AI Limit review: Surviving the ruins of a fallen world

Sense Games' AI Limit is the new souls-like on the block and is honestly one of the most unique titles in the genre. Ever since FromSoftware revitalized action-RPGs with their Souls series, it seems like every developer out there has been trying to get a piece of the pie. Sometimes, it has given us good video games, but we have often been left with janky products with all the flaws of the genre and none of the good things.

Nowadays, the term "Souls-like" does not generate confidence in me, and I often look past video games from this genre. However, there was one title that I absolutely adore: Code Vein. For me, the biggest draw to AI Limit was the cel-shaded anime aesthetics, which are similar to Bandai Namco's souls-like title.

Keep reading this review of AI Limit to determine whether the game is worth your time.

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AI Limit's dystopian world rewards a Blader's aggression

Story, combat, and gameplay

The post-apocalyptic world (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming, CE-Asia)

When it comes to combat, AI Limit does things a bit differently. The gameplay loop is reminiscent of any Souls-like title — you traverse a labyrinthian level, fighting enemies and clearing a few bosses before moving on.

Many of the mechanics common in the genre can be found here. You got your Life Dew, which is the Estus Flask (HP restoration item), Bonfires are called Branches, Spells, and more.

However, the game really stands out due to the lack of a stamina system. While you can dodge, sprint, and attack without any restrictions, there is one resource that you need to manage.

The Sync Bar is the key to surviving the post-apocalyptic land, and it is basically the game's mana system. Most of your actions, such as parrying or the use of spells, will consume this meter. It is divided into four parts. The higher your Sync Rate is, the more damage you will dish out.

As mentioned before, the use of spells or Frame Abilities will consume this Sync Bar. This resource will also deplete if you take damage. You will need to deal damage or use a consumable to keep this meter up.

When the Sync Bar hits 0, you will be left stunned for a few seconds, similar to when Stamina in Souls games runs out.

AI Limit really wants you to be aggressive and will often reward aggression. I found that the weapons that swing faster are the key to winning the game, so I didn't bother with the ones that deal higher damage but are extremely slow.

The frame abilities are tuned in such a way that you can play aggressively. The counter will be your go-to defense mechanic, as it can stun enemies if you perfectly parry them, allowing you to deal a devastating blow. There is a Shield that can outright block most damage, but it consumes the Sync Bar as long as you hold it up.

You will gain these abilities as you progress through the game and defeat various enemies.

Similarly, defeating certain bosses or mini-bosses will grant you several spells. Some basic abilities consume the Sync Bar to provide you with supportive or offensive skills. You can improve the amount gain and lost ratio by investing in the Vitality stat.

In my opinion, AI Limit is not a hard game. Once you get the hang of an enemy's or boss' attack pattern, you will be able to easily parry it. However, it is not easy either, as certain mobs and mini-bosses can be extremely challenging.

This is where I feel that the title's balance is a bit off. I have lost track of the countless times I died while facing tougher enemies, while the most I died during a boss battle was around six.

Frame abilities (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming, CE-Asia)

One thing I dislike about AI Limit's system is how the currency works. It is called crystals in the game and acts similarly to the souls in FromSoftware's Souls titles. You obtain it by killing enemies or can find chunks of it during exploration. You can then use it to upgrade Arissa, her weapons, or trade for items.

My problem is with the fact that AI Limit takes away a percentage of Crystals when you die, instead of them dropping at the place of your death, like in a Souls game. In other similar titles, you can recover them if you do not die before doing so. Here, there is no such option; instead, you lose the currency permanently.

While I understand Sense Games trying to do something unique, I am not a big fan of this system. I personally found this to be progression-hampering, as you will need to recover the funds you lost by killing enemies and potentially dying. I often found myself spending currency whenever I came across a branch.

The story of AI Limit is definitely not groundbreaking, but it can be interesting at times. The game's world is consumed by an unknown material called the mud, driving it into a post-apocalyptic state where humans have retreated behind the safe walls of Havenswell, the last bastion of Humanity.

You play as Arissa, a being called a Blader, and you will be tasked with saving humanity. The sci-fi post-apocalyptic state of the world is reflected in the enemy and environment designs.

As you can expect from an RPG, there are various choices you can make that will lead to different endings.

Level design, visuals, and aesthetics

A post-apocalyptic world (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming, CE-Asia)

AI Limit is not winning any awards in the graphics department. It features a cel-shaded art style that you will notice in many anime-styled video games. However, instead of a colorful world, it uses a bleak grayish color palette to drive home the feeling of dread.

Having said that, the level design is great. AI Limit encourages exploration, as you can often find cool new secrets or loot by going off the recommended path. At times, you will also come across mini-bosses who will give you a challenging fight. Taking them down will reward you with Crystals and other items, which you can use for upgrading Arissa and her gear.

Approach to sound design

One thing that players may overlook in AI Limit is the ambient sound design.

There is not much music outside the boss battles, but you will notice that the tunnels in the starting area echo with the sound of water/mud dripping, giving out a feeling of dread that will keep you on your toes.

Performance

Sense Games took time polishing AI Limit, as it is one of the most optimized offerings in the genre. I got a stable 150 frames with no stutters for the most part. I played it on a machine with the following specs:

Ryzen 5 5600X
AMD RX 6600 8GB VRAM
32 GB RAM DDR4

The only time the game stuttered was when I was loading into new areas. It is honestly surprising how well-polished it is. However, there were a few bugs, which are my only complaints.

A few gripes with AI Limit: Sinking in the mud

Invisible enemies are more challenging than the bosses (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming, CE-Asia)

As I stated prior, for the most part, AI Limit has no issues when it comes to performance. However, there are a few bugs that I noticed, which can hamper the game experience.

The first major bug I noticed involved enemies not rendering and only their weapons floating around. This happened several times. I tried restarting the game and verifying the integrity of the files, but that did not resolve anything. The error seemed to get fixed on its own after I restarted a few times, only to appear again later.

Another issue I found was a weird audio glitch in which the sound cues from enemy attacks stopped coming in the middle of a boss fight. Sound is extremely important, especially while fighting bosses, as you rely on both visual and audio cues to dodge or parry. This definitely led to some frustrating deaths.

The game updated a few times during my review process, and I'm hoping that all the bugs have been fixed. I have not encountered any of them since the last update.

In conclusion

AI Limit is an extremely fun video game and a great souls-like title (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming, CE-Asia)

AI Limit is honestly the most fun I have had in a while. The combat is amazing, and the tense atmosphere kept me on the edge of my seat, as I didn't know what I would run into next. The cel-shaded art style was the right call for the game's aesthetic, as it makes it stand out in the genre.

Except for a few bugs that can mess with your progression, AI Limit is one of the best Souls-like action games that you can experience. The amount of content it offers for $35 (Standard edition) is definitely worth it.

I cannot express enough how much fun I had playing AI Limit. If you are a fan of the genre or want to get into Souls-like titles, you should pick the game up and give it a try. It is definitely on the easier side, and newcomers will have no issue adapting to the combat.