In space you die. A lot. At least that’s what Everspace has taught me.
Rockfish Games have managed to take the currently popular Roguelike genre and meld it with a space shooter, and a good one at that. Starting out as an amnesiac pilot, it soon becomes clear that things are not what they seem, but before you get time to worry about this, the matter of getting a ship and blasting through sectors of space swarming with dangerous elements is possibly a little more pressing.
Pretty soon you’ll come across enemies and you’ll die. Those who’ve never played a roguelike game before will a little shocked by this, but the game has a trick up its sleeve. It starts you off again from your last base with the resources you’ve already gathered and a new ship, then tells you to go do it better next time.
Restarting a lot might be a little tiring if it wasn’t for the fact that going out there and blasting the enemy while trying to get to somewhere that might just tell you a bit more about yourself is so satisfying. Pretty soon you learn the right set-up for you, what to upgrade and how to survive, then you can make some headway. Think of it as Groundhog Day in space.
As you’d expect, later sectors of space can be rock hard and will require a lot of patience and a bit of planning to complete, but it’s all part of the game. The control system does feel a little off, however, which doesn’t really help until you adjust to it, but it’s a minor thing overall.
The artwork and graphics really impress in Everspace, it’s a joy to fly past wrecks and through a nebula and all the lighting work, particularly on fire elements, is wonderfully achieved even on the current console hardware. It can produce a little slowdown at times, but it’s mostly smooth sailing.
Rockfish Games should be commended for bringing something new to the space shooter. Everspace is a great game for those who don’t mind the constant restarts and the initial brick wall of difficultly that comes tumbling down once you understand the mechanics of restarting.
Everspace
Pros
- A beautiful space shooter
- Roguelike elements add a new twist to the genre
- Interesting story
Cons
- Voice acting can be poor at times
- It's a challenge!
- Controls can take some getting used to
