10 Most Formidable AI Enemies In Gaming
3. Mutants - STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl
In THQ's non-linear shooter, the player takes control of an amnesiac who must break into a nuclear power plant in Chernobyl. Due to the facility's high radiation, the locals have been mutated into monstrous creatures.
On the surface, STALKER looks like a run-of-the-mill FPS. But thanks to the highly advanced A-Life engine, the NPCs have a level of intelligent rarely seen in gaming before or since. The engine generates non-scripted behaviours for over a thousand NPCs, including eating, speaking, sleeping, and performing tasks. These behaviours play out indefinitely, even when you're not interacting with them.
The A-Life engine doesn't just generates full-life cycles for the regular NPCs, but for the monsters. These behaviours can include attacking, hunting, hiding, or migrating as a group.
Now, this can work in the player's favour. Since there's a period where the monsters need to sleep, this is the perfect opportunity to attack them. However, there is no 100% effective gambit against these beasties, since no two have the same life cycle.
Even though you can learn and adapt to the mutants' strategies, you have to always stay on your toes.