Review | AI Limit

A short (AI?) review

AI Limit was fully released on March 27, 2025, for PlayStation 5 and PC. It was developed by a new indie developer, Sense Games, from China, and yes, we have another soulslike game on our plates. It comes cheap, like 35 euros, which is neat!

From a technical standpoint, the game works well, although I experienced some stuttering, but all of that disappeared when I turned on the V-sync option. I was playing on the PS5 Pro, and I had two game-loading loops, but nothing was lost, and simply shutting down the game and starting it up resolved the issue. It works well and is stable, so if you plan to get your souls-fix, this one is a good candidate, although in my opinion, there are a couple of better games out there by a long shot.

If you love anime-styled graphics, AI Limit has you covered — the game looks neat.

Story and the characters

Civilization was wiped out after the sudden and mysterious collapse of the artificial ecosystem. A strange substance known as the Mud spread everywhere, and monsters emerged. You embark on a journey with a mysterious mission led by a Blader — a human artificial being, a new life form created by mysterious technology. With the power of the Branches, Bladers respawn after fatal death (and they serve as travel points and for leveling up).

On your journey, you will try to save and understand other survivors, gather ingredients like soil, and basically learn about the world while trying to find an outcome that can save everyone (easier said than done). Being an AI life form, it feels exactly like that — an emotionless journey. 

I like some of the characters and their quest lines, but most of the story and the plot seem a bit bland. I've always found storytelling in such games to be a bit underwhelming, and this one is no different. It's hard to grasp all of the backgrounds of the characters, and the main premise is a bit confusing, but hey, you are an AI, so what's not to like? I guess exactly that — the protagonist is a bit shallow, an empty vessel, if you ask me (but that is the point, I guess).

Do you like dystopian scenery? Well, the game is full of it, and nothing else.

Game design, exploration

This is a typical souls formula with a couple of neat mechanics. The exploration is really good; I was not frustrated with the level design. There is a good number of secrets to be found, weapons to wield, and challenges to overcome.

The minus points can go to the setting of the game, but it's just the way it is — you can't expect forests and ponds in a dystopian future where you barely find soil to examine. It's a world led by crazy scientist projects and artificial tryouts, mutants, and whatnot. It's all solid, really, but that is the thing — solid is not great, solid is not innovative, solid is not out of the margins, it's just solid. I was probably influenced by some better souls games lately, so my share of disappointments was quite big at the start, but ultimately I was satisfied after beating the game.

The number of combat options and the medium level of difficulty is a sweet spot, but probably too sweet, as the game feels a bit mashy, and that is not what I love. But when you think of it, maybe you don't need a hardcore challenge in each game. It still offers enough to enjoy all of its segments.

Expect missable quests, different endings, and a variety of systems that are underutilized (in a way). And oh, the platforming (jumping especially) is a disaster. I've never experienced such bad jump mechanics recently (maybe in Lords of the Fallen, hehe). It was a drag when I had to fall somewhere or navigate planks while trying not to fall.

When you find your favorite weapon, things get more interesting. Some of the outfits rule too!

Combat

I was really disappointed in the beginning when it came to combat. The dodge feels a bit off and delayed, and you can't interrupt your attacks once you start them, so some of the early fights will be frustrating. Even with a bad dodge ratio, I was able to destroy everyone in just one or two attempts. At first, it was really meh, but near the end of the game, I kind of loved the idea of an easier game where you can try different weapons and explore special skills on each.

And the most important mechanic (or the lack of it) is the stamina bar. There is no stamina bar! How does that work? Perfectly. I don't miss it at all. Instead, I was focused on my combos and build, and that is something I would love to see more of. You can parry, use a shield, pierce yourself to gain claw enhancement, or fast-dodge — these are your main special skills. Combine that with magic and just think about not having mana nor stamina. It rules!

Although there is no stamina or mana, you do have a Sync Rate bar, which can be changed based on your style and filled with passive buffs such as elemental boosts or similar effects. When you attack, you fill that bar, deal more damage, and take less. However, when you receive damage, it drops down, you can't use specials, and you take more damage. It's still about balance, but I really loved this mechanic.

The boss fights were good, but nothing really special. Everything is solid, and that's the thing — it's just solid.

Can Arrisa save everyone? Can she save herself? No matter the outcome, she can cut, that's for sure.

Side Content

Well, it all comes down to solving questlines and trying to find hidden paths. I love that. I mean, I love exploring. I don't really love missing out on things, and soulslike games are full of missable characters and their quests. It's not hard to find them all, but some parts are confusing even with a guide, so good luck to anyone out there who tries to do everything on their own.

Some optional challenges were better than the main parts, but overall, I can't really point out something that stands out in terms of side content. It's a typical souls game where you gather stuff, give it to NPCs, and harvest the rewards in all possible ways. You will probably upgrade your weapons, Sync Bar, and level up so you can equip different weapons. Armors are cool, but in terms of defense, they feel more like fashion than an actual shield.

I hate the fact that you have to replay the game for two other endings, but if you do, you can kind of handicap yourself in NG+ with an item so you feel the challenge. I was not really interested in that.

When you get the katana and the armor set from these pictures, there are slim chances you will try something else afterward.

Conclusion

This game is good, but only good. It's not great. It doesn't offer anything new except the Sync Bar and the absence of stamina and MP, which is really cool but, in my opinion, not utilized properly. At moments, it feels clunky (especially the platforming parts); at moments, it feels too easy; and except for maybe two or three boss fights, nothing stands out. Still, it's a solid anime soulslike with some interesting mechanics and flexibility, but buried among much better titles in the genre.

A good first try for an indie studio, but we need more.