Liminal Space (Prototype)

Liminal Space is a first-person shooter set inside of a malfunctioning machine during an experiment to copy the consciousness of a person in the hopes to use a synthetic personality to act as A.I. The Tester’s subconscious feels threatened and rebels against the machine causing it to malfunction which starts the player’s battle through a grid-like virtual environment as they attempt to reach the end of the virtual plane to wake up their own body and escape the digital nightmare.

Backstory

The Tester is part of a global corporation named Hexaware, which is focused on innovative technology. Initially scientists began trying to see if it was possible to access people's minds as they sleep using a virtual reality avatar so that they could use the time they “wasted” sleeping more effectively, however, Hexaware began to conduct more cruel and ruthless techniques to advance their research by controlling the user’s consciousness whilst they slept to better make use of their staff, so they could work as they slept.

After these experiments the tester wouldn't remember anything they did in that time. The consciousness present in the digital realm was like a copy of the real thing. This consciousness lingered in the machine as the tester would wake before slowly fading as if it was told to stop existing when its owner woke up.

This led to an idea to copy a real person’s consciousness and use that as an artificial intelligence because it would be a “simulated” AI that functions with human reasoning. Brainstorming this unique plan, they wondered if this AI could be potentially used for combat scenarios as well. Selling them in droves to countries around the world as the first ever combat equipped AI.

Hexaware decided to begin tests by bringing in QA testers under the pretence of testing the same conscious sleep experiment but have set up the machine to record, copy and capture the consciousness in the virtual world.  

Development Team

Liminal Space was developed by myself and Callum Boyle.