Eve: Valkyrie to launch full-speed into alpha testing January 18

eve-valkyrie-header

Amid the excitement that was the launch of Oculus Rift pre-orders earlier today, CCP Games slipped out the announcement that their forthcoming dogfighting VR game EVE: Valkyrie will enter its alpha testing phase on January 18.

EVE: Valkyrie’s older cousin EVE: Online made our list of best space games

All you need to get involved is a Rift DK2 headset and the want to sign up, which can be made so by visiting the game’s official site. New players will be admitted in waves, on what I imagine will be a first come, first served basis.

I’ve only dabbled in a few specifically-designed virtual reality games, but I’ve found the ones that make you assume a natural sitting position tend to be the most believable and thus most enjoyable.

I had a bash of a very early version of EVE: Valkyrie at the EGX games expo a couple of years back and thoroughly enjoyed shooting (ahem, missing) every target in sight while angling my spacecraft at all sorts of crazy angles as I slalomed in and out of vast, hulking space stations. I know VR as a concept and a practice has its fair share of sceptics but I had a great deal of fun.

For more indepth analysis from the CCP guys themselves, be sure to check out Jeremy’s entertaining dissection.

EVE: Valkyrie will come packaged with all full release Oculus Rift headsets, but if you do happen to possess a DK2 let us know how you get on after January 18.