AI Limit is an action RPG that wears its inspirations on its sleeve, borrowing heavily from the likes of Stellar Blade and Dark Souls. However, while it strives to deliver a challenging combat experience set in a grim, post-apocalyptic world, it ultimately falls short in both narrative and environmental execution.
Story and Worldbuilding: Familiar, But Weaker
If you’ve played Stellar Blade, you’ve already experienced AI Limit’s story—except, Stellar Blade does it better. The setup is painfully familiar: a protagonist thrown into an apocalyptic world with no memory or understanding of what came before, leaving the player to uncover the story alongside them. However, AI Limit fails to make this premise compelling. The main plot is a predictable, uninspired journey through a bleak world with little intrigue. There are some interesting story beats, but they come too infrequently to make much of an impact.
That said, the side characters and their associated quests do a much better job of holding the player’s attention. Unlike the lacklustre main narrative, these side quests feel meaningful, providing glimpses of humanity amidst the mechanical wasteland. I found myself more invested in these personal stories than anything the main plot had to offer. Those side characters are the fun unknown. The players gets tasked to lead a character to of pilgrims gatherings and it is the players choice. Is this a good idea? we know what will happen, but is this the good choice? Unfortunately we are then taken back into a plotline where our character knows nothing, has no personality and needs everything explained like a child.
World Design: Bleak, But Not in a Good Way
Apocalyptic settings can be captivating when done right—Nier: Automata or even Darksiders prove that the end of the world can be beautiful. AI Limit, unfortunately, does not reach those heights. The world is meant to be mechanical, war-torn, and oppressive, but rather than evoking awe or curiosity, it just comes off as unremarkable and uninspired. While writing this review it reminded me of how many games share the same setting and similar plot, and do it 100x better in the overall aesthetic.
The opening hours of the game are particularly egregious in this regard. You move from narrow sewers to narrow corridors, then to narrow scaffolding. It’s a repetitive and suffocating level design that does little to encourage exploration. While later areas do shake things up somewhat, I never felt compelled to stop and take in the world around me because, frankly, there was nothing worth looking at. I explored not out of curiosity but out of necessity—to find items and upgrades, not to marvel at the world.
Combat: A Saving Grace, But Not a Revelation
If AI Limit has one redeeming quality, it’s the combat. While it doesn’t revolutionize the genre, it does enough to keep things engaging and fun for a while.
The weapon variety is a highlight. Every weapon you find comes with a unique heavy charge and special ability, which makes trying out new gear exciting. This variety encourages experimentation, and I appreciated the sense of discovery that came with picking up something new and seeing how it changed my approach to fights. The player can carry two main weapons at a time and switching them mid combat will continue the combo.
As expected from a Soulslike, combat is centered around rolling, sprinting, and timing light and heavy attacks. The parry system is particularly notable—you can parry with any weapon, and nearly every attack in the game can be parried if you’re skilled (or brave) enough. This makes for some satisfying duels, though the mechanics themselves don’t bring anything new to the table. Quick note as well that enemies can be staggered but I failed to find out how exactly it works. Sometimes I could stun lock and enemy with dual blades without allowing them to attack, and then the exact same enemy down the corridor did not care one bit about my attacks. Yes heavier weapons stagger more often , but it was never consistent to the point where you could reliably account for it during a fight.
The game also offers a spell system, which I admittedly didn’t explore much due to my focus on an attack speed/ damage build. From the spells I did use, they seemed fairly unique and added an extra layer of tactical depth for those willing to experiment.
Final Thoughts
AI Limit is, at best, an okay Soulslike experience. The combat provides some enjoyable moments, especially when experimenting with different weapons, but the game is ultimately held back by its uninspired world and weak main story. If you’re a die-hard fan of the genre and are willing to overlook its shortcomings, you might find something to enjoy here. But for most players, AI Limit fails to stand out in a sea of better, and now cheaper alternatives.
