Eagle Flight
Eagle Flight | |
---|---|
multiplayer |
Eagle Flight is a virtual reality simulation video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4 in late 2016. Players must have a virtual reality headset, such as the Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, or HTC Vive, in order to play the game.
The game is set fifty years after humanity's extinction, focusing on a post-apocalyptic version of
Development of the game began in October 2014 after the completion of
Announced at PlayStation Experience 2015, the game was the first virtual reality game developed by Ubisoft. It received mixed to positive reviews upon its release, with critics praising the game's controls, gameplay, and the competitive multiplayer mode, but criticizing the single-player mode and city's design.
Setting
In the near future, fifty years after humanity's extinction, wildlife in Paris is flourishing. Nature has reclaimed the land, and the city has become home to various animals and plants. As an eagle inhabiting the city, the player must explore it, venturing to different landmarks to build a nest. According to Ubisoft, the goal of the game is to "[build a] nest on Paris' tallest landmark and conquer the skies".[1]
Gameplay
Eagle Flight is a
Set in a post-apocalyptic version of Paris in the near future, the game's backstory is revealed to the player by a narrator.[2] The single-player mode consists of five different districts. Each district has one chapter, which tasks players to build nests on landmarks after defeating the rival wildlife guarding them. Earlier chapters require players to explore the landmark;[1] later chapters usually end with a race challenge where players must pass through numerous rings while evading attacks from enemies, such as falcons, crows, vultures, and bats.[4] The eagle can also use sonic waves to kill its enemies. In addition to completing story missions, players can also explore the world, collect collectibles such as feathers and fish, and attempt numerous challenges found in the game's world. Players are graded according to their performance in these challenges.[5] If the player crashes into a building, the challenge restarts.[2]
The game also features a three-versus-three
Development
I've seen many people try our game, and they'd never played video games before and they're not good with a controller, they don't even know how to hold it, but they were able to play our game and have fun. ... It's intuitive and accessible. I don't need to explain the controls at the beginning, really; I just say 'tilt your head to turn' and you're good to go.
—Olivier Palmieri, project lead of Eagle Flight
The game's development began in October 2014, after team lead Olivier Palmieri completed his work on
The first prototype was originally named Inside Notre Dame, and tasked players to explore
According to Palmieri, the main design philosophy behind the game was that it had to be comfortable, intuitive, and accessible. To learn about
The team experimented with numerous methods to prevent players from suffering motion sickness while playing the game. They eventually discovered that having the player see the eagle's beak prevented them from feeling nauseous[11] as it is a fixed reference point that allows players to anchor their perspective.[9] The team also investigated causes of motion sickness, and concluded that reduced peripheral vision, by having a dynamic vision-blocking system, can also help solve the problem. To ensure that the brain would not feel queasiness, the team tried to create a consistent experience to ensure that instances of seeing but not feeling motion would not occur. The team programmed the game so the screen fades-to-black instantly if the player collides with other objects.[9]
Inon Zur, who had previously worked on the original soundtracks of Dragon Age: Origins and Fallout 4, served as the game's composer. Zur's soundtrack was described as "soaring and uplifting". In addition to employing an orchestra to perform the music, Zur also included primitive sounds and high-pitch vocal music to further enhance one of the game's themes: the nature of beauty.[12]
The game was officially revealed at Sony Interactive Entertainment's PlayStation Experience 2016 conference.[13] The game was released for the Oculus Rift on October 18, 2016, and for PlayStation VR and HTC Vive on November 8, 2016, and December 20, 2016, respectively.[14] It is the first virtual reality game Ubisoft has released.
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | (PC) 75/100[15] (PS4) 72/100[16] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Destructoid | 7.5/10[17] |
GameSpot | 7/10[2] |
IGN | 7.6/10[18] |
PlayStation Official Magazine – UK | 7/10 |
Road to VR | 8/10[19] |
Eagle Flight received "favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[15][16]
Chris Carter of
Jimmy Thang of GameSpot praised the game's comfortable control scheme and complex multiplayer, but was disappointed by the shallow single-player mode and the general lack of content.[2]
IGN's Brian Albert also praised the intuitive control scheme, particularly praising the game's accessibly. He found the concept of the game "weird" but "well executed", opining that it is a fresh venture into virtual reality. His main concern was the lack of content.[18]
During the 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded Eagle Flight with "Immersive Reality Technical Achievement", along with receiving a nomination for "Immersive Reality Game of the Year".[20]
References
- ^ a b c Varanini, Giancarlo (October 14, 2016). "Eagle Flight: Everything You Need To Know". UbiBlog. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Thang, Jimmy (October 18, 2016). "Eagle Flight Review". GameSpot. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ Nunneley, Stephany (December 6, 2016). "Ubisoft's VR game Eagle Flight features dogfights, six-player multiplayer". VG247. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ "Eagle Flight 101 Trailer". Ubisoft. October 14, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Rosenberg, Adam (October 19, 2016). "'Eagle Flight' is the best virtual reality game to date". Mashable. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
- ^ Dunsmore, Kevin (June 24, 2016). "E3 2016: Eagle Flight Doesn't Quite Stick the Landing". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Fahey, Mike (October 21, 2016). "Eagle Flight Is The VR Experience I Was Hoping For". Kotaku. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Gamasutra. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Gamasutra. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Takahashi, Dean (December 10, 2015). "How Ubisoft will turn you into an eagle over Paris in its first VR game". VentureBeat. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Crecente, Brian (March 16, 2016). "Capture the kill with eagles in Ubisoft's amazing first VR game". Polygon. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (October 16, 2016). "Eagle Flight: Behind the Music". GameSpot. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Phillips, Tom (December 5, 2015). "Ubisoft developing PlayStation VR game Eagle Flight". Eurogamer. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Cork, Jeff (August 18, 2016). "Ubisoft Announces Release Dates For Three VR Games, Including Star Trek: Bridge Crew". Game Informer. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ a b "Eagle Flight for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ a b "Eagle Flight for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ a b Carter, Chris (October 18, 2016). "Review: Eagle Flight". Destructoid. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ a b Albert, Brian (November 14, 2016). "Eagle Flight Review". IGN. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
- ^ "Eagle Flight Review". Road to VR. October 18, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Eagle Flight". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 November 2023.