Eve Space 2 | Review – Battles Between the Stars

ever space 2 is a continuous succession of lights, colors and explosions, a constant bombardment of our senses that accompanied us while we delved into deep space to pursue a space pirate, while we explored a new hidden mine on a planet or while we poked around in it the ruins of a huge ship crashed on a desert satellite.

The title developed by Rockfish Games does nothing to hide its nature as a video game in the strictest sense of the word, a fun and fast-paced arcade shooter that completely rejects simulation ambitions and which, thanks to an almost plundering game structure, proved perfect both for long sessions between stars and space travel, and for quick battles against increasingly over-the-top enemy fleets.

Like all titles in this genre ever space 2 however, it has its structural flaws, above all an exaggerated bulimia of content and objects between which it becomes impossible to orient oneself over time.

Let’s take a look at everything in our test report.

In previous episodes…

As you can easily see from the title, ever space 2 is the second installment in a series that began in 2017 (find the first chapter At Instant play), but there are decidedly more novelties than solid elements in this new chapter.

We always talk about one Shooters in spacebut compared to before, the game structure has been and will be completely revised abandoned roguelite style progression traditionally, levels were procedurally generated, and each game over was followed by a return to the starting point and the start of a new run.

Everspace 2 is much closer to an action role-playing game instead, with a linear progression and a map dotted with systems to be explored at will, on which, mission after mission, are positioned the classic indicators that guide movements.

The only real similarity between the two chapters is the setting – or lore, if you want to be an expert – but that’s not necessarily a plus. The previous title certainly didn’t excel in terms of narrative due to its structure and it’s easy that even those who spent hours and hours in its company don’t remember the protagonists and the events.

From the beginning, ever space 2 immediately fills the player’s ears with names, stories, locations and actors that at least according to the developers should be known and about which ones far too little time is wasted without insights or explanations.

There are logs and some summaries, but we believe few will waste time browsing the virtual pages. For example, the protagonist is again Adam, one of the many clones regenerated in the different runs of the first chapter, but whom we now find in a single copy struggling with a mining mission and awaiting his well-deserved retirement. What happened to the previous twins? Why are we – probably – the last remaining specimen? Why are outlaws after us? All unanswered questions.

However, that doesn’t mean ever space 2 They don’t try to make the story more interesting, and also thanks to the omission of the roguelite mechanics, there is more room to delve into the different characters, be it Adam or the various supporting characters who join the team throughout the course of the game adventure.

Regrettably the quality of the dialogues is quite variablethe cinematics are almost static images and often the events follow one another with a haste that doesn’t sit well with a proper engagement with the different cast’s personalities.

Experienced pilots

The real reason for existence ever space 2 It is therefore not the story but the freshness of its gameplay which makes us quickly forget the weakness of the story. As mentioned at the beginning, the work of Rockfish Games is not to be confused with a space simulator and pad in hand, just a few minutes are enough to get acquainted with an intuitive command system, based on a limited number of inputs, and that uses you valuable advantage of a really precise and well-calibrated blocking system on enemies.

Thanks to this immediacy The fights are a concentrate of funbetween chases, reckless maneuvers and inevitable escapes when you feel surrounded.

The wealth of tools available also adds a pinch of strategy. Depending on the ship used – there are four tiers of increasing weight and larger size – you always have a well-differentiated arsenal and if you manage to break even the decidedly high cost there is a possibility of having nimble and maneuverable ships or on the on the contrary, from heavy armored cruisers.

As well as the two firing modes, there is also room for a whole range of consumables, invaluable allies in times of need and which can be upgraded from quick charges for energy shields to damage boosts to which special abilities are added in pure RPG style.

The differences between the opponents also require – especially at higher levels of difficulty – a well-considered approach and the classic rock-paper-scissors system in order to uncover their weaknesses and select the right weapon accordingly.

Lots of numbers, even too many

Everspace 2 CVs many of the typical RPG mechanicsincluding a level progression that progresses thanks to the accumulation of the inevitable experience points spent to unlock the protagonist’s skills, as well as the various perks linked to the supporting cast – useful for example to improve the attraction radius or the defense shields .

In addition, all objects also have their own level and only when this requirement is balanced, the various rockets, lasers and sonars can be equipped.

However, it is precisely in this abundance that one of the main shortcomings lurks ever space 2: the immense amount of materials and the resulting game systems. In fact, very few missions are enough before you end up at the full of objects and to initiate constant reorganization of inventory, dismantling of obsolete remnants of war, and constant trips to trading posts to sell what is no longer needed.

In addition to the inventory to manage, there is also the inevitable space to which it is dedicated craftwith blueprints to recover by exploring space, and once again relying on an infinite array of resources to combine, such as crystals, power cells, iron and more.

The risk, therefore, is that you end up spending more time navigating through the many menus and stripping precious minutes from the true heartbeat ever space 2: I Duels between the stars. The riot of explosions, enemies of all kinds, and even the often unexpected situations – such as battles already in progress and excellent excuses to use quick raids to recover loot – also make you forget pretty obvious quest list and which could be reduced with a: go to point X and recover material Y.

The exceptions are quite rare, between some environmental puzzles immersed in an abandoned base and from which the various passages and sporadic races against competing pilots are unlocked. However, the sense of repetition is tempered by an abundance of locations much higher than in the first chapter, which did nothing but suggest orbital stations, rocky clusters, and little more. Now you can instead venture onto the surface of planets, explore their hidden secrets, then throw yourself back into orbit and, after a few minutes, land in the presence of a glittering futuristic city.

A space Unreal engine

Finally so far ever space 2 remains a title far from the budgets of a Triple A, The view it offers is really at the highest levelmainly thanks to its graphic effects and a Lighting system that amplifies the explosionsthe sunsets on deserted planets or the reflections of an orbiting base hit by our ship’s light.

Additionally, the development team has made one available for those who want to waste their time admiring some starscapes up close pleasant photo modeperfect for taking some stills of another pirate base blown up.