A.I.L.A: An Immersive FPS About Immersion

Another gem when it comes to first-person horror games: A.I.L.A, developed by Pulsatrix Studios (Fobia Series) and published by Fireshine Games (SILT – 2022, REKA – 2024, Shadows of Doubt – 2024), whose release date will be announced soon, sets out to be an immersive first-person horror action game, which, while showing similarities in its scenes with some classic titles like Sons of the Forest, in fact proposes a completely original concept: to play the role of a tester for video games created by a fictional AI in a dystopian future… or maybe not so dystopian.

Why did I say that? Well… A.I.L.A will place us in a near future where immersive technology is the norm, and… how far are we really from that? Advances in immersion when it comes to video games and virtual environments are reaching levels that just a few years ago we wouldn’t have even imagined, don’t you agree? In this title, we will be the only tester for a fictional AI, and we will have to survive intense horror experiences that feed off our deepest fears… Do you think you’re ready for A.I.L.A?

Immersion Taken to a Whole New Level

I think every gamer, without exception, has at some point wished or dreamed of being a video game tester. Many of us have actually been, in one way or another. But I think that when we all imagine that ideal job, the thought that that tester job could provide literally traumatizing experiences never really crosses our minds, right?… Well, in A.I.L.A we finally see that dream come true, but don’t get too comfortable: that dream experience can quickly turn into our worst nightmare.

In this story, we will play the role of that dream video game tester, in this case for games designed by A.I.L.A, a fictional AI specialized in creating highly immersive environments, in a near future in which immersive technology has achieved incredible advances. In this context, A.I.L.A will design one experience after another for us, based on our feedback, and worse still, on our own fears. Besides merely surviving in those suffocating environments, we will have to solve horrifying puzzles while fighting our nightmares, each one worse than the last.

As we continue to perform our role as testers, we will share with A.I.L.A our thoughts, opinions, fears, and various comments about the scenarios we’re testing. Based on our reactions to the different experiences, A.I.L.A will create new environments, each one more terrifying than the last, making us go through several horror genres: survival, psychological horror, action, and more. This might be considered “procedural generation” taken to the extreme, don’t you think?

Relax gamer, A.I.L.A aims to tell a fictional story, and with that clear, the fears and weak points that will be exploited won’t be yours, but the protagonist’s. BUT, even so, in more than one situation you might feel like A.I.L.A is taking things very seriously with you: the game uses UE5 to support an impressive visual presentation, with technologies like Lumen and MetaHuman, achieving a photorealistic, highly immersive experience in which the fourth wall subtly breaks, and the line between real and virtual becomes blurry.

So…

The official release date for A.I.L.A hasn’t been announced yet, but you can still visit its Steam page, whose link you’ll find at the end of the article as usual, add it to your Wishlist, and while you’re there, check its technical requirements. I’ve already got my eye on it, and what about you? Go ahead, swing by the comments and tell us what you think. You know gamer, we’ll be reading you 🙂

Images Source: IGN Official YouTube Channel, A.I.L.A on Steam