Everspace 2 Early Access begins this month, will run for at least a year

The original Everspace is a game many PC gamers should remember due to it being a huge Kickstarter-funded success. The game has sold over 2 million copies to date, which is no small feat to say the least. The sales clearly provided developer Rockfish Games with plenty of incentive to go on and make a sequel. Things are finally coming together now too, because the Early Access version of Everspace 2 will release on January 18.

We’ve followed the project since its inception and watched as it transitioned from the crowd-funding phase to a tangible demo, and at last, a semi-complete product. When it hits the digital store shelves, players can expect a decent amount of content. It will include full English voice acting for the first 12+ hours of the story campaign and several side missions which take place in the first two star systems.

Take to the stars

Rockfish promises about 25 hours of gameplay, which will serve to introduce players to the basic game mechanics. There will naturally be space combat, but also exploration, mining, puzzle solving, traveling, trading, itemization, crafting, ship customization, player and companion perks as well as five different player ship subclasses.

If this all sounds interesting to you, you can try out the Early Access version for $39.99 USD. You have the option to purchase Everspace 2 via the Steam Early Access program, but the GOG Games in Development program is available too. Of course, this is a tall asking price for an Early Access game, but the aforementioned content is just what you get for now.

What’s arriving to your local system next year

Seeing as this is a crowdfunded game from reliable developers, the transparency is a huge plus for potential players. Rockfish mentioned most of its plans for the release version of the game as well. By the time Everspace 2 exits Early Access, you can expect four to six additional star systems to explore, several additional player ship subclasses, about double the amount of story content, plus endgame activities. International players can also look forward to additional language support.

You can check out the full list in the press release here. The final thing to note about the release build is that it will be priced “reasonably higher.” That pricing should change when the developers complete Early Access sometime in 2022.

You can wishlist Everspace 2 on Steam or via the GOG store right now if you’re intent to try out the Early Access version of the game later this month. In the meantime, you can check out our preview of an earlier build to see if this one is lost in space or worthy to reside among the stars.