Everspace 2 Wrath of the Ancients PS5 Review

The Everspace franchise has always been a shining star for space combat fans—offering adrenaline-fueled dogfights, meaningful RPG progression, and massive exploration across a galaxy packed with danger. Now, ROCKFISH Games returns with Everspace 2 Wrath of the Ancients, an expansion that doesn’t just add content but evolves the very heart of Everspace 2 into something more daring, mysterious, and unforgettable.

Before you even dive into the new content, it’s important to remember what made Everspace 2 such a standout. Unlike the roguelike format of its predecessor, this sequel leans heavily into open-world RPG territory—offering handcrafted missions, a great loot system, deep ship customization, and an enjoyable narrative following clone pilot Adam Roslin. The gameplay favors fast-paced, arcade-style space battles over simulation, making it instantly accessible yet rich in depth for those who stay.

And Wrath of the Ancients doesn’t just continue this formula—it supercharges it.

A Galaxy Reforged

From the first hyperspace jump into the Okkar Homeworlds, it’s evident that Wrath of the Ancients pushes the PlayStation 5 hardware to the limit. Running at a rock-solid 60 FPS, dogfights are fluid and exhilarating. Ray-traced reflections and dynamic lighting effects elevate the visuals beyond anything we’ve seen in the series, giving stations, wreckage, and asteroid fields an almost photorealistic glow. Celestial lighting casts eerie shadows over battle-torn ruins and ancient alien structures, making every moment of exploration a visual feast.

The attention to the atmosphere is more than skin-deep. The expansion thrives on environmental storytelling—every derelict outpost and abandoned battlefield tells a silent story of past wars and hidden secrets.

New Tech, New Tactics

Gameplay enhancements in Wrath of the Ancients are where this expansion really earns its stripes. The introduction of new weapons like the Graviton Pulse Cannon and Plasma Disruptor add exciting ways to engage enemies—whether you want to devastate swarms or surgically strike armoured opponents. Combat AI has been significantly upgraded, with the Ancients bringing unpredictable tactics and adaptive shielding that force you to experiment and strategize.

Customization is more robust than ever, allowing you to tweak your ship’s loadout for crowd control, burst damage, high mobility, or tanking. It’s this freedom to adapt that gives players ownership of their experience, whether you want to speed around picking off interceptors or brute force your way through dreadnoughts.

Uncovering the Past

Narratively, Wrath of the Ancients deepens the universe of Everspace 2. The enigmatic Ancients and their long-lost technology take center stage, injecting the story with a new layer of mystery. Missions feel cinematic and well-paced, backed by solid writing and excellent voice acting. Side quests are just as rewarding, exploring cultural conflicts, historical relics, and the dark consequences of unchecked technological power.

You’ll find abandoned settlements, eerie relics, and lore-rich locations that reward exploration not with filler, butwith  meaningful narrative beats. It’s refreshing to play a space RPG that treats its world with reverence, not just as a backdrop for combat.

Sound in the Silence

Few expansions nail sound design the way Wrath of the Ancients does. The soundtrack—blending orchestral and electronic elements—ramps up the tension during battle and beautifully underscores moments of solitude. PS5’s 3D spatial audio makes every explosion pop and every ship engine hum with satisfying clarity. You can feel the power of your weapons and the distance of your enemies, which enhances immersion during hectic dogfights and quiet planetary scans alike.

The voice work adds to this emotional depth, with returning characters and new faces delivering dialogue that feels grounded in this world rather than like filler exposition.

Comparison with the Stars

When stacked against other space combat titles, Wrath of the Ancients holds its own—and then some.

• Elite Dangerous may have the edge in sheer scale and realism, but it lacks Everspace 2’s tight storytelling and snappy combat.
• Star Wars: Squadrons offers great multiplayer dogfights, but falls short on meaningful customization and narrative depth.
• No Man’s Sky shines in procedural generation and crafting, but its combat and mission design can feel repetitive next to the handcrafted beauty of Everspace 2.

Wrath of the Ancients strikes a balance rarely seen in the genre—deep enough for RPG fans, fast enough for action junkies, and beautiful enough to rival any sci-fi game on the market.

Wrath of the Ancients is everything an expansion should be—ambitious, meaningful, and transformative. It doesn’t just add more stuff to do; it enhances everything that made Everspace 2 great and invites players to fall in love with space all over again. Whether you’re a returning pilot or a fresh recruit, this is one journey into the stars you don’t want to miss.

Everspace 2 Wrath of the Ancients Trailer

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The code was provided by the distributor.

I reviewed it, and then it was edited by my partner.