A.I.L.A review – An intriguing horror let down by poor combat

Just when I thought my dislike of A.I. couldn’t grow any greater, along comes A.I.L.A, a game by Pulsatrix Studios. It’s not that A.I. has been used in the game’s development – not that I’m aware of, anyway. Rather, casting players as a game tester named Samuel, it’s focused around an A.I.-powered program that takes your thoughts and fears and turns them into a terrifying horror experience. Imagine that.

Played from a first-person viewpoint, the premise of A.I.L.A is an interesting one, that’s for sure. Like last year’s Among Ashes, it’s presented as a game within a game, with you visiting the A.I.L.A software numerous times to complete multiple game experiences. In between, you’re able to explore your apartment in the real world, doing ordinary things such as feeding your cat and watching TV. Only, after receiving A.I.L.A things start taking a turn, with the software’s avatar seemingly becoming integrated with your home.

Needless to say, A.I.L.A is a game that keeps you on your toes. Each of the experiences available here is different from the last, providing a variety of gameplay. One finds you dealing with aliens after picking up a pregnant woman at the side of a road, for example, encompassing bouts of action and moments of tense stealth. Another takes you to a medieval setting and has you facing off against the undead with weapons such as swords and maces. And perhaps the most terrifying of them has you exploring woodland late at night, with tree-like enemies that spring to life only when you get close, leading to many moments where you’ll jump out of your skin.

Ultimately, A.I.L.A plays very much like a modern Resident Evil game. You explore environments, and quite often there are puzzles that need to be solved in order for you to progress. Along the way, you’ll frequently encounter enemies that you’ll either need to deal with or run away from. I’d say there’s even a spot of inventory management, though you never really collect enough items for it to be something you have to really consider. Still, you might want to nip into it to combine healing beverages with herbs to make them more potent, or inspect the latest item you just picked up.

It’s just a shame that the gameplay here never quite matches up to that of a Resident Evil game, though. The locations are atmospheric enough, and the puzzles are fun, too, but there’s a lack of polish that just pulls everything down a little. Enemy A.I. is rough, for example, there are some mechanics which are either never really explained or done so very poorly, such as using small knives to defend yourself when grabbed, and the lip syncing is poor. A.I.L.A’s biggest problems, however, revolve around its combat.

Basically, the combat here just isn’t all that good. Firearms aren’t all that intuitive to use and need some balancing. In many cases you’re better off making use of the melee weapons you have available, but they have issues too. Playing on PS5 Pro for review, sometimes you charge up a strong attack only for your character to simply not strike, and using standard attacks can also be hit or miss. But even when things are working properly the combat here is something you simply tolerate rather than enjoy. And that even extends to the bosses which should be a highlight.

Thankfully A.I.LA’s general scrappiness and poor combat doesn’t outright ruin what’s on offer, but it certainly holds it back from fulfilling its potential. Some might feel that some of the experiences drag on a little, too. But there are enough pockets of fun and intrigue to keep many players pushing through, and if additional polish and tweaks are performed post-launch, I could see this gaining a decent fan base. So, while it’s hard to downright recommend A.I.L.A, those seeking out a modern survival horror experience with a story which delivers some surprising twists might want to check it out.