Preview: Steel Alive – Sci-Fi Horror FPS Heads to Gear VR

The Samsung Gear VR has arguably had its day. While it remains one of the biggest selling virtual reality (VR) platforms currently available it has been outdone by both high-end head-mounted displays (HMDs) and the aggressive price point of Google’s Daydream View. That said, there are still content creators looking to innovate on the platform, and Sylphe Labs is one such videogame developer.

Steel Alive screenshotThough still early in development, Steel Alive is an impressive visual feast. Built on the Unity engine, it’s an arresting vision of a decaying industrial dungeon. May not sound too original, but in VR such an environment feels much more oppressive than on a traditional 2D monitor. And on the relatively low-powered Samsung Gear VR, a cleverly lit fully 3D environment is still impressive.

Played in first-person with the help of the Samsung Gear VR Controller released earlier this year, Steel Alive is a logic puzzle videogame with elements of combat. The opening section which VRFocus got hands-on with tasks the player with exploring the environment to find items which can unlock new areas, picking up components along the way to build their first weapon. Switch puzzles, hidden objects and keycards are the common survival horror conventions that Steel Alive relies on, but the most gruesome creature you’ll come across at this early stage in the videogame is actually your friend.

A spider-legged mutant monstrosity will offer hints as to where you should be exploring to progress, but for those not willing to spend hours searching every inch of a small confined space Steel Alive does also offer a signposting system that will point the player from puzzle-to-puzzle. It’s a system that could be seen as overly aggressive handholding on console formats, but here in VR is a welcoming identifier.

Steel Alive screenshotSadly, Sylphe Labs’ ambition currently outstretches the studio’s available funding, and so despite this early demo appearing in good form the future of Steel Alive remains uncertain at present. The team is working to gain more finance, as discussed in a recent interview with Sylphe Labs, and VRFocus will keep you updated with the studio’s progress.

Can you Survive in Escape Room Horror Steel Alive?

Escape room style experiences have been growing in popularity as virtual reality (VR) continues to reach new audiences. Combining it with horror seems extremely popular as well, such as The InPatientSylphe Labs aims to take escape rooms to the next level of extreme with Steel Alive, an obvious pun on the words ‘still alive’. Steel Alive molds escape room gameplay with the horror and adventure genres to create a videogame that aims to be truly terrifying. 

Filippo M. Vela, Co-Founder of Sylphe Labs told VRFocus  at Gamescom that the player is put into a steel structure covered in rust. Every room except the first is constructed with the soul purpose of bringing death to the player unless they manage to solve the puzzle and escape the room first. The objective of the game is not only to escape each room but also find out why you’ve been brought here and by who. You have to do this quietly as well, otherwise you’ll set off traps and monsters.

Currently unfinished, Sylphe Labs is looking for a publisher or investor to fully complete the title. Steel Alive will support the Samsung Gear VR, requiring a Samsung Gear VR controller or standard gamepad in order to play properly – this is to both move and have access to the inventory. Checkout the studio’s first published trailer online to get a better idea.

Vela explained to VRFocus that the end goal is to have 27 escape rooms which are interconnected with one another. This means that when a player believes they’ve solved a puzzle and move to another room, then turn to go back, they’ll have found a completely new room in its place. The studio would like Steel Alive to have an arcade mode, so players can purchase different rooms and the whole structure becomes randomly generated in order to extend the experience. If the right publisher and investor help finish the videogame Vela hopes to bring Steel Alive to PlayStation VR and PC next year.

Check out the video below to find more.

As further details on Steel Alive are announced, follow VRFocus to keep updated on the latest updates.