"Gorgeous space roguelike that mistakes grind for difficulty"
About
EVERSPACE is a roguelike space shooter where you pilot a fighter through procedurally generated sectors, engaging in real-time combat against enemy ships and mining asteroids for resources. Between runs, you use collected loot and currency to permanently upgrade your ship's weapons, hull, and abilities, gradually improving your chances against increasingly difficult encounters. Each run ends in death, but persistent progression lets you push further into the galaxy with each attempt.
Verdict
EVERSPACE nails the feel of dogfighting in a cockpit and wraps it in genuinely sharp visuals, but the run-to-run loop leans on grinding resources more than it leans on interesting decisions. There's a good story buried here, doled out in slivers between long stretches of shooting the same pirates in slightly different nebulae.
You'll like it if …
- +you want tight cockpit dogfighting in the spirit of X-Wing and TIE Fighter
- +you enjoy slow permanent progression that pays off across many runs
- +you treat story as a bonus rather than the reason to play
You'll dislike it if …
- −you want deep tactical build choices over resource grinding
- −you need a steady narrative thread to keep going
- −you play primarily in VR
Breakdown
- +Flight model is fast and precise, recalling X-Wing and TIE Fighter cockpit sims
- +Controls are tight and runs flow well on standard displays
- +Map variety and ship progression keep individual runs from feeling identical
- −Combat loop turns repetitive fast, with players hitting a wall within hours
- −VR implementation is too chaotic and fast for comfortable play
- −Death often feels like punishment rather than a fresh attempt, undermining the roguelike premise
- +Persistent ship upgrades to weapons, hull, and abilities create meaningful long-term progression
- −Systems lean on resource grinding rather than interesting tactical decisions
- −Build choices lack meaningful variety despite loot collection
- −Progression model fights itself, discouraging extended play sessions
- +Story is well-written and well-acted, selling the narrative beats it covers
- +Character moments provide genuine motivation to continue runs
- −Story pacing is severe, delivering maybe five minutes across hours of play, preventing narrative momentum
- +Space visuals are stunning with art direction that carries even routine encounters
- +Soundtrack pulls its weight and reinforces story moments
- +Art design genuinely lands and elevates the experience
- −Opaque systems go unexplained if you die early, creating onboarding friction
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