Developer SenseGames' first title,AI Limit, is a Soulslike set in a post-apocalyptic future. As a Blader known as Arrisa, players will need to navigate the world, battling enemies and searching for signs of life. Dealing with the ethics ofAI technology and its impact on the human race,AI Limitis directly dealing with issues seeping through real-life debates around tech today.
In an interview with Game Rant,AI Limitproducer Yang Bin discussed some of the influences behind the game’s creative direction. He mentioned the art style and why the decision was made to go with a cel-shaded design. The game also isn’t afraid to try new things despite leaning heavily into the Soulslike genre, with Bin concluding that all of these choices, and games in general, tend to reflect the experiences of their creators.
AI Limit’s Art Style and Inspirations Explained
A game’s art style and setting can really help to set it apart from the crowd.AI Limit’s post-apocalyptic wasteland is brought to life with acel-shaded art style, and it creates some striking visual imagery. The decision to pursue this was in part due to the developers' love forBLAME!Interestingly, it’s also becauseAI limitis the studio’s maiden title. The limited budget further reinforced cel-shading as a smart choice. As Bin explained,
‘‘On the one hand, it is because our developers really like the style of BLAME!. On the other hand, it is also because characters with cel-shading are more popular among young people. The team believes that this style is a very sensible choice when the development budget is limited.’’
Blameinfluenced the art style of AI Limit, but plenty more went into creating it. As Bin explained,AI Limitis a Soulslike game “because our developers prefer thecombat experience of Soulslike games,” especially the focus on analyzing the attacks of enemies. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t do anything new, as instead of a traditional stamina bar,AI Limituses a ‘Sync Rate’ meter. With it, the more players attack without getting hit, the stronger their attacks will be. Getting damaged decreases the meter, forcing players to build it up again.
AI Limitleans into more active combat in Soulslike games but also rewards them for understanding the enemy’s attack patterns. It’s a smart inclusion, but still just one choice or experience of many inAI Limit. Regarding thecreative choices made inAI Limit, Bin said,
‘‘A person is the sum of their social relations. A game is also the sum of its creators’ personal gaming experiences. Our creative team has been particularly influenced by works such as Tsutomu Nihei’sBlame!,Mad Max, theBorderlandsseries, theBioShockseries, theFalloutseries, andMetro Exodus.’'
If a game is the sum of its creator’s personal gaming experiences, fans can expect to see a little bit of the above inAI Limit. At first glance,BLAME!and the Soulslike genre’s influences are obvious, but it’ll no doubt be interesting to explore the game and see howseries likeBorderlandsandFalloutweigh in as well.
