Advancements in artificial intelligence have enabled video games to feature intricate worlds and deep characters. Here are some of the best video games showcasing impressive AI technology and inspiring innovations in the gaming industry.
The Best Artificial Intelligence Games to Know
The Last of Us: Part I
Building on the success of its PlayStation 4 hit, The Last of Us: Part I’s remaster for PlayStation 5 includes notable improvements in AI. NPC allies are adept at detecting enemies and adjusting their actions accordingly. They are also significantly better at moving slowly and quietly in stealth mode compared to the original PS4 game. These upgrades maintain the thrilling atmosphere of this survival story, fully immersing players in the narrative.
FIFA 22
EA Sports’ FIFA 22 brings machine learning and artificial intelligence to life for human-controlled players and NPCs. The company uses machine learning to make individual players’ movements more realistic, allowing human players to adjust their characters’ steps. FIFA 22 further enhances the game by incorporating tactical AI into NPCs, enabling them to make preemptive offensive runs and actively work to maintain defensive formations.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Part of Rockstar Games’ portfolio, Red Dead Redemption 2 showcases advanced AI that enriches its supporting NPC cast. For instance, if an NPC fails to properly dispose of a body, they can correct themselves. This ability to learn from mistakes and change behavior makes the game more realistic and captivating for human players.
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist has set a standard for stealth AI due to how NPCs react to what they see, hear, know about their environment, and understand in different contexts. By adhering to these principles, the game creates stealth AI that swiftly responds to attacks and changes behavior each time to keep human players on their toes.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Firaxis Games sharpened NPCs by taking a more thoughtful approach to AI in rebooting the XCOM series. XCOM: Enemy Unknown includes different enemy groups with unique attacks, defenses, and special abilities. The AI evaluates these abilities during combat and changes NPC behavior based on their strengths. This makes NPCs harder to defeat and diversifies the behaviors of the villains in XCOM.
Rocket League
Rocket League is a game where you play soccer with cars. While some leagues feature all-human teams, players often work with AI-controlled bot teammates to win games. These Rocket League bots can be trained through reinforcement learning to perform at incredible speeds during competitive matches.
What is AI in Games, and How Does it Work?
Halo: Combat Evolved
The first-person shooter genre of video games would not be what it is today without the release of Halo: Combat Evolved and its AI-powered enemies in 2001. Each enemy class has specific behaviors, but Elites are the most complex foes. They know how to take cover when under attack, patiently wait to ambush human players while camouflaged, and give their final breaths when dying.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor expands narrative possibilities with the Nemesis System. This AI-powered technology records the human-controlled main character’s actions to be referenced in dialogues by Uruks (bad guys) and NPCs throughout the game. Additionally, the Nemesis System creates storylines for Uruks who kill or are defeated by the main character, allowing villains to develop their personalities and backstories, creating a more complete world.
BioShock Infinite
BioShock Infinite adds a human dimension to NPCs with the AI companion character Elizabeth. An upgrade from previous AI companions, Elizabeth interacts with her surroundings, comments on what she notices, and ventures off to explore on her own. The NPC also responds to the human-controlled hero’s needs by providing supplies, weapons, and other essentials. As a result, Elizabeth becomes a beloved character, allowing human players to form a closer relationship with the game.
Alien: Isolation
The Xenomorph in Alien: Isolation proves to be a terrifying NPC thanks to AI that gives it realistic traits. The creature uses its sense of smell and hearing, in addition to its sight, to adapt to what it sees (such as reacting to an armed player) and learns from pain to adjust its approach. A threat meter also guides the Xenomorph’s behavior, ensuring human players experience a tension-filled game with ebbing and flowing intensity.
Artificial intelligence is making a significant impact on the world of video games, and some games showcasing this impact are noted for their incredibly advanced AI technology and innovative approaches. These games enable NPCs (non-player characters) to be smarter, more responsive, and realistic, providing players with more immersive experiences. “The Last of Us: Part I” offers significant advancements in AI with its PlayStation 5 remaster, while “FIFA 22” allows human and AI players to interact more realistically. “Red Dead Redemption 2” enhances the game with NPCs’ ability to learn from mistakes, and “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist” sets a standard for stealth AI. “XCOM: Enemy Unknown” and “Rocket League” integrate AI as a core part of the game, while “Halo: Combat Evolved” impresses with the complexity of its enemies. “Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor” enriches narratives with its Nemesis System, and “BioShock Infinite” deepens player connections with the AI companion Elizabeth. Finally, “Alien: Isolation” provides a terrifying experience with its realistic AI-driven Xenomorph. These games highlight the innovations and potential that AI technology brings to video games, offering essential discoveries for gaming enthusiasts.
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