AI: The Somnium Files

 Switch
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 603 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 527 out of 603
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 603
  3. Negative: 56 out of 603
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  1. Leiaviathan
    Jan 27, 2023
    10
    The first 2 hours or so felt really slow and I kinda forgot about the game after that. However I continued playing about 2 weeks later and I was hooked! The last couple of days I didn't wanna play anything other than AI - The Somnium files and after ~25 hours playtime I completed the game and immediately ordered NirvanA Initiative. I usually wait for games to go on sale but if the secondThe first 2 hours or so felt really slow and I kinda forgot about the game after that. However I continued playing about 2 weeks later and I was hooked! The last couple of days I didn't wanna play anything other than AI - The Somnium files and after ~25 hours playtime I completed the game and immediately ordered NirvanA Initiative. I usually wait for games to go on sale but if the second part is anything like the first I won't regret paying full price for the psysical copy.… Expand
  2. tom974
    Sep 19, 2022
    8
    To be brief : great story, nice artistic direction, original gameplay but poor technic and optimization. The game lacks a bit of polish on certain aspects (technic, optimisation, rythm, somnium phases gameplay) but it really is a must try at least for those who like the visual novel genre.
  3. MaximMillennia
    Sep 12, 2022
    10
    A game that can make me genuinely laugh my ass off must be a good one. And it is! Obscurity, eccentricity, degeneracy. Everything I need and like in my games when I need to cool off my brain during the day.
  4. Sunshadow87
    Aug 7, 2022
    9
    No soy especial fan de las Visual Novels, aunque he disfrutado algunas, por ello este juego ha pasado por debajo de mi radar hasta recientemente, poco antes de lanzarse la secuela que descubrí que el desarrollador era el mismo equipo detrás de la saga 999 y me lance a por ella.

    He de decir que a nivel de historia, seguramente sea una de las mejores VN, poniéndote en la piel de un    No soy especial fan de las Visual Novels, aunque he disfrutado algunas, por ello este juego ha pasado por debajo de mi radar hasta recientemente, poco antes de lanzarse la secuela que descubrí que el desarrollador era el mismo equipo detrás de la saga 999 y me lance a por ella.

    He de decir que a nivel de historia, seguramente sea una de las mejores VN, poniéndote en la piel de un detective con un trasfondo de ciencia ficción que te tiene dando vueltas y comiéndote la cabeza durante todo el juego, mientras hace buen uso del "efecto mariposa" en las distintas bifurcaciones que podemos tomar. El juego te mantiene activo mentalmente intentando encajar las piezas del puzzle y resolver el caso hasta el increíblemente apoteósico final verdadero, donde ya sabes como va a acabar todo y aún así es imposible no emocionarte. Eso sí, hay algún personaje que se me hizo bastante insoportable durante el juego, sobre todo en algunos caminos...Ota...

    Sin embargo, como digo no soy especialmente fan de las VN, y aquellas que más he disfrutado son las que son capaces de integrar de forma orgánica el gameplay de la VN con otro genero, generalmente el de puzzle. Esto es algo que la saga 999 hace a la perfección (así como otras como la saga ace attorney o el profesor layton). Sin embargo, aquí la dinámica de puzzle esta integrada cuando entramos en los sueños de otros personajes. Esta mecánica orgánica es, pero justamente al trabajar en sueños, las soluciones de los puzzles resultan realmente aleatorias, y la mayor parte del tiempo los resolveremos por prueba y error (aunque hay excepciones, y hay algunos sueños realmente interesantes). Aparte de esto, el juego incorpora momentos de "quick-events" que le aportan variedad y resultan cuanto menos cómicos.

    Otro problema de mecánica (y este si que es de la parte de VN) es que la habilidad de pasar rápido el texto no esta del todo bien implementada... solo permitiendonos pasar una línea de texto si la hemos escuchada en la bifurcación que actualmente estamos, pero no si ya la escuchamos en otra, haciendo la exploración de varias rutas un tanto tediosa a veces (aunque la capacidad de saltar al momento que queramos de las rutas desbloqueadas se agradece a cambio). También existe un bug que aparece a veces que te permite saltar texto que NO HAS VISTO previamente. No es molesto, pero si no te das cuenta puede hacerte pasar líneas de dialogo importante y hacerte abrir el backlog para leerlas.

    También cabe mencionar, de que aunque no influya apenas por el tipo de juego que es, la versión de switch al menos tiene problemas de rendimiento. Ocurren a veces, que tarda unos segundos en mostrarnos la siguiente línea. Solo ocurre en algunos momentos en algunas rutas (especialmente hacía el final), y sí que puede llegar a resultar algo molesto a veces.

    Así pues, el juego tiene fallos, y personalmente esta por debajo de 999, pero no en su historia que es en última instancia, la parte más importante aquí.    … Expand
  5. KanmuriDavid
    Apr 22, 2022
    10
    Great character design, awesome soundtrack, gripping story with plenty of twists!
  6. Ventu
    Apr 9, 2022
    8
    AI: The Somnium Files es una novela visual muy interesante y con un marcado sentido del humor constante. La jugabilidad es más amplia que lo habitual dentro del género, ya que podremos investigar los escenarios y resolver los puzzles del Somnium. La historia sigue siendo guiada, y no puedes saltarte nada importante, más allá de las habituales rutas para diferentes finales de este género.AI: The Somnium Files es una novela visual muy interesante y con un marcado sentido del humor constante. La jugabilidad es más amplia que lo habitual dentro del género, ya que podremos investigar los escenarios y resolver los puzzles del Somnium. La historia sigue siendo guiada, y no puedes saltarte nada importante, más allá de las habituales rutas para diferentes finales de este género. Los personajes son muy carismáticos y bien desarrollados, siendo lo mejor del juego. Los gráficos son muy buenos dentro de este género, con unos controles y músicas muy correctos. Lo mejor, la historia y los personajes, con un gran final, y siendo necesario hacer todas las rutas para comprender la historia en su totalidad. Lo peor, las fases del somnium, al ser necesario ensayo y error en nunerosas ocasiones, se pueden hacer pesadas, y durante toda la historia las bromas sexuales son continuas, aunque en su mayoría pueden resultar graciosas, a veces se siente excesivo. En definitiva, totalmente recomendable si te gusta este género, ya que implementa mecánicas novedosas y originales, acompañadas por una buena historia y grandes personajes.… Expand
  7. IcyRice
    Feb 15, 2022
    10
    Really quickly only have 2 slight issues with AI: The Somnium Files. The pacing can be a bit slow rarely and the game can get a bit buggy but it honestly doesn't happen to often. Shame it got review bombed at release.
    If you haven't played a vn yet start with something easy like Ace Attorney before diving into this, if you have played a few vns you will appreciate how much of a    Really quickly only have 2 slight issues with AI: The Somnium Files. The pacing can be a bit slow rarely and the game can get a bit buggy but it honestly doesn't happen to often. Shame it got review bombed at release.
    If you haven't played a vn yet start with something easy like Ace Attorney before diving into this, if you have played a few vns you will appreciate how much of a masterpiece this game is.
    The story, characters, dialogue, suspense, twists, gameplay, soundtrack and puzzles are incredible. This is a very psychological driven story with complex characters who are unique, honestly enough said. I rarely say a game is perfect, but damn this is oh so close to that. Spike Chunsoft games in general are well done. Since this game is so complex (multiple endings, non-linear format etc.) someone new to vns may not understand certain elements well    … Expand
  8. Bakuganfan69420
    Dec 15, 2021
    9
    Huh? What was that? No you! Just let me have this!
    oh~ sorry, I was talking to my eye ball girl friend. Yeah, haha, we've been goin steady for like 23 hours now, (cuz thats about how long it took me to beat this game fyi). But, I do consider myself a 'professional' game reviewee, so ill try to stay on track! No babe, Im just writing a review! haha sorry about that!
    Anyway! This game is    Huh? What was that? No you! Just let me have this!
    oh~ sorry, I was talking to my eye ball girl friend. Yeah, haha, we've been goin steady for like 23 hours now, (cuz thats about how long it took me to beat this game fyi). But, I do consider myself a 'professional' game reviewee, so ill try to stay on track! No babe, Im just writing a review! haha sorry about that!
    Anyway! This game is super dee duper good! Wow! Im so thankful that my good pal borrowed this to me! Mostly cuz the game was really fun! But also, so I didnt have to pay for it. (You know how switch games are! I mean can you believe Nintendo? Its like a bigillion years old, and its probably like $60 still! ((Which, after playing, I think is a reasonable price!)) Disclaimer: I havent actually looked up its current price. Im just assuming, so dont flame me on Tw!tter!)
    Anyway! I was Hop Hop Hoppy Happy to play through this game! A genuine culinary delight! *slurp noise* (Almost as good as that catfish I had in Nawleans)
    Anyway! The story is super good! I wasnt sure what to expect, but man, like a piping hot $5.99 two topping dominos medium pizza, it most certainly delivers! The characters are great! This game would actually be a Bakuganfan69420 first with a 10/10 if not for that bleh ending. Speaking of the ending, [SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!] that dance sequence might have made me laugh so hard that I..... uhhhh nevermind.
    Anyway! Best girl was Breets! *Kreygasm* (Thats the nickname my chat came up with for that SMOKIN' secretary! Aw yeah!) That ending where we take her to wherever we took her, (I forgot the name, someone look it up for me and write it in the comment section. Also dont forget to subscribe and like this review and click that bell for more Bakuganfan69420 reviews in the future!)
    Kaniza dude! What a chad! Hes my best friend! Kaniza dude!
    The gameplay was pretty good! lots of different aspects to the dreams really made this game shine like an expensive, beautiful, Christmas tree topper! (Happy Christmas Everyone! *hype emoji*) I particularly enjoyed that sweet Shovelforge one! With the dancin, and the singin! INVINCIBLE RAINBOW **** nice!
    Anyway! To conclude, This game is very good! Super fun! Lots of bright colors! The story is engaging and I recommend this to everyone who owns a Nintendo Switch! Ill bet it even looks nicer on the OLED model! (I couldnt tell ya, cuz Im not fortunate enough to own one of those but hey Christmas is riiiiight around the corner! teehee!)
    Anyway! Thats about all I have for this game! Definitely give it a go! Even if it is still $60! Again I havent looked it up to confirm the price, but its defs worth it at that price! Ill be getting the squeequal when it comes out next year! 9/10, I probably wont play it again but I wish I could lose my memories of the game in a somnium scan (activate!) so I could relive this game in all its glory!    … Expand
  9. nicktlk
    Oct 29, 2021
    10
    wow. I've been putting off this game for way too long until I finally gave it a try. And I've been blown away. At first sight the game looks simplistic, but the story is just so amazingly written you just cannot get enough of it. Even after several hours in, you still have no idea what exactly is going on. Curiosity and the masterfully crafted plot keep you glued to the screen.
  10. Tortor
    Oct 25, 2021
    10
    Probably the best interactive story game I've ever played.

    It was a chunky one too, took me several weekends to finally get through it. The gameplay can be a bit tedious though, wasn't a huge fan of the system set up to dive into someone's mind. Everytime that would occur I kinda dreaded it because sometimes these can get lengthy for a sliver of plot that you get in return. Also I'd be    Probably the best interactive story game I've ever played.

    It was a chunky one too, took me several weekends to finally get through it.

    The gameplay can be a bit tedious though, wasn't a huge fan of the system set up to dive into someone's mind. Everytime that would occur I kinda dreaded it because sometimes these can get lengthy for a sliver of plot that you get in return. Also I'd be constantly worried that I'd get myself killed and have to repeat something. Once I started understanding how the branching paths worked though this got a lot easier to speed through. The game did a good job letting you know what decision caused it to branch out.

    The story and character in this, I absolutely loved. The story is absolutely bonkers. It's all sorta confusing at first and I can totally seeing it being nonsensical at first but towards the end things make sense. This also took some story paths that I did not see coming and was pleasantly surprised with. It waz very drama heavy but broke up that drama with some humor.

    Humor is super subjective but I found the humor used here was amazing. I definitely laughed out loud a few times with some of the jokes and cuteness. It got kinda silly in such a fun, high camp sort of way. If you appreciate camp then this will definitely work for ya.

    Overall I had such an amazing time with this, I felt so fulfilled by the end with my experience. You know it's good when months later I still recall how fun of an adventure this was.    … Expand
  11. PigMacLord
    Sep 27, 2021
    10
    To start I'd like to explain that just because I gave the game a 10 doesn't mean that the game is flawless. It's just that from my perspective I find it to be a masterpiece. AI: The Somnium Files is one of my favourite games/game experiences of all time. To start I'll praise what the game did undeniably well. As expected of Kotaro Uchikoshi, the writing of this game is superb. Both theTo start I'd like to explain that just because I gave the game a 10 doesn't mean that the game is flawless. It's just that from my perspective I find it to be a masterpiece. AI: The Somnium Files is one of my favourite games/game experiences of all time. To start I'll praise what the game did undeniably well. As expected of Kotaro Uchikoshi, the writing of this game is superb. Both the unraveling of all the story elements as well as every single mystery in the game was mind-blowing. If you like the mystery genre even a little, this game has a fantastic one to offer you. Now I'd like to talk about the other elements of the game that had a mixed reaction with the general public. Personally I've found the characters to be very strong. Each of them had a quite complex personality that shown through in their interactions with one another throughout he game. However, I've noticed many people have had a problem with the characters. I do see their perspective as some of the characters could be found annoying, or foolish at times throughout the story. But in my opinion this made them seem someone more believable than characters I've found in other stories, as it seemed that the characters' perspectives on situations were wholly unique. There are also many emotional moments that resonated with me and that's why I didn't dock anything when it came to characters. Next, I'd like to explain the humour in this game. This seemed to be another divisive point when it came to this game as there are a TON of perverted jokes when it came to this game. Now I wouldn't say that I am personally a huge fan of perverted jokes but I'm not a prude when it comes to them. When it comes to the humour in this game I feel like it was really well done. Let's take a look at another game in the mystery visual novel genre, Danganronpa. I am a big fan of the Danganronpa series but one thing that bugged me was the humour. Often times the serious moments would be thrown off course in the middle of them with random bits of humour. I found that this was very intrusive, and a fault of the game as it wouldn't let some emotional moments resonate. However in AI: The Somnium Files, despite a dark gritty theme, the humour is properly timed and kept out of areas of the game that it would be inappropriate. Actually, I found that the humour was actually beneficial in AI: The Somnium Files due to the timing as it alleviated the tension when needed. Even if the humour is not to your liking, it played a great narrative purpose and so I believe it to be another good point. The gameplay wasn't anything incredible, but the interactivity of the puzzles added a certain layer of immersion. Whether it be the funny bits between Date and Aiba during the Somniums, or the emotional impact of other moments (which would be spoiler-ish if I mentioned them), I found the gameplay, while not particularly impressive, to be nice.

    TLDR
    So despite the minor kinks in an otherwise amazing game, since the theming, mystery, characters and humour were all to my liking. I found AI: The Somnium Files to be a masterpiece and it has definitely secured a spot as one of my favourite games of all time.    … Expand
  12. igolrum
    May 25, 2021
    10
    Very good characters, humor and a "wtf is going on?" kind of murder mystery story that still manages to make sense in the end.
  13. capedavenger
    Apr 20, 2021
    10
    I make it quick. This is an absolute masterpiece. Incredible. It's tough and gruesome to get through (emotionally)...but believe me it's a journey you should make...and you have to make it to the very end. That's all.
  14. Yunadesu
    Feb 13, 2021
    10
    Loved the story and plot twists for this game. If there is anything I feel like that could've been better its probably the gameplay during the somnium. Since everything was random it makes the playthrough tedious and frustrating.
  15. SagiR1
    Jan 24, 2021
    9
    AI: The somnium files is an awesome games. Great direction and great story. Lots of twist and turn. This game is futuristic of our time and could be said to be Ai: The Somnium Files 2077

    Story: It is amazing story that you should play by yourself. The branching path story with several endings. A little predictable but when it all come together. You will felt surprised and even impressed    AI: The somnium files is an awesome games. Great direction and great story. Lots of twist and turn. This game is futuristic of our time and could be said to be Ai: The Somnium Files 2077

    Story: It is amazing story that you should play by yourself. The branching path story with several endings. A little predictable but when it all come together. You will felt surprised and even impressed by the creativity and innovativeness of the story.

    Gameplay: It is visual novel style when progressing the story but turned into escape room during somnium or dream world investigation phase. Visual novel phase is similar to Professor Layton where you can touch to learn more about it which also lead to funny and unexpected dialogue. There are quick button press event that is wacky and very fun to watch. Anything is possible which make it funny and make you felt wow. It is true meaning of Cyberpunk if you ask me. For somnium world is the reason to play this game. Aiba and Date interaction in this phase is full of emotion with every choice you make. Every choice are full of references. Somnium dive are awesome as every somnium is different. I always want to play this mode more and more. It is very creative and innovative for this mode.

    Music: Overall composition and song during gameplay are great and match to all story. Yes, the one song with lyrics is quite a cringe. They try to make VTuber style character but lyrics and the song is no match for each other. The lyric is important as it tells story but please make the song listenable next time for English audience. I played this game in Autumn 2019, if I knew VTuber such as Hololive or Nijisanji exist at that time. I would just open their song on tops of it happens. They have one in the ending as well which is double-edge sword, you want to listen to it because it is the ending song and lots of interaction between characters in the game but the song is just screeching to the ear and make my music sense worse for 3 months after listening to it.

    Conclusion: This is true cyberistic experience, Many impossible things became possible, Unique and intense story and gameplay which will blow your mind. Funny and humorous game but can be get tense and full of emotion. It is MSG of gameplay that will spice things up and make it looks awesome. Awesome game    … Expand
  16. Pheenic
    Jan 21, 2021
    10
    God, please play this game. When I played it at the end of 2019, it was a long while since a game sucked me in like this one did. Hell, I haven't had a game SINCE this one that drew all my attention. The characters, the music, the story are all phenomenal! And the TWISTS. I won't bring it up but man... MAN.
  17. HuTTreses
    Jan 8, 2021
    10
    Great game perfect gameplay and beautiful graphics, the game has a good story I recommend you play
  18. Overprogi
    Oct 15, 2020
    9
    You can always trust Taekoshi Kotaro-this genius producer can always bring us amazing works, such as this game. The exquisite plot setting and funny language bring a brand new experience.
  19. caysjose
    Oct 5, 2020
    9
    GREAT GAME, I picked this while on 50% sale. I would really like to have amnesia just to play this game again! The story is Dark with some surprising twist. Sometimes complicated but very interesting and the game try their best to tell you so you won't get confused. There's a lot of joke too, and it's hilarious and random. If you try to interact with everything in this game, you may beGREAT GAME, I picked this while on 50% sale. I would really like to have amnesia just to play this game again! The story is Dark with some surprising twist. Sometimes complicated but very interesting and the game try their best to tell you so you won't get confused. There's a lot of joke too, and it's hilarious and random. If you try to interact with everything in this game, you may be rewarded with jokes and sometimes it's pop culture jokes u may reckon from another things. The Gameplay is a thing u can't find anywhere else. Mainly, You'll play in a "Somnium" where you must interact with something to trigger a Memories of someone in cost of Time, Time out you lose. The character is memorable. I love Mizuki! I love the Music and A-Set Song. The VA is also very good, but I always prefer Japanese to make authentic experience.

    There's a minor problems tho. Sometimes the graphics looks blurry (Switch), I think this is the area where game dev can actually make more efforts. In a cutscene where you'll move to another location, hiccups framerate will happened (Switch), but this won't affect your gameplay. I mentioned earlier that this Story is complicated, Some people may not enjoy and can't follows the plot. Some may be will complained with lack of gameplay.

    But overall this is GREAT, if you're looking for Story based game / Visual Novel kinda like game with Unique gameplay! I really hope they'll make a sequel with more added engaging gameplay...    … Expand
  20. SeeSunRun09
    Sep 5, 2020
    9
    An engaging and entertaining mystery story. Has a bit of a slow start; and it can at times feel tonally jarring, switching between scenes of cartoonish action and horrific drama. The ending brings it all together, and it retroactively makes the story/game feel much more cohesive and satisfying.
  21. Bromareo
    Aug 23, 2020
    10
    To put it simply, a beautifully crafted game. This game makes you feel every emotion there is in a stunning story with characters that feel like real individuals.
  22. RedXVIII1987
    Aug 15, 2020
    10
    This is the only VN that i have liked, not just liked, i really enjoy it so much, and love the ride of emotions this game has. All the characters are interesting and well written. I love how the 3D characters interact or react to comments or while others are talking. The mystery in this game is so good, you will enjoy trying to figure the case, the music is amazing too. This game is moreThis is the only VN that i have liked, not just liked, i really enjoy it so much, and love the ride of emotions this game has. All the characters are interesting and well written. I love how the 3D characters interact or react to comments or while others are talking. The mystery in this game is so good, you will enjoy trying to figure the case, the music is amazing too. This game is more for mature people , yes it has ridiculous jokes but is necessary to balance the sad moments. This became my favorite game and my favorite game ending.… Expand
  23. kayaahiko
    Jul 30, 2020
    10
    This game is going straight to the top of my favourites. You can see that so much love and effort has been put in this game, with great dialogue between characters (the comedy was great), a gripping story line/mystery and enjoyable puzzles between. Would definitely recommend.
  24. Anonime
    Jul 10, 2020
    9
    Its authors succeeded again, another great game.

    Although it does not measure up to Zero escape, this game gets you hooked just the same, with its puzzles, its timelines, its charismatic characters, its very good soundtrack ... There is little that can be negative about this game , perhaps that made me a little predictable in some things, and that its ending left me with a WTF face ...    Its authors succeeded again, another great game.

    Although it does not measure up to Zero escape, this game gets you hooked just the same, with its puzzles, its timelines, its charismatic characters, its very good soundtrack ... There is little that can be negative about this game , perhaps that made me a little predictable in some things, and that its ending left me with a WTF face ... In the sense of ... What am I seeing now?

    But hey, it's great, I highly recommend it.    … Expand
  25. catsi
    Jul 6, 2020
    10
    A wonderful cast of characters and a story that leaves you guessing up until the moment of truth, where the way everything comes together will make your head spin. I adored every moment of this game, and I'm going to be thinking about it for a very long time.
  26. kiyo_komaeda
    Jun 27, 2020
    10
    This game is 10/10. The plot, the characters, the music and the visuals are amazing. Gameplay was also really refreshing and nice. I really liked it. It is really sad that this amazing game is so underrated. Just play it you won’t regret. Especially if you like murder mysteries.
  27. Hiroshichen
    Jun 13, 2020
    10
    For the new comer who are interesting in AVG games, this one is worth to try. Extraordinary story and fascinating characters would not disappoint you.
  28. SatouSatou
    Apr 29, 2020
    10
    One the best games of uchikochi, the game is asome and the animation is best, the game is so long and the puzzles they are very well achieved
  29. Khaz
    Apr 29, 2020
    10
    This has become my favorite Visual Novel of all time. Having played Uchikoshi's other VNs I expected to like it, but I figured that there would be at least one character I didn't enjoy. Every character felt well developed, so that even the ones I didn't like I could enjoy disliking. Also, this game was so much funnier than I expected! I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. The storyThis has become my favorite Visual Novel of all time. Having played Uchikoshi's other VNs I expected to like it, but I figured that there would be at least one character I didn't enjoy. Every character felt well developed, so that even the ones I didn't like I could enjoy disliking. Also, this game was so much funnier than I expected! I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. The story is well developed and critical information is delivered at a good pace to give you the chance to make guesses and keep revising as you learn more. The important twists are well constructed, so that you have all the information you need to have guessed them and whether you did figure them out ahead of time or not the reveal is satisfying. All in all, it was a fantastic mystery experience front to back and I fully recommend it.… Expand
  30. DeltaPeng
    Apr 19, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Good story based game with mystery, horror, and mind bendy moments. I'll say compared to his previous works, tho overall it was perhaps a tad less intense than I expected (slightly, maybe cause other moments are more lighthearted), albeit the final reveal was not as shocking as previous games. I think it was a pretty good blend. Tho thinking back there are some very intense/gory scenes so it definitely gets it's M rating, and is not something I'd want someone to accidentally walk in on per the more intense moments, The ending was strong, albeit I managed to figure out parts of it. I like the somnium gameplay elements a lot more than I expected, you do have to reset a lot at times so some moments prob penalize you too strongly, but the witty dialogue and process of trial and error was a lot of fun. Some of it seems to make sense too from a loosely connected sense in how events may be interpretted in the dream/somnium world instead per the viewers pov. Some solid character writing, I particularly love Aiba, though Date, Iris, and Mitsuki are all voiced and portrayed quite well too. The English VA is a thing of beauty, fits the characters very well, n the devs did a solid job of making the character animations expressive and interesting, n keeping a tense atmosphere

    Per the parts that could use improvement, I do like the story branching, albeit a solid chunk of it (maybe 2-4 hours) felt like a rehash because of similar events. So some parts of the story felt like I had to sludge through it / the pacing was way too slow or repetitive, but the overall story and payoff and reveals is pretty solid and is tied up pretty well. It makes some sense as some of that is laying the groundwork, but I was playing with a friend at the time and the rehash didn't seem to add much at first glance, mayhaps cause it was played too closely together. Clicking on non-important items in the environment was mostly worthless and a waste of time to click on, instead of having witty dialogue, it mostly just blandly described the item. I.e., clicking on a tv or banner on the wall would say something dull like "This is a tv" or "A banner hanging on the wall". Felt lazy and tbh a waste of time, items shouldn't be clickable if it has no purpose and adds nothing to the lore of the world or to flesh out the character's perspective. Would've been better to not have it and give the illusion of things to do when there was none, i.e. playing with my friend, seemed a waste of time when he played and tried to click through everything bc the flavor text was so bland. The jokes on Dates reaction time was way over used and got tired, and the quick time events segment were also pretty meh. Not that I care that much about it, but I feel the pacing and everything would've been better to either just leave it out, or to make it simpler. It's already dead simple, so having to hold a button or track an item for 5-10 secs is about as fun as...wait, it's not fun or challenging. That said, either it should've been fleshed out or just ignored/simplified to just a button press or a quick point and click. As is it didn't add much, but that's fine, the meat and potatoes is of course the story and somnium gameplay, the other stuff should instead, imo, just be streamlined to progress the story. As mentioned before, some somnium element penalties could have been lessened to reduce the number of restarts, and to encourage more exploration/trial of non-essential elements. There isn't a ton of replay value once you've beaten the game I think, I mean it'd be interesting to go through some parts of the story to see nuances, but it's a long story based game. Idk if it's be worth it for the little nods. The somnium portions might be fun to run through again, primarily though if a no penalty/invincible mode existed. It'd be more interesting to replay if you brought someone new in to explore it, probably.

    (spoiler alert!!)
    One character I had to suspend some disbelief, it may've been nice if their ability had some kind of explanation, but didn't really happen. (M's power.) I guess the motive for another character in some paths is not really explained much either. (P's motivations)
    (end spoiler alert)

    Overall, the story is cleverly done with likable characters, who are well voiced and fleshed out well. The ending wraps things up pretty nicely, and the overall story is interesting with good attention to detail. The way things unravel helps keep the mystery elements pretty strong throughout. Not much in terms of replayability, but overall another interesting, mind bendy, unique work of art by the dev.

    I'd give it like a 88. A bit more streamlining to keep th story flowing, n less rehash wld help. If they could find a way to add mor replay value it'd make it mor worth th full $60, as I got about the avg complete time frm it 27 hrs or so, tho the production qualities r certainly improving. I'm open to seeing more work from th dev in the future    … Expand
  31. Gameoverlatam
    Apr 2, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Un cadáver es descubierto en un parque de diversiones abandonado, la víctima presenta numerosas perforaciones en su abdomen y le falta el ojo izquierdo. Las circunstancias del asesinato se asimilan mucho a unos asesinatos en serie que tomaron lugar 6 años antes de los acontecimientos del juego, donde también las víctimas aparecían sin un ojo.

    Así empieza la historia de nuestro protagonista Kaname Date, un detective que misteriosamente también le falta su ojo izquierdo, en el cual tiene un ojo prostético donde reside su compañera de investigación, una inteligencia artificial de última generación conocida como Aiba. Date es parte del departamento policíaco metropolitano de Tokyo perteneciente a la división conocida como ABIS que se encarga de infiltrarse en la mente de los sospechosos para conseguir información que estos no recuerdan o simplemente no quieren presentar.

    AI: the Somnium Files es el último juego del director Kotaro Uchikoshi, creador de la aclamada trilogía de supervivencia y misterio “Zero Escape”. Tu trabajo es descubrir quién es el culpable, investigando las diversas escenas del crimen e interrogando a los sospechosos aún si estos no recuerdan información valiosa para la investigación, pues gracias a tu compañera Aiba, puedes acceder a los sueños de dichos sospechosos para tratar de interpretarlos y sacar información valiosa.

    El juego se divide en dos partes, la primera consiste en investigaciones, ya sea de las escenas del crimen, interrogando a los personajes de la historia o simplemente dialogando con ellos para conocerlos más a fondo, tratando de sacar cualquier información relevante para la investigación. Lo bien escritos que están todos los personajes y las personalidades de ambos protagonistas (Date y Aiba) hacen que todos los diálogos tengan un humor increíble. Sin lugar a duda, parte de la magia de los diálogos está en los monólogos que suceden entra Aiba y Date.

    La segunda parte del juego consiste en entrar en los sueños de los sospechosos, donde puedes moverte libremente dentro de los mismos, interactuando con objetos, tratando de remover los bloqueos mentales que protegen la información que tanto estas buscando. Dentro de los sueños hay un límite de tiempo de 6 minutos bien justificado por la historia, pero no te preocupes, en caso de no poder solucionar el sueño siempre puedes empezar de nuevo sin ningún tipo de penalidad.

    Al igual que los otros juegos de Uchikoshi, tus decisiones cuentan y van moldeando la historia a tu alrededor, en varios momentos tus acciones abren diversos caminos, estos pueden verse en el “flowchart” del juego, una especie de línea temporal gráfica donde puedes ver por qué camino estás yendo y te permite saber fácilmente si otra decisión hubiera abierto otro futuro por donde pudiste haberte ido. Estos futuros son completamente diferentes el uno del otro, siempre dándote información relevante para tu investigación. En cualquier momento de la historia puedes ir hacia atrás en el flowchart y elegir otro camino, pero ten en cuenta que Date no recuerda lo que hizo en otra ruta tomada previamente

    AI: the Somnium Files es uno de los mejores juegos que he tenido la oportunidad de jugar en los últimos años, la historia me hizo lagrimear más de una vez y los personajes están tan bien escritos que encariñarse con ellos es solo cuestión de tiempo. La historia es extremadamente memorable, sigo pensando en el juego días después de terminarlo. Uchikoshi diseña su historia de una manera que siempre hay giros en la trama y todo lo que creías se va por la borda. Súmale a esto que los personajes fueron diseñados por el diseñador de Fire Emblem y la música te mantendrá enganchado de principio a fin.

    Ningún juego es perfecto, el límite de tiempo dentro de los sueños puede verse como una limitación molesta, pues siempre se puede empezar sin penalidad, esto sumado a que si eres una persona que no le gusta leer mucho, este no es el juego para ti.

    Me tomó aproximadamente 24 horas conseguir el true ending. Este podría ser el mejor juego que ha dirigido Uchikoshi, donde se nota que la pasión por su trabajo y la determinación de su equipo dieron fruto.    … Expand
  32. hereticgrim
    Mar 14, 2020
    10
    AI is a fantastic story, with a lovable cast of characters and plot twists that will blow your mind. Any fan of visual novels, mystery, and thrillers will love this game.
  33. Mimmu
    Mar 3, 2020
    8
    Fans of zero escape games will certainly like this one. I love the aesthetic and the voice acting (able to choose japanese voices with english subs!). The controls are good (although extra points would be given if you could play with just one hand entirely - 95% of it is playable one handed.. just from time to time the game forces me to try to find where i put the right joycon just so iFans of zero escape games will certainly like this one. I love the aesthetic and the voice acting (able to choose japanese voices with english subs!). The controls are good (although extra points would be given if you could play with just one hand entirely - 95% of it is playable one handed.. just from time to time the game forces me to try to find where i put the right joycon just so i can open up the map). Points are lost because the puzzles are often just trial and error. Overall story is a ‘page-turner’, and that’s the main thing!… Expand
  34. Kashiblood
    Mar 2, 2020
    10
    Best game i've ever played. Literally. The story and characters are amazing and I cried so much at many points in the story.
  35. Terrorgod
    Feb 28, 2020
    9
    The AI somnium files is a murder mystery that has you follow the main character Date and his AI partner as you uncover the truths behind the new cyclops serial killings. You do this by going through point and click segments interacting with items in the world, talking to the people on screen, and later doing one of the core gameplay segments, psyncing (diving into someones dreams). As youThe AI somnium files is a murder mystery that has you follow the main character Date and his AI partner as you uncover the truths behind the new cyclops serial killings. You do this by going through point and click segments interacting with items in the world, talking to the people on screen, and later doing one of the core gameplay segments, psyncing (diving into someones dreams). As you do these dives, you learn that there is a branch in peoples minds where the story will diverge into different routes, this is all reasonably well maintained in a flowchart and allows for you to experience the events of a single day in different fashions.

    While this gameplay loop isn't very intensive and relatively simple, I feel like it combos really well making an interactive story that I was able to sit down with and enjoy while being tired. The relaxing yet intense vibes as you are constantly trying to make sense of all that is happening in this world really got me going to the point I did screw up my sleep schedule just to achieve a route ending out of sheer curiosity. Overall I loved the characters and story.

    Mentioning the story, I feel that it was structured very well. The mystery was well laid out, the characters all accomplished their roles very well, and it was a fun journey with just the right amount of chaos. There were some minor inconsistencies but i don't feel like those take to much from the overall experience. If I have anything to really complain about, its probably any of the action scenes. They were almost all poorly executed, extremely random, and definitely aiming at just being fan service (and the only one i actually even semi liked was one having the mc deciding if saving a life is worth the porn in his jacket).

    In conclusion, I give this game a 9/10 for the fact that I was hooked throughout the entire 25ish hour experience. It was a good ride that was I was able to relax with and I absolutely loved the style of writing in most cases. This game will is definitely not for everyone as its catered towards "weebs" but if that isn't going to phase you, I would humbly recommend giving it a shot. A-set you bet.    … Expand
  36. Raspbryl
    Feb 23, 2020
    10
    Having played the zero escape series I more or less knew what I was walking into... A string of escape room puzzles with an extremely complex plot and while the former was exactly as good as I expected the former was a bit of a letdown.

    I admit the latter part of the zero escape series (VLR-ZTD) had a hugely unfair difficulty curve but this feels like a massive over-correction. The    Having played the zero escape series I more or less knew what I was walking into... A string of escape room puzzles with an extremely complex plot and while the former was exactly as good as I expected the former was a bit of a letdown.

    I admit the latter part of the zero escape series (VLR-ZTD) had a hugely unfair difficulty curve but this feels like a massive over-correction. The puzzle sections feel a bit too easy.. indeed its no longer about carefully combing the environment and taking your time its about managing it. Every action in a puzzle section costs you time even walking. You can stand still if you need time to think but I found myself brute forcing these sections more often than not.

    I think I get what they were trying to do. Zero escape definitely had trouble conveying urgency through game play. You weren't ever solving puzzles under the gun, you had all the time in the world. So you'd have characters yelling at you to hurry but you quickly figured out there was no penalty coming. The new system... sacks interesting puzzles in favor of trying to add tension and I'm not sure I approve, I like being challenged and the puzzles just weren't doing it for me the way this director previous work has and while I enjoyed playing it I'm sort of hesitant to re-play it over 999 or VLR.

    That said I still wholly recommend it for its story aspect and while that too is was way more simple than I'm used to I was sort of okay with that by the end.    … Expand
  37. baerenknuddler
    Feb 23, 2020
    10
    This was my first visual novel and I fell in love with this game. I love whodunits and this game gives me everything I want from this genre.
  38. DonChalant
    Feb 22, 2020
    10
    My absolute favorite game of 2019. I've loved all of Kotaro Uchikoshi's previous works but these is easily his best game in my opinion. Anyone that likes mystery games definitely NEEDS to check this one out. By the very end of the game it truly becomes something special.
  39. RealGameCritic
    Oct 26, 2019
    9
    This is EASILY one of the best written video-games of this generation of gaming, and possibly even better writing than any game from last-gen too. The intricate hallucinating puzzle mechanics combined with the everlasting mystery Date tries to solve, leads to the resolution that left my mind blown after the hectic roller-coaster of emotions each path & scenario this game threw my way. TheThis is EASILY one of the best written video-games of this generation of gaming, and possibly even better writing than any game from last-gen too. The intricate hallucinating puzzle mechanics combined with the everlasting mystery Date tries to solve, leads to the resolution that left my mind blown after the hectic roller-coaster of emotions each path & scenario this game threw my way. The characters are immensely memorable and are written incredibly too. You can dive deeper into the somnium of my full review here at the link below!

    https://youtu.be/XkThZ899n9w    … Expand
  40. VixelPixel
    Feb 21, 2020
    10
    When I heard about this game, I immediately knew it would be something I would enjoy. I had never played an Uchikoshi game (well, I played an hour of 999 but that doesn’t count) but that didn’t stop me at all. As soon as I heard it was out for Switch, I bought it, and got the Day One edition with cute little stickers (One of which I slapped onto my laptop after finishing the game). TheWhen I heard about this game, I immediately knew it would be something I would enjoy. I had never played an Uchikoshi game (well, I played an hour of 999 but that doesn’t count) but that didn’t stop me at all. As soon as I heard it was out for Switch, I bought it, and got the Day One edition with cute little stickers (One of which I slapped onto my laptop after finishing the game). The first time I got it though, the cartridge was missing, which really bummed me out. Luckily, we got the game replaced and I was so excited to play it. I stayed up way to late playing the game because it was just so good! There were times when I had to remind myself to eat because I was so engrossed in the story. It’s not a long game, it took me 4 days of playing to finish it for a total of 24 hours spent in game. While the switch was a bit slow at loading some of the bigger scenes, it’s not that big of an issue. I could feel how hard the system as trying, as it was often really hot after coming out of docked mode. That said, the story, characters, and soundtrack charmed me so much. I really do love this game. If you have a love for murder mystery and humor, you’ll likely enjoy this game. Give it a shot!… Expand
  41. cdog2700
    Feb 20, 2020
    10
    Great game for anyone into puzzle games and deep stories. Although some of the storylines are a bit lacking, the better storylines makeup for it. Especially the true ending storyline.
  42. danielgusa
    Feb 20, 2020
    10
    Great game. I'm a Nonary Game fan, so this game scrateches the itch well. Great characters and story. Puzzles may seem a bit easier than past games, but they are generally ok.
  43. Linker357
    Feb 19, 2020
    10
    I was eyeing this game for a while now, had seen a couple of things about it here and there not nothing much. Being a fan of the Danganronpa series, as soon as I found it AIÑ The Somnium Files was made by Spike Chunsoft I knew I had to play it. so far I have been absolutely loving it: great characters and a storyline that keeps you on your toes, would definitely recommend to anyone lookingI was eyeing this game for a while now, had seen a couple of things about it here and there not nothing much. Being a fan of the Danganronpa series, as soon as I found it AIÑ The Somnium Files was made by Spike Chunsoft I knew I had to play it. so far I have been absolutely loving it: great characters and a storyline that keeps you on your toes, would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good thriller… Expand
  44. Dragnir
    Feb 19, 2020
    10
    A friend recommended me this game because I liked the Ace Attorney and Danganronpa series. I fell in love directly, amazing characters, humor and plot twists. It took me only 2 weeks to complete it. I'm making this review because the game is review bombed again and I'm disappointed since this game is truly amazing. I hope people will play and enjoy it as much as I did !
  45. hfuhah
    Feb 19, 2020
    10
    Really compelling and brilliantly told murder mystery story. A great intro to Uchikoshi's works with a 10/10 ending
  46. Peter_Ray
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    So it seems that the Dio cult has taken in another member into it's ranks. This is bad! The Yoosung Epidemic is Spreading!
    We must fight back and counter against this rising oppression of Tyrannical Pheeshy behavior, and reclaim our beloved work of Dear Sir Uchikoshi Sensei and his team's Hard and Toil!
    Go Forth Electabuzz!! RECLAIM US GLORY!!!
  47. Joshu09
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gosh, this is an absolute Masterpiece!
    I mean, everything Mr. Uchikoshi does is pure quality, but this is just... Outworldy uwu

    The "Familiar" atmosphere in Ota's route, the shock in the Annihilation route and the True Ending...Simply Masterful.    … Expand
  48. 1000Minus7
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    This game is one of my favorite games I’ve played so far. There’s so much emotion and suspense packed into this much underrated game. Uchikoshi never fails to amaze me with his games and his passion really shines through with this one! You can tell that a lot of work went into the creation of the game, and that’s one of the many reasons it’s such a great play.
    You’re guaranteed to get    This game is one of my favorite games I’ve played so far. There’s so much emotion and suspense packed into this much underrated game. Uchikoshi never fails to amaze me with his games and his passion really shines through with this one! You can tell that a lot of work went into the creation of the game, and that’s one of the many reasons it’s such a great play.
    You’re guaranteed to get invested in the story, the characters, and making all kinds of theories about what’ll happen next. The suspense really leaves you on the edge, making it nearly impossible to put down!    … Expand
  49. Randomkomand
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    Ffs can people stop bombing this thing, its a good spike chunsoft game.....
  50. cf12345
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    Definitely one of the best games I've played from 2019, the story is fantastic and gripping, and the characters are incredibly memorable. 100% going to play again soon!
  51. pixelhavokk
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    Quite possibly the best VN, and certainly the best mystery-centric game I've ever had the opportunity to play. Uchikoshi's newest work (999, VLR) is also quite possibly his best, in no small part due to a more restrained focus, tighter story, greater opportunities to flesh out his cast of lovable characters, and a presentation leagues beyond any of his DS and 3DS offerings. Is the gameQuite possibly the best VN, and certainly the best mystery-centric game I've ever had the opportunity to play. Uchikoshi's newest work (999, VLR) is also quite possibly his best, in no small part due to a more restrained focus, tighter story, greater opportunities to flesh out his cast of lovable characters, and a presentation leagues beyond any of his DS and 3DS offerings. Is the game perfect? Of course not, no game is. Some performance issues plague the game, it has crashed on my a few times (a generous autosave system prevented this from being anything beyond an annoyance) and some of the jokes didn't land quite as well as intended. However, it contains some of the best writing I've seen in any game to date, unforgettable characters, and a mystery that's still managing to worm it's way around my head. I wouldn't change a moment of it.… Expand
  52. Xerostray
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    This is an excellent game with a very deep and well written story. It did a great job keeping me engaged, the characters are all written in such a way that the can be related to, even though there are some crazy over the top moments which serve as comic relief when there are crimes and mysteries to solve. If you play through all the paths to get the full story, you're really in for anThis is an excellent game with a very deep and well written story. It did a great job keeping me engaged, the characters are all written in such a way that the can be related to, even though there are some crazy over the top moments which serve as comic relief when there are crimes and mysteries to solve. If you play through all the paths to get the full story, you're really in for an experience. The game is pretty long, I'd honestly compare it to an interactive book, but the game is fully voiced over so its almost like watching a crime show on tv. Fingers crossed for a sequel or another game that expands on this kind of concept because its honestly a work of art. I'm giving this game an actual rating of 8.5 but because of false review bombs i'll give it a 10 to help even out the score.… Expand
  53. Pikachu345
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    To the person review bombing this game. **** you right up the ass. I hope you kill yourself one day.
  54. Getscaredgirl
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    Fantastic game with an amazing story, characters, atmosphere and soundtrack. Great for people who want to get into other visual novels and fans of Zero Escape and Danganronpa.
  55. CatsuneNiku
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    I could go on and on about how much this game did right. It was exactly what I wanted from the project and more, with creative and fun character writing, a unique premise that immediately got me hooked, and constant twists and turns along the way. I couldn't recommend this game more.
  56. CaspianX
    Feb 18, 2020
    9
    AI: The Somnium Files is a Graphic Adventure with strong Visual Novel elements that places you in the role of an investigator in a futuristic police force that uses AI-augmented vision and subconscious-exploring technology (a la Inception) to solve crimes.

    This game's story and presentation is one of its strongest elements. It starts with a gruesome murder, and you're immediately    AI: The Somnium Files is a Graphic Adventure with strong Visual Novel elements that places you in the role of an investigator in a futuristic police force that uses AI-augmented vision and subconscious-exploring technology (a la Inception) to solve crimes.

    This game's story and presentation is one of its strongest elements. It starts with a gruesome murder, and you're immediately introduced to protagonist Date (pronounced Daw-Tay), a member of a special police task force with bizarre futuristic technology, including the aforementioned Inception-esque dream technology. Date has been assigned to investigate the crime in part because he knows the victim, and the investigation will soon come to involve others in his life as well.

    The story is told in a manner that's very reminiscent of an anime, with the game taking place in Tokyo and characters fitting into standard anime archetypes, although they're depicted with enough depth here, and the story itself is so engrossing that it really pulls you in - the game really makes you want to learn more about this world, and discover just what could have led to such a horrifying murder.

    However, one of the more inventive ways the game draws you into this world is when the game has the player go into Somnium, the game's term for a person's dream state or subconscious. Here, players take control of an avatar of Date's AI companion, who must navigate the dream state to not only uncover clues to the mysteries at hand, but also possibly heal the mental trauma of the subject.

    During these sections of the game, things play out like a warped Graphic Adventure, where players are observing the environment, looking for clues, and using items to solve puzzles, but since this is taking place in a dream state, the logic of everything doesn't follow real-world rules, and players have to try to wrap their brain around the strange logic this presents, often with symbolism playing just as much an element as traditional storytelling.

    These sections are also presented in a way that limits a player's time to move around and interact in this state, forcing players to be selective about which actions to take in this limited time. I was initially wary of this gameplay element, but players can at any time simply stop moving and look around to think about what they'll do next, and the clock stops with them, meaning that feeling of being rushed isn't as much of a concern, and instead the limited time means that players will have to be sure that every action they take is one they're fairly sure will help them accomplish their goals. I really appreciated how this encouraged taking a measured, thoughtful approach to this game's mind-bending puzzles.

    Outside of the Somnium sections, the game plays out more like a Visual Novel, with players observing environments, having conversations with various characters, and using the protagonist's artificial eye (itself a major character in the story) to dig up information.

    If there was one part of the game that I felt was a bit lacking, it was this part of the game, which comprises the majority of the game. It's not bad, by any stretch, as there is some very good story conveyed through this part of the game. However, there's nothing here that compares to the puzzle-solving found in the Somnium sections, and often I found myself wondering if my choices in these sections mattered, something that never seemed in question in the Somnium sections.

    Graphically, this game is good, using subtle cel shading to give this game an anime-style look that fits the story. It's not perfect - the environments could do with a bit more detail and the characters' mouths not moving in time with what they're saying feels a bit off, but on the whole this game looks pretty good visually.

    The sound on the other hand, is pretty fantastic, and in particular I have to give credit to the voice acting in this game, which is pretty excellent. Even though the writing at times dips into the cross-cultural awkwardness that's often typical of anime localizations, the voice acting does a great job of conveying the characters' feelings and giving us a good feel for them as actual people.

    I really enjoyed AI: The Somnium Files, thanks to the great story and presentation, and in particular the Somnium sections of the game, which are so surreal and with such unique puzzle logic that there doesn't seem much else out there like them. It's a shame that the rest of the game's gameplay isn't quite as engaging and imaginative as these portions, but the story generally picks up the slack. Fans of Graphic Adventures, anime, and sci-fi who don't have a problem with creepy, violent imagery should consider this game a must-buy.    … Expand
  57. Waii
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    Colocando Nota Máxima pq um corno veio e deu um bomb review. Espero q esse jogo ainda faça muito sucesso pela frente
  58. KobeBeef
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    Great game. Very good story. Spent hours on this game and couldn't stop it before I finished it.
  59. sailorknight
    Feb 18, 2020
    8
    This game has been review bombed AGAIN. Notice the negative scores that happened overnight. AGAIN.
  60. Annapaw
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    This game review bombed due to an statement that was simply LGBTQ+ positive, so i'll be here writing my two cents as part of the LGBTQ's
  61. NenJutsu
    Sep 17, 2019
    10
    Uchikoshi has done it again. Created one of the most captivating and well written stories in gaming including bad sex jokes. Zero Escape was an instant cult classic and super narratives in gaming. Ai The Somnium Files is an amazing follow up.


    the GOTY that will never get the attention or buzz it deserves
  62. Smeshy
    Feb 17, 2020
    10
    Just a great visual interactive novel mystery game all around with fun 3rd person escape the room puzzle types of portions in the game. Definitely recommend.
  63. Agnabright
    Feb 17, 2020
    10
    The absolute best characters I have ever seen in a video game along with the greatest story. Not too much gameplay in it, but it completely makes up for it.
  64. rcpleo
    Feb 17, 2020
    10
    This game is truly amazing. I was super impressed by its story and characters. The suspense and mystery throughout the game kept me playing, and some parts even made me a bit emotional. I highly recommend this game, and it is a must play on my list.
  65. lancermonna
    Feb 16, 2020
    10
    I am a huge fan of Uchikoshi's works and was immediately interested in playing Ai: Somnium files the minute I heard about it coming to the switch. Let me just say, thank God I gave this game a shot because I adored this game from opening to closing credits. If you are a fan of solving murder mysteries or even crime mysteries with an amazing plot, loveable characters that are well definedI am a huge fan of Uchikoshi's works and was immediately interested in playing Ai: Somnium files the minute I heard about it coming to the switch. Let me just say, thank God I gave this game a shot because I adored this game from opening to closing credits. If you are a fan of solving murder mysteries or even crime mysteries with an amazing plot, loveable characters that are well defined and an amazingly funny story, then all I have to say is, stop what you're doing, pick up this title and PLAY THIS GAME!! You will not be disappointed. In fact, I can personally guarantee that you will not be able to put down. It's that f**king good! You will be blown away with just how much love and attention the entire team, from development to localization, gave to this project. Everyone literally put their blood, sweat, and tears into making sure that we got everything we could ever hope for in a well-polished game and it clearly shows.
    I know that I am repeating myself like a broken record, but that is just how damn happy I am to have played this work of art!! The plot was so well written and engaging that it kept me eager to find out what happened next. The twists and turns were just enough to keep you on your toes without becoming too convoluted or boring. And when all is said and done, I could not find a single character that I did not give any f**ks about. . . . Well, there was 1 or 2, but this is not due to poor character development. The characters were just that believable. The ending is satisfying and did not come off as a Dues Ex Machina or a mary sue. Lastly, I have to say that both voices acting in both Japanese and English were A+ grade. I actually loved the English dub and Japanese equally. This is rare as I usually only play or watch anime in Japanese only so that I can have the original context of a story as it was originally intended. But, the translation was so great that I was left grinning from ear to ear at the cleaver dialog and banter between characters.

    In the end, thank you, THANK YOU Uchikoshi and everyone involved in creating and releasing this gem to the masses!    … Expand
  66. Lightning_Chasr
    Feb 16, 2020
    10
    Absolute masterpiece, one of my new favorite games of all time.
    If you're a fan of Zero Escape, Danganronpa, or murder mysteries in general, please play this.
  67. cNeq
    Feb 16, 2020
    10
    AI Somnium Files was a masterpiece and one of the most underrated visual novels.
  68. tobyfathom
    Feb 16, 2020
    10
    One of the best games I’ve ever played! The story is enthralling, nearly every character is fleshed out and sympathetic, and the twists are genuinely surprising while being hinted at and foreshadowed frequently. It’s not the most traditional game ever, but I would recommend it to basically who can handle a little blood/murder. I haven’t been this emotionally involved in a game in a longOne of the best games I’ve ever played! The story is enthralling, nearly every character is fleshed out and sympathetic, and the twists are genuinely surprising while being hinted at and foreshadowed frequently. It’s not the most traditional game ever, but I would recommend it to basically who can handle a little blood/murder. I haven’t been this emotionally involved in a game in a long time. There are some minor flaws (the switch version has some trouble playing some of the dialogue, Date’s Percy nature gets overstated and becomes a bit annoying, etc), but I’m willing to forgive them because of how thematically tight and well crafted the story is. Absolutely recommended.… Expand
  69. Zalezagoon
    Feb 16, 2020
    10
    Made an account to make for the sore loser who bombed this game;
    I'll admit I haven't actually played the game, but I did watch an entire lp of the game itself and I enjoyed it greatly. It's sitting in my wishlist at this very moment to play with some friends for our next get together,, just waiting for payday. The twists of this game are great, I loved the humor so much, and the    Made an account to make for the sore loser who bombed this game;
    I'll admit I haven't actually played the game, but I did watch an entire lp of the game itself and I enjoyed it greatly. It's sitting in my wishlist at this very moment to play with some friends for our next get together,, just waiting for payday. The twists of this game are great, I loved the humor so much, and the characters were all great and absolutely memorable with their own unique characteristics. The voice acting is amazing, which isn't something I usually praise. I Highly recommend playing this game.    … Expand
  70. scottxkx
    Feb 15, 2020
    10
    A worthwhile story game experience.
    The developers' strength is in weaving together perspectives and stories of its' characters together in a plot-twisting manner that leaves the player wanting to explore every possibility the universe has to offer.
    I personally don't play many console games anymore, and I really enjoy my personal, single-player experiences. This game is the only    A worthwhile story game experience.
    The developers' strength is in weaving together perspectives and stories of its' characters together in a plot-twisting manner that leaves the player wanting to explore every possibility the universe has to offer.
    I personally don't play many console games anymore, and I really enjoy my personal, single-player experiences.
    This game is the only console game I played, as well as completed, and achieved a 100% completion for in all of 2019 (probably last couple of years now I think about it).
    Worth it indeed.
    Cheers.    … Expand
  71. jax-nero
    Feb 15, 2020
    10
    Surprised at every single turn glad I gave this game a chance. Its needs more praise.
  72. Benjullb
    Feb 15, 2020
    10
    Amazing mystery, amazing characters, tons of touching moments, an original puzzle system and at the end of the day one of the most unique experiencies of this year.
  73. Onda_In_Space
    Feb 14, 2020
    9
    Ai: The Somnium Files has heart — and lots of it. From its carefully crafted plot to its stellar voice acting, this game's best elements set a new standard for the visual novel genre.

    However, BE WARNED: If you're looking for a puzzle-based game similar to the Nonary Games trilogy, this isn't it. The "puzzle segments" in this game are more rooted in exploration than heavy logic — which    Ai: The Somnium Files has heart — and lots of it. From its carefully crafted plot to its stellar voice acting, this game's best elements set a new standard for the visual novel genre.

    However, BE WARNED: If you're looking for a puzzle-based game similar to the Nonary Games trilogy, this isn't it. The "puzzle segments" in this game are more rooted in exploration than heavy logic — which is charming and fun in it's own way.

    Pros:

    -Gorgeous art style
    -Smart and engaging plot
    -Captivating characters
    -Lively humor
    -Solid UI
    -Raises the bar for English "anime" voice acting
    -Amazing soundtrack

    Cons:

    - *Passable-but-could-be-better* port to the Nintendo Switch's hardware — which isn't a huge issue considering how little frame dips happen.
    - During later parts of the game, the characters do lengthy recaps of the mystery's more complicated plot points to help clarify things. These recaps are extremely useful for players that don't have the time to play the game in long bursts — but for those looking to breeze through it in two or three days it risks taking you out of the moment.

    Give this gem a shot. You won't regret it.    … Expand
  74. velvetReveries
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    This game is full of heart, soul, and visual novel spirit. Please give this wonderful game a try. Playing this game is like watching a fireworks display. Glimmering, shining, beautiful fireworks...

    In all seriousness, there was not a single unlikable character. The designs of the characters are amazing, the story is gripping, and the game has the perfect balance between levity and    This game is full of heart, soul, and visual novel spirit. Please give this wonderful game a try. Playing this game is like watching a fireworks display. Glimmering, shining, beautiful fireworks...

    In all seriousness, there was not a single unlikable character. The designs of the characters are amazing, the story is gripping, and the game has the perfect balance between levity and dramatic tension. You will not regret purchasing this game. Plus, the game has a free demo on the Switch store, so you can try before you buy!    … Expand
  75. Roxyn
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    Truly the embodiment of love, this game may be what you need if you are not in a great stage of your life.
  76. Keeganf1
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    Absolutley awesome game. Very tight, compelling story with strong characters and innovative storytelling mechanics. Some animations are pretty wonky but the strong writing makes up for it. It's a must play for fans of dark sci-fi.
  77. lazycomplife
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    Wonderful story with great writing & excellent characters. Kotaro Uchikoshi is the best video game writer, hands down.
  78. brandenjohnson
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    My expectations were blown away. I knew the developer had made some compelling games in the past (the Zero Escape series in particular), but I wasn't prepared for how intensely A.I. captivated me. A+ storytelling and such a unique setup.
  79. MarcosMWL
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    A great game overall. Funny, interesting and engaging all the way through with great and very real characters who also manage to be fun and complement the story
  80. aoikurashiki
    Feb 13, 2020
    9
    I have so much to say about this game but I’m gonna try to keep this as short as possible. First of all, I’m a huge Zero Escape fan and the ZE series has been hands down my absolute favorite video game for the past 3-4 years. No game or series or general media could bring me to as much enjoyment and emotion I felt while playing and finishing ZE or even come close to being considered myI have so much to say about this game but I’m gonna try to keep this as short as possible. First of all, I’m a huge Zero Escape fan and the ZE series has been hands down my absolute favorite video game for the past 3-4 years. No game or series or general media could bring me to as much enjoyment and emotion I felt while playing and finishing ZE or even come close to being considered my favorite. But this game totally changed that. Not only did it bring me more enjoyment and feelings than ZE, but in my opinion? Was written even better than ZE. You can definitely tell Uchikoshi learned from his previous projects and a really amazing team was brought together for this game. It has so many amazing characters. I even found myself taking a liking to Ota! I did take a point off because although this game has very strong pro-LGBT dialogue, I feel like the character representation could be way better. I wish Mama hadn’t been a caricature of a trans woman. Not to mention the ableism we see later in the game. That is definitely something that needs to be improved. Even so, it’s a definite must play. It really gets you thinking. I’d say this is one of those games you never forget. I know I won’t be going a day without thinking of it for a long time.… Expand
  81. WeissSchnee
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    Ai: The Somnium Files is easily one of the best Visual Novels out there, really recommended game that proves how Uchikoshi is one of the best story tellers in the industry.
  82. Peachielixir
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    I adored AI in every way . The characters were endearing . The plot was intriguing and it kept mr and my friend guessing up till then end. It was ride I would go on a million times and never get bored.
  83. QuailSpinch
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    A dark and humourous detective VN with a loveable cast and a thrilling story.
  84. Lozzu
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    AI: The Somnium Files was my game of 2019. It was the Ace Attorney formula done right. Characters and scenery were all selectable in a 3d environment and the puzzles in the somniums engaged you based on the characters' personalities and how to solve them.
  85. IvoryBlood
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    Absolutely my game of the year of 2019. Being a visual novel, it's of course not everybody's cup of tea, but if you want a great murder mystery with great characters and a mind-bending plot, you've come to the right place. Anyone who's a fan of Uchikoshi's work or wants to get into his stuff would do well to check this one out
  86. Amurter19
    Feb 12, 2020
    10
    This game is equal parts a charming and silly adventure to find the truth, and grizzly murder spree where no one can be trusted. Animation and graphics are huge step up from previous Uchikoshi games, and probably most VN's. English cast is also amazing.

    Wait for a sale if you need to, but please do check it out.
  87. Chika
    Feb 12, 2020
    9
    To get straight to the point: I love this game. Sure, it's not perfect (especially with minor performance issues on Switch), but that's the one way that sums up how I feel about it. I love this game, and very much so.

    I've been a fan of Zero Escape for years, so Uchikoshi's new work does not disappoint. Expect wild twist and turns and a game world that just sucks you in. I know I    To get straight to the point: I love this game. Sure, it's not perfect (especially with minor performance issues on Switch), but that's the one way that sums up how I feel about it. I love this game, and very much so.

    I've been a fan of Zero Escape for years, so Uchikoshi's new work does not disappoint. Expect wild twist and turns and a game world that just sucks you in. I know I definitely lost sleep over it, in a good way. I couldn't put it down once I got into it, and I'm sitting here two months after I beat it being completely unable to still stop thinking about it. The mystery keeps you captivated and I'm enamored with so many of the characters. I'm sure it's a game that I'll keep very dear to my heart for years to come.    … Expand
  88. TriotheHoly
    Feb 12, 2020
    9
    Great game, a weird experience, has me crying by the end. I really enjoyed the mystery, and felt like I had enough information to solve it before the game explained it.
  89. zkyevolved
    Feb 12, 2020
    8
    The game is really good. I think sometimes it's a bit slow, but I was quite surprised about how much I enjoyed it! Thanks developers!
  90. kaki_100
    Feb 12, 2020
    10
    A real good open-ending story game except loading time length. You can experience many different minor cultural factors while enjoy the various sides of charming characters and funny memes. Oh this is really a meme festival LOL
  91. WolfStark
    Feb 11, 2020
    10
    It took me roughly 35 hours to beat AI: The Somnium Files and it happened with tears in my eyes. And I mean that in a positive way. I see it as an evolution in terms of VNs. Not one without flaws but definitely a step forward.

    I wasn't too sure how this game turned out, before playing it myself. The ARG and viral marketing with A-Set aka Tesa and her Youtube channel as well as Twitter    It took me roughly 35 hours to beat AI: The Somnium Files and it happened with tears in my eyes. And I mean that in a positive way. I see it as an evolution in terms of VNs. Not one without flaws but definitely a step forward.

    I wasn't too sure how this game turned out, before playing it myself. The ARG and viral marketing with A-Set aka Tesa and her Youtube channel as well as Twitter pages where excellent, yet there wasn't much information about the actual main character Date and his partner Aiba. So I dived into the game without any expectations. Where Kotaro Uchikoshis last game, the finale of the Zero Escape Saga "Zero Time Dilemma" felt rather depressing and left me unsatisfied with many questions unanswered, AI made it pretty clear that it is different on many levels.

    This time around we aren't trapped in a deadly game, instead we investigate a murder case. The victim being an old friend of us and the mother of a child, we took to us a few years ago. We are Date Kaname, a man who lost his memory six years ago and our companion is our left eye - Aiba. An artifical intelligence with her own personality, who helps us in our investigations. The interactions between the two are pure gold, not just well written but also fun. Both characters are fast to grow on ones heart. AI is a rollercoaster of feelings but light hearted in it's core, despite the sometimes gruesome murders.

    Gameplaywise it's similar to Zero Escape. AI alternates between sections where we talk with other characters and where we can take a look at everything in our locations like in a classic adventure and the Somnium section where we dive in someones dream to get closer to the truth. There we are controlling Aiba under a 6 minute time limit and interact with the environment to unlock the different mental locks of a person. I.e. The interactions cost time but often give a bonus like "1/10" which reduces the time used for the next interaction by 1/10. So activating a light switch that would usually take 10 seconds from our 6 minute time limit would now just take 1 second.
    The Somniums are all rather different, sometimes they are pretty creative, sometimes dull, sometimes you excactely know what to do, sometimes it's trial and error. The error though can be a lot of fun.

    So what did I mean by evolution? Virtues Last Reward was the first time that an Uchikoshi-game used 3D but it didn't changed anything. The VN was still as stiff and static as before, making it appear as if the decision was just to save money. It became better with Zero Time Dilemma but with AI it is not just looking decent, it also contributes to the game. Walking around in the Somnium, having cutscenes and action sequences with different angles and most importantly, being able to look around during the talking sections. The characters are sitting or standing, moving around and changing their expression depending on what is said. Sure, it's not new having different expressions but it's pretty fun talking to a character and suddenly you can see another one changing to a shocked expression and gesturing innocently.

    The game is incredibly fluid, looking around clicking on things, talking, fasting forward or taking a different route (which are really different and don't feature annoying repetition). AI is setting a bar here in comfort.

    Of course there are flaws though:
    - the graphics and animation are just adequate, even though the characters look pretty good
    - I had some crashes, not too bad since the auto save is pretty good but still, shouldn't happen
    - there are some instances so over the top where less would have been more
    - where Zero Escape had a very interesting twist and explanation for the different routes, AI is lacking that
    - sometimes trial and error in the Somniums and a time limit, that also limits the time to interact in the dream worlds

    Personally I didn't mind the flaws really. Yes the game does not feature such extreme twists like the past Uchikoshi works but for over thirty hours I still had a ton of questions. The english dub is really, REALLY good (!), the whole concept of investigating in dream worlds is cool, the writing is great and the characters fantastic, I can recommend AI: The Somnium Files with all my heart to anyone who likes Visual Novels.    … Expand
  92. garden0127
    Feb 12, 2020
    10
    it is a game full of the style of Kotaro Uchikoshi. it is a pretty wonderful games with puzzle elements. if you like the series of Zero Escape, you will like this game.
  93. Supergeneric
    Feb 12, 2020
    9
    The game starts off a little slowly, but it is well worth the wait. The characters are expertly developed throughout the story and the twist will have you reaching for each next chapter. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys visual novels or high stakes puzzle solving. I only wish that the game would have more puzzles throughout, but I understand the focus on storytelling. Overall, itThe game starts off a little slowly, but it is well worth the wait. The characters are expertly developed throughout the story and the twist will have you reaching for each next chapter. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys visual novels or high stakes puzzle solving. I only wish that the game would have more puzzles throughout, but I understand the focus on storytelling. Overall, it was a fantastic experience. 9/10… Expand
  94. En_Bonj
    Feb 11, 2020
    10
    One of the better games of the year, especially if you like strong narratives like Zero Escape and Danganronpa. I didnt think Ukisoki would be able to make something as special as his last few games but he hit it out of the park with some special characters I will remember for a long time.
  95. daijo
    Feb 11, 2020
    10
    If you're a fan of Uchikoshi's previous work, you won't be disappointed. It's a different style of storytelling and vastly slower paced than his previous games, but the characters are extremely well developed and branching storylines continue to converge and resolve in meaningful and satisfying ways.

    Fantastic ending and definitely worthy of a 10.
  96. MadScientisto
    Feb 11, 2020
    10
    Really good game, intriguing gameplay with compelling characters and story. As usual with Uchikoshi, the humor resonated a lot with me.

    P.S Hope you're happy bomb reviewers, the people that actually played the game easily outnumbers you.
  97. Lotusdrop
    Feb 11, 2020
    10
    Its Wonderfull! The Characters were all fascinating and the routes were very interesting!
  98. ArtifexQ
    Feb 11, 2020
    10
    Fantastic game with an engaging story that keeps you guessing. Follows the classic Uchikoshi story telling style of completing a number of different branches before unlocking the true path to the ending.
  99. MJJean
    Feb 11, 2020
    9
    An amazing game with memorable characters, **** twists, awful sex jokes that come up way too often, horrible singing, weird ass mechanics, bizzare interactions, and the strangest metabombing story ever. I loved every minute of it. I wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you for so many amazing games, Uchikoshi.
  100. Akacry
    Feb 11, 2020
    10
    I really really enjoyed this game! It really was fun and beautiful, it can be slow at points because of reviewing of past events but that’s something that comes from a visual novel like game. The puzzles are fun and the story is really interesting! I’ve never experienced a game that made toy go back and forth between two routs to get the best and worst ending. Please please look at theI really really enjoyed this game! It really was fun and beautiful, it can be slow at points because of reviewing of past events but that’s something that comes from a visual novel like game. The puzzles are fun and the story is really interesting! I’ve never experienced a game that made toy go back and forth between two routs to get the best and worst ending. Please please look at the critic reviews and not the numbers, the game was just reviewed bomb and I found this out right after I beat the game so I had to come and let you know that most of those negative reviews are fake!… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best Switch Game of 2019
10
#10 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. Multiplayer.it
    Oct 25, 2021
    83
    AI: The Somnium Files is another brilliant adventure from Kotaro Uchikoshi, that deepens its narrative structure at the price of loosening a bit of its puzzle design. All in all, it's a compelling interactive story that deserves to be played.
    Read full review
  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 30, 2020
    85
    After a comparatively slow couple of hours at the start, AI: The Somnium Files takes off and never slows down. [Issue #44 – January/February 2020, p. 74]
  3. GamingTrend
    Dec 31, 2019
    90
    With an endearing, violent, and engaging story, AI: The Somnium Files is an adventure game that fans of the visual novel genre should not miss. With a novel puzzle-solving mechanic and impressive voice performances, this game is a dream come true.
    Read full review
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