You can play Star Citizen, or at least what’s been developed for it thus far, for free this week. From January 29 to February 5, you’ll be able to experience the game as it is for free. Cloud Imperium Games is hoping that players who experience what they have to offer will be able to decide whether or not to invest in a pre-order for the title ahead of its release later this year–assuming it comes out when they want it to.
The studio dubs this free-to-play preview “Free Fly” and is currently enabled for anyone with a registered account on the site. You won’t need to be a Kickstarter backer to gain temporary access into the Star Citizen Alpha. Only three modules are currently available to players right now. These include the Star Citizen Alpha 2.1.2, Arena Commander, and Social Module.
- Star Citizen Alpha 2.1.2: Also known as Crusader or the “mini-PU,” this is the nucleus of the world we’re building. Featuring multiple space stations and environments, scripted missions, places to explore and more, Alpha 2.1.2 is your first look at a much larger universe.
- Arena Commander: Arena Commander is a ‘game within a game’ that we’ve used to develop our flight mechanics and ship combat balance. Take on human opponents or an AI swarm in single seat fighter.
- Social Module: Interact with other players while you explore our first landing zone, ArcCorp! The Social Module is intended as a starting point for our world building.
The developer has made available the Crusader ship, which is probably named after Chris Roberts’ studio’s classic game Crusader: No Remorse. Players can also check out the Hornet F7C, Mustang Delta, and the Aurora LN.
In related news, Star Citizen and its single player portion Squadron 42 will soon be split up.
