Ubisoft is taking virtual reality into the skies, giving players the feeling of flying above the city of Paris in a VR game called Eagle Flight. The game is one of the first major investments by Ubisoft and any large video game company in the fledgling field of virtual reality games.
Ubisoft unveiled the game at the Sony PSX fan event in San Francisco today. The title is expected to come out in 2016 on VR platforms including the PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive for the PC.
“We’re excited to make the dream of flying come true with Eagle Flight,” said Olivier Palmieri, game director at Ubisoft Montreal. “Virtual reality has created new and amazing opportunities for game developers and we wanted to offer a full VR game that took full advantage of the technological advances. With the breakthrough we’ve been working on, we’re confident Ubisoft’s first game developed solely for VR will be a truly enjoyable experience for everyone who plays it.”
The title gives you a sense of the “freedom of flying,” Ubisoft said, and it is in that sense part virtual tourism and part game. It was developed by a team at FunHouse, a division of Ubisoft Montreal.
The game lets you become an eagle and fly over Paris and its iconic landmarks. The story is set 50 years after humans have left the city, some time in the future. Nature has taken back the city, creating a playground for wildlife.
Ubisoft said the game offers both a single-player experience and multiplayer with up to six players in two modes.
Eagle Flight has been developed specifically for VR with a strong focus on accessibility and comfort, the company said. The game features an Ubisoft-developed VR control technology that provides players with intuitive and precise controls. The new technology greatly reduces chances of motion sickness while enabling players to quickly master their skills in order to perform impressive stunts and experience the true sensation of flight, Ubisoft said.