Rockfish Game’s Everspace is the result of combining two extremely popular video game genres into one absolutely breathtaking package. This roguelike space shooter features a set of key gameplay elements that makes it an easy choice for fans of the genres it encompasses.
In Everspace, players will take on the role of Adam Roslin, or rather Adam Roslin’s clones. The story in Everspace isn’t exactly something that will keep you on the edge of your seat but rather, it serves as a basic plot device, to keep you pushing through the game’s various sectors. Each instance you jump into will be different since the gameplay areas are procedurally generated.
Everspace features quite a simple gameplay mechanic that involves launching yourself, in your ship of course, head first into battle. You will then try to accumulate as much loot and credits as you can get, possibly die, and repeat the cycle while you traverse the various regions of space in each overarching sector. Additionally, each sector is different to the last and may contain different hazards and types of enemies to deal with. Therein lies the beauty of the game. You never really know what you’re going to encounter.
Players will be able to spend accumulated credits in the space station menu. Credits can be used to purchase additional types of ships as well as perks for each ship that you’re using. After playing through the game for quite a while though, it’s recommended that you focus on one ship at a time and try to fully upgrade its perks instead of running multiple ships and picking random perks to upgrade.
Gameplay in Everspace is fairly straightforward. The left analog stick on the Joycon controller controls your pitch while the right controls your yaw and camera direction. Pressing the LZ button will trigger your boosters for forward movement while L1 will move you backwards ever so slowly. Firing your lasers, gattling gun or missiles is done with the RZ and R1 buttons respectively. Players can also customise their ships with additional weapons and attachments such as shield generators and boosters which they can pick up in battle and these are triggered by holding down the respective face button on the right Joycon.
Much of the game involves destroying enemy ships, looting their remains for credits and parts and pushing through to the next sector. It’s formulaic, however, it works so well for the game. Pushing on through with low hp or a damaged ship and still succeeding leaves you with a feeling of satisfaction that is hard to beat. In this way, Everspace rewards you for taking risks. And even if you die, you still come out with some credits to spend so not all is lost. This helps to alleviate some of the frustration this game can cause.
The repetitive nature of the game does show through after a while but thankfully, Everspace is short enough to complete before it gets nerve grating.
The soundtrack used in Everspace is nothing exceptional but where the game really shines is in it’s graphics and gameplay. Graphically, the sectors of space that you travel through look great with backgrounds that are extremely visually pleasing. The level of detail in the ships and derelict wreckage located in space is great and there isn’t much to complain about when it comes to special effects such as explosions, weapon fire and sheer destruction.
Being able to collect resources such as Ore, fuel, nano-bots and plasma adds a further element to the game’s mechanics by allowing players to craft new items and attachments to use in their ships. Everspace on Nintendo Switch also includes the Encounters DLC which released on other platforms after the game’s initial launch. This adds additional content and rounds off the game into one nice complete package that newcomers can purchase and dive straight into.
Overall, Everspace is a great space shooter with roguelike elements that will keep you entertained for hours and hours on end. The story might be a bit of a throwaday in terms of in-game cutscenes and cinematics however the lore is freely available to read through in the codex as you discover things. The gameplay is fast paced, addictive and brutally soul crushing at times when you’re outmatched but this is what makes the game so great on Nintendo Switch. Players can boot up the game and run a few sectors and put the Switch down. It’s a match made in heaven for the console and Everspace should definitely be on your Nintendo Switch games list.
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