AI LIMIT is a well-made souls-like that successfully captures the genre’s core mechanics while incorporating unique ideas.
AI LIMIT is a brand-new 2025 action role-playing game developed by SenseGames and published by CE-ASIA; it’s a part of PlayStation’s China Hero Project. This title is a soul-like-inspired project that brings a fresh perspective to the genre with its fast-paced, aggressive combat system that will remind a lot of you of Bloodborne.
In a market crowded with soul-like contenders, AI LIMIT is trying to stand out and be one of the more compelling titles from non-FromSoftware entries sent alongside games like Lies of P and Code Vein. With its dark anime-inspired aesthetic and engaging combat mechanics, this ambitious take on the genre is poised to leave a mark.
The title has many recurring themes in the souls-like genre, with mechanics like upgrading stats, managing lost resources, and intense combat/boss fights. These elements give you a sense of familiarity that many genre enthusiasts would appreciate. AI LIMIT attempts this, and just after a short period with the game, its unique design left a strong impression on me. While I do feel like the game has balancing issues, I enjoyed my overall experience.
Without getting into spoilers, AI LIMIT takes place in a world on the brink of falling apart, long after an artificial ecosystem was destroyed. A corrupt substance called “Mud” has infected the land, leading to the rise of dangerous creatures called Necros.
The character that you’re going to be playing is Arrisa. She’s a blader—a warrior who is tasked with restoring special branches throughout the city of Havenswell. Your journey is going to reveal the city’s dark past and uncover hidden truths.
I wouldn’t say the AI LIMIT story is the strongest aspect, but it’s enough to keep you engaged. The world is pretty compact, with only a few NPCs and scattered notes that provide you with lore, unlike other soul-like games with overwhelming amounts of dialogue.
AI LIMIT likes to keep things simple and minimal, taking you directly into action, something you might or might not appreciate, depending on your preference. Arrisa herself feels somewhat unremarkable; she lacks strong emotional depth and never truly stands out.
What makes AI LIMIT interesting and helps it stand out is that, unlike other games of the genre, it doesn’t really have a stamina or a weight system, so you can attack, guard, and dodge freely, with only the attack animations being your limiting factor.
The enemy attacks in this game are pretty powerful, so you’ll need quick reflexes; the combat style is liberating compared to the more restrictive mechanics of other souls-like games. The game also features something unique, and it’s the ability to equip weapons and swap them mid-combo. This makes combat more fluid and gives you more options in attack variety, which is a pretty cool concept.
AI LIMIT introduces unique twists, such as magic spells and social accessories called Nuclei, which basically influence the Soul Frame System. The Soul Frame System offers different abilities, including guarding and parrying.
Customization is a major strength in the game, as it offers the option to upgrade weapons, weapon-specific skills, and stat-boosting seals. All of this works in harmony with the Sync Rate System, which basically fills you as you attack and feel special moves like spells and parries while increasing your overall damage output.
Well, the Sync Rate System is a neat addition. I wouldn’t say it’s perfectly balanced. It fills too quickly from basic attacks, making it feel like an unlimited resource, and the change only feels noticeable when using weapon skills that drain that rapidly or after failing parries, which cost about 10% of the gauge. It makes it feel overly generous, making the game feel much easier.
The level design is a treat in AI LIMIT. The world is interconnected, and it’s filled with hidden paths, optional bosses, and platforming sections that are very reminiscent of Bloodborne Hunter’s Workshop. Vertical exploration plays a key role, and some areas require precise jobs to uncover hidden secrets. However, I would say that the game’s overall environment feels somewhat bland.
The post-apocalyptic city feels overused, and the sewer setting lacks variety, with only a few late-game areas and the poison swamp being memorable. The game has certain secrets that are so well hidden that you might just end up needing a guide to find them; NPC quest lines add depth and lore, but their impact is somewhat limited.
The game tends to lean towards accessibility, making it easier than most souls-like games. You will be able to defeat most bosses with one or two attempts, which is something I’ve always struggled with in the Dark Souls series. The forgiving Sync Rate System and stagger mechanics allow you to stun-lock enemies, especially when using polearms.
While this lower difficulty may appeal to casual players, it’s not something I’d say fans of this genre would find interesting. NewGame+ slightly increases the difficulty by increasing enemy stats, but it still doesn’t offset the fact that late-game builds are overpowered anyway, so the game is still pretty easy. Only two late-game bosses felt truly difficult, making the experience easier than expected.
This brings us to AI LIMIT‘s biggest flaw – its lack of difficulty. By removing stamina and weight constraints, the game gives you freedom of movement, but it doesn’t really fully utilize it. Combat still feels too easy, failing to give you a challenge the way other souls do; parrying is really overpowered. Well, the idea of balancing guarding against high-risk reward parrying is a concept we’ve seen in combat games before.
In this title, the system is skewed heavily in favor of parries. A few well-timed parries followed by a counterattack can easily defeat both bosses. While parrying does take time, the sheer effectiveness of this mechanic makes combat less rewarding; if you ever backstabbed in Dark Souls 1 before, this mechanic is pretty similar (In terms of ease). Reducing the damage output of parries or adding stricter limitations could’ve created a better balance.
One of AI LIMIT‘s punishing features is the death penalty. Unlike other souls-like games, where you’ll be able to recover most of your resources after dying as long as you don’t die whilst recovering them, the AI LIMIT permanently removes a portion of crystals upon death. This adds a level of tension and trying to save up for upgrades, making survival feel more important.
Visually, AI LIMIT has an anime-inspired art style, and a lot of the environment feels repetitive. But if there’s something the game does right, it would be the character design animations that complement the game’s aesthetic. However, most locations are visually underwhelming, with only a few exceptions later in the game; I wasn’t really blown away by what the game had to offer most of the time.
AI LIMIT‘s sound design is functional but unremarkable. The music, especially during boss fights, lacks the grand field of FromSoftware’s memorable work. The weapon sounds are mediocre; however, spells and abilities have an impact. Overall, the audio work is average and definitely doesn’t create a lasting impression.
At $30, AI LIMIT gives you good value. The main story would take you around seventeen hours, and if you’re a completionist, you can stretch the playtime to well over 30. The accessibility makes AI LIMIT a good entry point for beginners of the genre, but at the same time, the Sync Rate System is something unique to this game that even veterans may be intrigued by. The game features multiple endings and NPC quest lines that add some replayability, though, since the game is not much of a challenge, it still might be discouraging.
AI LIMIT is a well-made souls-like game that successfully captures the genre’s core mechanics while incorporating unique ideas. However, it’s still a game that I wouldn’t say stands out or is as polished. Despite these flaws, the game offers excellent value for its price and is a solid choice for fans of the genre. It is particularly recommended for those looking for a more accessible experience.
