Earlier this week VRFocus reported on Impeller Studios announcing at PAX East it would be taking a second shot at Kickstarter success for space combat simulator Starfighter Inc. Its first campaign almost succeeded in 2015 having reached $226,831 USD out of $250,000. Now the studio aims to hit $150,000.
Developed as a as spiritual successor to the X-Wing series, Impeller has still been working on the project over the last couple of years, improving and fine tuning the experience. Starfighter Inc. will allow players operate a variety of nuclear-powered single and multi-crew fighters, reconnaissance ships, strike craft, and support ships, with weapons ranging from lasers, railguns, and missiles, to electronic and cyber warfare capabilities.
The team has planned on full support for virtual reality (VR) hardware, partnering with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and OSVR. Starfighter Inc. not only supports the aforementioned head-mounted displays (HMDs), but for further immersion the title will be playable with a range of joysticks.
For the initial release – expected in April 2018 – the studio plans to feature three weapon classes, three game modes, three maps, three playable ships, and 3v3 PvP play. Currently the three ships have been revealed; a Shrike-Class light fighter, small and light weight, the fighter can evade enemy fire, darting in and out of combat in order to carry out its mission; Pegasus-Class assault transport, a large, sturdy ship that can be configured for a range of roles such as Combat Search and Rescue, Drone Operator, Heavy Strike Ship, Missile Defense Boat or Tanker; lastly there’s the Hyperion-Class heavy fighter, designed to unleash devastating firepower on its enemies.
For those interested in backing the campaign funding tiers start from $10, and go all the way up to $10,000. Most will likely want to go for at least the second, $25 tier, which includes a digital copy of the Kickstarter Founder’s Edition of Starfighter Inc.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Starfighter Inc., reporting back with the campaign’s progress.