During my younger gaming years, I enjoyed playing older sci-fi space combat games like Wing Commander and Privateer. Those were definitely some of the best times for space combat games and really helped define the genre. Sadly, I fell out of love with those types of games around the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System and console gaming altogether. If it hadn’t been for the release of StarLancer on the Dreamcast, I might have completely forgotten about the genre I once loved. Fast forward to the last couple of years, and we’re seeing a resurgence of what was once considered a dead genre. With the release of Elite: Dangerous, as well as a certain in-development title, it seems that space combat games are making a comeback. Truth be told, I haven’t played either of the two yet. I know I know—I need to, and I will in the near future.
What I have played, however, is the in-development title EVERSPACE, and it has definitely captured my attention. Now, before I get ahead of myself, let me back up and explain what EVERSPACE is. Perhaps the first of its kind, EVERSPACE attempts to cross genres, combining the fast-paced, intense combat of space combat games with the popular and ever-growing roguelike genre. The result is a game that, so far, gives gamers the best of both worlds. From the 20 hours I’ve logged so far, I’m truly enjoying it.
Starting out in EVERSPACE can be pretty daunting. You’re given a choice of one ship (since the others aren’t available yet) and dropped into space—no instructions, no “good luck,” just left to the cold confines of the great beyond. Since missions haven’t been fully incorporated into the game yet, you’re given a set of objectives or challenges to complete. Your goal, for now, is to see how far you can progress and survive.
Now, not everything is as bleak as in other roguelike games—at least, not entirely. Since each venture into space is randomly generated, you’ll never experience the same game twice. Sometimes, you’ll be dropped into a peaceful sector, while other times, you might stumble upon a distant skirmish. And then, there are those moments when you’re dropped straight into a sector and come under fire the minute you arrive. Oh, it happens—and it’s glorious.
Thanks to Unreal Engine 4, EVERSPACE delivers some truly impressive visuals. It’s amazing how much detail and scale is packed into the game. For example, during my playthroughs, I encountered several massive ships. These weren’t just for show—I could not only fly around them but also through some of them. I came across the remains of what appeared to be a battle station or some giant structure that had seen better days, providing the perfect opportunity to test my maneuvering skills inside the wreckage. Thanks to the tight controls, it was a breeze.
But that wasn’t the only stunning sight. I also flew through several clustered asteroid fields, perfect for weaving in and out of or hiding from space pirates and other enemies. The sound design is equally well done, especially for an early access title. From the roar of the thrusters to the whiz of missiles and lasers flying past, everything sounds spot-on. They’ve even added a snippy ship AI that barks at you when you mess up or talks to you like you’re clueless. The character you play also sounds a bit like Nathan Fillion. I know it’s not him, but it’s really close to his voice—good stuff there.
The performance was equally impressive. Aside from a few instances where the game abruptly closed, my ventures into EVERSPACE were flawless. For the most part, I played the game at 3440×1440 (21:9 ratio) on a widescreen monitor, and it was blissful and immersive. Kudos to the developers for including 21:9 support right from the start—something not many developers manage to do. There were no black bars, no cut-off, just a full, unbroken space experience, and it put a huge smile on my face.
As for performance, while I didn’t experience any major issues, I’m not sure if it’s due to the game’s optimization or simply the brute force of my PC setup. For reference, I played on a system with an Intel 5820k, a GTX 980 Ti Classified, and an SSD drive. Still, it ran great, and that’s all that matters to me.
Unfortunately, I don’t have access to a VR setup, but EVERSPACE does support both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Of course, you don’t need to own either to play the game, but I imagine it would be a worthwhile VR experience. One of these days, I’ll pick up a VR solution.
Speaking of enemies, there are quite a few in the Early Access version of EVERSPACE. While I’ve been calling them space pirates, I’m not sure of their official name. What I do know is that they aren’t friendly and will fire on you—or any allies—immediately upon contact. Trust me, they don’t mess around. You won’t just face small ships either. There were times when they called in massive battleships, and the sheer scale of them is jaw-dropping the first time you encounter them. I remember my first run-in; it wasn’t pleasant. My reaction was the same when they locked onto me, and I frantically searched for cover before they obliterated me. Thankfully, I wasn’t defenseless, as my ship was equipped with basic weapons like a laser, a Gatling gun, and missiles—enough firepower to handle most of the threats I faced. While that arsenal might not sound impressive, EVERSPACE includes an upgrade system that allows you to enhance various aspects of your ship, including weaponry, armor, and perks.
To take advantage of the upgrade system, you earn credits during gameplay. Since missions aren’t implemented yet, you can collect credits by destroying enemy ships, mining ore for trading, completing fetch quests, or defending those who can’t defend themselves. There’s a catch, though: as far as I’ve seen, you can only use these credits after you’ve been killed and returned to the start of the game. Once you’re back, you’re free to upgrade using all of the credits you’ve earned. This is also how the game progresses—when you die, you keep your credits, but lose any extra items you picked up that haven’t been sold. So, in typical roguelike fashion, you play, die, and repeat. It may sound repetitive, but after putting in as many hours as I have, I still haven’t gotten bored. And there are very few games that can hold my attention like that nowadays, so that’s saying something.
There’s so much more I could say about EVERSPACE, but we’d be here all day. It’s heading in the right direction, and based on what I’ve played so far, fans of the space combat genre are going to love it. In terms of scope, I can’t say how well it matches up against a game like Elite: Dangerous, but it doesn’t need to. The gaming scene, like space, has plenty of room for different types of space combat games. What I can confidently say is that EVERSPACE doesn’t have the steep learning curve that other space combat games often require. I’ll definitely be following its progress, as I’m not only hooked on this Early Access version, but it has also rekindled my love for space combat games. Now, if they could add HOTAS support, it would be heaven.
Lastly, if you’ve seen the images and video in this preview and thought the game looks familiar, there’s a reason for that. The team behind EVERSPACE, Rocket Fish, used to go by another name—ROCKFISH Games. Still not ringing a bell? How about Fishlabs—the same team behind the Galaxy on Fire games, which you might have played on iOS, Android, or even Galaxy on Fire 2 HD on Steam. Same team, a different name, and it’s clear they’ve still got the magic. So it’s no surprise to see EVERSPACE shaping up so well, and so quickly.
EVERSPACE is available now via Steam Early Access and GOG. Their Kickstarter page is also still up and accepting funding, head over here if you want to toss them a few dollars. If space combat is your thing, definitely try it out. Just be sure to watch out for those black holes, ok?
