▶ Debut work by Out of Time, a new indie studio from Cannes, France
▶ War robots fighting against giant corporations, a comic battlefield realized through cartoon and comic book-style sci-fi
Out of Time, a four-person indie studio from Cannes, France, and publisher indie.io officially released the FPS-tower defense hybrid ‘AI.VI’ on Steam on March 18.
The game is the studio’s first commercial title and a debut work that embodies the development team’s direction of combining humor and action to deliver immersive entertainment without being overly heavy.
Retired Battery Mining War Robot Takes on Giant Corporation
The setting of AI.VI is the desert satellite Sohot. AI.VI, a mercenary robot retired from the battlefield, was spending a quiet retirement here by mining batteries.
However, peace is shattered as PASCAL Giga Corporation, the largest company in the galaxy that stops at nothing for profit, sets its sights on Sohot as its next acquisition target.
Gamers take on the role of the protagonist AI.VI, leading a rebellious Walkerbot unit to fight against a corporate invasion in a style that combines FPS and tower defense.
Cartoon/Comic Book Style Sci-Fi… “A Comic but Serious Battlefield”
The visuals of ‘AI.VI’ are summarized by the keywords ‘stylish’, ‘cartoon’, ‘comic book’, and ‘futuristic’.
The development team humorously twisted the cold atmosphere characteristic of a sci-fi worldview through exaggerated cartoon-style art visuals. The enemy robots are filled with sharp corporate logos and bureaucratic designs, while the protagonist AI.VI reveals its presence as an old and clunky yet heavy weapon of war.
The visual presentation of bizarre weapons, such as exploding stuffed animals and pump-action cameras, further emphasizes the comical atmosphere of the entire game.
A soundtrack blending black comedy sounds with sci-fi and anti-corporate satire.
AI.VI’s sound design, like the visuals, faithfully supports the satirical humor.
Anti-capitalist black comedy is infused throughout the sound design, such as the scene where enemy combat robots charge while shouting corporate slogans and the final corporate slogan heard from a destroyed robot.
Environmental sounds that capture the desolate atmosphere of the desert world of Sohort and action sounds that heighten the tension of combat harmonize, while exaggerated sound effects amplify the thrill of physics-based destruction.
4 elemental combinations and trap strategies… a deep combat system
The core of the game is the combination of various combat elements.
Combat proceeds by freely combining close combat, ranged weapons, automated traps, and defensive structures, and you can exploit enemy weaknesses or trigger chain reactions by utilizing four elemental attributes: fire, ice, acid, and electricity.
In addition, the three-stage growth structure of equipment configuration before the start of a mission, temporary reinforcement modules during combat, and permanent upgrades after clearing a level adds strategic depth to the game.
The challenge of a fledgling French studio composed of four fresh college graduates
Out of Time is a studio founded by four people immediately after graduating from a university in Cannes, France, and AI.VI is their first commercial venture.
The development team adopts the philosophy that “the goal is to create fun and memorable experiences, and there is no need to be too serious” as its core value. This direction is fully reflected in the worldview and narrative of the debut title, ‘AI.VI’.
The story of a retired war robot standing up against a giant corporation obsessed with profit maximization is also a setting that metaphorically captures the self-awareness of a small-scale creator standing up against large capital.
The text featured on the Steam page also clearly demonstrates this character. The description, “AI.VI was born before planned obsolescence, in a time when simple updates were sufficient. Combine dozens of weapons and buildings to reach unimaginable power,” goes beyond a simple game introduction to concisely reveal the development team’s unique humor and worldview.
The game supports multiple languages, including Korean, English, Japanese, and French, and a strategy targeting the global market from the start is evident.
Despite being Out of Time’s first commercial title, ‘AI.VI’ is garnering attention for its challenging design that combines FPS and tower defense. Just like the game’s premise, the challenge of the four-person development team to win with creativity even in the face of massive capital has just begun.
AI.VI Basic Information
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Out of Time (Cannes, France, 4-person startup studio) |
| Publisher | indie.io |
| Genre | FPS · Tower Defense Hybrid / Roguelike Action |
| Release platform | PC (Steam) / indie.io store |
| Release date | March 18, 2026 |
| background | Desert Satellite SOHOTT / Sci-Fi · Anti-Corporate Satire Comedy |
| graphics | Stylish cartoon/comic book sci-fi visuals |
| sound | Anti-corporate black comedy direction and sound effects / Desolate desert ambient action score |
| Steam Tag | Stylized·Cartoony·Comic Book·Futuristic·Funny |
| Core mechanics | FPS Combat + Tower Defense + 4 Elemental Attribute Combination |
| Upgrade structure | Pre-mission loadout · Temporary modules during combat · Permanent upgrades |
| Play Mode | Single player |
| Steam Page | store.steampowered.com/app/2892380 |
