We’ve heard numerous tales about the legendary Star Citizen alpha build 3.0, and we’ve been presented with a plethora of breathtaking scenes from it – spaceships hurtling down from the outer space, traversing through atmospheres, and landing on the surfaces of planets.
Yet, what we’ve witnessed thus far has originated from developer Cloud Imperium Games. It’s only now that we’ve been capable of seeing Star Citizen alpha 3.0 – essentially the game in its Early Access form – in the hands of a player, and to observe continuous footage of what it’s like to awaken in the universe and simply commence playing.
The hour-long footage, accessible in dazzling 4K if your monitor supports it, stems from the Star Citizen test server where alpha build 3.0 is currently situated, and to which a fresh wave of individuals has just been invited. Keep in mind, we have no assurances regarding when 3.0 will ultimately go live for all Star Citizen players as issues are still being addressed, but the speculation is that 3.0 might not materialize this year.
The footage predominantly showcases planetary landings, yet there are also matters such as missions to undertake, villains to combat, and civilians to locate and converse with at outposts and in cities. Not those colossal Blade Runner-sized cities that Star Citizen recently tantalized us with – they’re slated for implementation after 3.0. However, there are other activities to engage in rather than merely gawking like a tourist.
Cloud Imperium will bid farewell to 2018 with a Star Citizen holiday livestream in December. It is during this event that we’ve been informed to anticipate an update on the accompanying standalone, single-player game Squadron 42.
The exact date when Star Citizen will be fully launched – whatever that encompasses – remains unknown. Nevertheless, following alpha 3.0, Cloud Imperium will shift to quarterly, publicly mapped-out releases to provide a bit more regularity. The aspiration is that the game will attain a beta state next year.
