Bridge-based strategy game Carrier Command 2 has been ordered to release in August

One of the reasons I’ve been excited about Carrier Command 2, Microprose’s first-person bridge command simulator, is because it looked close to being finished when I first came across it. I wanted to play it, and I didn’t want to wait. And I don’t really need to, because it’s going to be coming out in August.

From August 10th, you’ll find me on the bridge of the ACC Epsilon Carrier. With every command being issued from a complete suite of working screens, albeit simplified for the likes of me, single player is going to be a bit of a scramble. I’ll be scurrying around from screen to screen, trying to work out exactly why I’m headed backwards towards an island, and wondering what button needs to be pressed to keep my boat in the sea. But I’d rather learn the hard way before getting into the game with a friend or two. I’m not one of life’s natural captains.

In a potentially calmer multiplayer environment, players will be using their position on the bridge to figure out the best place to guide the carrier to, getting friends to dial through the weapons systems to plan an attack, and deftly dropping a “Make it so” on them to begin the assault. I reckon I’d be happy to be sat at one of the screens, pondering payloads, glancing out the windows to see if our plans have had any exposive success.

It’ll even have a VR mode, which has a separate trailer above. I’m really interested in that because it’s a game built around prodding screens and buttons and sliding levers. It looks super satisfying. Thankfully, both versions should work together. If the VR component only worked with VR players, I don’t know enough VR owners to fill a game like this. This way, I don’t have to.

Squee! Carrier Command 2 is out on August 10th on Steam, with the VR version confirmed for the same day, too.