Unlike most other space sims (and in line with its narrative ambitions),
EVERSPACE isn’t enamored with the big picture. Its attitude seems to be "The bigger the universe is, the less interesting it is." The developers of the game bill it as a roguelike; while most games media has developed a distaste for that descriptor, my aversion to it here is only partial. See, I would actually take it a step further and call it "
Rogue Legacy-like." This makes for a unique approach for the genre: instead of total freedom to go anywhere and do anything,
EVERSPACE is constructed of procedurally-generated nodes. These nodes are connected and populated with resources, enemies, allies, events, etc. By keeping the map design intensive and focused, it cuts out the filler that scares potential players away from the genre. Time spent in uneventful transit and minutiae concerning the physical properties of your ship aren’t universally-loved mechanics, after all. So what happens is you’re free to explore and exploit the contents of each node for as long as you want, and when you’re ready (or need to get the hell away from something), simply aim at the universal escape vector and you’re out of there in a flash.
Another way in which EVERSPACE is like Cellar Door Games’ fantastic action game is how it handles its permadeath. When you fall in battle, you are replaced by a new pilot who inherits his predecessor’s cash pool. From there, you can outfit your ship to be deadlier, more adaptable, and more efficient.
