Everspace 2

Good, focused spaceship looter-shooter, with interesting class & building possibilities centred around set bonuses - often compared to Diablo in terms of acquiring gear, upgrading with new drops and synergising as you go. Controls can be customised and tweaked in a fairly comprehensive manner right down to deadzone adjustment and intertial damping, meaning you always feel like you can control ships as you wish.

I used a ship akin to a necromancer, called the vindicator. A heavy ship that spawns and supports up to 6 drones. But there are 9 classes in total, all with unique quirks. There are other classes that excel with raw firepower, sniping/stealth or regenerating shields whilst boosting.

Something that I have seen criticised is the way cutscenes are dealt with on this game. The only cutscenes which are fully animated are those which take place in-space. The rest is more like a narrated comic flip-book, something I think was an excellent decision. I think it'd be a total waste for a small developer to focus on one-off models and cutscenes that aren't functional to core-gameplay. The story is nothing to write home about and some dialogue is cheesy, but it's not a game that takes itself too seriously in that respect. It's my belief that strategic decisions like this have made the gameplay exactly what it is: a fun little gem.

A true masterpiece! It's an arcade-y space shooter RPG like Freelancer. Now you might say, that is Starfield too. Compared to that Everspace 2 is much more fast-paced and more about space fights against many foes at once. A main difference is the space ship movement that lets you strafe sideways. No flying loops to see your opponent again. It's more like Diablo in space. This is an indie title, but it offers a large open world all handcrafted and filled with secrets and things to do. Not just a lot empty space. Everspace 2 delivers!
- Fast-paced arcade space shooter action
- THE BEST graphics and built scenery I ever saw! Every in-game screenshot is a marvelous wallpaper picture!
- Good story and story telling with very good and many lines of voice acting. It's rare to hear the same voice line twice! (since the devs are from Germany the german voice lines are well done too)
- Many side quests and good ramification of missions.
- Good difficulty options to adapt the experience to your liking at any time.
Being an RPG comes with the usual downside of getting a bit repetitive over time. It took me 125 hours to 100% this game. It's very rare for me that a game can hold my interest over 100+ hours and Everspace 2 was such a pleasure to play, but after such a long time you know the game's tricks like the back of your hand and it gets a bit dull. The loot is not varied enough to keep your interest. There are legendary items which have nice gamechanger abilities, but they're introduced so late in the game, that most stuff is not really that interesting anymore, because your gear is already pretty min/maxed. So hunting/searching for treasure was more fun than getting the underwhelming loot of the chests. The achievement which takes the longest is finding all secrets in all areas. After you got max character level, the loot is irrelevant and hunting for treasure becomes a tedious 3D diorama search game. They mixed up the puzzles in the game pretty good, though and it was fun to do it.
The content is not complete, yet. The map shows a whole star system which I couldn't visit yet. The devs are cooking on a major free update and on an additional dlc. So there is A LOT of content here.
This is the best open world space game from my perspective! I nominated it for Game Of The Year 2023! <3

Would i recommend this game? Absolutely! Why?
- Bug free. Something outstanding nowadays.
- Great graphics.
- Great voice acting and some funny characters.
- Wide range of weapons and ships for multiple tactics.
- Kind of Diablo-like in a sense with multiples "sets" of weapons and gear.
- The game pauses when you are in the inventory or menu so you can craft and change your gear on the fly.
- Make your ship unique in shape and colors by unlocking them (in loot, crates or challenges).
- Perks that give you unique bonuses (you choose one out of three, each 5 levels, and can change them at any time).
- Good life time (far far more than 30h as i read somewhere). I do this review at 126 hours of gaming and i don't even finished the game yet.
- Re-playable. If you like this game, you'll really want to try other ships and weapons.
- It worth his price but if you buy it on discount (as i did) you'll get a very good deal.
- I don't know what to add, except that it's my favorite game of this kind since a very long time!
- Sorry, i found no cons about this game.

Everspace 2 is a space fight simulator with 3D movement focusing heavily on combat, exploration and puzzles. Rockfish Games, the developer, describes Everspace 2 as a "space shooter" with "RPG elements" on its Steam page. That is untrue. Everspace 2 is an action role playing game (ARPG) like Diablo or Path of Exile. And it is terrific.
You play Adam Roslin, an ex-military fighter pilot working for an uncaring and manipulative corporation. After a routine mission goes wrong, you are captured by outlaws and escape to a long abandoned base. You and your fellow escapees then rebuild and prepare for a heist that could set you all free.
Flying your ship in Everspace 2 is a joy. The controls are less detailed than those of more complex space simulators like Elite Dangerous. Still, such an outwardly arcade-like game offers a surprising degree of control. Dodging enemy fire, circling capital ships, and navigating maze-like tunnels all feel fluid and natural.
The combat is vibrant, frantic and engaging. Like most ARPGs, you usually fight swarms of weaker enemies, each with different weapons, defences, and abilities. This structure provides constant variety and changing tactics. Your relative strength also fuels the requisite power fantasy.
Locations also contain puzzles, providing cerebral but slower-paced play. As you fly around, your sensors can detect and track nearby loot, mineral deposits or other points of interest. Your ship has a tractor beam that you can use to pick up and move things around, such as removing debris from a passage or picking up a battery to slot it into a socket elsewhere. These usually unlock doors or containers of potential ship upgrades.
Everspace 2 tells its main story through cut scenes showing hand-drawn images with voice-overs. While low-budget, this style works well for a game focused on flying spaceships. The main quest has excellent pacing while introducing more about the universe and its inhabitants.
There are plenty of side quests and activities, too. As with many RPGs, they are often the most interesting, flesh out the world and introduce unique NPCs. Chasing rogue AIs, rescuing trapped miners, or appeasing crime lords are all on the cards. Racing tracks and rifts filled with difficult enemies satiate those seeking a challenge.
Mechanically, Everspace 2 is a testament to game balance. Everything, including your character, gear, and enemies, is geared to a level. Level differences are more pronounced than in other games. Foes more than a few levels above you are deadly. Those a few levels beneath you will be merely speed bumps. Everspace 2 periodically increases the level of enemies to keep the challenge consistent.
Aesthetically, Everspace 2 is beautiful. Each location is a postcard, with asteroids, massive space stations, aging wrecks, vertigo-inducing icebergs and/or vibrant nebulae. Many are varied and original, like an iceberg in a solar flare or a megafauna skeleton, evoking wonder and appreciation. Each star system also has its distinct look, making them feel unique. 
The electronica soundtrack is also on point, supporting the sci-fi feel. The zen-like cruising pieces contrast with the exciting, upbeat combat ones.
However, Everspace 2 is not perfect. My biggest gripe is with the writing in the main storyline. No one expects deep or complex writing from an ARPG, but this does not excuse poor writing. 
The characters need more substance. Ben and Delia are just cardboard cutouts and deserve motivation and agency. Maddock becomes a contrived, grumpy omni-antagonist. Combining some supporting characters, like Ben and Tareem, would have enhanced both. Everspace 2 also unnecessarily sexualizes a female supporting character at one point. 
Similarly, the early main story has too much "I need you to do this, but I am not going to tell you why for at least two cut scenes." It feels unnecessarily opaque and confrontational. The game also removes the player's agency at a few key moments, railroading you. 
My other gripe is with loot management. Most of the copious loot enemies drop is trash you sell or disassemble for crafting components. The rare upgrade is fun, and Everspace 2's crafting system means you will always have suitable weapons, modules or consumables. 
However, the constant gear drops and level churn mean periodically yanking yourself out of the fun combat and puzzle game loops to clear your inventory. Loot management is a broader problem with ARPGs' variable intermittent reward structure, but it is still a problem.
I initially thought Everspace 2's lack of replayability would be a problem. It lacks a skill tree or other ARPG elements that specialize your character. No advancement or story choice blocks off content. ARPGs have traditionally used these to encourage players to create different characters to replay content differently.
However, being able to quickly switch out a new ship or experiment with new weapons or modules means experimentation or change is refreshingly easy. Meanwhile, the perk and challenge systems provide attainable alternative goals that offer useful benefits instead of gatekeeping high-level content from less dedicated players. 
Ultimately, Everspace 2 is a game that knows what it wants to be. It doubles down on that explore -> shoot -> loot -> craft game loop. If you enjoy that loop, and you will find out quickly or via the free demo, the game promises hours of the same. Otherwise, you will bounce off Everspace 2 hard.
Everspace 2 also knows what it does not want to be. It is single-player and offline, eschewing the complex code, gameplay loops and community management required for multiplayer or online play. It focuses on quality over quantity, providing a few well-developed star systems to explore. There is no piracy, salvage, political simulation or other distractions.
It took me about 60 hours to complete the main quest, including most side quests and challenges. As with most RPGs, you could complete it in under half that time, but you would miss the best content. Meanwhile, the developers continue expanding and enhancing the game, showing a welcome love and attention to detail. If only all ARPGs were this good.

TL;DR: Do you play eve online? X3/X4? Starsector? Rogue Squadron? Ace Combat? War Thunder? Do you like space operas like star wars or mass effect? Then, get this game. Simple as, lads.
-here comes the walls of text-
I don't know if I can properly encapsulate everything I love about this game concisely, but the ability to craft a railgun that can hit targets 4.5 Kilometers away is priceless. I prefer fighting my enemies from a distance. Y'know why? If you're 3-4 kilometers away, next to no enemies have the ability to hit back. I'm playing with keyboard and mouse, and aside from a slightly too twitchy mouse that makes railgun sniping a little difficult at times, space combat is pretty enjoyable. The game is kind enough to compensate and say if the crosshairs were near enough, that it'll be considered a hit.... but sometimes, this is inconsistent, and the game will demand pixel perfect aiming. That's fine, I like a challenge.
Sometimes, the game throws you into ambushes where the bad guys are practically on top of you, and you'll have 4-5 enemies trying to dump damage on you. Pick a direction and use your boost to GTFO. You'll learn very quickly to avoid dog fights in which you're outnumbered, because once your shields get popped, 5-10 seconds of sustained fire will have you reloading a checkpoint. but occasionally you're forced into close combat with some enemies -- outlaw tormentors, scouts, and proto-scouts are a prime example. If you're a twitchy aimer like me, I recommend finding or crafting a Thermal gun to use when you're forced into close combat. The heat seeking rounds let you focus on evading enemies while piling on damage. Just wait until later in the game when you start to get percent chance to debuff on hit items. The thermal gun might not do a ton of damage, but you fire fast enough to where the debuffs are going to stick a lot quicker.
Also, thermal guns make fights against Guardians much easier. Oh, teleporting around are ye? Look at how many fucks I give as my thermal gun melts you.
Wait until you hit level 20+ and you start getting access to rare and star-forged weapons and ship enhancements. I'm still flying the base fighter from the start of the game, and I have the ability to temporarily break enemy shields, occasionally web the target (rooting them in place for 3 seconds) and the possibility to disable their weapons on hit.
The star map items you can use to fight enemies in 'dangerous territories' offers a degree of challenge to your fights, and offers increased rewards based on the difficulty. All of these fights have you fight against waves of enemy ships until eventually an enemy flagship spawns in (along with a few elite fighters 6-8 kilometers away, that will occasionally hound you). The only thing that sucks about these events is that none of the enemy kills drop loot. You get your loot from the flagship at the end of the raid, so if you die, or you manage to get a raid with nearly impossible survival parameters, you're kinda out of luck. One time at level 19, I got a raid to face off against level 21-23 enemies. Oh, and they all had health regen. Including the flagship. Not fun.
The crew members you meet will offer you a lot of interesting perks, provided you have the materials to craft for them. Yes, this game is a bit of a collect-a-thon. You need mainframe parts for ship specialization, you need to disassemble weapons to get parts to build your own, you need resources from raiding enemy pirate bases as well as resources from mining to create components for upgrades, you need blueprints from fighting elites and doing raids to build new equipment and catalysts (special items you can use to modify your ship equipment) and you need money to get things from traders -- including new ships. The low-tier ships are relatively cheap and let you try out alternate playstyles...
- Even lighter fighters that trade armor and shields for speed
- Bombers that let you use energy as a resource for secondary weapons (rockets, etc), as well as using boost energy for weapons
- Heavy gunners that have four weapon mountpoints for double the fire (and energy draw)
- one of the ship classes can resurrect enemy ships and use them as drone fighters for an interesting twist
- And then there are fighter-style craft that are kind of multi-role. Not terribly heavy, not very light. Similar to the default ship.
So... your choices amount to go fast and avoid fire, hit really hard, and move like a donkey, or the middle ground. However, all ships have special abilities, ultimate attacks, and passive bonuses. I'm still in the process of saving up for the pink/rare-tier ships that range anywhere from 280,000 to over 400,000 credits (the heavy duty bomber with quad weapon hardpoints is insanely expensive.)
Once you hit your low to mid 20s and make it to the Khait nebula, if you have the will to sell Rare-tier weapons along with everything else the enemies out there drop, you can make really good money. The zealots spawn in constantly. You can't ever "clear" a map, they keep coming back. Which... can be annoying if you're trying to 100% clear a zone and solve all the puzzles. But those enemies have a good chance to drop rare resources, or pretty decent weapons and ship tech that can sell pretty decently.
There are plenty of side missions that range from: destroy a , , . These are all in addition to the main questline. and the "dangerous area" raids I mentioned earlier. On top of all that, occasionally when flying between locations, you'll get "strange signals" or "distress beacons" you can navigate to on your way to a place. These will spawn random events where you can , , , , , , etc. Oh, and then there is the 'citizens of velocity' race challenges. I'm absolutely terrible at controlling my ship, so I've avoided the races entirely. I find them to be extremely challenging. The repeatable quests from certain places and factions earn you money, experience and reputation. As you level up rep, you just get more money, experience, reputation, and items from doing missions, as well as a one-time level up bonus set of items to claim.
Finally, let's jump back to ship customization. The way this game handles custimization is... unique. You have to fight enemies to unlock paint colors. These paint colors unlock for tinting the cockpit glass, the emissive lights on the ship, as well as primary, secondary and tertiary ship body colors. You can choose between matte and metallic paint, and even adjust the paint glass, and add unlockable, customizable ship decals. You can also unlock alternate appearances/parts of the space craft, such as the wings, the thrusters, the nose, etc.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention: This game features a basic starsector-like economy system. Buy low from one place, sell high to another place.
There's no shortage for things to do. I bought this game about a week ago, and I've been playing it every night for hours ever since, and from what I can tell, there are at least two more companions to get on my team, and at least one more galaxy left to unlock.
Still on the fence? There is zero DLC or in-game purchases for this game. All of the unlockables are available in-game. There is no money store. Not to mention, the game is still being actively supported by its devs. They posted a new patch update about a week before I purchased the game. The game launched in 2021, and they're still supporting it. Its refreshing to see.

This Game has absolutely ruined all other Space-Sims, Flight-Sims, RPGs, and Single-Player Experiences for me...
You want a solid story-line with Comic book style cutscenes to paint a picture for you when not having full discussions in the midst of Theatrical EPIC Space Combat? Check.
You want full customizability and modularity of your Ship's build in terms of EVERY aspect? Check.
You want a modular but fairly unrestricted Cosmetic customizability that won't bog down your specs? Check.
Lastly, do you want ENDLESS random encounters to grind, Challenges, Quests, INFINITE Jobs (Side-Quests) to grind and build your own narrative to? Check.
There's so much more i can say about this game, like how the controls are the smoothest whether you're using KB&M, Controller, or a FULL-HOTAS Kit like i am, but all that needs said is that you NEED to try this game. You'll fall in love with the World, Systems, Combat, End-Game Replayability, The ship Class-System, and more.
I give this game 10/10 hand's down.
Welcome to The DMZ, Freelancer.

This is a fine game, but *please* temper your expectations if you’ve been reading the reviews that try to sell it as some kind of apex of the space sim genre (or worse, a “spiritual successor to Freelancer”). I don’t know what those people are on, but Everspace 2 isn’t Freelancer, it’s Diablo in space.
Everspace 2 calls itself a “space shooter” for a reason - the main thing you do in this game is fight bad guys, pick up the loot they drop, use that to upgrade your ship, and then go fight more bad guys. That’s not *literally* the whole game, but everything that doesn’t serve that core gameplay loop is clearly secondary, and sometimes even takes more away from the experience than it adds (the puzzles are often guilty of this).
The other big thing there is to do in the game is exploration, which is nice, but quite limited (there’s only 7 systems in the game). At least the locations are all hand-crafted, and many of them look great. Unfortunately, something that goes hand-in-hand with exploration in this game is the puzzles that most locations come with, and as I touched on earlier, these get tedious *really* quickly.
Do I *wish* this game was a true successor to Freelancer with a great combat component, rather than a solid space shooter with the barest skeleton of a space sim necessary to make the whole thing work? Sure, but I also know it’s not fair to put this game down for not being something it was clearly never trying to be. I’m mostly just confused as to how it’s possible that the reviews seem to basically be evenly split between people saying what I’m saying, and people (even some journalist reviews) utterly convinced that Everspace 2 *is* a proper space sim that gives games like Freelancer a run for their money. Maybe people are just that desperate for good games in this genre?
Also, props to Rockfish for this game having a demo.