Everspace 2 Review: Blasting Out Of Early Access

mmorpg.com:

Two years ago I previewed Everspace 2 here at MMORPG, and I could not think of a better way to begin that piece. The full freedom of space exploration Everspace 2 gave me was brilliant, blasting me into the great unknown in a way few other space-based games are able to do. Since then, there have been constant updates, patches, bug fixes, and more in anticipation of the game's full 1.0 launch. Has Everspace 2 retained that sense of wonder so close to launch? I'm very happy to say yes, it certainly has, and it's become one of my favorite games so far this year. 

Everspace 2 puts you in control of Adam Roslin, who returns from the first Everspace. In that game, the Adam you controlled was one of a series of clones whose memories would be passed on from one clone to the next, each memory building on the experiences of the previous iteration to increase his abilities and chances for success. Here though, after the events of the first game, the clone cycle has been broken, and once this clone dies, Adam Roslin dies for good. 

This story element is an ingenious way to explain the game's shift from a roguelike space combat game to a more open-world sort of experience. The term «far reaches of space» doesn't do Everspace 2 justice, as it offers over 100 different unique locations spread out across multiple star systems, and each one can be traversed and explored in Adam's spaceship. There is a main story arc to follow, sure, but eventually that gives way and lets you set out into deep space, and the result is nothing short of magic. 

I also like the comic book-esque panel-by-panel motif for each cutscene, which gives me plenty of information in an easily digestible format. I never felt like cutscenes were moving too fast, the