I don't think GS has picked this up yet but here is some early pre-alpha footage. It's rough in its current state but I think there's some promise here. I just hope they don't replace the combat system with a typical real-time system.

-Byshop

After months of waiting and applying for the alpha three times, I finally got a response to one of my applications and was given an account and a download link for the current version of the alpha client on Friday. Today is Saturday and I've put some time in with the game in the last two nights playing a total of five matches. Here's what I've seen so far:

First of all, what is it?

Eve Valkyrie is a game set in the Eve Online universe, like the PS4 exclusive Dust 514 which was a spin-off FPS title. Instead of an FPS, this game is a multiplayer skirmish 8 vs 8 space combat simulator that's designed exclusively for VR play and is provided for free for anyone who pre-orders the Oculus Rift (not an "on rails" shooter like some have theorized). There will be some single player elements included in the launch version (survival modes, freeplay, etc) and possibly some story content, but the primary focus of the game is multiplayer.

Setup

I played the game with an Oculus Rift DK2 (the CV1 aka Consumer Version 1 won't be available to the general public until later this month. I'm on the first shipment wave). These are the specs of my system:

Intel i7-3770K CPU at 4.00ghz with Corsair HC60 Water Cooler

16 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1866 MHz (PC3 15000) 4x4GB

G1.Sniper 3 Intel Z77 Chipset Quad SLI motherboard

Dual Geforce 980 EVGA 4GB Factory Overclocked GPUs running 2-way SLI

How does it play?

It plays like an "arcadey" space combat sim, so similar to games like Project Silpheed on the 360 or Strike Suit Zero/Infinity. In the current version there is no HOTAS support or any ability to remap controls, so you play with an Xbox controller or compatible equivalent. Controls are relatively simple, with your ship moving at a constant speed (no direct throttle control) but you can speed up or slow down with the A or B buttons, respectively.

Matches are fast and furious, with crazy action onscreen most of the time. 8 vs 8 makes for a lot of chaos, and the ships themselves move very quickly so there's not a lot of time for tactical combat like you might get with a game like Elite Dangerous. It's basically more like fighter pilot dog fighting than a true space sim. Ships move like planes in space with no Newtonian physics, strafing, or g-force black/redouts. It's all about leading your targets and shooting them more than they shoot you.

The action onscreen can get a bit hectic with everything going on and so many ships trying to turn faster than the other guy. Leading your targets is key. Not just shooting ahead using the lead indicator, but predicting the way your target will turn and orienting your ship in that direction before they get there will put you ahead of your opponents.

The game has a CoD-style progression system. Wins each your XP which increase your level and earn you unlocks. Cosmetic upgrades appear to be free, while ship and loadout upgrades you purchase using credits that you earn through the progression system. I haven't progressed very far yet with the limited amount of time I have spent in the game so far so I can't go into too much detail in that area, but playing players who have been around for a lot longer than I have I've seen at least three or four different ship types in the current version and weapons/equipment that I certainly don't have access to yet.

The premise is you are remote controlling clones in combat. I think that you have a limited number of respawns per match, but I'm not 100% certain because I haven't died enough times in any of my five matches to not be able to respawn. Ships are pretty durable, and the lightest ships still require about 10 seconds of sustained fire to die.

Missile lock and targeting is tracked through the "headlook" aspect of VR, so even if you can't bring your ship to align with a fast moving target you can lock and fire missiles at any target that you can see in your view range provided you turn your head to look at it.

Pros

Fast, furious and fun action. This is a game that I imagine will be very hard to get bored with. It's probably the best experience I have had on the Oculus having sampled at least 30-40 different VR enabled games or tech demos. If this is an example of what VR has in store for us than I am optimistic for VR as a concept. Even in the current alpha with very few of the final features enabled, this game appears to have a decent amount of depth with the unlocks that are pending, the various ships, loudouts, and arenas.

Cons

In the current version, I found the HUD and cockpit feedback systems a bit confusing. The offline training mode only covers the absolute basics of flight, and doesn't get into things like missile countermeasures or the extended equipment. It's a bit of a "fun" surprise when another player drops something I don't have like a laser tripmine system or little droids attach to my cockpit and start drilling into my ship like in Star Wars Ep3. I wasn't clear on when missiles where locked on me and there doesn't appear to be a button to target the opponent that is currently attacking you, so you have to find them yourself through maneuvering and head tracking. Also, individual items on the HUD aren't very clear at the moment, and it can get pretty confusing in the hectic battles.

Also, after four consecutive matches (about an hour of play), I started to get a bit nauseous. Now I don't mean that as an indictment of VR itself, but rather an "issue" with space sims in general because they are frankly a bit "too real". The 3D/VR effect is very convincing and when dog fighting another nimble ship I might spend several consecutive minutes basically spinning around in circles trying to stay ahead of the other ship. After a little over an hour of play I felt like I really needed to take a break.

Since the CV1 and Vive aren't out yet, the only way that most of us can play this game is with one of the two Oculus development kits. Even with the improved resolution of the DK2, the graphics are a bit grainy. This is especially true when compared to the crystal clear sharp graphics you see in the various trailer/demo videos of the game. I eagerly look forward to playing the final version again on my CV1 once it arrives.

No HOTAS support means you are playing with a controller. While it's not too bad, the thumbsticks are a bit imprecise compared to a proper flightstick and adjusting yaw/pitch/roll at the same time while firing weapons and trying to lock missiles is a bit awkward on a simple controller. However, if you want to use a 360 controller emulator you can use whatever controller you want, obviously. I just haven't gotten around to trying it.

Conclusion

This is an amazing experience. After a first match in which I spent most of the time getting the hang of the mechanics, I found that I took to the game very quickly. I wouldn't attribute this to an aptitude on my part, but rather the time that I have spent playing other space/flight combat sims outside of VR but with a headtracking device (Track IR5). I'm sure that once other players get used to the concept the playing field will probably level, but at the moment in my second match onward I was leading the matches with 5 to 10 times the score/kills of the next player on both sides.

This is a really fun game, and if it's an indication of what's to come from VR in general, I'm all in.

With the recent glut of superhero/vigilante shows that have come out recently (many of which are actually pretty decent), inevitable comparisons are made to the shows that came before. One of those shows is Smallville, and thinking back I wonder why anyone ever liked this show. I hate-watched my was through about eight seasons before I completely gave up on it.

The writing was some of the laziest I had ever seen in a TV show. How many times did they write in "hit and run driver nearly kills someone" as a cheap plot device to force Clark or another character to use their powers in public. I think they did that one like literally a dozen times over the course of the show. Who are all these lunatic drivers who never stop in Smallville? It's like a crazy epidemic.

The writers used "Kryptonite" as a sort of universal plot hole sealant that could literally do anything the writers decided it needed to be able to do that week. It was just a lame "monster of the week" show and the explanation for the monster was pretty much always Kryptonite. Any how do they limit Clark's abilities so he can't just always solve every problem with his powers? Also Kryptonite.

The show also borrowed liberally from other franchises in an attempt to cash in on what was popular at the time. "Hey, that Fast And The Furious movie is really popular! Let's do an illegal street racing episode! Oh, and the cars are powered by Kryptonite because apparently you can use it as Nitrous. Oh, too bad because I guess that means Clark can't escape the trunk now."

"Hey, remember that movie Saw? Let's do a Saw episode with Clark's mom! Clark lost his powers again? I guess the dungeon has Kryptonite in the walls. Bummer."

"Hey, this Pete character is about as interesting as watching paint dry. What can we do about that? I know! Let's give him super powers by having him chew some of the most ridiculously blantantly product placed chewing gum while at a warehouse party in the cleanest warehouse ever! Oh, and the gum gives him powers because... Kryptonite."

"Hey, Lana Lang is back for a cameo but have to write in a reason why she can't stick around. Can you guess why? I'll give you a hint. It starts with a K and ends with an "ryptonite.""

Kryptonite is supposed to be the rarest mineral on Earth, but to watch Smallville you'd think the entire town was actually made of the stuff.

I actually looked up the number of times that Green Kyptonite actually showed up in an episode of Smallville. According to a wiki I found, I counted at least 106 instances where Green Kryptonite actually showed up in an episode, out of a total of 218 episodes. They used it as a cheap plot device for literally half of the show, and that's not even counting the other colors of Kryptonite they got from the comic or made up.

Stack on top of that the laziest character motivations. Clark feels conflicted about something. His friends feel like fifth wheels sometimes. Lex gets mad that Clark is being secretive. Rinse and repeat for 150+ episodes.

-Byshop

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/htc-vive-is-800-arrives-in-april/1100-6434957/

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

Link

Pretty sweet deal. Prime members already get release day shipping for free, and now if you pre-order a game or buy it within two weeks after release you get an automatic 20% off. Note that you won't see it in the store as it's applied at checkout before you pay.

Score one for physical media!

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-price-finally-confirmed/1100-6433557/

Just went live. Get em while they're hot, if you are so inclined. That's a bit higher than I was expecting, to be honest. I figured they'd top out at $550 at the most.

https://www.oculus.com/en-us/

The store is not working for me at the moment.

Update: Ordered my unit 5 minutes after launch with an expected ship date of late March.

Additional Update: Oculus has finalized the minimum/recommended specifications for an Oculus PC (thanks @davillain-).

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-minumum-pc-spec-finalized/1100-6433566/

• Graphics card: NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD R9 290 equivalent or greater
• Processor: Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater
• Memory: 8GB+ RAM
• Output: Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output
• Input: 3x USB 3.0 ports plus 1x USB 2.0 port
• OS: Windows 7 SP1 64 bit or newer

https://www.oculus.com/en-us/blog/oculus-rift-pre-orders-to-open-on-jan-6/

Finally, Oculus has announced the date when the pre-orders for the Rift CV1 will go up. Originally they were supposed to put the pre-orders up "sometime in 2015" and they will have missed that window by only a week. This comes shortly after the announcement that the Touch controllers will not be finished in time for the launch of the consumer version of the Rift. The timing could suggest that they were taking as much extra time to see if they could get the Touch done in time for the launch, but now that they've given up on that there's nothing left holding them back on releasing the CV1. No word yet on price or ship date.

So at 8AM PST on January 6th, you'll finally be able to order an Oculus CV1 for _____ dollars which will arrive on _____ date! Woot!

Still, unless the price turns out to be double the price of the DK2 I'll be placing my order first thing.

Elite Dangerous Horizons with Planetary Landings has gone into semi-closed (i.e. purchased) Beta this week. While everyone is all hot and bothered by the new feature (and they should be, it's awesome), here are some of the "smaller" changes that I've noticed in my time with the beta so far.

Besides new planetary outputs and whatnot now showing up in navigation, filters have been added to more easily sort through all the objects in/reachable from a solar system.

This makes things much easier.

Additional levels of granularity into the visibility of your Major Faction rank and progress towards your next rank.

Your canopy now shows as a system in Modules so you can see how much damage it has taken.

Galactic Average now shows in your Cargo display.

Cargo now has filter options similar to those found in navigation.

Materials and Synthesis have been added, partially as part of the expansion of what ground exploration allows you to do. You can get exploration rewards for exploring the surface of planets and finding Points of Interest or new minerals.

These minerals can be used to fabricate new materials such as ballistic ammo for your ship or SRV, as well as armor repair and fuel and even a "one time FSD jump range extension". These synthesized supplies can even carry bonuses that normal supplies do not, such as increased damage for ammo if you use the right recipe.

Neat stuff. Visibility into your exact faction rank is huge because until now this has largely been educated guesswork by a few dedicated Redditors. I did a charity mission and gave 11k to a Fed minor faction and I saw my Federal faction status go from 75% to 77%.

Also, planetary flight/exploration/combat are all awesome. Good luck dogfighting in low order in a large ship, though. I nearly got murdered by a Diamond Back Explorer while flying an Assault Ship because I could barely turn without smacking into the ground.

Oh, and there's a new ship in CQC. :)

More to come...

-Byshop

Man, Quantic Dream really likes to put colons in their titles (Omikron: The Nomad Soul, Beyond: Two Souls, and now this).

A while back, Quantic Dream released a tech demo video titled Kara. It was a 7 minute short film done using realtime rendering on PS3 hardware. It wasn't tied to any specific IP or game that they were working on. The video was released after Heavy Rain but before Beyond: Two Souls and it focused on the story of a robot woman who was marked as "defective" for being self-aware and having feelings. Although similar to the "Audition" video that was released as a demo of the tech that would eventually become Heavy Rain, this one was a bit... creepier in terms of the moral implications.

Well, a few years later and after the release of B:TS, a new IP has emerged from this developer. It appears to be directly lifted from the concept of the video but expanded into a full game:

This is all that they've really released on it so far, but I'm excited. I've been a fan of this company's games (even the mediocre ones) since the beginning. Omikron was way ahead of its time and really would have benefited from being developed on later gen hardware (Dreamcast and "Dreamcast Era" PCs). Indigo Prophecy: Fahrenheit (jk) was the first title where the technology really felt like it could keep up so they went for a fully cinematic game as opposed to the more traditional gameplay elements of Omikron, but they needed more time to tweak the formula. IP's gameplay was extremely QTE heavy, even in sequences that were basically static cutscenes. The story also went pretty bat-shit crazy by the third act. It started out paranormal, but by the end it went apocalyptically crazy and with Illuminati-esque conspiracy theories and aliens from Area 51. The strongly negative reaction to the schizophrenic storyline from that game is probably why QD was so adamant that their next title (Heavy Rain) would be a straight thriller with no supernatural or crazy sci-fi elements (barring Agent Jayden's investigating crime scenes with something that looks a hell of a lot like a Microsoft Hololense).

Heavy Rain was much better received than any of QD's other projects to date. Beyond: Two Souls was also pretty good, but in many ways it felt like one step forward and two steps back. Heavy Rain is still my favorite of their games thus far, but I have high hopes for their next ones. Hopefully they'll learn from some of the narrative mistakes they made with Two Souls.

-Byshop

It's pretty much the definition of "short but sweet", but this 22 second clip gives us a brief glimpse of the much anticipated "Horizons" update. Two ground vehicles attacking a base with additional air support. I really want to know how this shakes out. We've only got two more months in 2015, so assuming they keep to their original schedule it shouldn't be much longer after the recent 1.4 CQC update and the impending 1.5 "Ships" update. The patches are starting to come fast and furious.

And as a recap, if anyone needs to know if they will be required to purchase Horizons, here's the handy chart that Frontier put together so that people can keep it straight (i.e. it's clear as "mud").

-Byshop