AI Limit Review — Mud in the Machine

AI Limit is an anime-styled Soulslike set in an apocalyptic sci-fi world. You control an immortal Blader named Arrisa, searching for the remnants of the last post-tragedy. While the game lacks in soundtrack and story, its gameplay is impressive, making it one of my favorite games in the genre.

Jumping right into the game, you learn that the world has long since died, and in the process, it has become flooded with a mysterious black mud substance from which monsters have arisen to prey upon the survivors of humanity. As a Blader, you are a mysterious new lifeform born from technology, exploring the last remnant city of humanity and rekindling the so-called Branches that are the ticket to your immortality, defeating enemies and learning the secrets of mankind’s fall along the way.

I’m not a huge fan of most post-apocalyptic settings since many reuse aesthetics and tropes in ways that feel bland and unexciting. The Fallout series, by far, does the concept the best, in my opinion, and while there are a lot of areas where AI Limit occasionally falls into familiar territory, certain aspects stood out. The concept of the mud, which I won’t get too into because it’ll spoil the game, was particularly interesting, being both the main source of your enemies and a way to empower yourself.

Even if AI Limit had the most uninspired setting, I’d forgive it because the gameplay captivated me. It feels familiar to the genre while standing out in meaningful ways.

Some might find AI Limit easier than other Soulslike games. This is primarily because you don’t lose all of your “souls” upon death—only a percentage that varies based on certain factors. Additionally, enemy attack patterns aren’t the most unpredictable, and even with heavy weapons, you often find yourself the fastest hitter on the field. It’s satisfying, even if it makes things easier.

The game’s “Sync Rate” is the biggest way in which AI Limit stands out from other Soulslike games on the market.

On the surface, it’s straightforward: a bar at the bottom of the screen represents your sync rate, ranging from 0 to 100%, with notches at 50% and 80%. Landing attacks increases the sync rate, while taking damage decreases it. Once it drops below 40%, it recharges automatically. The higher the sync rate, the more damage you deal; at low levels, you become noticeably weaker.

I love this system. It’s simple yet creates a strong risk-reward mechanic beyond just losing health. It reminds me of a rhythm game where staying in sync rewards you with multipliers—this is probably the closest thing to a Soulslike version of that system.

Where the system really stands out, however, is the fact that your sync rate is related to essentially everything you do in combat.

Spells can’t be cast below 50% sync, and they scale in power the higher your sync rate is. Weapon abilities, similarly, require usage of your sync rate to cast. Blocking also takes away from your sync bar for every attack landed.

At first, you’re not going to love that you have to decide between a straight attack damage boost or access to your abilities or blocking via the sync bar. However, the more you play, the more this system just seems to make sense; there is no stamina, mana, FP, etc., to manage—everything uses the same resource, which is refilled by simply landing your attacks. It removes the headache of juggling multi-management of resources and makes every decision you make in combat feel like an intentional and impactful one.

On top of that, since every action uses the same resource, it allows these actions to be way more powerful without the cost of balance-breaking.

Blocking, for example, is something that negates all of the damage you receive, instead chipping away at your sync rate for each hit you take. After a while, your blocking becomes ineffective, and you can reset this by blasting stored energy back out at your opponent with a counterattack, who was just moments ago railing on you with relentless attacks.

The sync rate system makes AI Limit’s gameplay feel unique compared to other Soulslike games, and in a way that is just really fun for the player. It shows how much thought went into the game from the developers when such a simple concept can evolve to have such a meaningful impact on the gameplay, as if everything was built around one idea that just kept getting better as it was expanded upon.

I have high praise for the game, but there are some criticisms. The soundtrack is virtually nonexistent, with most of the OST consisting of ambient soundscapes. The story weakens near the end of the game’s relatively short 14-hour playtime. However, for $35, I don’t mind the shorter length. The voice acting also wasn’t great, so I’d recommend playing in a different language, though it’s not distracting enough to be a major issue.

TryHardGuides was provided a PC review code for AI Limit. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! AI Limit is available on Steam, PlayStation, and Epic Games.