2 articlesKerbal Space Program 2 has been in Early Access for some time, and it’s now receiving the massive “For Science!” update.
This update brings along new gameplay modes, mechanics, and lots of important fixes and changes!
In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the biggest new features of this major update.
What’s New In Kerbal Space Program 2: For Science! Update
Exploration Mode
The biggest new addition from the “For Science!” update is the new Exploration Mode, which acts as a sort of campaign.
How To Bypass Launcher in Kerbal Space Program 2Dec 23, 2023In this mode, you’ll be able to explore the Kerbolar System and use all-new collection equipment to obtain resources and gain Science. Yup, you’re literally getting Science!
You can then use Science to unlock new technologies which will make it easier to explore the galaxy and collect more resources.
What’s more, the developers at Intercept Games explain that this is just the beginning! This mode will be expanded even further with updates, as they intend it to be much more than just collecting Science.
To add to that, your Exploration Mode saves will be futureproofed to be compatible with future additions. You’ll always have something new to come back to in the game!
New Progression System
To make the new Exploration Mode easier to understand for newer players, there will be new Missions for you to complete.
You’ll get to meet the new Dr. Keri Kerman as well, who is the new Head of Missions and will be the one providing you with… well, missions!
These missions will give you tasks that will earn you rewards when you complete them but also serve to help you gain a better understanding of how the game works.
This should also make the game easier to grasp thanks to it being a bit of a more guided experience than the first Kerbal Space Program.
Of course, though, you can always just ignore missions and explore the galaxy however you wish!
The Tech Tree
So, it’s great that Missions and Exploration allow you to get resources and Science! But what do you use Science for? Well, that’s where the Tech Tree comes in!
The Tech Tree is a series of research projects that will unlock new gameplay mechanics, parts, and tools. The only way to advance through it is to spend your hard-earned Science!
It’s fairly straightforward too! It’s meant to be easier to understand than its counterpart in the first Kerbal Space Program.
Nonetheless, it will be vital for progressing through the new Exploration Mode campaign!
Atmospheric Entry is Hot!
Now, exploring the changes besides Exploration Mode, there will now be an atmospheric entry heating mechanic for your spacecraft.
Every individual part of your spacecraft will now be affected by heat when entering the atmosphere.
The heat will affect every part differently, but the main thing is that you have to watch out for overheating!
You will now need to carefully consider your selection of Heat Shields whenever you build spacecraft. It’s a huge change, so your old builds won’t work quite as well anymore after the “For Science!” update.
Under-the-hood Improvements
The developers at Intercept Games don’t reveal all of their hands when it comes to this update, but there are a lot of noticeable under-the-hood improvements.
For one, vehicles are now much more buoyant, which should allow you to do ocean launches. On top of that, the Docks launch site has been greatly improved upon in looks and functionality.
Similarly, the long-standing “wobbly rockets” issues should be fixed. A new enhanced joint system has been put in place to ensure that large vehicles, like rockets, are no longer loose and wobbly.
There are a large number of Quality of Life improvements. The interface should now be more intuitive and informative in general, making it much easier to do pretty much anything in the game.
They’ve even added a bunch of new Kerbal styles for more visual variety!
Additionally, performance has received a massive improvement overall, so everything should be running much smoother.
This is great, because Kerbal Space Program 2 can tank performance even on high-end PCs!
Lastly, on the topic of stealthy changes to the game, there are loads of new secrets and easter eggs for us to discover as we explore the galaxy.
Some of these easter eggs, now officially called “Discoverables”, will even reward you with a large yield of Science if you research close to them.
All in all, this is a massive update that adds a lot of great new features and also improves on some of the failings of the game. Now get out there and start exploring the galaxy, for science!
