Set in the not-too-distant future, this psychological first-person horror takes place in a world where personally tailored AI powered video games are an upcoming trend. Not every job on the planet has been eliminated by machines, thankfully, as there’s still a need for somebody to put these AI-powered development platforms through their paces. This is where our protagonist Samuel comes in, being a play tester for a company specialising in horror games. How meta.
A.I.L.A – named after the prototype development unit’s host AI – begins with a brief prison escape sequence, which transpires to be an introduction to both Samuel and their work-from-home profession. After exploring Samuel’s high-tech, yet unkempt, smart home they receive a package via drone. This is the latest AI gaming development kit, with the host being A.I.L.A – who happens to be a dead ringer for M3GAN, foreshadowing be damned. A.I.L.A has been programmed to create terrifying horror experiences originating from a player’s fears and beliefs.
Over the next few days, A.I.L.A generates half-a-dozen different horror experiences for Samuel to partake, each with a unique theme and varying in complexity. Between these, Samuel takes a breather, with a few minor diversions to engage in, such as repairing faulty electronics for a pet project and exploring the computer’s functional desktop. Their apartment is kitted out with the latest tech, from automated spotlights to a robotic bartender. It isn’t long however until A.I.L.A synchs with the smart home in order to learn more about Samuel, provoking an uproar. Dialogue between the two is a bit contrived at times, yet our protagonist’s anger never feels unjustified, resorting to well-deserved expletives.
The first horror experience lasts under an hour and is titled The Impossible House, being one of the more abstract and disjointed experiences. You awaken in an abandoned building with nothing but an old TV and a remote control. Each button press results in a different iteration of the building appearing, switching walls and rooms etc, lending a puzzle slant as you gather items from each location to escape. So far, so good.
For the second experience, A.I.L.A suggests something more typical, generating a 2-3 hour jaunt around a farmhouse in a small American town recently hit by a meteorite. It’s here where many of the game’s fundamentals are established, such as frequent logic puzzles, the need to locate keys to progress, a small inventory to manage, and the presence of boss battles – with every experience from here on ending with a boss fight. Being handed a bunch of ammo and strong liquor (health) are an indicator that a large-scale battle is imminent.
To say more about the rest of the horror experiences would spoil things, although it is worth noting for the sake of variation that there’s another 2-3 hour long experience around halfway, this time set in a cursed medieval village and a multifloored crumbling castle with several locked doors, each requiring a key. This experience dragged in places, a fact not helped by the castle being moderately maze-like, so it was fortunate that the game’s second half is mostly formed of hour-long snippets, before tying everything up with a reasonably lengthy and satisfying conclusion – which also has its own combat-orientated boss battle.
While each horror experience has a different theme, they all share the same HUD, control schemes and mechanics, keeping things uniform. Weapons and enemy types do however vary, with the medieval section featuring melee weapons and a crossbow that takes an age to reload, while the contemporary settings feature pistols, shotguns, and in one instance, a sniper rifle. Health packs and ammo are commonly found, and auto-saves commence regularly. The difficulty of the puzzles is well balanced, with a few involving maths, and locations are large enough to facilitate light exploration – with two types of collectables to find. It does for most part though keep you on a linear path, albeit with the need to backtrack to locked doors upon finding a key. There’s a main quest active at all times, helping to keep things focused, but if you overlook an item you’re going to be stuck until stumbling on whatever you’re missing. Interactable items are at least indicated, and button prompts appear if a cupboard or similar can be opened.
It’s the boss battles I took umbrage with, especially the one at the end of the farm experience. This battle didn’t feel fair at all, seeing you fight off a wave of minions in a small circular arena. As the healing animation is drawn out (much like the crossbow and sniper rifle reloading animations) no time or space is given to heal if you’re weak, and as multiple enemies appear you’re bound to take a few hits. To make matters worse, the cut-scene after the battle froze, forcing me to playthrough it again. Graphical glitches also occurred occasionally, taking away a layer of sheen.
Issues with the combat extend beyond boss fights, as most firearms feel sluggish to aim. Even with aiming assist turned on, it isn’t uncommon for shots to fail to hit their target. Melee combat sees the protagonist swing with all their might, which is satisfying to behold, but if the blow doesn’t land for whatever reason, you’re left vulnerable as it takes a few seconds to ‘charge’ another hit. This means a lot of melee conflicts involve swiping, backing away, and taking another swipe a few seconds later. When faced with one enemy, this is manageable. Go up against two or more, things will become messy quickly. If you have a knife in your possession a latched enemy can be fought off, although the button prompts to do so aren’t exactly clear.
If you’re wondering if the concept of AI powered video games plays into the experience at all, you may be surprised (or perhaps relieved) to learn that it doesn’t run with the idea. You aren’t going to see NPCs with six fingers or be forced to read realms of dialogue seemingly written by Chat GPT. One exception is within the farmhouse, where you’re able to pick up a can of food with nonsensical writing, which comes off as an in-joke. That said, I did also notice a rain-battered window where the raindrops ran upwards, although I can’t say whether this was a mistake on the developer’s behalf or a dig at AI generation. Mildly amusing, either way.
The presentation is generally slick though, with the visuals sporting a semi-realistic look. It’s possible to choose between ‘quality’ and ‘performance’ visual settings, with the former seeing a resolution increase. I was surprised to learn of the modest £19.99 price tag considering the developers had to create assets for six different horror themes, with the two main experiences – the farmhouse and the medieval village – varying greatly. Lasting 12-15 hours and with scope for a second playthrough, this isn’t something you’ll be able to beat in a couple of evenings.
Fans of contemporary horror would do well to consider A.I.L.A, with the futuristic setting able to broaden the imagination. It has enough tact to appeal to first-person shooter fans, too, thanks to featuring a high number of gung-ho boss battles. The novel concept of playing AI generated experiences lends it a surprising amount of variety, with the choices made in each having a degree of impact, making for something able to engage until its conclusion. By daring to offer something a little different, it’s a considerably bold entry into the horror genre, with just a bit of flab to chew on and unwieldy weapons to manhandle. Even with genuinely created AI games on the horizon, the future for developer Pulsatrix Studios looks bright.
Pulsatrix Studios’ A.I.L.A is out now on PS5, Xbox Series and PC. Published by Fireshine Games.