game runs smoothly even on older hardware.
Replayability:
Upon completing the main game, an arena mode becomes available, introducing roguelike elements and providing a challenging combat experience. Here, players fend off waves of enemies in exchange for the opportunity to modify subsequent enemy waves. This adds replayability for those seeking a greater challenge after completing quests.
In conclusion, Everspace II draws inspiration from its predecessors while carving out its identity. It's a game that merits exploration despite certain inconsistencies and quirks.
