AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative

 Switch
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 68 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 68
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 68
  3. Negative: 9 out of 68
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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. Gala1998
    Jun 26, 2022
    10
    Great sequel and a must buy if you enjoyed the original. Built upon the ideas and mechanics of the first with an intriguing story once again. Small switch performance issues aside there is a lot to like here.
  3. Kenmei
    Jun 28, 2022
    9
    AI: The Somnium Files is a visual novel style adventure game that is fairly unique and with some strong story telling. Kotaro Uchikoshi games all have this sense of over-the-top sci fi wackiness with stories that feel tailor made for being a video game. It doesn't really feel like his stories can exist on other platforms and come off as well made as they are. That doesn't mean everythingAI: The Somnium Files is a visual novel style adventure game that is fairly unique and with some strong story telling. Kotaro Uchikoshi games all have this sense of over-the-top sci fi wackiness with stories that feel tailor made for being a video game. It doesn't really feel like his stories can exist on other platforms and come off as well made as they are. That doesn't mean everything is a hit. There's a few points in this game that come off as flimsy, almost like they came up with a really neat idea but couldn't figure a good way to tie it in with the proceeding plot points. And not every character works in the grand scheme of things. Some are just very annoying to have on screen and don't serve a large purpose to the overall story. The puzzles can be fun and unique too but the way they are designed can be rough. If you've realized you won't make it to the end before the time runs out, the back up checkpoint system they added here won't really save you. It can be tedious to finally figure out the puzzle at the end and not have the time needed to complete it so you have to restart it all over. But, at the end of the day, it's all worth it here. I would make a recommendation that, if you plan on playing this primarily on the Switch in docked mode to only play in handheld mode. The docked mode for this game is one of the worst I've seen on Switch. There's alot of tearing on the character models throughout the whole thing. The FPS can drop to single digits at times. And any animated cutscene had multiple studders and freezes throughout the whole game with some full on crashes at times. I was forced to play in handheld mode and I enjoyed it alot more.… Expand
  4. blutoin
    Jun 27, 2022
    8
    The narrative is really good, attracting me to keep playing, if you like its predecessor, worth to try. And I found there are some Japanese homophonic jokes that are difficult to express well in other languages, a little pity.
  5. SaintLux
    Jun 27, 2022
    10
    Great game, would recommend playing the first before jumping into this one but its not required since an explanation of events is given. Chances are if your even taking the time to look into it, it's probably for you.
  6. Cobalt_Red
    Jul 13, 2022
    6
    Twitter is not the world, I'm writing this and I'm wasting my time on this because I cared about the series, note the past tense used in the sentence.
    I've tried not to do spoilers so I won't touch on all the problematic points.
    Theres a ton of little problems that put together recreate a mediocre experience. Ryuki and Tama feel solid but I was pretty disappointed because you only get    Twitter is not the world, I'm writing this and I'm wasting my time on this because I cared about the series, note the past tense used in the sentence.
    I've tried not to do spoilers so I won't touch on all the problematic points.
    Theres a ton of little problems that put together recreate a mediocre experience.
    Ryuki and Tama feel solid but I was pretty disappointed because you only get them for the first part of the game.
    The somniums are better than the first game accompanied by the new VR sections that are quite good and it is better optimized than the first one in the technical compartement (almost no frame drops) with the audio voices top notch both in english and in japanise, however in a game that makes story its centerpiece it is not enough to excuse the flaws of the writing.
    Story which honestly seemed more interesting in the beginning than the one in the first game, but soon gets trite and rehashed.
    Mizuki and Aiba's dynamic is alot worst than Date and Aiba. The former fell pretty flat for me compared to the latter.
    My main problem is that Mizuki didn't really have much of a character arc.
    Gimmicks aside you could swap her with anyone and the game would still work, nothing changes story wise.
    It's amazing how much of a step back she is to her first game appearance.
    Her chemistry with Aiba is kinda ok, but there's not really any deep bonding going on like Ryuki and Tama, who shoulda have gone back to being the leads in the last act since they had more to overcome.
    The pacing was worse than the first game.
    It would really help to make the game shorter and the plot tighter without all the bloat like the constant pointless detours or especialy the parts where the characters just keep repeating the same plot points over and over.
    Localization cut some stuff whitout motive, i can guarantee that the in game voice of a certain tool misses pieces of info (which I won't mention for spoilers).
    I liked the first AI game and this one felt lackluster compared to that.
    Still, it is worth checking out if you enjoyed the 1st game, at 20 euro no more than that.
    it's not the disappointment that ZTD was but it's closer than I expected.    … Expand
  7. Tortor
    Oct 22, 2022
    5
    was so desperately trying to force myself to like this game. The charm however is just not there with the characters this time around

    The plot also dragged on and wasn't terribly interesting. The only thing keeping my going was a lot of really fun factoids with philosophy and science were explored and implemented in the plot in ways I didn't expect. What the plot did with what could    was so desperately trying to force myself to like this game. The charm however is just not there with the characters this time around

    The plot also dragged on and wasn't terribly interesting. The only thing keeping my going was a lot of really fun factoids with philosophy and science were explored and implemented in the plot in ways I didn't expect. What the plot did with what could have been a cool premise though just failed to be exciting and felt like it was overly fluffed out with so much uninteresting garbage that i was constantly combating with myself on not wanting to go any farther but being committed because I was such a fan.

    The characters, although familiar because most are returning from the prior game. They just all arnt as likable anymore. It's clear that the writers expected you to play the first game because you're sorta given the developed characters from the first game and they just stay that way. The returning characters sorta lost their charm because not a lot of exploration into who they are happened as deeply as before. The newer characters explored just wernt very interesting either and I found them all so unlikable.

    For a plot focused game this was disappointing. I was such a fan of the first game that I seriously recommend it to everyone. I think however the game just have been a stand alone and there really was no need at all for this sequal. This just felt like it was trying to do plot twists as good as before and constantly trying to one up itself but honestly nothing came across as shocking. Some of the mysteries constantly were so vague that I just found it so boring when some of the less interesting stuff was explored.

    What infuriated me the most about this game was the over-use of the 'their phone is off' plot device. Like.... Everyone had a phone that's off somehow and this is used as a plot device constantly to get your character to visit every single area to scope out that character that isnt anywhere and only gets revealed once you visit everywhere.

    This is so incredibly annoying when it's done over and over and over and over and over again. It felt so forced and uncreative. I would have loved a more natural feeling of movement from place to place.

    The reused assets were also annoying. So much was reused from the previous game that I was exhausted seeing some of these places again that I've already seen so much of from the first game. Combine that with the previous complaint of visiting areas over and over, ugh, this was bad.

    This sequal really didn't need to happen.    … Expand
  8. Nintendist
    Aug 24, 2022
    0
    this game has a annoying music all the time. the menus are so bad, i dont like anything here
  9. lucinhagamer
    Aug 25, 2022
    0
    this game is so bad, all the mechanics are terrible and very outdated. this is not good
  10. GRAFAIAI
    Sep 1, 2022
    0
    this game is very bad with no good content. you cant have fun it all with this one
  11. keatto
    Nov 25, 2022
    8
    Once more, a reminder to fans of the zero escape series, with about as many sprinkles as they've come to expect from the latest release from Chunsoft. Newcomers looking for an interesting take on interactive fiction will find the previous title holds up strongly and helps carry characters over to this title. Many will say you don't need to play the first, but I disagree. The two titles areOnce more, a reminder to fans of the zero escape series, with about as many sprinkles as they've come to expect from the latest release from Chunsoft. Newcomers looking for an interesting take on interactive fiction will find the previous title holds up strongly and helps carry characters over to this title. Many will say you don't need to play the first, but I disagree. The two titles are as strong as one another, so if you do enjoy this one as a first, try the prequel. A larger! cast of characters than game one, detailed backgrounds, but a lot of reused tracks. Voice acting is still as entertaining. Skipping text and scenes helps the impatient reader/player/fra*** progress faster *wink*

    A lot of the plot has many points where you may find yourself frustrated with character actions illogically done for the sake of pacing around some very very bizarre narrative mechanics. Don't pull out any notes for plot purposes, a lot of it is convoluted and constantly shifting with little rhyme or reason. Now the puzzles both in and out of somniums (the game's dream world zones, taking up half the gameplay) are excellent and some required note taking for escape room enthusiasts. Particular end game content made for a great callbacks and improve on the 999 puzzle room formulas. The dreams are far more parodying pop culture in a mix between psychonaut mind dives and game mechanic experimentation. They're far more forgiving and can have multiple solutions to progress.

    RPG fans will once more find themselves scanning every background item for every nugget of flavored dialogue and humor. Hidden endings and a flowchart with plenty of routes and extras made this feel like a nostalgic romp for the developers and its fans alike.    … Expand
  12. elpsycongruent
    Aug 5, 2022
    8
    Absolutely worth playing, 110%. If you haven't played the first one, go do that. If you have, definitely give it a whirl. It's a solid Uchikoshi game, with twists and turns to match. I thought the story was a little weaker than the previous game, but I still loved it.

    My issues with it pretty much all stem from the attempts to make it spoiler-free for the first game. Yeah, you can    Absolutely worth playing, 110%. If you haven't played the first one, go do that. If you have, definitely give it a whirl. It's a solid Uchikoshi game, with twists and turns to match. I thought the story was a little weaker than the previous game, but I still loved it.

    My issues with it pretty much all stem from the attempts to make it spoiler-free for the first game. Yeah, you can opt-in for spoilery bits, but there are still several major things that feel like they undo the ending of the previous game, you know?    … Expand
  13. tom974
    Jan 7, 2023
    9
    For those who liked the first game, this is an absolute must play. It is better than the first in every aspects, and the story is still captivating and brilliantly brought. The only (small) cons I have are the performances on the Switch : framerate drops and the navigation in the menus is not smooth.
  14. Bakuganfan69420
    Nov 14, 2022
    8
    Kaaaaachoooooww! We got a squeequel to this game! {thats an Alvin and the Chipmunks reference! Not super relevant, but I liked that squeequel too!} That being said, I liked this sqeequel too! It brought back all my favorite characters! Even the bad ones made an appearance! {Lookin at you Ota, you lil punk!} Anyway. This game had a great story, even if it was a little much? Not like, it wasKaaaaachoooooww! We got a squeequel to this game! {thats an Alvin and the Chipmunks reference! Not super relevant, but I liked that squeequel too!} That being said, I liked this sqeequel too! It brought back all my favorite characters! Even the bad ones made an appearance! {Lookin at you Ota, you lil punk!} Anyway. This game had a great story, even if it was a little much? Not like, it was long, it was just alot to take in, like a good Thanksgiving dinner! mmmmm cranberries. At the time of this review, its almost Thanksgiving {HAPPY THANKSGIVING LOYAL BAKUGANFAN69420 READERS… Expand
  15. Ripper36
    Dec 5, 2022
    10
    Loved the 1st AI and love Nirvana Initiative as much. They brought back all the same great parts of the 1st and added some really good new ideas. Story is great. Graphics look very nice and on the Switch and the gameplay is still great. Treat yourself to both games of this series.
  16. Boggle-Crunch
    Jul 4, 2022
    10
    A grand time all around for people who enjoy visual novels and/or murder mysteries. A must-buy for Switch owners as well, this is a game that runs surprisingly well on the Switch, all things considered. There are some moments when the game hitches, but beyond that it's an outstandingly fun game.
  17. allison37
    Jul 4, 2022
    10
    The characters are so fun! I was wary of the introduction of new characters since I loved the original cast, but I loved them all too! The story is buck wild and the reveals keep coming and coming! The sequel the original AI deserves.
  18. kenroark
    Jul 5, 2022
    10
    One of the most anticipated games for years. Compared to AI1, AiNi has improved in so many ways.
    For me, the most noticeable improvement is the gameplay in the somnium. Compared to the first game, AiNI's puzzle is more intuitive and also provide more hints.
    Music sound tracks are amazing. I just love the title theme so much that I could stare at the Main Menu and listenting tothe music    One of the most anticipated games for years. Compared to AI1, AiNi has improved in so many ways.
    For me, the most noticeable improvement is the gameplay in the somnium. Compared to the first game, AiNI's puzzle is more intuitive and also provide more hints.
    Music sound tracks are amazing. I just love the title theme so much that I could stare at the Main Menu and listenting tothe music itself.
    Story side of course is fantastic. Well, this is what we like Uchikochi's game the most, right?    … Expand
  19. starwand2007
    Aug 5, 2022
    10
    This is a truly wonderful sequal. Not that you have to play the first one to play this game but when this game is so good why wouldn’t you?

    Excellent game. The characters of course really shined in this game. This series has really succeeded in making good you care deeply about the characters. I don’t even typically play visual novel type games but the story and game elements are so good    This is a truly wonderful sequal. Not that you have to play the first one to play this game but when this game is so good why wouldn’t you?

    Excellent game. The characters of course really shined in this game. This series has really succeeded in making good you care deeply about the characters. I don’t even typically play visual novel type games but the story and game elements are so good i make an exception.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Best Switch Game of 2022
38
#38 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Starbit
    Mar 4, 2024
    70
    Because it takes such risks with its plot and delivers very engaging puzzles, this sequel successfully musters from its sources an absolutely mind-blowing ending, which more than makes up for the game's flaws that include poor quicktime events and an over-reliance on sexualized humour that quickly loses its track. Fortunately, everything comes together and works out nicely in the end.
    Read full review
  2. Metro GameCentral
    Dec 19, 2022
    80
    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.
    Read full review
  3. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Nov 9, 2022
    80
    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]
See all critic reviews »