AI: The Somnium Files

Superbly voice acted, and with great-looking animation and environments, AI: The Somnium Files is a decadent production giving you one of the best videogame detective mysteries this generation. [Issue#168, p.78]

A murder mystery that is masterfully told to keep your eyes on the screen until the very end. The visuals are lacking when it comes to the environments, but you quickly forget about them when you discover what plot twist is introduced next.

AI: The Somnium Files has to be easily one of the best visual novels I’ve ever had the joy of playing, maybe even ranks as one of the best games I’ve played this year. With superb visuals, engaging gameplay, likeable characters, and a twist-filled story to rival that of M. Night Shyamalan, this is definitely not a visual novel to be slept on (sorry).

Every single character has a sense of mystery around them that makes it easy to want to learn more and Somnium Files is happy to dish it out to those willing to dive deeper into all it has to offer. It’s also worth noting that this is a dark title, with lots of visually upsetting imagery and extremely serious situations, so those that are sensitive to these situations should be aware of before they dive in. It’s rare that such an amazing gem of a story and mechanics like this comes around but AI: The Somnium Files is a must-have for those who love murder mysteries with deep, rich stories.

AI: The Somnium Files is such a superior storytelling experience that its hit-or-miss puzzle action is hardly an issue. By turns witty, sharp, horrific, nasty, and even at times sexy, AI: The Somnium Files is one of those games that very few people will play, but an awful lot of people should. As far as the noir genre goes, it's every bit the example of it that Judgement is. Sure it has lower production values (and those anime fan service moments that a section of players just love to rip on), but it's also deeply intelligent, frequently hilarious, and impossible to put down.

This is the best work by Kotaro Uchikoshi to date and, considering the quality of the previous ones, this statement says much about AI The Somnium files. If only the puzzles were less obtuse.

Questionable humour aside however, the icing on the murder cake is the way that AI: The Somnium Files has you revisit scenes, following different plot branches to produce a different outcome (sometimes radically different) without needing to start all over again. Date may not be a great detective, but there’s no doubting that AI: The Somnium Files is a great detective game. It blends humour and human horror to deliver an engaging, mind-bending experience that’s a cut above most visual novels.

For those who enjoyed the storytelling of Zero Escape and other works by Kotaro Uchikoshi, AI: The Somnium Files is a no-brainer purchase, and might just be his most solid game yet. Even if the random bits of humor and cringeworthy risque dialog might prove a detractor for some, the strongest story beats stand out completely unhindered along with the cast of characters and the fascinating near-futuristic setting, not quite as dystopian as other futuristic police stories, but every bit as engaging and thought-provoking.

Despite the occasional frustration in exploring its dream landscapes, the whole of AI: the Somnium Files winds up being a fun, thrilling, and engaging experience. The story is filled with intriguing twists and shocking surprises, and the characters and their individual arcs inspire you to care about what happens to them. The somnium dream worlds add a layer of psychological horror to the ongoing mystery, and Date and Aiba’s constant back-and-forth interactions provide levity to make every investigation all the more amusing. AI's unconventional detective story is one you won’t soon forget.

AI: The Somnium Files is yet another winner from Kotaro Uchikoshi, expanding upon Spike Chunsoft's renown formula and pushing it in bold new directions. It can fumble in its visuals and mechanics, but look beyond a few of its weaker elements and there's a truly original adventure brimming with excellent ideas.

Once again, Uchikoshi has come out of nowhere with an utterly crazy murder-mystery that explores the link between witnessing horrific trauma and how it affects how victims dream.

Despite a few frustrations, AI: The Somnium Files is one of the most immersive stories I’ve ever played.

Kotaro Uchikoshi has never disappointed with his games and with AI: The Somnium Files is not the first time, luckily. This new title stands out for its visual elements and its bold and fun mechanics. The only thing we can recriminate is the design of his characters. AI: The Somnium Files is a very original adventure that is full of excellent ideas. The plot keeps everyone who plays it in suspense, and their characters end up being quite loved towards the end of the adventure.

AI: The Somnium Files does a really good job when it comes to the narrative and the story, although gameplay-wise shows some shortcomings. However, if you’re looking for a visual novel, this is a great choice.

Investigating gruesome murders in AI: The Somnium Files is fun even though it’s not particularly challenging. What really makes this game worth playing is its gritty sci-fi story and engaging characters. The mix of oddball characters work perfectly together to make you experience a rollercoaster of emotions, and piecing together all the threads of the story will reveal some surprising plot twists.

AI: The Somnium Files tells an often engrossing tale. It takes a couple of hours to really get going, but when it does, it blossoms into one of the most impressively executed visual novels on PS4. A range of characters, both surprisingly deep and brilliantly stupid, elevate an already intriguing and smartly paced story. It's just a shame that the dream sequences, with their frustratingly obscure puzzle solving, can really put a dampener on the experience.

Ultimately, AI: The Somnium Files is a game that has moments of brilliance that are obscured by a disjointed narrative and investigative process. Aside from the Somnium sequences – which are, admittedly, very cool – the game failed to motivate me to truly engage with its overarching story. I just didn’t find it appealing. That said, it may be worth a look for fans of the genre (or detective stories in general), who are likely to feel at home here if not altogether blown away.

AI: The Somnium Files seemed to have so much going for it on the surface, but it’s ultimately let down by poor pacing and writing. If you were hoping for a worthy successor to the excellent Zero Escape series, this ain’t it chief.

If you’re looking for a visual novel with a compelling plot, and are able to ignore lots of terrible dialogue, then AI: The Somnium Files is a no-brainer recommendation. But for anyone else, this is a tough recommendation because it almost feels like the game is doing everything it can to stall the player from experiencing said compelling plot. The gameplay is solid, but be prepared to play something more like a visual novel than an “adventure game”, which is how AI: The Somnium Files is being advertised.