| Space Pirate Trainer | |
| Released: | October 12, 2017 |
| Developer: | I-Illusions |
| Platforms: | Microsoft Windows, Oculus Quest, PlayStation 4 |
| Modes: | Single-player |
Space Pirate Trainer is a Virtual Reality (VR) first-person shooter developed and produced by I-Illusions. It was one of the earliest wave shooters utilizing the VR game-play environment. The game was released alongside the HTC Vive and featured in VR arcades. In 2018, it was also released digitally through the PlayStation Store.[1]
The game places the player on a platform in space while waves of robots come down and attack. The player has a choice between a pistol, shotgun, laser, machine gun, grenade launcher and laser sword to fight off the robots.[2]
The game was developed by Dirk Van Welden, inspired by his love for the eighties arcade aesthetic.[3] Welden was skeptical of developing a game for VR since in past experiences he had experienced severe nausea using the platform. Once motion tracking had improved Welden developed a demo for a game and posted on a forum. He was then contacted by Valve and told that he should work on a fully-fledged game.
Space Pirate Trainer received "mixed or average reviews" from critics according to Metacritic.[4] During the 21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Space Pirate Trainer for "Immersive Reality Game of the Year.[5]