AI Limit is an upcoming anime-like soulslike action RPG that has been in development for quite some time now. The game recently had a demo in Steam’s Next Fest that offered an hour of highly enjoyable experience but one with some flaws worth highlighting.
AI Limit is set in a distant future with civilization on the verge of extinction. The civilization was wiped out after the sudden yet mysterious collapse of the artificial ecosystem, and natural disasters and wars ensued. At the start of the game, players are introduced to Hevenswell, the last city of mankind, where Arrisa, an android-like Blader with the appearance of a human and immortality, has awoken. As one of the last Bladers, Arisa is tasked to search for and repair the Branches all over the city, which revives fallen Bladers in battle, allowing them to stay immortal.
Soulslike Through and Through
AI Limit is not unlike many action RPGs and Soulslikes, and is especially reminiscent of Code Vein. Its anime-aesthetic and drab, depressing yet atmospheric visuals distinguish it from the rest. In terms of gameplay, AI Limit is soulslike through and through; players fight slow, vicious enemies in punishing combat with a variety of weapons, all of which can be upgraded with rare materials. Upon defeat in combat, players can respawn at the last checkpoint entry but will lose some shards upon defeat. However, unlike Dark Souls, and like Lies of P, players will only lose a fraction of their valuable currency, allowing them more leeway to upgrade levels and purchase consumable items.
Another major element of the game’s combat is the Sync rate system. Essentially, this is a Bloodborne-like mechanic that replaces an MP bar that lets you use skills and Spells. However, instead of using consumables to replenish the bar, players attack enemies to increase their Sync rate, but taking damage also reduces it. This prompts forces to be more aggressive in combat, as doing so will be rewarding during combat.
However, it’s worth noting that despite this mechanic, combat is quite slow in AI Limit as attacks, even with faster weapons such as swords, feel needlessly slow and delayed, at least in the demo build. Despite this, the demo was still enjoyable, specifically combatting tough enemies such as minibosses and the last boss, which was both satisfying and rewarding. Like other soulslikes, fighting humanoid enemies like the one enemy Blader seen in the demo is always fun and satisfying. What’s more, AI Limit has no shortage of secrets and hidden items players need to explore to acquire. Defeating a giant fire-spewing robot by taking out its hand, unlocks a tough miniboss in the process, and defeating certain enemies in specific areas gives you different masks and outfits. All of these make the game more enjoyable long term as they give players an excuse to fully explore what the game has to offer.
Final Thoughts
Overall, AI Limit’s demo was a short and sweet experience, but not one without some flaws. While the demo shows that the game still needs a bit of fine-tuning, it still offered a highly enjoyable hour of an experience fans of the genre will surely fall in love with.
