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. tantei
    Sep 25, 2019
    10
    I am 10 hours in and I can say uchikoshi still got. This game is a lot more humerous and has more sexual references then the zero escape series. He can still write things that will creap you out. And oh boy can he make you cry when he wants to
  2. 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
  3. Sakai
    Feb 11, 2020
    10
    Juego genial de un creador genial. Cuando uno piensa que es imposible que algo se acerque en calidad a Zero Escape, AI Somnium Files es de una grandísima calidad.
  4. WeedleSenpai
    Feb 11, 2020
    10
    Easily the best game released in 2019, if not the best game released in the past few years. An excellent find for any fans of the visual novel detective mystery genre. From the mind of the man who brought us the Zero Escape series, fans will see welcome returning elements such as the timeline flowchart, however it does depart from the zero escape formula at times, with pleasing results.Easily the best game released in 2019, if not the best game released in the past few years. An excellent find for any fans of the visual novel detective mystery genre. From the mind of the man who brought us the Zero Escape series, fans will see welcome returning elements such as the timeline flowchart, however it does depart from the zero escape formula at times, with pleasing results. This game is a lot more emotionally charged than zero escape titles ever were, focusing a lot on comedic dialogue, paralleled with some deep and often heart wrenching character development moments. Make no mistake, while this game does seem to focus on emotional impact there is no shortage of clever twists and turns in the narrative, as one would expect from the genre. well… Expand
  5. Daniel_x2
    Nov 12, 2019
    10
    the games is amazing, tjeplot, the carachter, the amazin gameplay & all the diferentess time lines. I really love this game playin in protable mode. An excellente game. For me one of the bes of this year
  6. 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
  7. Okiepokiesmokie
    Sep 28, 2019
    10
    For fans of story based games: I must fully recommend with all of my being Ai: The Somnium Files!! I don't think I've ever left a story game more satisfied with the experience and the ending. It will keep you constantly on the edge of your seat, speculating, guessing. I couldn't put it down! I will play every game Kotaro Uchikoshi puts out for the rest of my life because of how much IFor fans of story based games: I must fully recommend with all of my being Ai: The Somnium Files!! I don't think I've ever left a story game more satisfied with the experience and the ending. It will keep you constantly on the edge of your seat, speculating, guessing. I couldn't put it down! I will play every game Kotaro Uchikoshi puts out for the rest of my life because of how much I enjoyed Ai. There were some moments that I think were meant to be funny that I didn't understand and I'd call those the low points, but luckily they were few!… Expand
  8. Buzzard
    Feb 8, 2020
    10
    An excellent successor to the Zero Escape series. The writing was spectacular and the puzzles were satisfying to solve.
  9. 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
  10. jax-nero
    Feb 15, 2020
    10
    Surprised at every single turn glad I gave this game a chance. Its needs more praise.
  11. Maxman1414
    Feb 7, 2020
    10
    I just bought the game last week and the story was just so engrossing. I found myself wanting to play for a quick 30 minutes and finding myself wondering why 6 hours have passed. It's a relatively short game, it only took me ~20 hours to finish the main story and I'm contemplating trying to go back to find all the secrets in the Somnium stages. I loved all the characters and the dialogueI just bought the game last week and the story was just so engrossing. I found myself wanting to play for a quick 30 minutes and finding myself wondering why 6 hours have passed. It's a relatively short game, it only took me ~20 hours to finish the main story and I'm contemplating trying to go back to find all the secrets in the Somnium stages. I loved all the characters and the dialogue written for them, the little spats between the main character Date and his partner Aiba, or the sassy-ness of his daughter-like roommate and the plenty of jokes within the game. The music honestly wasn't very memorable, the only really memorable song was Iris's song "the invincible rainbow arrow" which the singing performance is mediocre at best and at worst cringe worthy, but it grows on to the player by the end of the game. The game looks fantastic graphically however struggles a bit on the switch, there is a lot of frame drops when loading new areas and the game stops for moments to load a video/cutscene every know and then inside dialogue... which occurs fairly often. Additionally, there was a time where the game failed to load the video/cutscene for over 20 minutes, however closing the game fixed the issue, on the brightside the game frequently auto saves and you can skip most of the dialogue fairly easily. If this makes you cautious of the game, I urge you to just buy a different version of the game. I'm certain that the performance issues are unique to the switch and urge you to try the game on a different platform. Because of these performance issues I would probably have rated AI an 8 or 9, but seeing as these issues seem exclusive to the switch... and that someone just review bombed the game... I'll rate the game a 10/10.… Expand
  12. breel
    Sep 29, 2019
    10
    I’m saying it ,kotaro did it again and you must buy this! For me it’s just a MASTERPIECE!
  13. 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.
  14. buttman333
    Sep 25, 2019
    10
    All of Uchikoshi's games are CRIMINALLY underrated. I am bummed and disappointed that no gaming websites seem to cover these games. The zero escape games are all amazing and this game is no different. If you like weird, touching, and intriguing stories then you gotta pick this one up. Performance is great, a few stutters here and there but less common than in a game like Fire Emblem: ThreeAll of Uchikoshi's games are CRIMINALLY underrated. I am bummed and disappointed that no gaming websites seem to cover these games. The zero escape games are all amazing and this game is no different. If you like weird, touching, and intriguing stories then you gotta pick this one up. Performance is great, a few stutters here and there but less common than in a game like Fire Emblem: Three Houses. This game is also hilarious. I don't think any other game has made me laugh out loud as often as this one has. Please pick this one up!!… Expand
  15. 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
  16. 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.
  17. ianhsieh2008
    Oct 30, 2019
    10
    Kotaro Uchikoshi hits again with his mind-fxcking superpower. I manage to see part of the twist by the end of a route, but still amazed by the twist when it hit. Great puzzle solving with some "dreamy" quirkiness, but I don't like the time constraint. The humor in the game is awesome, with some easter eggs point to other games/anime, and some real world people. Not sure about how it wentKotaro Uchikoshi hits again with his mind-fxcking superpower. I manage to see part of the twist by the end of a route, but still amazed by the twist when it hit. Great puzzle solving with some "dreamy" quirkiness, but I don't like the time constraint. The humor in the game is awesome, with some easter eggs point to other games/anime, and some real world people. Not sure about how it went down in the other languages, but my Chinese version has an easter egg about Kojima's name being a "small island" when Date is searching for humans in Sojima's mansion.… Expand
  18. Undisputedera0
    Jan 17, 2020
    10
    Hmmm it's hard to explain this game. If you don't enjoy VN's and QTE then this game isn't for you. If you can look pass that then you have a game that has some many routes and a great story. To get the actual end you've got to go down I believe 6-7 routes. You never have to go back to the start to do each one either which is handy. Honestly if you enjoy horror and a great mystery with manyHmmm it's hard to explain this game. If you don't enjoy VN's and QTE then this game isn't for you. If you can look pass that then you have a game that has some many routes and a great story. To get the actual end you've got to go down I believe 6-7 routes. You never have to go back to the start to do each one either which is handy. Honestly if you enjoy horror and a great mystery with many twists then play this game. Damn emotional as well.… Expand
  19. 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.
  20. Lesh0
    Dec 27, 2019
    10
    This was my first VN game and i really got into this genre thanks to this game. The Characters the story 10/10 the twist is mindblowing atleast for me its a must in my opinion. And if people have never played VN games before this will be the best entry of newcommers hands down GOTY for me. WELL DONE.
  21. ParkerDk
    Feb 11, 2020
    10
    So good game.It's better than Zero Escape 999.And the The quality of the game performance has improved a lot.
  22. 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.
  23. 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
  24. Pokk_Gon
    Feb 11, 2020
    10
    It's from Kotaro Uchikoshi, and that's is enough for give it a chance. A game that truly deserves more attention.
  25. Bellonintendo
    Sep 18, 2019
    10
    If you love mind hunter, if you love true crime, if you love true detective, definitely you must go and play this game!!!!
  26. lazycomplife
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    Wonderful story with great writing & excellent characters. Kotaro Uchikoshi is the best video game writer, hands down.
  27. 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.
  28. 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
  29. GraysonWayne
    Sep 21, 2019
    10
    To start, this game is well directed with loads of good work done into characters and the comfortable flow of what they put into the gameplay style in terms of concept. Despite it being what most would call a visual novel, AI: The Somnium Files takes the concept of it to another level by putting in interactive segments that are full of humor, character, symbolism, and aesthetic while stillTo start, this game is well directed with loads of good work done into characters and the comfortable flow of what they put into the gameplay style in terms of concept. Despite it being what most would call a visual novel, AI: The Somnium Files takes the concept of it to another level by putting in interactive segments that are full of humor, character, symbolism, and aesthetic while still retaining it's full value of being a "Visual Novel" style story and character driven game that will throw you for loops with branching paths. Like many visual novels, it's a very laid back experience and it pulls off what it's supposed to do really well while somehow still having you on your feet with highly unique and dialogue centered interactions that you wouldn't want to miss.

    Gameplay: Consistent, Voluntary and Detail Oriented:
    In most parts of the game, you're playing a social first person dialogue oriented point and click interactive novel. For the people who like design and detail, the amount of interactions you can have within these areas and scenarios is done perfectly and done well enough to keep you interested into every single detail of every frame of the game. Plus, with me personally, I had fun with just the characters dialogue and the personalities alone.

    You can choose to blaze through the story like a regular visual novel, or you can choose to take in the small details in the environment and take in more of the personalities of the characters that I am sure many players would grow to enjoy. There are segments that are physically interactive in the third person as you roam the Somnium (deep sleep recess of the mind), and interact with items in the room that you move in while controlling Aiba, your AI False Eyeball Companion that literally lives in your head. Explore the Somnia, interact with items, and solve puzzles. It's quite simple and the developers did it well.

    The soundtrack is amazing. The characters are unique and amazing, and although there are some that are "cliche" in scenario, the way that they are interpreted and put into the story is well done. The physically interactive segments are a really good fun new touch to what one would expect from a Spike Chunsoft "Visual Novel". In all fairness, it's an interactive dialogue centered game that is a rare combination of being BOTH character (in terms of interactions and personality) and story driven. I am very happy I got this game. Definitely a must buy for anyone who is looking for a laid back yet highly enjoyable mystery solving aesthetically pleasing AND YET on your toes unique experience. Another amazingly directed game, and I hope it gets the recognition it deserves in my opinion.    … Expand
  30. 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.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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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