In this regard, the following video games have been monumental to ensure that AI takes the steps required to challenge and aid the player whenever required. These titles show just how much quality oozes out of a game when its artificial intelligence is absolutely top-notch.

Updated on May 5, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: Artificial intelligence has progressed by leaps and bounds across the board. AI is now capable of doing wonderful things when programmed properly, and the same applies to video games as well. Titles feel more immersive and lived-in when their AI actually feels like a living, breathing being as opposed to just a line of code. Here are some of the best games that understand the importance of AI in their games.

15 Left 4 Dead

Left 4 Dead is one of Valve’s best games, with its sequel improving upon the title even more. Teaming up with a bunch of survivors in a zombie apocalypse never felt so entertaining.

The AI of the game was something else, with zombies reacting realistically depending on where they’re hit. The other special zombies also have special triggers that make their AI quite exciting indeed.

14 Unreal Tournament

Unreal Tournament is one of the most legendary arena shooters of all time. While playing with other people was quite engaging, it was surprising to see just how good the bots are too.

At normal difficulties, bots can be pretty tricky and rely on strategies instead of pure brute force to win games. It made a game against bots pretty engaging, as players strove to outsmart their AI opponents time and time again.

13 Star Wars: Republic Commando

Given the sheer number of Star Wars games around, it wouldn’t be a surprise if a lot of people haven’t heard of Republic Commando. However, it would also be a huge shame, given that this is actually one of the better Star Wars games around.

The AI of Republic Commando is easily its biggest achievement, being able to trivialize threats that can cause major problems for the player otherwise. As a result, sending out proper orders becomes even more important than getting a headshot or two.

12 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series is one of the most underrated trilogies of first-person shooters around. It’s great that another game is being made in this series so that more eyes can be drawn toward this hard yet riveting series of action-adventure games.

The AI in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games can give players a really tough time indeed. It’s not the most perfect artificial intelligence around, but it’s still pretty impressive regardless.

11 Rimworld

Rimworld’s ability to tell procedurally-generated stories using its AI story generator is its biggest achievement. This management simulation is such a blast to play through that people can genuinely lose hours playing through this amazing game.

The first few playthroughs are hard, but players who get a hang of Rimworld’s systems will understand why it’s such a beloved title. It’s easy to see why so many people wholeheartedly recommend this amazing simulation game.

10 Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is the newest game on this list, but don’t let that take away from its massive impact on AI in video games. After all, one need only check out the advanced NPC behavior and aggressive enemy AI to understand just how advanced this game really is.

Rockstar has consistently set the benchmark when it comes to immersion in an open world. Seeing NPCs go about their usual business like actual people certainly adds to this notion.

9 Half-Life

The first Half-Life game is one of the most revolutionary video games of all time. It’s the game responsible for putting Half-Life on the map and showing just how important AI is in a video game.

The Marines are easily one of the most impressive parts of Half-Life. The manner in which these troopers flanked and tried to outsmart the player is still pretty fascinating to this day.

8 Bioshock Infinite

Companion AI is one of the hardest things to master in a video game. Games like Resident Evil 4 and their frustrating escort missions show that friendly AI is just as important enemy AI, if not more!

One such game that mastered companion AI was Bioshock Infinite. Many people consider Elizabeth to be one of the best video game characters of all time, and that’s certainly due to her non-intrusive nature as Booker’s companion throughout the game.

7 Grand Theft Auto 5

Another Rockstar title that made massive strides in terms of artificial intelligence is Grand Theft Auto 5. It’s one of the major games that shows just how brilliant a game can be when its AI is nigh-perfect.

Pedestrian AI is especially advanced in this regard, with these bystanders reacting in different and realistic ways to the input of the player, especially one that directly affects them!

6 Alien: Isolation

Alien: Isolation is one of the greatest horror games of all time. The game features a Xenomorph that hounds the player at every step of the way and constantly tries to impede their progress.

An amazing thing about the AI of Alien: Isolation is its advanced AI, which reacts to the player’s behavior and learns from its own mistakes. This made for a highly personalized experience as players had to constantly adapt on the fly and try out new ways to escape this extraterrestrial stalker.

5 F.E.A.R.

It’s a shame that more people don’t talk about the brilliant first-person shooter that is F.E.A.R. The game featured hard-as-nails gameplay and tough enemy encounters, further improved by their amazing AI.

F.E.A.R. is the first game to use Goal Oriented Action Planning (GOAP) for its AI. This allowed opponents to show very human-like behavior, leading to really memorable and engaging shootouts.

4 Gothic

Gothic is one of the most underrated western RPGs around. The game might be incredibly dated, but there’s one thing that it definitely excels in, and that’s the NPC artificial intelligence.

Every NPC in Gothic has a particular chain of actions they accomplish throughout the day, depending on their jobs and personalities. The fact that such advanced AI was present in the early 2000s is still mind-blowing to this day.

3 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chernobyl

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a series that most people have heard about or just got to know of from the announcement of the latest game in the series. This first-person title is easily one of the toughest yet engaging games on this list.

The game featured emergent storylines where NPCs would live their lives in a normal fashion as the player would, leading to personalized and engaging worlds. Its extremely advanced AI shows why so many people love the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series.

2 Halo: Combat Evolved

The Halo series is another franchise notable for its amazing enemy AI. This feature is one of the major reasons why the Covenant and Flood have become such iconic enemies in the Halo series.

Combat Evolvedis the first game in the series that showed just how advanced AI could be in a video game. The Grunts, Brutes, and other such enemies have unique actions that are performed throughout the entire franchise, with the AI of each game evolving for the better.

1 Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor

It would be impossible to talk about amazing AI in video games without mentioning the boundless potential of the Nemesis System. This particular system is easily one of the biggest reasons why Shadow of Mordor is so memorable.

While Shadow of Warexpanded upon this system, it’s the first game that is still looked back on fondly to this day. The Nemesis System is still a highly tantalizing idea, and players can’t wait to see what future games use this system to greater effect.

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