The quest to create the ultimate space-based video game has been a long and fraught one. The vastness of the universe entices developers to promise the moon (and well beyond it). Some games, likeNo Man’s Sky, seek to create a procedural universe with infinite possibilities.Others, likeStar Citizen,want to create as immersive an experience as possible, from ship-building to planetary exploration to first-person shooting. In the wake of those two juggernauts, many other space sims have thrown their hat into the ring, the latest of which isEverspace 2.
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Developed by German studio ROCKFISH Games, the makers of the first entry in the series,Everspace 2does away with the original’s roguelike structure in favor of a more action-focused space shooter design. Along with that change comes more options for the player to outfit their spaceship.A host of weapons are available,each with their own strengths and downsides, but alongside those are ship devices. These devices provide secondary abilities outside standard gunfire, some of which are truly indispensable in a dogfight.
10Magnetic Repulsor
This device is pretty self-explanatory, when activated it sends out a pulse that will launch a target backward away from the player for a short distance. The target takes increased collision damage during the effect, and the device can be upgraded to affect multiple targets at once.
The thing is,Everspace 2is, well, set in space. The best thing about this device is the increase to collision damage, and given the vast and omnidirectional nature of the game’s battle arenas, there isn’t a ton to collide with. It’s not impossible, but it’s a bit of a rarity to line up an enemy ship with a floating object just right so that they’ll collide with it from the Magnetic Repulsor’s effect.
9Fusion Hook
The reverse of the Magnetic Repulsor, in a way, the Fusion Hook can attach to a surface or enemy ship and pull the player towards them. The device has four charges and can be upgraded to hold a fifth, allowing players to zip around the battlefield like sci-fi Spider-Man.
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There’s nothing inherently wrong with this device, it works exactly as advertised. As far as the game’s movement-focused devices go though, it’s the most unpredictable of the bunch. The angle of approach of the player, the constantly shifting directions of space dogfights, and just plain old video game physics can all make the pull of the Fusion Hook take a different route than expected. It’s still fun to use, but there are better devices available to improve a ship’s movement capability.
8Missile Defense System
Good ol' fashioned defense is often the key to a potent offense, and combat inEverspace 2is no different. The Missile Defence System comes as advertised, creating a radiusaround the equipped shipthat will destroy any and all missiles that enter it. The effect lasts for 28 seconds, which lets players charge right into the heat of combat and emerge unscathed.
With that said, missiles are one of many different weapon types that players will encounter. This device is unbeatable when facing this specific type of attack, but it can also sit unused when the enemy is leaning into their flak cannons or rail guns instead.
7Quantum Entangler
Who likes taking damage? No one, that’s who. Thankfully, there’s the Quantum Entangler device. When activated, this device will equal any damage dealt to the player and send it right back to the enemy. The more players upgrade it, the more that return damage is amplified.
This device is a fun way to indirectly eliminate enemies, sometimes without even looking at them. It makes for a wildly-efficient addition to a tanky spaceship. The only thing is, for it to be effective the player will have to take damage themselves. It’s a risk-reward system that often favors reward, but it comes with a lot of responsibility on the player tomanage their health and armor effectively.
6Nano Transmitter
Speaking of managing health, there are more traditional ways in which players can heal their ships, but for the adventurous ship captain, there’s the Nano Transmitter. This device takes 40% of any damage the player dishes out and converts it into health for their ship’s hull.
It can be upgraded to restore armor and shields as wellor to heal nearby allies,but obviously, the main draw of this device is its ability to keep the player alive. As long as they’re dealing damage with the Nano Transmitter activated, it’s going to be hard for the enemy to take them down. At that point, it just comes down to managing the device’s cooldown.
5Energized Boost
Remember those movement abilities mentioned earlier? Here’s one of them. Energized Boost isn’t anything fancy—it’s essentially a dash, increasing a ship’s speed and launching it forward for 5 seconds. It’s great for escaping a sticky situation or catching an enemy unaware,especially for HOTAS players.
The best part of this device is the ways it can be upgraded. Players can leave behind a web of energy that slows any ships passing through it, or, best of all, they can upgrade Energized Boost to drain the shields and armor of any ships they fly past. It’s a great way to deal some passive damage while maneuvering into a better position.
4EMP Generator
This device is exactly what it sounds like, but that also means it’s as devastating in the vacuum of space as players would expect. The EMP Generator releases a burst of energy around the player’s ship that disables all enemies that get caught in it. They don’tstaydisabled, but those precious few seconds are more than enough time to pick off their helpless vessels.
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That’s just the base ability. With upgrades, players can reduce the device’s cooldown with every enemy hit, or deal damage over time to the disabled ships. It’s not likely to take out a target on its own (unless that target is already at low health), but it’s a perfect supporting ability that lets players take full control of the battlefield at will.
3Corrosion Injector
With all these fancy devices, sometimes players just want to deal some damage, right? The Corrosion Injector has got the job covered. Target an enemy ship, and they’ll take sustained damage over time. Nothing fancy, nothing flashy, at least not without upgrades.
In addition to that damage over time, players can increase the damage dealt or reset the device’s cooldown by killing the targeted enemy. Or, if they want to get flashy, they can upgrade the Corrosion Injector so that all that damage slowly being doled out is instead dealt all at once when their target collides with something; like, say,the player’s own ship.It’s a gloriously satisfying move.
2Annihilator Virus
Likely the most unique device thatEverspace 2has devised, the Annihilator Virus infects the target with a virus that damages their armor and shields. Much like any other virus, this one can also spread. Any enemy that gets close to the infected ship will be infected as well.
As far as crowd control goes, there isn’t a better device available in the game. The Annihilator Virus can be upgraded to also reduce the damage its infected victims can deal to the player, or increase the damage to their shields with every subsequent debuff the player applies. Once they’ve infected a crowd, all the player has to do is fly through and clean up the scraps.
1Teleporter
Simplicity is a wonderful thing. There are no surprises with this device. The Teleporter does exactly what players will expect: it teleports their ship forward, up to four times. As far as movement abilities go, there isn’t a better one available. As long as players don’t teleport themselves into a solid object, this device is excellent for both escaping and repositioning in combat.
Upgrading this device takes it to a whole other level. It can add an explosive mine that players leave in their wake, and on its own, this upgrade can trivialize most combat encounters in the game. Additionally, the Teleport can be upgraded so that the player emerges facing the opposite direction, perfect for executing an immediate flanking maneuver before the enemy has any chance to react.
Everspace 2was released on April 6th, 2023, and is available on PC, with Xbox Series S/X and PS5 versions due to release in the summer of 2023.
