Publisher CE-Asia plans to launch for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam in 2024. The game is expected to support Japanese subtitle and audio. In Japan, the new trailer garnered a lot of attention.
Gameplay Preview Trailer
AI LIMIT is an action RPG, set in a post-apocalyptic world. After the sudden yet mysterious collapse of the artificial ecosystem, an obscure substance known as the Mud spread everywhere, and then monsters emerged. You will play as Arrisa, one of the Bladers, a new life form created by mysterious technology. With their own missions, they embark on a lonely and dangerous journey.
This game was developed by the Chinese developer Sense Games and is titled "AI LIMIT" in English. It was selected for SIE Shanghai's "PlayStation China Hero Project", which aims to discover Chinese game creators. Since the latest release, it has performed well on the Steam wishlist in Japan. The game producer, Bin Yang, recently accepted an interview with the Japanese Game media AUTOMATON via email.
Please introduce yourself.
Bin Yang:
Hello everyone, I am Yang Bin, the game producer of AI LIMIT.
Can you introduce the development environment and members of the studio?
Bin Yang:
The studio is located in a mysterious factory in Chengdu, China, which has been established for over 70 years. We have rented one of the factory buildings, originally a café, and now converted it directly into our office.
The team members are almost all huge fans of action games. Currently, everyone is making the greatest effort to create AI LIMIT.ːsteamhappyː
We learned that the Steam wishlist number of AI LIMIT is growing rapidly among Japanese players. Could you share your feelings on this?
Bin Yang:
I am very happy that AI LIMIT has gained the love and attention of players in Japan. Japanese games, anime, and movies have always been a strong mentor for me. We hope players can keep eyes on AI LIMIT and provide us with suggestions and feedback. Our publisher CE-Asia has created official social media accounts in multiple languages. Our Japanese account is @CEAsiaJP. We also welcome everyone to follow us and interact with us. We will actively summarize and respond to everyone's feedback.
When did the Steam wishlist number from Japanese palyers begin to grow rapidly?
Bin Yang:
Since the new PV was released and the Steam page went live on January 19th.
Among the feedback and comments from Japanese players, what particularly pleased you? Please share a few with us.
Bin Yang:
Some players expressed that they really liked the design of the protagonist and the enemies. Others mentioned that the animate-rendered female protagonist, which is reminiscent of soulslike games, is exactly the type they were looking forward to. These pieces of feedback have made me very happy. Because when we are doing original design and combining new styles, there is always some self-doubt. The comments from everyone have helped to dispel quite a few of my concerns, and we will work even harder in this direction.
What is the current proportion of each country on the Steam wishlist?
Bin Yang:
The current top three on the wishlist are Japan, China, and the United States. Initially, Japan was on the top for several days, but recently the rankings of the three countries have been frequently alternating, with no significant difference.
How long has AI LIMIT been in development so far?
Bin Yang:
In 2017, I developed the demo of the game alone, but at that time, AI LIMIT was completely different from what it is today. After being selected for the PlayStation China Hero Project in 2019, with the help of PlayStation China Division, both the scale and the number of developers of the project have been gradually increasing. We want to take this opportunity to create a content-rich action RPG, with an original world setting.
Could you introduce the unique features about AI LIMIT?
Bin Yang:
In terms of story, we have created an original post-apocalyptic world. Although the game's title starts with "AI", the setting does not depict what might happen with modern AI in the traditional hard science fiction manner. In this game, AI has given rise to even more peculiar species.
In terms of gameplay, unlike traditional soulslike games, this one does not have a stamina bar but introduces a "Sync Rate" system that plays a significant role in combat. We will gradually reveal more information about this in due course.
Visually, we strive to make animate rendering as capable as physical rendering in accepting various real-time lighting from the environment. This is a considerable challenge because similar types of animate rendering usually maintain a more fixed lighting.
These are some of the distinctive aspects of AI LIMIT, but in my view, the brand-new world setting, NPCs with different destinies, and the unique monsters and bosses are all special (laughs). I hope everyone will enjoy them.
What are the sources of inspiration for the game design of AI LIMIT?
Bin Yang:
Firstly, let's talk about the title AI LIMIT. Since childhood, I have always been fond of science fiction themes, and I used to have high expectations for AI. The Go match between Lee Sedol and AlphaGo in 2016 left a deep impression on me, making me keenly feel the impact and pressure that AI brings to humanity. Since then, I have been considering using this title for some game creation. However, the rapid surge in AI enthusiasm over the past two years is something I never expected (laughs).
And then, in 2017, there was the release of the BLAME! film edition, and the visual style of the new generation of animated movies inspired me to make some attempts in the game. Initially, I had a great interest in the story and the world setting of BLAME!, but the story of AI LIMIT is still very different from it.
What are the sources of inspiration for the world view and art direction of AI LIMIT?
Bin Yang:
It's hard to specify exactly what works were referenced. In the early stages of creation, we extensively reviewed classic works such as BLAME!, GHOST IN THE SHELL, and AKIRA, etc. During the development process, even more trendy designs have been integrated. There was no deliberate tailoring to audiences from any specific country or region. I believe that in this era, design is globalized, and people's aesthetic preferences have already developed a high level of commonality.
Can you talk about the biggest challenges during the development of AI LIMIT?
Bin Yang:
Since this is our first try of this genre, the complexity of different contents is difficult to predict. When the content reaches a certain scale, technological changes bring some challenges in maintaining and managing older content as well. Looking back at these issues, we find that primarily because this is our first attempt at a new genre. However, we have now entered the solid final stages, and we believe that the project will meet everyone soon.
In terms of game design, the biggest challenge should be the level design. We aim to preserve players' sense of exploration while avoiding overly complicated paths that prevent players from finding the next destination. Meanwhile, we also need to consider the players' understanding of the plot because NPCs are always scattered throughout the world, depicting their current situation in various locations. We need to allow players to freely explore while ensuring that they encounter key information in a certain order, enabling them to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the game's plot and discover more game content along the way. On this basis, we also have to make some changes or compromises in the game design due to performance issues. So, I think it's quite complex.
AI LIMIT is a PlayStation's China Hero Project title. What kind of support did you receive from SIE?
Bin Yang:
SIE provides developers with long-term project management knowledge, marketing and brand promotion plans, which is very important for Chinese development teams.
In addition, SIE also provides high-quality middleware, QA services, audio support, and professional guidance and development advice from PlayStation Studios, all for free.
Based on the description on the Steam store page, AI LIMIT is a game with a certain level of difficulties. Does this game target players who are skilled at action games?
Bin Yang:
Not entirely, although there is certainly a level of challenge, it does not deliberately demand players to reach extreme levels of skill. Players can still cope with powerful enemies through various means such as character growth, the use of items and skills.
A DEMO of AI LIMIT was displayed at TGS2019. What was the reaction of Japanese players at that time?
Bin Yang:
At that time, many players lined up to try it out, which allowed me to personally experience the enthusiasm of Japanese players for the first time. Some players expressed that this was the type of game they had been hoping to see, especially mentioning the combination of this art style and gameplay. This has greatly encouraged us and strengthened our determination to develop the game.
Any plan for a demo or trial version?
Bin Yang:
We do have a plan for a Demo version. Please stay tuned to our official social Twitter accounts for further updates.
Is there anything else you'd like to say to Japanese players before we wrap up?
Bin Yang:
Thank you very much for everyone's attention and support for AI LIMIT!
AI LIMIT is an action-adventure game with an original world setting. This game features excellent controls and a sense of impact, as well as unique combat systems and character progression elements. During Arrisa's journey to the Havenswell, many charming characters and exciting stories are waiting ahead. We hope AI LIMIT becomes a memorable journey for everyone. Stay tuned!
AI LIMIT will launch for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam in 2024.
