Review: AI: The Somnium Files

Game At A Glance:

• Release Date: September 17th, 2019
• Publisher: Spike Chunsoft
• Genre(s): Visual Novel, Murder Mystery, Sci-fi
• Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Recommended if you Like: Visual Novels, mystery, crime drama, morally complex characters

For years, Jay and I have been fans of the 999 games. So when we found out that the people behind that trilogy were working on this, we knew we would want to play it. And really, this isn’t my first rodeo with this game. We played it shortly after it’s release. But with the sequel releasing on June 24th, and my memory being about as long as a goldfish’s for complex plots, we decided we should play it again.

Since I was moreso along for the ride than the person at the wheel–Jay played this and I watched, and we’ll talk about that more when we get to gameplay–it can be a bit more tricky for characters, names, and places to stick than it is when I’m the one controlling a game experience. Which makes for an embarrassing shortcoming when I consider how many names I forgot. (But not Date–I adore Date and knew I wanted to play the sequel because of him.) On the other hand, I got to have that rare occurrence so many gamers wish they could have with a game: the ability to somehow experience it again blind.

So, I can safely tell you from the start: I love this game. Now, let’s see if I can actually explain why so that you will, if you haven’t already, rush out and play it. (Because, again, it’s amazing.)

Story:

Six years ago, four women were killed in a string of murders known as the Cyclops Killings. Now, in present day Japan, a woman has been found dead and bound to a marry-go-round horse, with a bloody, gaping hole where her left eye should be. This is where the journey of our main character, Kaname Date, begins. And things get a hell of a lot weirder before we find out exactly what has gone down here.

A.I.: The Somnium Files has you investigating a series of murders by talking to a bunch of different characters and bringing people in to use a “psync machine” which allows Date to enter their subconscious and unlock things they are hiding, have forgotten, or have repressed, in his efforts to uncover the truth.

Featuring a cast of complex and compelling characters, each of whom have a moment to shine and secrets to hide, A.I.: The Somnium Files does a phenomenal job at ensuring you’ll care about it’s story people while still questioning what they are and aren’t telling you as the game and its mystery progress. My favorite aspect of the game is how many different shades of gray that it shows its broad and memorable cast to have. There are many different love / hate relationships for the player to get engaged in, and the way that different characters can and will behave in different story situations–while remaining true and consistent to themselves as a whole–is incredibly well handled.

Along with his A.I. Ball partner, “Aiba”, Date must navigate a twisting path of lies, secrets, danger and betrayals if he wants to get to the bottom of what happened six years ago–and what is happening now. Considering that he lost his own memory around the time that the original Cyclops Killings were happening, is it possible he might find some clues about who he is, too? I certainly wanted to know!

Gameplay:

A.I.: The Somnium Files is a visual novel with puzzle and dialog option elements, as well as a few simple QTE inputs at key moments. The way that the game lets you select what part of the story you want to progress onto is via a list that lets you travel from location to location. This gives the player a bit of control over the flow of the narrative, and the ability to investigate areas and actively talk to or question the characters you meet there. It keeps the balance between story and gameplay a bit more engaging than what I tend to see in most of the VNs I play.

But the most interesting, challenging, and engaging gameplay in A.I.: The Somnium Files undoubtedly happens during the various events where Date Psyncs with other characters. He enters their minds to scour for clues or heal certain traumas that have befallen them. The way that the game uses Date and Aiba together, and develops their dynamic during these segments, makes the story and gameplay within these sections of the game fun and memorable. The way that their unique senses of humor often come out to lighten what can, at time, be some very dark situations also keeps the game from being too bogged down in some of the things that it looks to explore.

For those who suffer from vision issues or eye hand coordination problems, the QTE inputs at certain parts of the story may be a pain and / or require a second attempt. Even Jay had to try one of the sequences twice to get the result we wanted. We want to remind people, heavily, to remember to save their game. This game does a good job at providing means to get back through already seen story sections without too much trouble, but it’s so much less annoying if you can pick up from a spot not-so-far from a section that you think might be a problem.

Characters:

If I talked about every interesting character you’ll meet in A.I.: The Somnium Files, we’d be here all afternoon. So I’ll keep it to my top three:

Kaname Date is probably one of my favorite heroes in all of gaming, if not all of fiction. He is smart, capable, and yet intriguingly flawed. Both in terms of some more lighthearted or humorous quirks (eg. what Aiba uses to get his reaction time up in a crisis–you’ll know it when ya hear it) and his deeper character arc within the story. This man is multi-layered and has plenty of positives and negatives to how he is as a person. That this was able to be so successfully done to a traditional ‘amnesiac’ protagonist is impressive. He is a character I enjoyed inhabiting and whose many secrets I was eager to uncover.

Iris Sagan, who is at the heart of many of the twists and turns of the story, has a fun mix of exuberant cheerfulness and a pinch of devious cleverness that will keep players guessing. I loved the many interactions between her and Date, and the way that their stories slowly and gradually weave together. I’m usually more of a sucker for romantic pairings, but while I like the character that ties in with for Date, I ultimately found his bond with Iris more impactful. She starts out as a seemingly random person we meet early on, but as things progress she only manages to become more and more interesting.

Mayumi Matsushida is more of a side character, but her story deals with the impact of dementia and I adore the portrayal of it here so thoroughly that my review would be incomplete without talking about that. I love how we slowly come to know Mayumi and how, depending on what we are considering, she can be a character who is easy to love or to hate. And then…wham. We find out so many fascinating things about her, her life, and the role that perception can impact how we view a character. This was very moving stuff and one of the things that makes playing this game so worthwhile, in my opinion.

Purchase Or Pass?

Do I need to spell this out any more clearly? If you’ve already played this game, I hope you’re having fun with the sequel. But if you somehow slept on A.I.: The Somnium Files, and you are a fan of visual novels, murder mysteries, or morally complex characters you need to run, not walk, and get yourself a copy of this game immediately. This is one of the most intriguing and compelling stories I’ve ever experienced and is absolutely NOT to be missed.

My Rating: