Yang Bin, Producer on ‘AI Limit’, Talks About What Helps It Feel Different Than Other Soulslike Games, Inspirations, and More (Interview)

AI Limit is the perfect type of game to introduce someone to the world of Soulslikes. It’s easy to approach difficulty, and excellently designed levels make this a great starting point. Or even a proper return, if you’re feeling a little rusty. However, a beautiful aesthetic, interesting lore, and plenty of combat options make AI Limit stand out. Yang Bin, the producer of AI Limit, couldn’t be more excited about the game he helped create. I had the chance to speak with him about what makes it special.

How does ‘AI Limit’s futuristic setting influence gameplay mechanics and enemy design compared to more traditional dark fantasy soulslikes?

Under a science fiction setting, we must distinguish the sources and power levels of the enemies’ abilities. The only seemingly supernatural substance in the game is the “mud”, and as a result, the enemies in the game are divided into two major groups: “mud life forms” and humans.

The attack methods used by the human group are more acceptable in line with common sense: cold weapons, firearms, and drones, etc. In contrast, the combat methods of the “mud life forms” are more unrestrained. There are often instances of anti-gravity movement, energy rays, and even things that look like magic.

Aside from the setting, are there any other defining characteristics that set ‘AI Limit’ apart from other soulslikes in the genre?

Our main Sync Rate system encourages players to accumulate energy through attacking to achieve higher attack power, cast spells, and unleash weapon skills, thus forming a positive combat loop. At the same time, for each of the four Frame abilities, we have designed high-reward actions that go beyond their basic functions and require more precise operations and judgments on the part of the players to execute.

‘AI Limit’s combat seems to emphasize fast, aggressive play. How does stamina management and defensive options compare to the more deliberate pacing typically seen in the genre?

The game has removed the Stamina system. Players’ attacking and dodging do not consume Stamina. Moreover, for each defense method, there are ways to turn defense into offense through advanced operations. For example, after consecutive defenses, the shield can be overloaded to explode and counter-attack the enemies.

What can you tell us about skill and world progression in ‘AI Limit’?

The Frame abilities and the Seal system utilized by players will be gradually unlocked as the main storyline advances.

In terms of the game world, we will maintain the linear nature of the main storyline. However, commencing from the mid-game stage, we will incorporate a substantial number of side quests for exploration within each level. In certain levels, there are specific areas that can only be unlocked upon the completion of the exploration of subsequent levels. There are even some individual levels that exist entirely as side quests. Consequently, there may be notable disparities in the gaming experience between players who concentrate on the main storyline and those who carry out more extensive exploration.

What kind of weapons and upgrade systems can players expect, and how does the game encourage experimentation with weapons and builds?

We have carefully designed each weapon to have different features and skills. As the game progresses, the system will also gradually remove the restrictions on purchasing the enhancement materials for each level to encourage players to try out different weapons.

Meanwhile, players can obtain the reset items in the early and middle stages of the game, enabling them to redistribute their ability points without any limit on the number of times. This encourages them to experiment with different builds.

How big of a factor is the difficulty in terms of defining ‘AI Limit’s experience? Will there be difficulty settings?

We hope that even players who are experiencing soulslike games for the first time can enjoy the fun of exploration. Therefore, the difficulty of the game will not be too high.

There will be no option to choose the difficulty level in the game.

Boss fights are often one of the highlights of a soulslike. What sets ‘AI Limit’s bosses apart in terms of mechanics, difficulty, and narrative significance?

We have crafted unique mechanisms for many Bosses and encourage players to find multiple ways to deal with them through the story. At the same time, some Bosses are also important components of the narrative. We have explained in the story why players will respawn every time they die. This is because the Bladers will be reconstructed through the Branches. Therefore, the same applies to certain Bosses that are also Bladers.

The game’s world is a post-apocalyptic state with remnants of past civilizations. How does environmental storytelling play a role in uncovering the game’s lore?

We’ve spared no effort in crafting a distinct environment for each level, which fully aligns with the game’s worldview. The environment is also replete with numerous narrative details that can uncover the backstory. We’re confident it won’t let down players who relish delving into the lore and storyline.

Replayability is crucial for many games in this genre. Does ‘AI Limit’ offer New Game Plus, multiple endings, or other incentives to keep players engaged after completing the main story?

Yes. The game has a New Game Plus mode. We have some Nucleus that can be exchanged for a variety of weapons and items, and players need to complete the challenges in the New Game Plus mode to collect them all. At the same time, the conditions for achieving multiple endings are also closely related to the progress of the side quests of each character.

This is the first game from your studio. What are you most excited for players to experience when they get their hands on it?

We are most excited that players will feel that, with limited resources, we have done our best to meticulously construct a relatively complete post-apocalyptic city and design sufficiently distinctive features for each area.

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I would like to thank Yang Bin for speaking with me about AI Limit. AI Limit is available now on PlayStation 5 and PC.