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.

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.

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 .

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