Space Pirate Trainer launches out of VR Early Access on October 12

There’s a short list of introductory VR apps that I cycle through anytime I’m letting someone try out an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive for the first time. I almost always start with something super simple like Tilt Brush before moving on to things like The Lab (namely the mountain landscape and Longbow) and then into more game-like experiences such as Job Simulator. Depending on personal preference I might load up something more intense, but at some point, usually near the end, I’ll always put people in Space Pirate Trainer.

The team at I-Illusions did a remarkable job with Space Pirate Trainer, crafting a game that is dead-simple to pick up and play but takes hours of practice to become good at. While wave shooters are a dime a dozen in the VR scene right now that wasn’t always the case and when Space Pirate Trainer came out in Early Access back at launch for the HTC Vive it was a trailblazing effort.

In an interview at VRDC last week, I-Illusions Founder Dirk Van Welden explained what the big 1.0 update holds for Space Pirate Trainer and how the game will change once officially launched. The biggest change is the inclusion of new waves, new enemies, and an all-new boss fight. The Hex Droid, which has a shield and spins around diabolically, is sure to cause players a lot of trouble. There’s also the Mothership (shown in the GIF above) and a series of other new additions to look forward to.

On top of that is a new turret system set up near the player’s ship behind them that can be used to fight off enemy waves as well. There will be a total of three turrets with different firing modes such as a Tesla coil for zapping enemies, a laser turret with auto-targeting, and a ray cannon with manual control by twisting your wrist.

I-Illusions is also including new power-ups like a hi-tech drone companion buddy to battle by your side, super lasers, super rays, and a hexagon-shaped destructible shield. Finally there is a smattering of other smaller updates like audiovisual improvements, clearer impact warning notifications for incoming projecticles, a new “Easy Mode” that’s still not that easy, and wave checkpoints so you don’t have to play from the start each time if you don’t want to.

Space Pirate Trainer, despite being in Early Access still, has retained its popularity and even surprised Van Welden himself with how well it continues to sell. As it exits Early Access and finally releases the full 1.0 version this October 12 for Rift and Vive, then eventually Windows VR, that popularity is expected to rise once again.