AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 104 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 104
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 104
  3. Negative: 12 out of 104

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  1. eri41205
    Aug 25, 2022
    7
    Not his best work, but certainly not a big let down. I'm happy with all the memes and old characters coming back. I had a great time playing it.
  2. GERTHOM
    Jul 4, 2022
    9
    Complete improvement over the first game, in every way. Both of the dual-protagonists were great to hang around with, and Mizuki remains one of my favorite characters that Uchikoshi has written.

    I was happy to see that the action sequences were not as silly as in the first game. The Somnium (puzzle sections) were better designed and were a lot more logical. The actual mystery itself was    Complete improvement over the first game, in every way. Both of the dual-protagonists were great to hang around with, and Mizuki remains one of my favorite characters that Uchikoshi has written.

    I was happy to see that the action sequences were not as silly as in the first game. The Somnium (puzzle sections) were better designed and were a lot more logical. The actual mystery itself was compelling and the characters and voice acting were excellent.

    Not much else to say; out of all the works by this writer, this one comes close to being my favorite. If you like murder mysteries, anime, or learning a ridiculous amount of weird trivia, this game is for you.    … Expand
  3. xelphatol
    Jul 5, 2022
    9
    I really love this game and series and hope we get a continuation! I recommend playing this game after the first in the series if you're new to it, as they're both really great and this one builds upon the first a bit. (You can optionally play this without spoilers from the first, but they're best played in order in my opinion.)

    Though I think the first game holds up better as a murder    I really love this game and series and hope we get a continuation! I recommend playing this game after the first in the series if you're new to it, as they're both really great and this one builds upon the first a bit. (You can optionally play this without spoilers from the first, but they're best played in order in my opinion.)

    Though I think the first game holds up better as a murder mystery, the characters and worlds in this one were some of the most fun I've had in ages. Nirvana Initiative also has a new portrait system and animations that make it look great visually (Yusuke Kozaki also did the character design for this series, which you might recognize from Fire Emblem). I had so much fun here and hope to see more of Mizuki, Ryuki, and the rest of the cast in the future.    … Expand
  4. lovelykohai
    Jul 5, 2022
    9
    Fantastic story experience with heart-wrenching character arcs, very interesting twists and puzzles which are objective upgrades from the original game
    I beat this game a week ago and cannot stop thinking about it.
    The plot is very good, falls short of being as good as the first in my opinion, however the first game was so good its a very difficult legacy to live up to and the game makes    Fantastic story experience with heart-wrenching character arcs, very interesting twists and puzzles which are objective upgrades from the original game
    I beat this game a week ago and cannot stop thinking about it.
    The plot is very good, falls short of being as good as the first in my opinion, however the first game was so good its a very difficult legacy to live up to and the game makes up for it in other ways (i.e being less cringe and being more involved gameplay wise)    … Expand
  5. mimzy630
    Jun 25, 2022
    10
    Part 1: Recommendations for You
    If you're like me and you try to get all the extra scene dialogue, then please, if you take nothing else from this, give yourself time to play this game yourself. There is actually so much content here, I really want you all to take your time to experience it as you go. The game is just too long to binge in a reasonably short amount of time, and if you do    Part 1: Recommendations for You
    If you're like me and you try to get all the extra scene dialogue, then please, if you take nothing else from this, give yourself time to play this game yourself. There is actually so much content here, I really want you all to take your time to experience it as you go. The game is just too long to binge in a reasonably short amount of time, and if you do binge, you're going to lose a lot.

    My recommendations:
    1. Give yourself time to play the game. Let it sink in, and take notes- it'll be rewarded. The game is literally too dense and too long to binge reasonably if you like 100%ing.

    2. Get invested in the characters and pay attention to them, not just the (admittedly stellar) mysteries.

    3. Explore the game, its mechanics, and its dialogue yourself. Don't be afraid to restart a Somnium several times; the more options you pick, the more meaningful information you get.

    4. If you're a puzzle lover then try to solve the game yourself. You're going to have a blast if you manage it, and the game has tons of built-in hint systems to make it even easier, fairer, and more fun.

    5. Try to go in knowing at little as you can. The marketing has already done a great job. Focus on finishing the game and bringing it all together.

    6. On PC, force anti-aliasing on using your graphics card to make the game prettier. Game ran and controlled smoothly with few bugs.

    7. You don't need AI1 to play AI2, but I think AI2 does spoil AI1, though you could still enjoy them in reverse order.

    7. If you're sensitive to horny then just read less background dialogue in Ryuki side. Gore is pretty toned down, and there isn't any single huge CW.

    You can stop reading now if you don't want your playthrough tainted by my reactions/expectations effected.

    Part 2: Who am I, and how do I play?
    I'm an Uchikoshi fanatic. I've played all his English-translated games, and visual novels are my favorite genre of game. I've played a lot of visuals novels, but Uchizawa's are my favorites. This is what I value in games:

    A. An interesting story
    B. Bunches of novel ideas like unique plot points I haven't seen before, philosophical ideas, or puzzles
    C. Characters that I at least don't actively hate
    D. Deep personal connection, usually formed by connections to real people or how a game shaped my life

    For the last 8 years, my top 2 favorite games have been the same:

    My top favorite game of all time is Remember11. I love the plot, the ideas, the twists, the characters, and it's what got me truly invested in Uchikoshi. It's very much a mystery game first with an unravelling mystery and themes I love to explore. My second favorite game is Virtue's Last Reward. I love the interactive moral dilemmas. VLR's use of the Prisoner's Dilemma jumpstarted my interested in Philosophy which led me to major in Philosophy. I don't like the characters as much, but it's still very important to me.

    Part 3: My Review
    The R11 #1 and VLR #2 favorite game holy duology held true for 8 years. Also, AI1 isn't one of my favorite standalone games; it has huge personal connection for me because of the community and the AI1 ARG, but it wasn't my favorite as a game.

    I gave all that background because I want you to take me seriously when I say this:
    AI2 is my new favorite game. The #1 spot has been Easily dethroned.

    The themes, twists, characters, ideas, gameplay, visuals, voice acting, fair mystery, presentation, mechanics, and comedy all of it resonates together perfectly. I don't even tend to value gameplay or visuals, but at many times, this game is fun to play while looking genuinely beautiful and cinematic.

    The story reads like a proper Uchikoshi + Nakazawa return to form. The mystery is fair, interesting, meaningful, and complex told satisfyingly. There are many deep ideas, concepts, and themes utilized in thought-provoking ways.


    Gameplay-wise, there are tons of mechanics that are utilized to make each Somnium unique; they all feel designed by love, fair, and reflective of the character through gorgeous symbolism. They blow the first game completely out of the water. Each one is its own experience to explore and a visual delight. There are also tons of mechanics for you to discover that make AI2 a fun game to play.

    The animations, voices, and directing are cinematic; this game is actually breathtaking a lot of the time. It's backed up by great and charming character writing- despite the fact Mizuki is my favorite AI1 character with 0 contest, I grew to like much of the AI2 cast the same amount.

    AI2 is a story about halves and splitting, but also love and coming together- please, see it through until it's whole. I hope and believe you will all fall in love with AI2 like me; AI2 is all I've ever wanted. AI2 is my dream game come true; it's a gorgeous love letter to all Uchikoshi fans who love Zero Escape's puzzles, Infinity's mysteries, and AI's characters and humor.    … Expand
  6. fewcus
    Jul 5, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'll present my issues for the game in bullet-point format, since it's probably easier to read/digest:

    - In comparison to the first game, it felt like the overall cast were weaker. The stand out additions to the cast are Tokiko, Komeji, Ryuki and Tama. Even for the latter two, they suffer from a general lack of screen time and hasty resolution to their characters. This also extends to their relationships with one another, such as the relationship between the protagonist pairs of Mizuki/Aiba and Ryuki/Tama being largely undeveloped.

    - Building on the above, certain relationships totally ignore their development from AI. This is most noticeable with Date's relationships with the various characters, especially Mizuki and Aiba, who brush past his 6-year disappearance and reappearance with bad emotional payoff.

    - The core twist in the narrative relies on heavy contrivance and needs some pretty heavy suspention of disbelief to work. Whilst i can just about get behind it, I can't blame anyone who is sorely disappointed or upset by it. My suggestion going forward regarding these sorts of twists would be: if you need to bend the narrative and characters in unnatural or unbelievable ways to get it to work, rethink how you twist works or, more drastically, scrap it and start again.

    - Also regarding twists, but there's been a habbit across these two games to provide minimal justification for some the more out-there Sci-Fi ones. In this one I'm talking about everything involving the Frayer. Why do we experience the game as we do? What is our purpose within the simulation? Etc.

    - The somniums in general are an improvement over the last game, with more variety of mechanics, but I'd personally have liked them to be more challenging mentally. I also think they're not as satisfying emotionally / narratively compared to the best of the last game, but there are still some greats among them.

    - There are a few moments in the game where you're asked to input the solution to a puzzle but aren't able to examine the clues / evidence to work things out. There are also moments where you're asked to remember a series of words or a number but there's no in-game means of jotting this down (from what I can remember). Something like the memo pad from the ZE games would be appreciated as a QoL feature.

    - The action scenes last longer than they should and so feel exhausting and, in the case of Mizuki's action sequences, feel low-stakes due to her super-human abilities.

    - Minor complaint, but the song / dance number for this game was overplayed too much. Made the actual final instance of it in the game not be as impactful.

    Overall, though, I still enjoyed my time with game quite a bit. This website doesn't let me input half-scores, but I'd give it a 7.5 or so, higher on a good day.    … Expand
  7. JasonWazza
    Aug 15, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So to go into this Review, i have played all the Zero Escape games and played Ai Somnium files 1, my rating for the first game is a 9 and this one is a 3, and there is a lot making this change.

    So there will be major spoilers, because a lot of my issues to do with the game are very spoiler heavy, but Spoiler free, the grand twist is terrible, and literally ruins a lot of the game that you've already played, even before you know of the twist, if you think logically, you will be annoyed at the fact your characters aren't asking obvious questions, and the reason is this major twist, but the Twist only exists for the Player and Aiba, all other characters, have normal progression and don't understand your issue.

    So big spoiler is, every in game 24 hours, you swap between 6 years in the past, and the current day for all characters, with Ryuki, he hasn't aged but this is kind of written off with the fact that he has issues, but Mizuki, they literally decided you know what, Clone Mizuki is going to be a thing, and again the issue with this becomes, future Mizuki (we are lead to believe she is always in the future) will discover bodies that Future Ryuki (We are lead to believe Ryuki is always in the past) discovered, and none of the characters question this, but i was constantly yelling questions at my computer wanting an explanation as to how only the first body being 6 years different seems to occur to the characters.

    Now i haven't gone back and played all the sections as Chronological but that's because i hate the change they did, and don't understand why it couldn't have just been Chronological, but the game also has to constantly make up crap for why magically we change to Future from Past and hide it from the Player.

    And what does the Twist add to the game?

    Honestly nothing, I worked out the twist was time stuff going on about half way into Mizuki's route, as they constantly try and put hints to this, in really terrible ways, but none of the time stuff actually gives the game a more interesting perspective, and doesn't explain what the player has played, outside of a cop out of "oh you didn't understand what was going on, that's because i made it so."

    Ai Somnium Files 1 earned that twist at the end, AI Somnium files 2 doesn't earn that twist, and quite frankly even if it had, didn't pull it off in an effective enough way for it to have a good payoff.

    Also this game really seems to like the one singular dance number it has, to the point that it will subject you to it so many times that it isn't funny.

    This game also avoids the reasoning behind why the characters can learn stuff from other pathways entirely, by basically saying "yeah it's a game, and you player are playing it and can bring that information." Not once does it otherwise try and explain that fact that you can learn things off split pathes and bring it back as information.    … Expand
  8. 4u9DnIq7eEiVxEP
    Jul 4, 2022
    5
    Character writing was mostly pretty good, but Uchikoshi continues to force low brow humor through Tama so often that it stopped being funny and was just uncomfortable.

    There are several twists in this game, one of which was pretty clever, the others just didn't feel particularly satisfying and felt like "magic scifi nonsense" to fill a few plot holes the first major twist opened. The    Character writing was mostly pretty good, but Uchikoshi continues to force low brow humor through Tama so often that it stopped being funny and was just uncomfortable.

    There are several twists in this game, one of which was pretty clever, the others just didn't feel particularly satisfying and felt like "magic scifi nonsense" to fill a few plot holes the first major twist opened.

    The culprit's motives felt weak by the end considering how little we saw of their connection to the victims.

    Ultimately, an okay mystery, but Uchikoshi continues to demonstrate that he peaked at 999 and VLR. The man clearly still has some interesting ideas but has yet to stick the landing on any of them since then.    … Expand
  9. BillyHerrington
    Jul 3, 2022
    7
    A lot of contrived things in this game just to make "that" work. It's sad the story fell apart this bad since i really liked everything else about it. Kotaro really needs some help when making the main story. Also action scenes are a waste of resources.
  10. PK_Gaming
    Jul 4, 2022
    10
    Uchikoshi and his team have crafted one of the most beautiful, touching and heartwarming experiences in gaming. A story about how other people complete us, how we can keep going despite hardship, and how love and hope triumphs over overwhelming nihilism and despair. I loved this game with all my heart

    Total tour the force. Also the action segments were excellent as well.
  11. melodii
    Jul 5, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. With a twist that will keep you thinking for weeks after, and a catchy song you won’t be able to stop humming, AI the Somnium Files: nirvanA Initiative is one of the most fun mystery games I’ve had the pleasure of playing. Hats off to Zero Escape team for delivering a game full of great characters I didn’t know just how much I’d enjoy (or hate!). A few minor flaws include back seating most of the returning cast and with possibly skeezy relationship set-ups during Ryuki route, but not too much to the game’s detriment. A must play for anyone who’s played any of Uchikoshi’s other games, or those who love puzzles/escape rooms/mysteries!… Expand
  12. NegativeNac
    Jul 4, 2022
    9
    I've tried to keep this as spoiler free as I can but there are still medium spoilers for AI1 and AI2. In case you're still worried about those and want a TL;DR just know that yes, this game is worth it whether you're new to AI or the visual novel/mystery genre as a whole or whether you're a super big fan of these kinds of works.

    nirvanA Initiative (which i will refer to as AINI) has    I've tried to keep this as spoiler free as I can but there are still medium spoilers for AI1 and AI2. In case you're still worried about those and want a TL;DR just know that yes, this game is worth it whether you're new to AI or the visual novel/mystery genre as a whole or whether you're a super big fan of these kinds of works.

    nirvanA Initiative (which i will refer to as AINI) has quickly become one of my favourite works from Uchikoshi and among my favourite mystery visual novels of all time. I adored the first game and think that was probably my favourite VN of all time, and I'm glad to say I also believe this ones nearly as good.

    AINI contains really unique puzzles, great locations, amazingly written characters and some really entertaining and fluid action sequences. The presentation and soundtrack are really good and the English voice cast was phenomenal. As a huge Fire Emblem fan, Kozaki Yusuke's spectacular character design was the reason I tried the first game and it has only gotten better for the sequel.

    I loved the first AI game for how personal and close its story felt. This story definitely goes more grand and ambitious, while I still think AINI was really good, I still enjoyed the first game's story slightly more.

    Ryuki and Tama are amazing main characters, I did not expect to like them but they were really funny and entertaining. Mizuki and Aiba are of course as fun as ever. Tokiko and the Masked Woman we're two of my favourite new characters, but this entire cast is really fun.

    The only things holding this game back for me was a lack of interest in the main villain, after AI1's amazing villain, Tearer was a bit of a let down, Uchikoshi's villains have always been some of my favourite characters in his works (999, VLR and AI1's main killers in particular) and I wish we got a cool interrogation scene with them where the mystery came together. I also didn't like the twist revealed at the end of Mizuki Chapter 1 - End Where I Begun. Without getting into major spoilers I feel it invalidates the ending of Mizuki Route in AI1. I also wish it was addressed how the Psync in Mizuki Chapter 4 happens, it felt like a plot hole.

    These are minor complaints however, and combined are less than 30 minutes of a fantastic 30 hour game. Hats off to Head Writer Kotaro Uchikoshi, Directors Akira Okada and Kazuya Yamada, Lead Artist Kozaki Yusuke, Composer Keisuke Ito, English Producer Alex Flagg and all the "shy staff who wont give Uchikoshi their Twitter account" for making another incredibly moving game.

    Though I prefer the first game's story more, AINI is not far behind and is still by far the better video game with its vastly improved animation quality and somnium puzzles. I can't wait to see what Uchikoshi and his team produce with a potential AI3. This has quickly become one of my favourite series since I played the first game in October 2021 and I implore you to check it out so we can see more from this team because they're so incredibly talented.    … Expand
  13. fraxle
    Jul 5, 2022
    10
    a worthy successor to a great game, love the direction this takes and fleshes out the world of Ai that much more
  14. skullman18
    Jul 4, 2022
    10
    Great game. Don't want to put any spoilers, but Uchikoshi knocked out of the park with the story and the twists
  15. BunnyBarbarian
    Jul 4, 2022
    10
    Ai: The Somnium Files-nirvanA Initiative is my new favorite game
    If you enjoy Uchikoshi games you will love this game, simple as that.
  16. CWIllustration
    Jul 4, 2022
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Overall, it's more of the first game, which I loved, so I had such a great time playing this one.
    Gameplay and Quality of Life improvements to gameplay and somnium sections made fully 100% the game much easier and worth the effort; letting me go back and forth to any scene I wanted to revisit was a great touch, especially as someone who loves replaying with the knowledge of the twist and ending.

    Uchikoshi games always have the perfect mix of comedy, thriller, mystery, sci-fi, and more. The strongest part of this game, like the last, is the cast and their relationships.

    My gripes with the game come with some of the retcons of plots in the first game, while I loved Mizuki in this game, I felt rewriting the situation with her parents left most player confused, as the message of her situation in the first game, with uncapable and abusive birth parents and finding a home with family not bound by blood, really was one of the strongest plots of the first game.
    To completely write out Renju and Shoko from the sequel where she was a protagonist was a missed opportunity, and the plot could've benefited with any explanation after Mizuki brings up her mother's words of "I wish you were never born" instead of just leaving that hanging.

    With the other cast, the newcomers were charming, but I've grown tired of the Adult Man falls in love with girl who is barely 18. It was uncomfortable with Ota and Iris, and adding two more didn't help, even if I found Lien and Gen to be very fun characters.
    The best romance in this series was for sure Hitomi and Date in the first game, and I can never forget Renju and Pewter for the little moments they got. I hope for future installments we get to see more adult centric romances, because they have always been written great and compelling. (I also did very much enjoy a certain newcomers crush on our previous protagonist.)

    Uchikoshi's addition of casual LGBTQIA+ characters and themes always makes players happy and welcomed, and I hope we can get a more centric romance like this.

    That was mostly it for my issues, some plot things, but overall they did not diminish my experience of the game.
    Ryuki and Tama were fantastic new characters, the struggles Ryuki went through mentally made him compelling, and I couldn't help be theorize way too much about him and his brother and family. I hope the reason we didn't get to hear much about them is for future plans. The Twin felt like a real red herring in the end! And I was even writing down the time on the broken watch.
    I'd love to hear about Ryuki, his brother, and his background if he ever returns, also his brothers name! And how did they grow up if his parents passed when they were both still minors? I'm excited to learn more!

    Ending thoughs. Wonderful game, wonderful characters, I had quite a few story gripes, and wish we got to learn more about our new Detective, but nothing made me enjoy playing it less.

    Great game, I want nothing more then to get more! (Also maybe get to see Detective Date as Yagyu's body? Take off the mask!)    … Expand
  17. AINISUCKS
    Sep 6, 2022
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Awful game, play the first and don't look back. If you didn't play the first game, the story doesn't make much sense and if you played this game first, then the new characters will bore you to death. Fan favourite Mizuki gets her backstory hung, drawn and quartered in favour for her OC big sister, BIBI. No longer is it about a grumpy old guy and his surrogate daughter. It's now two sisters with superhuman powers who have to stop mustache twirling scientist, who is dead before the game really starts.… Expand
  18. BYoSUke
    Jul 6, 2022
    10
    Holy **** **** that was great. I cant say much about the game cuz i want yall to go in blindly but my god what an amazing game
  19. robotortoise
    Jul 4, 2022
    10
    Boss should have been confirmed as canonically bisexual, but other than that, it was great. One of the twists didn't really amount to anything, but presentation was great and the concepts presented were fascinating.

    Voice acting and localization work and writing were snappy and funny as always. I wish Tama went inside of Date's moist, wet... eye hole, but other tham that I think it    Boss should have been confirmed as canonically bisexual, but other than that, it was great. One of the twists didn't really amount to anything, but presentation was great and the concepts presented were fascinating.

    Voice acting and localization work and writing were snappy and funny as always.

    I wish Tama went inside of Date's moist, wet... eye hole, but other tham that I think it filled all my desires.    … Expand
  20. zugetzu
    Jun 30, 2022
    4
    If you want to play this game then go into it with the mindset of "Murder Mystery, Comedy, Anime". It can definitely be a good time so long as you don't think about all the plot holes and some of the "action scenes" as it has some interesting and intriguing moments. Unfortunately these interesting and intriguing moments are almost always cut short by being extremely anime or a QTE fightIf you want to play this game then go into it with the mindset of "Murder Mystery, Comedy, Anime". It can definitely be a good time so long as you don't think about all the plot holes and some of the "action scenes" as it has some interesting and intriguing moments. Unfortunately these interesting and intriguing moments are almost always cut short by being extremely anime or a QTE fight scene that's absurdly stupid, an example: Expert assassins with guns and hired gunmen run into melee to fight rather than shooting.
    The game feels like it wants to be a anime comedy while also being steins;gate/Zero escape. The moments that stand out as interesting and memorable are those more grounded and "science theory" moments but they are very often interrupted to get more "anime" screen time, such as the aforementioned "action"/"Idol dance + Song" scenes.
    The game also creates a lot of plot holes for the 1st game. There is also a possible attempt to connect the ZE and AI universes with a reoccurring unnamed character that is specifically only mentioned in this and ZE:VLR.
    Overall I'd say it's a high 4 or a low 5 out of 10. A good time if you want to have something Anime that attempts to be more interesting than 95% of the anime games but ultimately fails.    … Expand
  21. sanosusuke123
    Aug 9, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really like the characterization of this game, the plot is also great, but unfortunately the last dance video is very fuzzy, I hope there will be a sequel.… Expand
  22. Speggle
    Jul 8, 2022
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really enjoyed this game, but not as much as the first one. It does have some great characters and an interesting plot, but that fact that the twist was only for the player to experience and not the actual characters wasn't what I was expecting, but was still quite the experience. It was very interesting however, and looking back on certain parts of the game that were part of the twist makes me understand why certain characters spoke and acted in a certain way, which had me very confused when I first played it. There is nothing bad about the twist, but compared to the first game, it was not as impactful to me personally and had zero impact to the actual characters in the game. I do highly recommend this game and the first game to anyone that enjoys visual novels or murder mystery games. Another great game from Uchikoshi and his team, great job … Expand
  23. hp95
    Jul 21, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An overall strong first half, colossally messy second half that does a disservice to many characters, including it's protagonists, for the sake of a clumsily executed twist

    Ryuki was a likable, engaging, and sympathetic protagonist, and it's a damn shame that the story basically threw him to the side with no real closure or resolution in it's second half, his mental illness ultimately used as a plot device for the sake of the big twist

    Mizuki, likewise, starts out promising, but has no growth or change to soeak of, her relationship with Date is basically irrelevant, and she's the victim of a pointless retcon that, again, is only there for the sake of a twist. And her screentime is essentially cut in half for the sake of a same twist. The protagonist that was initially promised to us only gets maybe 10-15 hours of screentime?

    The Date is Missing subplot is similarly pointless. There's no payoff, hardly anyone besides Ryuki seems particularly bothered by it (for some reason, Iris has nothing to say???), and the reason for his absence is essentially an unfunny joke. He gets written out of the story for 6 years, tainting the ending of the first game, and it ultimately doesn't actually matter.

    The Big Twist is essentially a worse version of what Ever17 did. The game just lies to the player and the game has to break the fourth wall to explain it because there's no way to reveal it naturally within the story (except there is, with Ryuki, but we know he was totally squandered), and the game has to jump through so many hoops to justify it, no matter how unnatural and regardless of how the characters suffered for it. The plot and characters have to bend in order for the story to not collapse in on itself, all for the sake of a twist that doesn't matter outside of shocking only the player and the story's underutilized metanarrative (that only has payoff in an optional ending some players may not even find)

    The core cast of this game doesn't even really compare to last game's. Again, i like Ryuki, Tama is endearing, Tokiko is interesting and hilarious, Komeji and his family are great, but Gen is basically a satellite to Amame and rarely feels like his own person, the Masked Woman is...fine, I guess, but once again she feels like she exists purely for the sake of a twist so she doesn't have much development, Kizuna and Lien's relationship is honestly embarrassing (not helped by the fact that we miss 6 years of their life), and Tearer doesn't even compare to the Cyclops Killer. And while I do like what was done with Amame, I wish she had more of a presence throughout. She's just kind of, there, silent and recluse for most of it. For understandable reasons, but I feel like I only really know who she is as a person by the end of the game, and the emotional payoff just isn't really there for me.

    I'm honestly not really even sure what the game is about...per, se? It's trying to do stuff about opposites and halves but then it goes and does something completely unrelated with simulation theory. It tries to do both and the whole thing feels unfocused and incoherent.

    Overall, i think...it's pretty disappointing? And i hate saying that because the first game is possibly an all-time fave, so it hurts extra hard to see this one miss the mark on what made that game special. :(    … Expand
  24. Arkae
    Jul 5, 2022
    10
    Damn, but what a game. This game hasn't made me feel indifferent in the slightest, and I've been freaking out about what was going on or the Somnium improvements compared to the first game since the beginning. It has been a very good experience and a complete improvement on the first one, which was already in my Top 2 Uchikoshi games. Speaking of which, UCHIKOSHI WHAT THE **** This gameDamn, but what a game. This game hasn't made me feel indifferent in the slightest, and I've been freaking out about what was going on or the Somnium improvements compared to the first game since the beginning. It has been a very good experience and a complete improvement on the first one, which was already in my Top 2 Uchikoshi games. Speaking of which, UCHIKOSHI WHAT THE **** This game has been his craziest game, the story is tremendously good but it came out of a brutal joint night.

    Play it, and its prequel, and the Zero Escape saga.    … Expand
  25. kankanbur
    Jul 5, 2022
    8
    I played this game through and through, it's a very good improvement on the first game and I am in love with both of the protagonists, the somniums were a joy to complete and felt so personal to the characters getting scanned. The main twist was actually very well done in my opinion and made me play it once more to see the foreshadowings that I initially missed, this is a very well-craftedI played this game through and through, it's a very good improvement on the first game and I am in love with both of the protagonists, the somniums were a joy to complete and felt so personal to the characters getting scanned. The main twist was actually very well done in my opinion and made me play it once more to see the foreshadowings that I initially missed, this is a very well-crafted and written game, I'd recommend it in a heartbeat if you're a fan of visual novels with detailed plots!
    What makes me hesitant to give it a better score is that the game treats girls in a peculiar way...I get that the characters who get this treatment are 18 and up but it left a very sour taste in my mouth. As a woman myself these kinds of "jokes" just make me extremely uncomfortable, I wish the writers took a more sensitive approach when talking about teenage girls...    … Expand
  26. D-Man_AA
    Jul 5, 2022
    8
    My second favorite game by Kotaro Uchikoshi and his incredibly talented team. I initially thought there was no real reason to make a sequel after the events of the first game, but I'm glad I was proven wrong. Thank you for releasing this wonderful title.
  27. JPJun
    Jul 5, 2022
    5
    I'll start this off by saying that the first game is my favorite game of all the games that I've played, so keep in mind that my expectations were very heavily set by the first game and I did still find this game somewhat enjoyable, just extremely bad compared to the first game.

    The worst part of this game is the cast, they're just not that enjoyable at all, which the cast was the best    I'll start this off by saying that the first game is my favorite game of all the games that I've played, so keep in mind that my expectations were very heavily set by the first game and I did still find this game somewhat enjoyable, just extremely bad compared to the first game.

    The worst part of this game is the cast, they're just not that enjoyable at all, which the cast was the best part of the first game. The new additions were alright, but nothing great and there were a lot of times where Tama just came off as extremely annoying. She has her good points where she shows care for Ryuki, but most of the time she acts like an immature brat and the what feel like constant dirty jokes don't help. They were funny at first, but they were so overdone and they were pretty much the only jokes surrounding the two the whole time. The story was alright, but the first game's was much better.

    There were good points of course, but frankly most of them were the jokes that they kept from the first game like Kagami and the bones. If you haven't played this or the first one, I highly recommend the first and not so much this one. This one might be better for those who didn't like how goofy the first game was. The reason I liked the first game was because of it's silliness, but I know there were a lot of people who didn't like it for that reason, so perhaps this was the attempt to appeal to those people.

    I am very disappointed the new addition to the series of my favorite game did not even come close to it. I hope that if this series ever gets another game that it will be much better than what was created here.

    Also Aiba best girl.    … Expand
  28. morrinigan
    Jul 5, 2022
    6
    Only doing because Mr. Uchikoshi asked on twitter. While the first entry into the series was average in terms of gameplay, it had very charming character writing. However, the second game has sacrificed character-writing for the sake of superfluous twists that are inconsequential to the player's emotional investment of the game outside any initial surprise they might instill. Ryuki isOnly doing because Mr. Uchikoshi asked on twitter. While the first entry into the series was average in terms of gameplay, it had very charming character writing. However, the second game has sacrificed character-writing for the sake of superfluous twists that are inconsequential to the player's emotional investment of the game outside any initial surprise they might instill. Ryuki is well-defined, but essentially forgotten about by the third act of the game. This game relies solely on the growth and endearment Mizuki earns in the first game, choosing not to explore her interiority any further in this installment. Another major character is left without any major development for the sake of a twist that also has no real bearing on how the player feels towards these characters or the emotions evoked by the game. The first game may have been rough around the edges, but at least the somnium gameplay segments had the task of figuring out the logic to the character's dream and figuring out how to apply that in changing contexts. It could be considered a genuine puzzle game. This has been done away with and streamlined to the point that the game will essentially tell you what to do in the somnium, even on standard difficulty, and you must simply listen. The prior game had multiple solutions to how a somnium could be completed, but in this game there are no alternatives to the solutions presented by the game, no chance for the player to think on their own. The only somnium that asked for critical thinking on the player's part was what is the "last" one the player does. The game is additionally padded with "QTE action segments" reminiscent of those seen in Quantic Dream games. The only true improvement in terms of gameplay are the VR segments, which in true point-and-click mystery tradition, allow the player to investigate the scene the for clues and piece together the order of events. If they wanted to make a reading-focused visual novel instead of a point-and-click adventure game, there are many other ways to go about it. With this game's own publisher, Spike Chunsoft, bringing Disco Elysium to Japan this August, it couldn't be a better example of how far behind this game is in terms of gameplay among its peers in the genre. And Disco Elysium was 1/3rd cheaper than this game when it came out. AiNi feels like both the writer and the gameplay directors relying on relics of their styles while everyone else has moved on without them and indie studios have already blazed past them.… Expand
  29. ZachSongZ
    Jul 5, 2022
    10
    Fantastic game with a gripping story and loveable characters. As a huge fan of the first game, this one had a lot to live up to, but I enjoyed it even more than the first by the end. If you're a fan of Uchikoshi games, or even just mystery games, I cannot recommend enough.
  30. Niipah
    Jul 6, 2022
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. (Spoilers for AI1 and AI2)
    I was really excited for Nirvana Initiative after playing the first game, and overall I thought the game was great and a nice sequel to the first one. The writing, humor, and mystery were all entertaining and it was fun reading through the game again and seeing all the foreshadowing and details I missed the first time around after the twist was revealed. The variety of the new somniums and more puzzle-like gameplay was also a welcome addition compared to the more random somniums in AI1. Ryuki and Mizuki were also nice protagonists, especially Mizuki who was one of my favorite characters in the first game. The OST and both the Japanese and English voice acting were also very good.

    The main thing I somewhat disliked about this game would be the character interactions. They're still good overall, but they did feel lacking compared to the first game which was one of my favorite things about AI1. The relations between Ryuki & Tama and Mizuki & Aiba were good, but neither one had the same chemistry as Date & Aiba or Date & Mizuki for example. The banter, humor, and arguments that went on during investigations between those characters, as well as the emotional moments like the ones throughout Mizuki's route, where she learns how much Date cares for her, or Aiba's sacrifice and return at the end of the game were what made me love AI1 so much.

    In AI2, Ryuki and Mizuki's interactions with their partners, while still entertaining, did not have the same emotional impact in comparison. It also bothered me that some of the relations built up in the first game felt reset in this one. AI1's ending showing how much Date and Aiba care for each other, but then seeing Aiba have almost no reaction at all to seeing Date again after him being missing for 6 years was disappointing to say the least. Same goes for Mizuki who didn't react much to seeing Date again despite it supposedly being part of the reason she wanted to solve the case in the first place.

    Other than that and the plot twist requiring some suspension of disbelief regarding Mizuki and her twin, I had a good time with AI2 and would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed AI1. I felt like the game would have benefited from being slightly longer to develop Ryuki, Mizuki, and Bibi a bit more however.    … Expand
  31. pDestiny_HeHeHe
    Jul 6, 2022
    9
    Id say this game is a bit less than the original, I dont think the ending hits just like AI The Somnium Files. But lord, this game is a ride. Its far more linear than the original, with info checks to make sure you know what needs knowing. Its so fun, Im excited for the future of this series
  32. davikr
    Jul 8, 2022
    10
    I played AI: The Somnium Files and had a blast! I just had to play AINi just after that, and much to my happiness, many quirks from the original have been dealt with - including animation quality, which truly shines now, UI and environment / character design. It has been a pleasure reading another Uchikoshi story.
  33. mialyra
    Jul 8, 2022
    10
    I absolutely adored this game as a follow up to the original title. It followed the standard UCHIKOSHI formula of creating an even more complex mystery for the sequel with more layers than the first, and then improved even more upon the puzzles in the first game by adding new mechanics and twists on old features. every story beat, character, and new twist was just as lovable and memorableI absolutely adored this game as a follow up to the original title. It followed the standard UCHIKOSHI formula of creating an even more complex mystery for the sequel with more layers than the first, and then improved even more upon the puzzles in the first game by adding new mechanics and twists on old features. every story beat, character, and new twist was just as lovable and memorable as the first game. All in all I am so glad I secured a deluxe edition, and will absolutely be revisiting these games many times in years to come. Can't wait to see more from Uchikoshi, as always, and I look forward to more escape game mysteries from the crowning champion.… Expand
  34. KittyBrutality
    Jul 11, 2022
    10
    Everything I wanted in a sequel and more! The first AI game I came to play during a chaotic part of my life, where I really didn't have any time, or any will to want to play games. I gave it a go, and I fell in love with it. It of course helped it's one of Kotaro Uchikoshi's works, and I already thoroughly enjoyed his Zero Escape trilogy.
    I've waited patiently for this sequel and it has    Everything I wanted in a sequel and more! The first AI game I came to play during a chaotic part of my life, where I really didn't have any time, or any will to want to play games. I gave it a go, and I fell in love with it. It of course helped it's one of Kotaro Uchikoshi's works, and I already thoroughly enjoyed his Zero Escape trilogy.
    I've waited patiently for this sequel and it has not disappointed! Uchikoshi's writing is outstanding, and completely defies logic at all times but his work has so much charm. I found myself enjoying this game even more than I already thought I could. Returning composer Keisuke Ito has improved on his initial outstanding soundtrack accompanying this game too, but still using some of the tracks from the original game so everything feels similar, yet so brand new. Gameplay: The puzzles in this game are just as enjoyable as in the first game. I replayed some of them more than the game expected of me because there's just so much to do, with reaching the main objective but also getting to see the goofy little jokes when you pick the wrong answer.
    Story: I tried to keep away from spoilers for the longest time, so I could go into this game blind. I'm glad I did, because nothing could have prepared me for this story. It's more insane than in the original, and I expect nothing less of Uchikoshi. From start to finish this was an amazing experience. I laughed, I cried and at several points I was on the edge of my seat. I cannot put into words what this man's work makes me feel, but this game is probably my Game Of The Year. Everyone who worked on it should be insanely proud of themselves for what they've created. If anyone is looking for a completely unique, absolutely insane mess of a game (in the best way!) please consider picking this up.    … Expand
  35. Omnster36
    Jul 18, 2022
    10
    I loved the first AI game, and this one was an excellent sequel for fans like me! Full voice acting in a 60 hour game is always such a treat, the whole cast did an excellent job and it and it allowed me to become even more attached to all the weird and wonderful characters. I found the somnium stages to be the one lacking part of the first AI game, I consider them improved in every way inI loved the first AI game, and this one was an excellent sequel for fans like me! Full voice acting in a 60 hour game is always such a treat, the whole cast did an excellent job and it and it allowed me to become even more attached to all the weird and wonderful characters. I found the somnium stages to be the one lacking part of the first AI game, I consider them improved in every way in this game and I can recommend you play it with no reservations. I absolutely cannot wait to see what this dev team create next!… Expand
  36. Huntr
    Aug 11, 2022
    10
    Refreshing story and gameplay, fun, captivating, and the usual touch of Uchikoshi crazy.
  37. KDavidson1
    Oct 23, 2022
    10
    AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative is my personal Game of the Year. It build perfectly on it's predecessor. STORY:
    I will not talk much about the story itself, but it is perfectly executed. The plottwists are build up perfectly. You always think about which person is the murder or how and why something happend. It never was easy to simple just guess and be right about your    AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative is my personal Game of the Year. It build perfectly on it's predecessor. STORY:
    I will not talk much about the story itself, but it is perfectly executed. The plottwists are build up perfectly. You always think about which person is the murder or how and why something happend. It never was easy to simple just guess and be right about your prediction, because you will always got some new Infos thrown into your build up theory which instantly makes it crumble. From beginning to end you will most of the time ask yourself "What? I didn't see this coming?" or "Could this theory be true?". The Endingphase also was executed perfectly. I can promise you you will go out of this game with a smile and tears in your eyes.

    CHARACTERS:
    All characters regardless of old or new are build with so much care that you really can feel their different personalities. Some characters even got so much nuances to their personality that you can almost feel that they will go through some major changes in future AI: The Somnium Files games. PUZZLES:
    These were made pretty well some were easy some were a bit difficult. Most of the time I had to use a paper to write down stuff to come to a conclusion. So, don't expect the game to go easy on you. You will have to think and most of the time even outside of the box.

    CONTROLS:
    They are precise and work well regardless if in the point-and-click or in the walk around sections. Also the QTE's work fine. SOUND:
    If you know the first game you know what you will get. Every song is fitting and compliments the situation pretty well. There even songs in them which get sung by the cast. So there is much you can look forward to.

    FUN-FACTOR: This is the the part which makes the game so great. Everything regardless of Story, Puzzles, QTE's etc. makes this game so fun. Especially the humor which is always there makes you enjoy this experience so much. I am completely amazed by how well they can handle the serious story bits while still putting in so much humor. They completely mastered this. CONCLUSION:
    AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative is overall a greatly executed game. It has great Puzzles, so much humor, a beautifully crafted story and will leave you with the feeling that you want a sequel.
    So if you never played this game buy the first game and than this one. You will love both from beginning to end!

    P.S. Give the Nurse more screen time in the sequel!

    P.P.S. I'm now on my with a receptionist and her to big... ehm.. eyes... yeah EYES... to Atami.    … Expand
  38. Treima
    Jan 28, 2023
    4
    I've never seen a game so thematically strong and with really well-thought out twists and turns piss it all away with puerile humor, unlikable and unrelateable characters, and lazy structuring. It is a disappointment, even compared to its mostly okay predecessor game.
  39. Awkylold
    Jan 24, 2023
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Most excited I've been for a game, most disappointed I've been at a game. What a letdown.… Expand
  40. martinsgo19
    Sep 29, 2022
    9
    Its a absolute great game. good scenarios, good history, nice characters, the game have controversial things and little errors but its enjoyable and charismatic game as well. Recommendable if u like in the past prof Layton or something like that
  41. MoMAUT
    Nov 22, 2022
    10
    Its a very good as a sequel. But if you are reading this then you NEED to check the first one, 999 is an absolute masterpiece, better in many ways than the new persona 5 that came out
  42. TianLong1
    Mar 31, 2023
    10
    Just like its previous release, Nirvana Initiative offers a great compelling story and an amazing cast of complex characters. The creepy murders seem impossible to perform, make you almost question reality and yet as a detective you uncover more and more clues about how it was made possible. Dialogue and voice acting are top notch as usual and the philosophical depth of the game was reallyJust like its previous release, Nirvana Initiative offers a great compelling story and an amazing cast of complex characters. The creepy murders seem impossible to perform, make you almost question reality and yet as a detective you uncover more and more clues about how it was made possible. Dialogue and voice acting are top notch as usual and the philosophical depth of the game was really fascinating for me.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best PC Game of 2022
62
#62 Most Discussed PC Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Impulsegamer
    Jul 11, 2022
    86
    AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative is a superior game compared to its predecessor in almost every aspect. While some of the puzzle segments are a bit long-winded and can be quite complicated, the experiences they provide alone are incredibly worth it, and the characters make the game so fun to play.
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  2. Hey Poor Player
    Jun 27, 2022
    90
    AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative isn’t a perfect game, but it offers one of the best mysteries I’ve ever seen in a game. Combine that with a wonderful cast and somnium sequences that blow away the original game, and you have a visual novel that is a must-play for anyone interested in the genre. AI: The Somnium Files was minor Uchikosi, but nirvanA Initiative stands among his best work.
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  3. Destructoid
    Jun 26, 2022
    85
    If you’re looking for a compelling detective adventure with heart and smarts, it’s easy to recommend AI: The Sominum Files – nirvanA Initiative. It feels like the realization of what this world can be, and a promising step forward from its predecessor. It might still have a few wrinkles, but by the final credits roll, it’ll likely win over any investigator’s heart.
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