Ubisoft is today launching its latest VR title, AGOS: A Game of Space. The made-for-VR space sim is set to support PC VR headsets across Steam and the Oculus Store.
Update (October 28th, 2020): With seemingly little fanfare, Ubisoft is today launching AGOS: A Game of Space on Steam and the Oculus Store for Rift. Through Steam, the game supports all major SteamVR headsets, including Valve Index, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Windows VR headsets.
We have a review copy in hand, however we haven’t had enough time between receiving it and playing it for our review. Stay tuned for more as we make our way through Ubisoft’s latest stab at multiplayer VR. The original article announcing the game follows below:
Original article (September 10th, 2020): In AGOS: A Game of Space Ubisoft says that players will embark on “an interstellar journey to reach a new habitable planet. Players will become the AI operating the last ship to leave a condemned Earth, guiding a group of survivors across eight unique stellar systems to find a new home.”
The AGOS announcement trailer shows players customizing modular probes for various tasks, though it isn’t quite clear if the probes are controlled in first or third person. Players can expect to “explore, scavenge resources, unlock new technologies, and face the perils of space to maintain life on board your ship during this extraordinary journey to save humankind.”
Despite only just being announced, AGOS: A Game of Space has a release date of October 28th (little more than a month away). The game is exclusive to VR headsets, and will be available on Oculus PC (Rift, Quest via Link) and SteamVR.
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Some may recall news last year that Ubisoft was spinning up production of a new AAA VR game, with some reports suggesting that the company had signed a deal to develop Oculus-exclusive VR games based on Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed. Given the scope of AGOS, and its lack of existing IP, this seems likely to be another project altogether.
While most major game development studios haven’t yet committed significant resources to making VR games, Ubisoft has done pioneering work in the VR space with five titles already released to in-home VR users. Additionally the company’s Ubisoft Escape Games brand has also developed several out-of-home VR escape rooms.
Surprisingly, considering the studio’s pedigree, Ubisoft’s VR titles so far have largely fallen short of achieving ‘must-play’ status, and their focus on multiplayer has left many of the games to languish without a stable population of players. AGOS appears to be a single-player game, so perhaps Ubisoft has finally learned the risks that come with multiplayer-only VR games.