FPS Games With The Best Enemy AI, Ranked

If I have to be honest, most AI enemies are terrible. There’s nothing I hate more than seeing one of them just standing in the middle of a battlefield, waiting to get shot. While I agree that not every shooter needs to have the most complicated enemy AI, I think it definitely deserves to get more attention from modern triple-A devs.

What is interesting is that most of the FPS games I consider to have the best enemy AI are actually a bit older than many would expect. There are some FPS titles that were released over a decade ago, but their sophisticated AI systems are still absolute masterpieces.

6

Killzone 2

Helghast Soldiers Know How To Fight As A Team

Killzone 2 is a military sci-fi FPS where players step into the shoes of Tomas Sevchenko, a soldier. It features futuristic weapons and technology, but the best part is that enemy soldiers don’t really behave like ordinary shooting targets. To give an example, Helghast troops will use cover, lean out to fire, or even relocate when their position is too dangerous. If that’s not enough, they can also throw grenades to flush players out of hiding.

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Moreover, some enemies will advance aggressively while others stay farther away, which means that you will be pressured from a lot of different positions. Maybe the most impressive detail is how soldiers react when there are threats around them. For instance, they can take evasive action when grenades land nearby, and they can even fight alongside and against other AI-controlled soldiers.

What makes Killzone 2 so impressive when it comes to enemy AI is that all of these behaviors are demonstrated without relying on a massive battlefield. Many modern FPS games feature smarter enemies in certain areas, this is true, but very few of them can make ordinary soldiers feel like an actual threat.

Killzone 2

Systems

Released

February 26, 2009

ESRB

m

5

Crysis

Enemies Can Hunt Down A Superhuman Soldier

If you have never played Crysis before, this is your sign from the universe to do it as soon as possible. It puts you in the role of a special forces soldier equipped with a technologically advanced Nanosuit that grants special abilities. For example, you can become invisible, or increase your speed and strength. And even though most ordinary enemies aren’t really a threat to Nomad, the game’s AI still makes combat very entertaining.

To be more specific, North Korean soldiers can investigate suspicious activity, search for the player after losing visual contact, and alert the rest of their teammates when they discover an intruder. This, combined with the Nanosuit’s cloak, which can make you invisible, creates a lot of opportunities for stealth. Just like in Killzone 2, the enemies can also use cover, throw grenades, and approach you from different directions. Because the game such a large outdoor map, encounters aren’t restricted to single corridors or small spaces.

However, keep in mind that the AI is not consistently perfect. Soldiers sometimes struggle with navigation, or they can behave unpredictably for the wrong reasons, but generally, Crysis has one of the best enemy AI systems I’ve ever seen.

Crysis

Systems

Released

November 13, 2007

ESRB

M

4

Trepang2

Enemies Adapt To Your Position And Abilities

Trepang2 is an FPS inspired by classic shooters like F.E.A.R. Players control Subject 106, a superhuman whose abilities include becoming invisible and slowing down time. However, because of the great enemy AI, these advantages are way less meaningful than they initially seem.

Perhaps one of the game’s strongest features is its focus on unscripted combat encounters. Enemies are generally designed to react dynamically to your actions and even interact with your superhuman abilities when the moment calls for it. For example, if you activate invisibility, they just lose track of you, and you get an opportunity to escape or reposition. In other words, they respond to the information available to them, while you can manipulate that same information. However, they can investigate where you were last seen and ambush you later.

3

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chornobyl

Enemies Have Lives Outside Of Combat

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chornobyl has an impressive AI system called A-Life, which simulates the activities of NPCs independently of the player. For example, players can just stumble upon an ongoing firefight that they didn’t start or discover the aftermath of a confrontation between other inhabitants of the Zone. Moreover, the AI is also great during direct combat, as human enemies can take cover, change their positions, or use grenades, and mutants can even behave differently depending on their species. This means that some of them will attack you in groups, and others may rely on very specific attack patterns.

Generally, A.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chornobyl is pretty old now, but what sets it apart from other traditional FPS games is that enemy AI influences what happens in the world even when players aren’t actively participating. This also makes the world a lot more immersive because it feels like it can function without you, just like the real world.

2

Halo: Reach

Enemies React To Their Allies And Changing Circumstances

Halo: Reach is a sci-fi military FPS that takes place during the Covenant invasion of the human colony Reach. You control Noble Six, a supersoldier. This game’s AI is impressive because opponents can change their behavior depending on what happens during combat, unlike in many other games where they just attack until they are killed. For example, Elites are very intelligent, and they can retreat into cover when their energy shields are depleted.

Moreover, enemies can sometimes sneak up behind you, which turns them into an even bigger threat. Additionally, enemies also react when their leaders are killed, and they can even panic or flee. This means that if you kill someone important, you can alter the other soldiers’ behavior. Of course, this is quite unpredictable, but it only adds another layer of complexity that makes the game exciting. Last but not least, Elites can also dodge incoming grenades, which often forces you to pay closer attention to enemy movements as well.

Halo: Reach

9/10

Released

September 14, 2010

1

F.E.A.R.

Enemies Change Their Plans Mid-Fight

F.E.A.R. is a supernatural horror FPS where you play as Point Man, yet another soldier on this list. I know that the game is generally famous for its horror atmosphere, but its enemy AI is arguably one of its greatest strengths. The game has a system known as Goal-Oriented Action Planning, which allows enemies to select and reconsider actions based on changing circumstances.

For example, if an enemy tries to chase you through a door, you can block the entrance, and the soldier can reconsider his approach and find another route. They could enter through the window, for instance. This means that the enemies aren’t restricted to following a single predetermined path, and they can adapt their plans when circumstances change, which is something that very few games have implemented.

Moreover, soldiers can knock over objects to use them as cover, which I have to admit makes everything they do feel very convincing. It’s also important to mention that soldiers do this only when it’s actually appropriate, not because of scripted animations. Generally, modern shooters tend to rely a lot on scripted encounters, while F.E.A.R. definitely knows how to surprise even the most seasoned veterans.