Who doesn’t love being a pirate? In virtual reality (VR) you can be a space pirate or a traditional seafaring scourge. For those that love the vision of finding treasure on the seven seas and feel titles like Battlewake are a bit too arcade oriented then Buccaneers! might be what you’re looking for. Currently being developed by Skyward Digital, the team has just released the first VR gameplay trailer.
Being built from the ground up for VR to support Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Oculus Go headsets, a non-VR version will also be released for PC and Xbox One. Buccaneers! will offer a first-person single-player adventure where players can choose from one of four factions – each with its own unique abilities – before taking command of their ship and heading out into the Caribbean to search for fame and fortune. All inspired by classics such as Sid Meier’s Pirates! and the Sea Dogs series.
Buccaneers! promises a range of combat scenarios, both at sea and on land. Most of the gameplay takes place at sea, with players manning the cannons to either scuttle or incapacitate other ships. Once close enough they’ll then be able to board those unfortunate vessels and deal with any souls with weapons including swords, pistols and muskets.
With a distinctive low-poly aesthetic, the team explains: “At first, it was a VR-only concept, with the intention of making a game that could scale between high and low-end devices while still looking visually pleasing. This led to the low-poly art style, and after a few prototypes, the fundamentals of the game began to take shape, focusing on ship battles, limited land exploration and basic quests.”
The eventual goal in Buccaneers! is to build up a powerful fleet by capturing ships, purchasing new ones and completing quests, allowing the player to take on coastal forts and gain land for their faction.
Check out the first trailer showcasing VR gameplay below. Skyward Digital has yet to reveal a release date or price for Buccaneers! but it will be coming to both the Oculus Store and Steam. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.