AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 48 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 48
  3. Negative: 4 out of 48
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  1. animeUwU
    Jun 25, 2022
    10
    I can't believe we got a sequel to this amazing game. So far, my favorite game of 2022.
  2. RashFaustinho
    Jul 13, 2022
    10
    I love Uchikoshi games, I wish they could be more popoular and well known. What I like the most of about his works is his writing style, he really writes in such an intrguing and interesting way

    A bit of a shame that here in Europe the game got slightly delayed, but it was worth it
  3. iammaxmak
    Jun 28, 2022
    10
    I love this story, it is always unexpected. I like interact with all objects, because it always surprise to me.
  4. shin777
    Jul 5, 2022
    0
    You should add more languages into your game, not much people wants to play visual novels in secondary language
  5. HalfANickel
    Jul 4, 2022
    10
    From the very first screen to the last lines spoken, this is Uchikoshi at his best.
  6. PlushLava
    Jun 26, 2022
    10
    Uchikoshi has done it again! If you've played any of the Zero Escape games or the first AI: The Somnium Files, then you know this man is incredible with his writing.

    For everyone else, just play it. Enjoy the confusion and piecing together of the puzzle.
  7. 2random
    Jul 14, 2023
    8
    After completing the first part, my expectations were set extremely high. And the game did not disappoint me, for the most part. Though, it did feel like a slight downgrade.

    The game crashed on me multiple times, so it definitely lacks some polish. Loading times got longer, to the point where they kind of break the experience: all of a sudden, you have to stare on a completely black or    After completing the first part, my expectations were set extremely high. And the game did not disappoint me, for the most part. Though, it did feel like a slight downgrade.

    The game crashed on me multiple times, so it definitely lacks some polish. Loading times got longer, to the point where they kind of break the experience: all of a sudden, you have to stare on a completely black or white screen for up to 20 seconds. I know this is PS4, but the issue did not appear in part 1.
    The graphics did not age well too. The game reuses old assets from its preducessor, and looks a little dated a this point. Do not expect eye candy there.

    The plot. This time, it did not made me feel like a true detective, but I've still enjoyed it quite a bit. In part 1 the mistery is rather straightforward and, once you get all the facts, you can figure it out yourself. In this game, the solution is just way, way, way out there. Lets just say, I was kind of disappointed with the way some of the clues were presented.

    But the biggest disappointment is the way they made new puzzles work. In the previous part, they were all interesting and unique, and extremely fun to play. To the point where I could just try some random stuff, and see what happens. Time limits did not really affect the way I played.
    In this game, though, puzzles are the whole other story.
    - Math, instead of fun. Yes, they felt like a math homework. Not in a fun way. Most of the puzzles contain numbers or letters in some form. I had to just get my calculator, take a sheet of paper, write down all the notes, etc. And even after doing all that, I still failed to solve some of them. It felt bad. Instead of being one of the most interesting and fun to play pieces of the game, puzzles became a huge bother. It feels like they just used a math book instead of actually figuring out something enjoyable.
    - Time restrictions in some levels are absolutely ridiculous. To the point where you have no time to have fun, and any extra step means instant failure and restart.
    - Inconsistency. Sometimes, the difficulty level just skyrockets for no reason. While the simple puzzles are explained perfectly, you get little to no explanation for the most complicated ones.
    - New elements. They added an enemy that just constantly runs after you, leaving you no time to think.

    Imagine having to solve your math homework in under 20 seconds, while being chased by the immortal enemy! Those things still give me flashbacks, and I never want to do this again in my life.
    All in all, the game is still worth it. And while part 1 is way better, I still had a lot of fun during my playthrough.    … Expand
  8. KaiserDagnabbit
    Jul 14, 2022
    9
    Watched a playthrough of this, so I'm not gonna talk much about gameplay other than things that might be good for a quality-of-life feature. Just a casual talking about how much they liked certain parts. I think that characters are the strongest part of this game.

    I really liked the story. I wish it could've been more fleshed out, as there are some things that happen in one ending that    Watched a playthrough of this, so I'm not gonna talk much about gameplay other than things that might be good for a quality-of-life feature. Just a casual talking about how much they liked certain parts. I think that characters are the strongest part of this game.

    I really liked the story. I wish it could've been more fleshed out, as there are some things that happen in one ending that don't get explained in the true ending. The mystery is something that most mystery buffs probably wouldn't enjoy, but it was fun to theorize for a casual like me. (My previous experience with mystery is AITSF 1 and Umineko)

    I loved the characters. They were fun, the humor landed most of the time, and I got incredibly attached to some of them. There were a few characters that I heavily disliked or just didn't find enjoyable, and keep in mind that they were written to be likeable. And again, I believe they were the strongest point. I also have specific tastes, so you will probably love the characters I hate.

    The mystery was brain-stretching. One specific answer made me just sit at the computer for 15 minutes and try to comprehend it. I don't know if it was just me, but I think a lot of people also found it extremely hard to understand, even for a hardcore mystery answer. That doesn't really hinder the game for me, though. It was super fun to theorize!

    I don't want my review to get too long, so I'll end there. 9/10, not perfect, due to a certain plotline of romance in this game, but I really loved it and I'll remember it for quite a while.    … Expand
  9. Elderbump
    Apr 23, 2023
    10
    The 2nd best mystery game I've ever played only behind the 1st this game needs to be talked about more

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best PS4 Game of 2022
13
#13 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. Gaming Nexus
    Aug 3, 2022
    88
    AI: The Somnium Files - Nirvana Initiative is a masterfully crafted murder mystery visual novel that smoothly blends in detective gameplay elements and puzzle sequences. It features an outstanding cast of characters and a competently crafted narrative that will keep you on your toes until the end. Even though the game has a smaller flowchart in terms of diverging narrative paths than the first game and may feel drawn out at times, it remains well worth checking out if you are into games of this genre.
    Read full review
  2. PLAY
    Aug 1, 2022
    80
    A fantastic murder mystery with engaging puzzles. Impressive storytelling devices give different routes purpose, but ironically it ends up feeling a bit too linear. [Issue#17, p.80]
  3. IGN Italia
    Jul 27, 2022
    78
    A must-have for AI: The Somnium Files veterans but also for those who are passionate about science fiction and crime.
    Read full review
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