Kerbal Space Program has received a UI refresh that makes the HUD feel more like a cockpit, and time warping has been improved to speed up time while hurtling through space.
Kerbal Space Program is one of the greatest pieces of edutainment ever created, and I don’t say that lightly. For its dedication to real science, the space programme and rocketry simulator gained a massive following, as well as the support of several space agencies and space launch companies around the world.
Despite its accolades, Kerbal’s zeal for orbital trajectories and delta-can V’s be intimidating. It’s, uh, rocket science. Developer Intercept Games, on the other hand, clearly wanted to make these systems more approachable for new players for its sequel, and new interactive tutorials go a long way towards that end.
None of this is to say that the series’ designers have dumbed it down. You can rest assured that the signature customizability and attention to scientific realism are still present.
Even though Kerbal Space Program 2 is intended to ease potential rocket scientists into their new obsession, Intercept Games’ numerous quality-of-life enhancements are just as beneficial to those who already speak Kerbin.
To begin, the game’s decade-old UI has been greatly improved. Menus are more logically organised. Useful actions, such as merging designs, are not hidden behind other menus. Rocket parts are now color-coded by size, which saves you a lot of time when looking for the right part.
Not only is Kerbal 2’s UI more approachable in general, but it’s also much slicker than its predecessor, with a techy aesthetic and stark icons that don’t obstruct readability.
Kerbal Space Program has received a UI refresh that makes the HUD feel more like a cockpit, and time warping has been improved to speed up time while hurtling through space.
This will make interstellar missions more enjoyable, and small details such as a Kerbinese countdown, jets of coolant water below the launch platform, and a rousing score increase the thrill of launch. The graphics have also been improved, with more vegetation, dynamic lighting, and shinier rockets.
Kerbal Space Program 2 is launching in early access, with no campaign objectives or scientific research activities. It has a few bugs, such as being unable to load some of its campaign saves and locking up for around a second when switching from rocket view to map view while piloting a rocket.
The game also locked up after one particular crash, making it incapable of booting up in the aftermath until it was made fully available this morning.
Though I can cut a little slack for an early access title, this kind of instability is a big bummer. A lot of love and attention went towards improving the Kerbal Space Program — I’m hopeful that will ring true again. But for now, that remains to be seen.
However, if you’re looking for a spacefaring sandbox where you can painstakingly build experimental rockets and (hopefully) launch them out of orbit, there’s a lot to like here. It’s a promising path, and Intercept Games has already stated that future updates will include brand-new features to the series, such as space colonies and online multiplayer.
Despite all of the obstacles that the Kerbal Space Program required you to overcome, reaching the other side was a revelation. Kerbal Space Program 2 is already lowering those barriers, and I’m excited to see how many new rocket scientists it attracts.