Hello again, spacefriends! Please note: the following game review is the sole opinion of MoonBurdy. Views expressed are not necessarily shared by EveNews24 or any EveNews24 staff other than me.
On Tuesday, the 26th of September, CCP launched Eve Valkyrie – Warzone. No longer a VR only property, Eve Valkyrie – Warzone is now available on Playstation 4 and PC. I was fortunate enough to play the PC version this week. I plan to write up a more in-depth article at a later date when I’ve had a chance to settle in and really get used to the game, but for now: first impressions.
Upon entering the lobby I knew this was an Eve game. Not only because labels told me so, but it has a distinctly Eve-like feel. It’s no surprise, given they were both made by CCP, but the familiar style was welcoming and comforting. I jumped right into the tutorial missions and learned how to fly my new fighter. The graphics were beautiful. Nobody does space like CCP. I was pleased to note that they kept the same high standards of visual awesomeness I have come to expect.
I had serious issues trying to fly with the mouse+keyboard controls. The mouse is super unwieldy in this game. As I flailed about, my wife commented that I was probably doing it wrong. I think she was right, ultimately. After beating my head against the wall for an hour or so I switched to a Steam controller and that’s when it got good.
There are several game modes including the tutorial. One can practice in a free-form solo area. Also available are missions reminiscent of Assassin’s Creed, in that you are living a battle scenario that they have on record. I’m not sure what the historical battles were, perhaps I didn’t read well enough, but being part of a kitchen sink fleet alongside a Nyx, some Catalysts, and Naglfars was pretty awesome. I’m pretty sure the ship I was flying was some sort of advanced fighter, the likes of which are launched in squadrons by carriers in Eve proper.
The PVP modes are where this game truly shines. The action is constant, with a distinct Eve-in-arcade feel. The PVP game modes I’ve played so far were a domination style scenario where we deployed drones to capture locations while blowing up enemy drones and ships to hold those locations. The PVP modes also reward experience points that can be spent on customization of your fighter. One can enhance a variety of aspects of each ship, accenting the features that match your play-style.
Overall, my first impression was that it is great. I look forward to playing this game for quite some time, especially after figuring out that the keyboard+mouse is like running a marathon with one foot missing and the other on fire. (In case I’m unclear, I did not enjoy that experience.) In the coming weeks I will share more about Eve Valkyrie – Warzone as my understanding deepens. Meanwhile, I leave you with a first-hour walk-through article by the Eve Valkyrie team. Fly safe, spacefriends!
This has been MoonBurdy for EveNews24.
