EVERSPACE: Stellar Edition

An amazing space rogue-lite that borrows most of its charm from Dead Cells, Freelancer and FTL, but fails to provide its own original ideas.

With some good flying sensations and a true respect for the rogue like mechanics, Everspace succeeds in bringing the genre into space, offering nice graphics and amazing combat sequences on Switch.

If you want a roguelike that’s punishing, satisfying and built around fun aerial combat, Everspace is a good choice. The sci-fi story tries to do something different to other run-based games out there, and while there are moments where you’ll swear you’re never going to play it again, you’ll soon be picking it back up and launching off into space once more.

Everspace: Stellar Edition works as a fun space combat game and as a run-based rogue-lite, it even comes with DLC not available with the original game so there are lots to do as you make your way across the universe. Getting into dogfights (the space fighter kind, not the horrible kind) and flying through large shipwrecks scratches an itch that the Switch has left itching for too long, and fortunately, there’s plenty of hours you can sink into it (that said I would also love the Rebel Galaxy follow up!). While it doesn’t run and look as great as other versions, it still runs pretty well and besides some minor hard to see visuals, it’s great for handheld too. If Starlink wasn’t enough space fighting, definitely check out Everspace.

The Switch's catalogue of quality indie games adds yet another one to its remarkable line-up. Even better, it's something original - something to stand out against its peers. The combat and exploration elements are smooth and entertaining, the rogue-like elements dig addictive hooks deep, the presentation is surprisingly sharp, and the story is a pleasant surprise. Everspace deserves to be on more players' radars. Another hidden gem, and this one shines more than most.

Ultimately, Everspace is a really fun roguelike/action game. The by-the-numbers space shooter gameplay is amplified by the roguelike elements, and it's the perfect game to pick up and play in short bursts. Unless we're lucky enough to get FTL on the Switch, it's the closest thing you can get. Unfortunately, the limitations of the Switch show through in the port and can drag down the overall experience. It's worth playing if you can look past its foibles, but it may be too big of a barrier for some players.

The roguelike elements make this a perfect fit to portable pickup and play with a very lenient save system.

Everspace is full of content...and of challenges too, this space-based roguelike features a motivating and dynamic world where it's easy to get lost and to get engaged in frantic combats, thanks to its steep difficulty curve. A very solid, satisfying and demanding production which will certainly keep its players around the Nintendo Switch for a long time.

Everspace is the most open ended space shooter on Switch. It is highly replayable and there is still plenty more for me to see and do. The segmented, sector-by-sector gameplay is perfect for on-the-go play. It employs its genre better than most and manages not to feel too repetitive even as you die over and over again. This is a game that will be at the top of my Switch home screen for a long time to come.

Everspace took me a while to warm up to, but once I changed my control layout and started getting better at the dogfighting aspects, the game became a lot more fun. Between finding resources to survive and picking my fights with nearby outlaws or running away so I could live to fight another sector, Everspace never really feels like the same run twice, and that’s definitely a good thing.

While I might have aimed a little high with my expectations for Everspace, as a fan of the space combat genre, it ultimately is enjoyable.

I really want to be able to recommend Everspace – Stellar Edition on the Switch, but playing it makes me really just want to go pick the game up for PC.

While reminding us just how much we’d love to see FTL on Switch, Everspace manages to carve out an impressive identity for itself. With gratifying space combat, an addictive ‘rogue-lite’ core loop and even some light, entertaining writing along the way, it performs admirably – if not flawlessly – on Nintendo’s console. Overall, we had a hell of a time with it and this port does a cracking job of preserving the full experience on a handheld. If any of this sounds remotely enticing, we’d heartily recommend investigation.

Everspace: Stellar Edition isn’t the best 3D space shooter or roguelike available, but it’s a relatively unique and successful fusion of the two genres. Repetitiveness aside, you may just find yourself hooked by the game’s tight combat controls and satisfying progression loop. Unfortunately, the Switch isn’t the best way to play the game, unless portability is your top concern. Everspace for Switch isn’t for everybody, but if you fall into the game’s relatively narrow niche, a galaxy of die and retry fun awaits.