Recent virtual reality (VR) experience War Remains took viewers to the front line of WWI, in among all the mud and carnage. This week MicroProse has announced its first VR title in the form of The Mighty Eighth, putting up to 10-players into a B-17 bomber in the skies of WWII.
If the name MicroProse sounds like a blast from the past then you’d be right. Known for a massive selection of titles during the ’80s and ’90s, the studio went the way of the dodo in the early 2000s. That was until earlier this month when the brand reemerged from oblivion to announce three videogames, Task Force Admiral, Second Front and Sea Power. They were then followed by The Mighty Eighth this week.
Being built with VR specifically in mind – but also playable without a VR headset – The Mighty Eighth will be a reboot of B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th (2000), allowing players to fly the bomber, operate the guns and drop bombs as they carry out daring missions.
The title is designed to be cooperative, allowing 10 players to work together to keep the plane in the air and make it home victorious. If it’s not possible to fill all those seats with human players AI crew will be able to step in. There’s going to be quite the mix of gameplay due to the mixture of roles, piloting or co-piloting this fly fortress, helping crew mates through day/night raids, monitoring radios and communications, and taking down enemy fighters.
No gameplay footage has been released as of yet but from the information MicroProse has unveiled The Mighty Eighth will be an intense experience to closely resemble the real thing. And it won’t be solely the B-17 players will step into as the B-24 Liberator will make an appearance. “You will be able to fly missions in both the legendary bombers, each recreated with meticulous attention to detail,” notes the studio.
MicroProse has yet to announce which headsets The Mighty Eighth will support or when the release date will be. When further details are made available VRFocus will let you know.
via Mint VR