You might be tired of hearing about AI, but it remains a fascinating subject when tackled by actual scientists and fiction writers. Over the decades, we’ve imagined both benevolent and malevolent artificial intelligences in books, AI movies, and TV shows. Video games also embraced AI stories as the medium evolved, and we’ve put together a list of our favorite games in which AI plays a pivotal role.
To be clear, we’re talking about actual AI, not the large language and generative models that “big tech” has rebranded as AI. We’re talking about actual AI, or what has now been termed Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). These are sentient characters that interact with the player, and represent our fears and hopes for the technology. They can be formidable foes or memorable allies, or simply compelling neutral characters that make impressive sci-fi worlds even richer to navigate and interact with.
1. Cyberpunk 2077
Release date: December 10, 2020 | Platforms: PC (Windows, macOS), PS4/5, Xbox Ones Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 | Developer: CD Projekt Red
AI plays a huge role in the dystopian open-world RPG Cyberpunk 2077, across both the main story and several side missions.
Players must navigate the Net to look for a certain ally (spoilers), and that’s when the Blackwall comes into play; a firewall tasked with keeping destructive rogue AIs away from the “safe” cyberspace. Some netrunners are betting their chips on the free artificial intelligences as they try to conquer the virtual world, but most people fear what could happen if they were set loose after the 2022 DataKrash.
There are some AIs hiding amongst Night City itself, though, including a sentient vending machine, and everyone’s favorite Taxi operator, Delamain, who runs an entire chauffeur service in secret.
Even though Cyberpunk’s world barely survived a total collapse of the Net and now hides behind a giant firewall to keep the threat of rogue AIs at bay, society and big corporations haven’t turned their back on progress. Cyberpunk is a deeply entertaining and thought-provoking RPG — in large part because it deals with the ramifications of our technological advances — and it’s well worth playing. Especially now that most of the bugs have been quashed.
2. SOMA
Release date: September 22, 2015 | Platforms: PC (Windows, Linux, macOS), PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Developers: Frictional Games, Abylight Studios
SOMA is among our favorite sci-fi horror games. The thick atmosphere of the underwater PATHOS-II research facility has a lot to do with it, but the game’s gruesome take on AI and transhumanism is the reason it’s still being talked about over a decade after launch. Equal parts spooky and smart, SOMA explores a dark future in which WAU, an AGI, ensures humanity’s survival… in less than ideal conditions. Sorry, but we can’t reveal anything past that basic premise.
While it’s technically a horror game, SOMA is heavy on exploration and narrative beats, so the casual crowd can still enjoy the ride. There’s a survival element to it, as bio-mechanical horrors abound, but it’s not too taxing, and there was a“Safe Mode” added post-launch that allowed newcomers to enjoy the atmosphere and story at their own pace, without having to avoid deadly encounters.
Even as a more “relaxed” experience, it’s a journey full of twists and turns that gets lots right as it bounces between well-established ideas that might feel trite elsewhere.
3. Halo (series)
Original release date: November 15, 2001 | Platforms: PC (Windows, macOS), Xbox consoles | Developers: Bungie, 343 Industries
Yes, the Halo games are largely about fighting off alien invasions, but it’s impossible to discuss it without acknowledging the importance of Cortana, Master Chief’s trusty AI partner. She’s the key to defeating the Covenant’s forces on more than one occasion, and as the series evolved, she became even more important… to the point she flipped into a more villainous role in Halo 5.
Most fans disagreed with that direction, which is why we’ve seen 343 Industries make some heavy course-correction in recent years, but Cortana is still arguably the most memorable AI character in modern gaming.
Cortana is a key part of the Halo mythos, but also the element that often elevates the franchise above its basic “desperate war against a massive alien threat” premise. She could easily have become a one-note character — a voice in your ear to deliver exposition and instructions — but instead she was a remarkably deep and layered (disembodied) individual whose relationship with the Master Chief lies at the core of the series.
4. System Shock 1 & 2
Original release dates: September 23, 1994 / August 11, 1999 | Platforms: PC (Windows, macOS, Linux), PS4/5, Xbox One/Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 1/2 | Developers: LookingGlass Technologies/Studios, Irrational Games, Nightdive Studios
System Shock series takes us back into spooky territory. In fact, SOMA borrowed a lot from these classic immersive sims, which introduced an all-time villain in SHODAN. The year is 2072, and you’re a security hacker stuck inside a massive space station under the control of a malevolent AI. SHODAN has reprogrammed robots to be hostile towards humans and has been running some disturbing experiments. It’s not good, very bad times for you.
System Shock 2 jumps to 2144 and puts us in the shoes of a soldier fighting against the “genetic infection” caused by the Many, an alien menace with ties to SHODAN. After a slightly different kick-off, the narrative returns to orbit and circles matters of AI and god-like creation.
Both as a first-person immersive sim and a compelling sci-fi story, it feels like an evolution of everything System Shock 1 introduced, but both games are fantastic. Also, good news, everyone! Both games can be enjoyed on modern platforms in their original (but freshened-up) forms, with the first entry recently getting a fantastic remake too.
5. Horizon: Zero Dawn & Horizon: Forbidden West
Release dates: February 28, 2017 / February 18, 2022 | Platforms: PC (Windows), PS4/5 | Developer: Guerrilla Games
Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West are among the best-looking video games of the past decade, and it’s not just about the stunning technical presentation; the art direction illustrates a “rise of the machines” that’s completely different from the Terminator movies‘ iconic dark future. How many games have giant dinosaur robots roaming around a prehistory-inspired post-apocalyptic landscape? None until Sony and Guerrilla came out swinging with the first Horizon.
While we have some complaints about how the actual story is handled and Aloy’s arc over the two games, Horizon is an easy series to recommend if you’re into drop-dead gorgeous open worlds and tales of humanity’s downfall with unique settings.
HADES, originally a subordinate function of the AI system GAIA, is the main villain, and the story of what happened before humanity’s reboot isn’t as predictable as you’d expect at first. Further into the story, Horizon also deals with tech oligarchs and the risk they present to Earth’s survival. Worth thinking about, ey?
6. Detroit: Become Human
Release date: May 25, 2018 | Platforms: PC (Windows), PS4 | Developer: Quantic Dream
Quantic Dream’s narrative-oriented games aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but 2018’s Detroit: Become Human was generally well received, and for good reason. The shifting narrative, told from the perspective of three markedly different protagonists, made for a compelling sci-fi tale.
In the year 2038, human-like androids are everywhere. The branching narrative approach to its story leads to plenty of unavoidable drama and flexible moral dilemmas for you to contend with. As androids are released from servitude and others chase down their own kind for their human masters, we’re left to ponder the point-of-no-return for humanity and this artificial species.
The core ideas weren’t exactly ground-breaking, but its three-person perspective was. Detroit: Become Human is an interactive movie-like experience worth checking out, especially if you can do so alongside a chatty friend or partner.
7. I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
Release date: October 31, 1995 | Platforms: PC (Windows, macOS, Linux), iOS, Android, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series X/S, Nintendo Switch | Developers: Cyberdreams, The Dreamers Guild, QUByte Interactive
After a 30th birthday that brought us an excellent re-release for modern platforms, we’re still thinking about I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream.
Harlan Ellison’s short story is a classic, and we think the video game adaptation (which features several big changes) elevated it to the next level. It’s an intelligent point-and-click adventure that won’t consume more than a few hours of your time.
In the distant future, the sentient supercomputer AM has wiped out humanity… except for five unlucky souls who are tortured by it endlessly. AM refuses to let them die in peace, and instead takes revenge against what remains of his creators by throwing the poor souls into “personalized psychodramas” that force them to deal with their past, fears, and traumas.
It’s deeply disturbing and disorienting stuff despite its ancient presentation, but anyone serious about their interest in AI and hard sci-fi must play through this one at least once.
8. Portal 1 & 2
Release dates: October 10, 2007 / April 19, 2011 | Platforms: PC (Windows, macOS, Linux), PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch | Developer: Valve
Valve’s Portal games are distant now, but almost 15 years after the second one’s launch, we’re still thinking about them. The mix of smart, humorous, and agile storytelling with a direct approach to first-person adventuring and puzzle-solving never gets old, and the simple premise of escaping a hi-tech facility with only a portal gun gets you hooked from the off. Give these games five minutes of your time, and you’ll be locked in for the entire ride, trust us.
The setting is an underground facility belonging to the mysterious company Aperture Science. In the Portal universe (somewhat connected to the Half-Life one), the AI construct we know as GLaDOS is running a series of “obstacle courses” for human protagonist Chell to complete.
That might sound like a piece of cake, but as you progress through the levels, the story takes a darker turn. The 2011 sequel is even more ambitious and takes a completely unpredictable direction, and may be the funniest game ever made, thanks to excellent performances from Stephen Merchant and J.K Simmons. Just a delightful take on rogue AIs that manages to bring the laughs, while keeping the menace.
9. Mass Effect trilogy
Original release date: November 20, 2007 | Platforms: PC (Windows), PS3/4, Xbox 360/One | Developer: BioWare
The Mass Effect series is a recurring obsession of ours, and we’re not planning to apologize for it anytime soon. In fact, our excitement will only ramp up as the next Mass Effect approaches (if it isn’t cancelled first).
The ambitious space opera RPG series takes us well into the 22nd century, with humanity freely travelling across the Milky Way as part of a multi-species alliance that (mostly) lives in harmony. When doom arrives in the form of the machine-like Reapers, everything changes.
At first, the original Mass Effect trilogy isn’t about AI, but eventually you learn the Reapers are essentially sentient starships and what remains of an extinct species that controlled the Milky Way over a billion years ago.
It’s a classic organics vs. machine, “can they coexist” conflict, which seems inevitable in science fiction, but Mass Effect actually has something meaningful to say about that and our place in the universe. You even get some AI characters on your team, with EDI and Legion both bringing some unique perspectives into the mix.
Mass Effect 3 didn’t quite stick the landing at the end, but despite the shortcomings, there’s a reason we’re still talking about it to this day. There’s nothing like it out there (for now, Exodus is coming for that crown), and its branching narrative and engaging roster of companions are among the genre’s best.
10. NieR: Automata
Release date: February 23, 2017 | Platforms: PC (Windows), PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Developer: PlatinumGames
Our final entry is a little left-field, but one that action-RPG fanatics won’t stop recommending anytime soon. And you know what? They’re right to do so. NieR: Automata is a stunning work of art, whether you’re playing it for the action or the layered plot that packs in surprise after surprise.
The core story revolves around a proxy war between machines created by aliens, and human-crafted androids, but it goes way deeper than that, connecting back to the original Nier (2010) and even the dark fantasy Drakengard series.
NieR: Automata follows combat android 2B, scanner android 9S, and the prototype A2, with core hack-and-slash gameplay that’s supplemented by elements from other genres, including RPGS and bullet-hell shmups. The big twist? You have to go through the story more than once, playing as each character multiple times, to get the full picture. If that sounds like gruelling work, don’t worry, as new gameplay paths and big story elements are unveiled with each run.
NieR: Automata is a daring video game that defies conventional structures and marches to the beat of its own drum. And if you want more once you finally do complete Automata, then check out the “reworked” original through its 2021 Replicant remake.
