Info about Space Engineers 2:

Official game description:
About Alpha
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**Play now: VS2.2: Mechanical Blocks & Weapons**
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With VS2.2: Mechanical Blocks & Weapons, Space Engineers 2 now added even more to a playable survival slice with rich mechanics and layered gameplay.
In the current Alpha you can:
*   **Land and build across the Almagest System**
Explore Verdure, Kemik, moons, asteroid rings, and dense clusters. Discover handcrafted biomes with caves, overhangs, cliffs, and volumetric clouds. Carve landing zones, dig tunnels, mine rock, fell trees, and engage with fully destructible terrain, structures, and asteroids.
*   **Experience survival gameplay**
Manage power, hydrogen, oxygen, and health while exploring and building. Set up early production chains with the Smelter, Fabricator, Gearforge, and Production Lines. Craft tools, weld structures using Area Welding and Backpack Building, and survive harsh planetary conditions including weather events like sandstorms, rain, and meteor showers.
*   **Build with Projection & Mechanical Blocks**
Place holographic projections of ships, rovers, and bases, then weld them directly from ore using your backpack. Experiment with Rotors, Pistons, and other mechanical blocks to create dynamic grids. Mirror, copy/paste, use blueprints, and grid undo/redo to iterate on designs quickly.
*   **Begin colonizing the Almagest System**
Use the Colonization Map to unlock sectors, accept building-focused and other contracts, grow your influence, and engage with lore and Datapads scattered across the system.
*   **Switch into Creative Mode**
Build freely with the 25 cm unified grid, advanced building tools, VRAGE3 Mod HUB support, and full Steam Workshop integration.
This is still Alpha: survival, colonization, contracts, mechanical blocks, combat, and economic systems are just the foundations. Expect ongoing updates with new mechanics, balance passes, and additional content with every major Vertical Slice.
**Roadmap: where it’s going**
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We are developing Space Engineers 2 through larger themed updates we call **Vertical Slices**.
Already delivered:
*   **VS1: Creative & Building** – unified 25 cm grid, advanced building tools, improved controls and UI.
*   **VS1.5: UGC & Modding** – VRAGE3 Mod HUB & Mod Editor plus full Steam Workshop support.
*   **VS2: Planets & Survival Foundations** – Verdure & Kemik planets, early survival systems, Colonization Map & contracts, Projection & Backpack Building.
*   **VS2.2: Mechanical Blocks & Weapons** – mechanical blocks, weapons and turrets, area welding & grinders, production lines, planetary events, Ship Action Toolbar, GPS improvements, economy and trading systems, and deeper colonization gameplay.
In development:
*   **VS2.3: Survival Extensions** - wheels, hinges, LCDs, wind turbines and combat improvements.
*   **VS3: Water & the Byblos water planet** – planetary-scale volumetric water and water-focused gameplay.
*   **VS4: NPCs & Co-op** – 4-player cooperative survival and interactive NPCs.
*   **VS5: Full Multiplayer & Campaign** – large-scale multiplayer and a long-form survival campaign in the Almagest system.
Our plan is to stay in Early Access into 2027. Buying during Early Access directly supports development and helps us deliver future updates faster, while letting you be part of shaping the game with your feedback.
If you’ve been watching and thinking about it, this is your sign jump in and start building today.
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The best way to experience Space Engineers 2 is to play it yourself. It’s playable right now, and we’d love to see what you build.
Right now you can experiment with the foundations of survival and colonization, explore planets, and start creating your own ships, stations, and machines.
Space Engineers 2 will continue growing with the community for years to come. More systems, features, and large-scale experiences are still ahead.
About the Game
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**What is Space Engineers 2?**
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**Space Engineers 2 is a sandbox about engineering and colonization where you build ships, stations, and planetary bases in a fully destructible world, then follow the story of Miro and Ivan Sokol as you expand humanity’s foothold in the Almagest system and fight to survive.**
You arrive in the distant **Almagest system** on humanity’s first large-scale colonization mission. Your ship is damaged on entry, your tools are basic, and the planets below are beautiful but unforgiving. From here, everything you build is up to you.
Explore and colonize the system, mine resources, construct bases and starships, complete contracts and push the frontier forward – alone now, and later together with friends as co-op and large-scale multiplayer arrive over the course of Early Access.
**Creation and destruction never felt this good**
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Space Engineers 2 takes everything we've learned over the past 10 years and reimagines the space engineering experience with more depth and creative freedom than ever before. Powered by our new VRAGE3 engine, creation and destruction feel better than ever. Whether you're a veteran or new to the game, Space Engineers 2 offers a vast, engaging sandbox where your creativity can truly shine.
**Build with great precision**
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Explore the next generation of construction! Build anything you can imagine with incredible precision using the new 25 cm Unified Grid System. No more large vs small grid - blocks fit seamlessly together, making it easier to create intricate builds. Mounting point visualization and grid lines make building more intuitive than ever.
**Enhanced controls and mobility**
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Our new system includes Grid Undo and refined CTRL controls for precise rotation and zoom, ensuring intuitive design at every step. Take your creations to new speeds with an upgraded max velocity: characters up to 310 m/s and grids up to 300 m/s. And you don’t need to worry about falling off platforms or asteroids — magboots and automatic jetpack activation have got your back!
**Smarter UI and smoother play**
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We redesigned UI/UX to make building smoother and more intuitive for both newcomers and pros, giving more freedom to bring your intricate ideas to life. Thanks to VRAGE3, Space Engineers 2 is set to deliver better performance for a smoother play. As Early Access progresses, you’ll be able to build bigger ships, fly more of them, and enjoy epic destruction in a truly immersive ride.
**Next-level visuals**
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Enjoy the beauty of space, industrial designs and battle encounters, reimagined with next-level realism. In Space Engineers 2 we introduced new ray-traced global illumination, realistic shadows, a new skybox, tessellated voxel materials, parallax effects for armor and much more, to bring depth and realism to every scene.
**Share your creations**
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Bring your ideas to life and share your Blueprints and Worlds with the community through easy Steam Workshop integration. Dive into a growing collection of creations from other players to find inspiration or uncover new challenges.
Space Engineers 2 is now available in more languages, making it easier for players around the world to build, explore, and engineer in space. The game is currently available in Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, French, German, Italian, Polish, Slovak, Spanish, Turkish.

Release date: Jan 27, 2025

Categories: Sandbox Creation, Survival, Base Building, Crafting, Exploration, Resource Management, Physics Simulation, Multiplayer

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 65; verdict: Aggressive Monetization; summary: The analysis of user reviews reveals a significant concern regarding the monetization practices of the game, particularly the frequent release of paid DLCs, even during the early access phase. While some players express support for the developers by purchasing DLCs, others criticize the focus on monetization over game development. The community's reaction to DLC releases and the expectation of more DLCs also play a role in shaping the perception of the game's monetization strategy.
- Wiki: score 10; verdict: Needs Improvement; summary: The game suffers from significant technical issues, including memory leaks and crashes, which severely impact the user experience. Additionally, there is a notable lack of in-game information, forcing players to rely on external resources. The user interface also presents challenges, particularly in managing mods.
- Proton/Linux: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game has a mixed reception on Linux. While many users report that it is playable with minor tweaks and runs well on their systems, there are significant issues with stability, crashes, and launch problems that affect a portion of Linux users. The sentiment that the developers do not adequately support Linux adds to the frustration. Overall, the game can work well on Linux but may require some adjustments and has notable issues for some users.
- Steam Deck: score 90; verdict: Broken; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals significant issues with compatibility, stability, and performance on Linux and Proton. Users frequently report crashes, poor performance, and lack of controller support. Additionally, there are complaints about graphics quality, particularly with FSR. These issues collectively contribute to a frustrating user experience.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: Performance varies significantly across hardware cohorts, with higher VRAM configurations often reporting better but still inconsistent experiences. Lower VRAM setups struggle more frequently with stability and frame rates.
  - Sample size: 132 (5% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is heavily weighted toward Windows PCs with 10GB+ VRAM.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (mixed, 39 reports): This cohort reports a mix of stable performance with occasional issues and significant complaints about optimization and frame rate stability.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM (negative, 33 reports): This cohort frequently reports poor performance, crashes, and stuttering, even on lower settings.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (mixed, 33 reports): Experiences vary with some users achieving good performance with tweaks, while others report significant issues and poor optimization.
  - Windows 16GB+ VRAM (negative, 16 reports): Despite high-end hardware, this cohort reports persistent performance issues, including stuttering and frame drops.
  - Linux / Proton 16GB+ VRAM (negative, 5 reports): Users report serious performance issues and stuttering, making the game less enjoyable on this setup.
  - Caveats: 132 of 2488 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is heavily weighted toward Windows PCs with 10GB+ VRAM.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $15.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows that many users find the current price of $40 to be too high for the content and state of the game. Several reviews suggest that a price closer to $15-$20 would be more appropriate. The general sentiment is that the game is overpriced in its current state, with some users explicitly stating that $40 is too much and others suggesting that a price closer to $15-$20 would be more reasonable.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 1500.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 4.0h
  - Endgame: 1500.0h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides several key insights into the playtime metrics for Space Engineers 2. The first quote suggests that players can spend a significant amount of time (1500+ hours) on the game if they use their imagination, indicating a high potential for endgame content. The second quote mentions that the unified grid system makes the game enjoyable for hundreds to thousands of hours, supporting the idea of extensive playtime for game completion and endgame activities. The third quote discusses the clunky UI and building mechanics, which might imply longer session lengths due to the complexity and delays in building. The fourth quote indicates that the player hasn't yet engaged in some of the core activities like building ships or visiting planets, which are likely to be significant time investments.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game has a steep learning curve and initial friction due to repetitive tasks and a lack of engaging content early on. However, once players complete the tutorial and initial quests, the game becomes more enjoyable.
  - Stance: Fun after friction
  - Anchor: Completing the initial tutorial and fetch quests
  - Time to anchor: 2h 0m
  - Friction: Repetitive tasks; Poor onboarding; Tedious survival gameplay; Bugs that can delete progress; Redundant quests
  - Unlock drivers: Completion of the tutorial; Initial quests completion
  - Conditions: Playing in creative mode; Tolerance for early-game grind
- Player Archetypes:
  - Immediate Gratification Seeker (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking a complete and enjoyable gaming experience without significant issues or development delays.
    - Playstyle: Prefers games that are ready to play and enjoy immediately, without needing to wait for updates or fixes.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: gamer; casual player
    - Reference games: Space Engineers 1
  - Development Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Supporting the development process and being part of the game's evolution.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys early access games and providing feedback to developers.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: supporter; developer enthusiast
    - Reference games: Space Engineers 1
  - Logistics and Automation Engineer (sale)
    - Motivation: Seeking a deep and complex gameplay experience focused on logistics, production, automation, and survival mechanics.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys building and managing complex systems, optimizing production chains, and automating processes.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: engineer; builder
    - Reference games: Space Engineers 1
  - Multiplayer Advocate (sale)
    - Motivation: Seeking an enhanced and engaging multiplayer experience.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys playing with friends and engaging in cooperative or competitive multiplayer scenarios.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: multiplayer enthusiast; co-op player
    - Reference games: Space Engineers 1


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Stunning graphics and visuals (weight 0.54): The game features beautiful and high-quality graphics, with detailed designs and landscapes. Players consistently praise the visual improvements and the overall aesthetic appeal.
- Enhanced building system (weight 0.2): The new building system, including the combined large and small grid building, has been well-received. It offers more flexibility and ease of use, making construction more enjoyable.
- High potential for greatness (weight 0.2): The game is seen as having a lot of potential to become a masterpiece. Players believe it has a strong foundation and could achieve greatness with continued development.
- Engaging and fun gameplay (weight 0.17): Players find the game enjoyable and interesting, with fun missions and overall engaging gameplay. The game is praised for its playability and entertainment value.
- Impressive development progress (weight 0.15): The game is progressing amazingly with impressive development work. Players acknowledge the efforts of the developers and the advancements made in the game.
- Improvements over the first game (weight 0.14): The game feels better and improved in many ways compared to the first game. Players appreciate the advancements and the retention of the goodness of the original.
- Improved UI and accessibility (weight 0.14): The game has seen significant improvements in its user interface, making it easier to read and cleaner. These changes enhance the overall accessibility and user experience.
- Promising alpha stage (weight 0.13): Despite being in the alpha phase, the game shows great promise with a substantial amount of content and improvements. Players are optimistic about its future development.
- Anticipation for future updates (weight 0.1): There is significant excitement among players for upcoming updates, particularly the water update and multiplayer features. These anticipated additions are expected to enhance the game further.
- Responsive and active developers (weight 0.1): The developers are actively working on bugs and are responsive to player feedback. This responsiveness and dedication are appreciated by the community.
- Improved physics engine (weight 0.1): The game features a noticeably revised and realistic physics engine. Players appreciate the improved physics and controls, which enhance the overall gameplay experience.
- Realistic and dynamic voxel terrain (weight 0.09): The game features a fully destructible voxel world with realistic physics and detailed collisions. These features add to the immersive experience of the game.
- Stable and smooth gameplay (weight 0.07): The game is reported to be almost completely stable and plays fairly smooth. Players appreciate the stability and performance of the game.
- Survival mode with story (weight 0.07): The game features a survival mode with a story and missions. This addition is appreciated by players who enjoy narrative-driven gameplay.

Common complaints:
- Lack of content and features (weight 0.55): Players feel that the game lacks sufficient content and features, especially when compared to its predecessor. Many core features and tools are missing, making the game feel incomplete and unrewarding.
- Severe performance issues (weight 0.48): The game suffers from significant performance problems, including lagging, stuttering, and frequent crashes. Players report that the game is poorly optimized and experiences performance drops, especially with complex constructions.
- Game-breaking bugs and crashes (weight 0.36): The game is plagued with numerous bugs and crashes, making it unplayable for many users. Issues range from constant crashes to non-functional buttons and gameplay problems.
- Early Access and unfinished state (weight 0.24): The game is perceived as being released too early and is still in a raw, underdeveloped state. Players report that it feels more like an unfinished demo than a full game.
- Auto-save issues (weight 0.12): There are significant problems with the auto-save feature, including overwrites and read-only saves. Players need to save frequently to avoid losing progress.
- Block-related issues (weight 0.11): Players encounter various issues related to blocks, such as getting stuck in blocks, limited block types, and difficulties with block rotation and painting.
- Control and UI problems (weight 0.08): The game's controls and user interface are criticized for being clunky and difficult to use. This includes issues with flying controls, mouse control, and overall UI navigation.
- Survival mode problems (weight 0.08): Survival mode is criticized for lacking essential survival elements and being broken. Players find it not fun and experience crashes when loading saves in survival mode.
- Projection placement issues (weight 0.07): There are problems with placing blocks as projections and managing them. Players report difficulties in deleting entire projections and issues with overlapping projections.
- Disappointment compared to SE1 (weight 0.06): Many players feel that SE2 is inferior to SE1, expressing disappointment and a preference for the first game. Some bugs from SE1 are reported to persist in SE2.

Gameplay feedback:
- Enhanced building mechanics (weight 0.24): Players appreciate the improved building tools and mechanics, including the constructor tool and unified building grid. However, some find the controls clunky.
- Progression and unlocking system (weight 0.12): Players appreciate the progression system, including the tech tree and unlocking new blocks through contracts.
- Ship and base construction (weight 0.12): A significant focus is on building and repairing ships, as well as constructing bases. Players enjoy the creativity and engineering aspects of these activities.
- Diverse mission types (weight 0.12): Players engage in various missions, including flying missions, contract missions, and space missions. Some find the flying experience repetitive.
- Alpha state feedback (weight 0.11): Players acknowledge that the game is in an alpha state, indicating ongoing development and potential for improvements.
- Resource management (weight 0.1): Mining and refining resources are key gameplay elements. Players are involved in ore processing and manufacturing, which adds depth to the gameplay.
- Multiplayer features (weight 0.09): Multiplayer capabilities, including co-op play, are highlighted as important features by the players.
- Sandbox and open-world gameplay (weight 0.09): The game offers a sandbox environment with open-world gameplay, allowing players to explore and create freely.
- Realistic water simulation (weight 0.08): The game includes a realistic simulation of water behavior, with fully interactable and dynamic water physics.
- Creative problem-solving (weight 0.07): The game encourages creative building and problem-solving, with elements of survival and exploration.
- Voxel terrain and deformation (weight 0.07): The game features a fully destructible voxel world with realistic terrain deformation.
- Interface and visual improvements (weight 0.07): Players note improvements in the interface and visual layout compared to the predecessor.

Performance notes:
- Poor optimization issues (weight 0.41): Many players report that the game suffers from severe optimization problems, leading to lagging, frame drops, and overall poor performance even on mid-range settings.
- Frequent crashes (weight 0.23): The game is plagued by frequent crashes, with some players reporting crashes every few minutes, severely impacting playability.
- Memory leak issues (weight 0.13): A memory leak in the game causes significant performance problems, leading to high CPU and RAM usage.
- Frequent freezes and stutters (weight 0.12): The game experiences consistent stuttering and multi-second freezes, which significantly disrupt the gameplay experience.
- Occasional FPS drops (weight 0.1): Players encounter occasional FPS drops, which, while not constant, still affect the overall smoothness of the gameplay.
- High hardware requirements (weight 0.09): The game has high PC requirements, demanding substantial hardware resources, which may not be feasible for all players.
- Stability concerns (weight 0.08): Players have noted that the game is less stable, with performance and stability concerns being a common issue.
- Numerous bugs (weight 0.08): The game is reported to have numerous bugs, affecting various aspects of gameplay and stability.
- Visual artifacts and pixelation (weight 0.04): Some players have reported issues with visual artifacts and pixelated graphics, detracting from the visual experience.
- Game launch issues (weight 0.04): There are reports of issues related to launching the game, including initial crashes that prevent players from starting the game.

Recommendations:
- Support game development (weight 0.16): Many players recommend buying the game to support its ongoing development and future improvements.
- Highly recommended for fans (weight 0.16): The game is highly recommended for those who love creation, curiosity, and cosmic tinkering, as well as fans of the first game.
- Wait for further development (weight 0.15): Several reviews suggest waiting for more features, patches, and updates before buying the game to ensure a better playability and content.
- Recommendation for specific players (weight 0.06): Recommendations tailored to specific types of players, such as those who enjoy engineering, space, and building.
- Refund requests due to issues (weight 0.04): A few players express dissatisfaction and mention they would refund the game if possible due to its current issues.
- Buy during discount (weight 0.02): Some reviews suggest buying the game if it is on discount.
- Improvements needed for optimization (weight 0.02): Some reviews mention the need for better optimization and proper DLSS implementation.
- Wait due to rough patches (weight 0.02): Suggestions to hold off on purchasing due to the game's rough patches and price hikes.
- Positive impression of development (weight 0.02): Some players are impressed with the game's release and ongoing development.
- Add more color options (weight 0.02): A request to add more color options, specifically brown and orange, for objects in the game.
- Looking forward to DLC (weight 0.02): Players express anticipation for future downloadable content.
- Language support needed (weight 0.02): Requests for additional language support, specifically Chinese.

Other player notes:
- Add Simplified Chinese support (weight 0.03): Players have requested the addition of Simplified Chinese language support to make the game more accessible to a broader audience.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.42): Players are frustrated primarily due to persistent performance issues, including crashes, high hardware usage, and poor optimization, even on high-end systems. Additional frustrations stem from game mechanics such as confusing controls, lack of keybinding options, and issues with ship building and welding. The game's current state, including bugs and lack of features, further exacerbates these frustrations.
- Disappointment (weight 0.27): Players express disappointment due to the game's current state, which includes a lack of expected features, simplification of gameplay mechanics, and performance issues. Many feel that SE2 does not meet the expectations set by its predecessor, SE1, and are disappointed with the direction the developers are taking, including the lack of challenge and depth in the game.
- Excitement (weight 0.21): Players are excited about the potential and future developments of the game, including new features like water and multiplayer modes. The game's graphics, scale, and ambition also contribute to this excitement, as well as the anticipation for future updates and improvements that could enhance the gameplay experience.
- Hope (weight 0.17): Players have high hopes for the future of SE2, despite its current issues. They believe in the game's potential and trust the developers to address existing problems through future updates and improvements. The promising roadmap and the developers' responsiveness to feedback also contribute to this hopeful outlook.
- Hopeful (weight 0.15): Players are hopeful about the game's future potential and updates, including the addition of multiplayer mode, more animals, enemies, and ally NPCs. They anticipate future improvements and optimizations, and believe that the game has a strong foundation and potential to become one of the best.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.09): Players are satisfied with the current state of the game, its improvements over the previous version, and the fun gameplay it offers. They appreciate the game's graphics, physics, and the developers' work with the community. The stable and smooth gameplay, as well as the mission overhaul and trading improvements, also contribute to their satisfaction.
- Excited (weight 0.09): Players are excited about the game's potential and future updates, including the addition of water and underwater exploration, as well as the upcoming PVP mode. The game's improvements and engaging gameplay mechanics, along with the anticipation of new features and updates, contribute to this excitement.
- Frustrated (weight 0.08): Players are frustrated with the game's performance issues, including crashes, poor optimization, and high hardware requirements. They also express frustration with the game's mechanics, such as confusing controls, lack of keybinding options, and issues with ship building and welding. The game's current state, including bugs and lack of features, further adds to their frustration.
- Disappointed (weight 0.06): Players are disappointed with the game's current state, including its incompleteness, lack of expected features, and the new direction the developers are taking. They feel that the game does not meet the expectations set by its predecessor and are disappointed with the lack of challenge and depth in the gameplay.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.03): Players enjoy the game's visual improvements, build system, and addicting gameplay. They find the current state of the game fun and engaging, with features such as blueprint building, space factories, and ships contributing to their enjoyment.
- Optimism (weight 0.03): Players are optimistic about the game's future development and improvements. They trust the developers to address existing issues through future patches and updates. The visual improvements to planets and the game's potential also contribute to this positive outlook.
- Satisfied (weight 0.02): Players are satisfied with the game's current state, including its graphics, audio, and performance improvements. They appreciate the new build style, functional blocks, and the overall positive ratings for optimization and interface.
- Concern (weight 0.02): Players are concerned about the game's survival without multiplayer servers and the potential loss of community interest while waiting for critical features. They also worry about the focus on graphics over stability and performance, as well as future development and support of the game.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players love the game and its concept, appreciating the developers' work and vision. They enjoy the game and hope for its improvement, supporting the developers and believing in the game's potential.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Players are looking forward to future updates, including wiring features, Russian language support, and optimization. They are hyped for the introduction of water and anticipate more updates and improvements.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Players are angry due to persistent performance issues, constant crashes, and missing features. They also express anger towards the developers' greed and the regression from the first game, as well as memory leaks and AMD GPU issues.
- Impressed (weight 0.01): Players are impressed with the improvements in SE2, including quality-of-life improvements and attentive developers. The Vertical Slice system and community involvement also contribute to their positive impression.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Players thoroughly enjoy the game, finding it very fun and thrilling. They express joy and excitement while playing, appreciating the game's engaging features and mechanics.
- Supportive (weight 0.01): Players are supportive of the studio and their vision, as well as the developers and their process. They believe in the development team and their ability to improve the game.
- Nostalgic (weight 0.01): Players feel nostalgic when comparing the current game to its predecessor, SE1. They reminisce about their experiences as veterans of the first game and compare the two versions.}