Watch us play Eagle Flight: Ubisoft’s VR bird simulator

I believe it was the Steve Miller Band who said, “Flying like an eagle into the future would make a damn fine virtual reality video gaming experience for a head-mounted display.” Or something like that … I’m not great with lyrics.

Eagle Flight is one of the first big virtual reality games from a traditional publisher. Ubisoft launched the game for Oculus Rift this week for $40, and it is coming to PlayStation VR and HTC Vive in November and December, respectively. In Eagle Flight, you control an eagle in a post-humanity Paris with your head. Tilting your noggin left or right and up or down will guide your majestic bird around the Louvre and over the Seine. In the story mode, you have to collect feathers hidden around the map and fly through rings in challenging missions. In the multiplayer, you participate in a 3-on-3 battle to collect the most rabbit corpses for your nest.

If all of this sounds like instant nausea to you, I wouldn’t fret. I never felt queasy even for a moment. Ubisoft has pulled out all of the tricks to keep players feeling comfortable. That includes only turning the camera when you turn your head, giving you a reticle in the center of your vision, and anchoring your vision with a beak at the bottom. These elements come together to ensure that even dive bombing through tight corridors feels natural at top speeds.

To give you a better idea of what you can expect from the game, I’ve gone ahead and played through the first few missions and a couple of online matches. Just click play below to watch us play: