AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative

AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative tells a fascinating story with some weird and wonderful characters and more than a few twists and turns.

AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative may not be the unexpected surprise that the first game was, but it lives up to the impressive bar of quality set by its predecessor in a way few games of its genre manage to. This Switch version has a few technical issues, but nothing that should keep you from enjoying the game here if this is where you want to play it.

AI: The Somnium Files nirvanA Initiative is a fantastic adventure game that builds on the original with improvements in just about every way. While it suffers from a few technical issues on Nintendo Switch even with the day one patch, it is an improved Switch conversion compared to the first game. AI: The Somnium Files nirvanA Initiative is easily one the best Switch games of 2022.

AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative is one of the most interesting visual novels we’ve played through in a while. The murder mystery at its heart is brought to life by some great writing and quirky characters alongside the satisfyingly integrated, beautifully balanced Psync puzzle elements. Even with some minor control issues, there is a lot to love in this game even if you never picked up the original. Highly recommended if you're even a little bit curious.

The incredible narrative and charismatic characters of AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative make up for a unique experience that is only weighed down by some scenes that feel a bit out of place. Uchikoshi has managed to write one of his best games to date.

While anyone who enjoys mystery games, visual novels, or the often bizarre story-telling quirks of Spike Chunsoft games will find a lot to love in AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative, it's really a game that shouldn't be missed by anyone. A combination of maddening puzzles with satisfying solutions, a story that is as weird as it is excellent, and characters who make memorable impressions sees nirvanA Initiative establish itself as a worthy sequel to one of the better sleeper hits of the past several years. AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative works very hard to keep your eyes focused on it at all times, and the reward is a rollercoaster ride that's superb from start to finish.

Kotaro Uchikoshi continues his style in AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative, which is also one of the best AVG games of the year. It uses a dual narrative thread to create two worlds that are six years apart, yet closely connected, and gives the players enough surprises with a super plot twist at the end. The renovation of the investigation mechanism and the increase in pseudoscience content make this game seem more "detective style". Excellent characterizations, as well as a large number of interesting memes, all give the players a different type of emotional experience. The addition of more mini-games also brings a lot of different kinds of fun to the game. Unfortunately, the connection between the two protagonists in this game is too weak. In addition, the new protagonist Ryuki seems to be difficult to attract the attention of the players. Moreover, this game ends too hastily, failing to push the player's experience to a climax at last. This makes this game a little short of a masterpiece, unable to stand out among the many excellent works of Kotaro Uchikoshi.

AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative is a worthy sequel to its predecessor, improving in all areas and incorporating new features that fans will greatly appreciate. With a new story full of mysteries and plot twists, colorful characters and a refined gameplay, we have been delighted with a title that, although it is designed for a very specific niche of players, knows how to do things right.

Fans of gripping mysteries and intriguing puzzles will love the eclectic storytelling, but not necessarily the pervy humour, in Kotaro Uchikoshi’s most fascinating oddity.

Even with its narrative failings, I consider my time with nirvanA Initiative well spent. Whether or not it surpasses the original is entirely down to personal preference, but either way it's a must-play for both veteran and budding visual novel aficionados. [Issue #62 – November/December 2022, p. 72]

AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative, like AI: The Somnium Files, is simply a fantastic adventure. Its plot is fascinating, and I love how it handles its investigations. It is absolutely a worthy successor, though I very much recommend people play both games.

AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative was a wild ride and honestly, one of the most thought-provoking games I’ve played for a long time. While I wanted to love this series, it fell short of my expectations. I don’t think it’s something that everyone would enjoy, but even so, I still recommend it. AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative is not something you can easily put down, and it makes you want to uncover the truth until the very end. But be warned, “Truth is only an Illusion.”

NirvanA Initiative gets close to the levels of the original but just falls slightly short.