AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative review

AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative doesn’t just provide a delightfully intricate murder procedural to crack. The game’s just as effective at investigating philosophy, social issues, or ethical quandaries, making it one of the more cerebrally engrossing games of the year.  

Multiple protagonists in the AI: The Somnium Files series have an AI-Ball implanted in their left eye socket. This sentient technology isn’t just adept at understanding human psychology and gauging emotional states, it perceives what others don’t, permitting players to delve into the subconscious of others.

While it’s a fun and fantastical plot device, the AI-Ball is not far removed from the astute perceptions reflected by Kotaro Uchikoshi. Creator of Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, the Zero Escape series, and 2019’s AI: The Somnium Files, Uchikoshi is one of the rare industry writers who truly seems capable of ‘reading’ our collective unconsciousness.

His works frequently ruminate on topics as assorted as the absurdity of reality television, the tenets of philosophy, or occasionally, even flirt with otaku-centered fan service. Sometimes, these themes converge at the same moment- offering a looking-glass perspective of society that’s remarkably rare, charmingly surrealist, and habitually, quite astute. I still remember interviewing Uchikoshi in 2018, and how he encapsulated his approach to writing: “invert normalcy”.

From Serious to Side-Splitting Comedy

And that’s exactly why the recent release of AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative is such an effective experience. Routine life is often remixed into something that allows new insight into the seemingly mundane.

The game’s opening scene imparts the fundamentals of nirvanA Initiative’s user interface for series newcomers. But more importantly, it offers an idiosyncratic juxtaposition where the banality of a game show and the sensualistic lure of murder mystery converge. It’s unquestionably dreamlike, yet also an oddly coherent appraisal of the modern life, like many of the series’ moments.

Film directors often articulate a reoccurring worldview. Violence in a Quintin Tarantino or Takeshi Kitano film often comes without forewarning and is often convincingly brief. Uchikoshi’s outlook is similarly capricious, with a rousing J-pop idol anthem interrupting the impact of a dramatic scene. NirvanA Initiative isn’t afraid of disrupting the build-up of tensions. There’s a Tamagotchi-esque mini-game that will ask you a question every 20 minutes. Show me another writer in gaming who’s willing to potentially self-sabotage their own script.

Peering into Our Own Psyches

When nirvanA Initiative isn’t trying to express the staccato rhythms of modern life, its equally happy with delivering the intermittent mindfuck. When’s the last time you exclaimed, “what the hell” numerous times across a twenty-hour trek. Yes, even the game’s pause screen might ask if you’re feeling anxious right now while your own AI-Ball’s sexy real-world form (that only you can see) tries to provide a bit of counseling. Is this a near future where were give information freely or a forewarning about the ubiquity of data mining?

This time out, the game’s directorial duties are handled by AI: The Somnium’s Akira Okada, allowing Uchikoshi to free himself of most technical worries and so he can double down on nirvanA Initiative’s madcap surrealism. Another upside of this arrangement seems to be found in the pace of the game. Okada ensures the tempo feels surprisingly swift for a game that blends visual novel-style storytelling and the occasional ‘scan the environment for clues’ approach to puzzling.

Livelier Than Most Mystery Games

Co-protagonist Mizuki Side, who was Kaname Date’s twelve-year old ‘little sister’ in the original Somnium Files stars in a sequence that reveals some of the game’s smart design decisions. Under fire from a lone sniper in the stands of an athletic field, she slides into cover, before taking the offensive with stun grenade. The sequence is a blend of cinematic, traditional point-and-click interaction, along with a quick-time event. But it feels lively, since you never quite know what nirvanA Initiative will throw at you next.

And that works for lively storytelling. After lobbing the grenade, she notices half of a human body on the playing field. Oddly, the recognizes the other half of the vertically-severed corpse from six year earlier. But the half-cadaver here is inexplicably fresh, propelling nirvanA Initiative’s pulpy plot into motion.

Two Protagonists, Two Eras, Two Halves

NirvanA Initiative doubles down on the procedural-driven predecessor with a second protagonist, Ryuki Kuruto. He is a thoughtful yet emotionally troubled rookie with the Advanced Brain Investigation Squad, or ABIS. The clandestine organization consists of a team of “Psyncers”, who have the ability to delve into the subconscious dreams of people in order to assist with investigations.

A few traits endow nirvanA Initiative’s narrative with distinction. The first is the rapport that both Ryuki and Mizuki have with their AI assistants. The former has an undeniably maternal relationship with a newer AI-Ball model named Tama. As the layers of character development are peeled back, it’s evident that Tama serves as a surrogate for the young lead. Mizuki and Aiba tend to have a more collaborative bond, with a bit of Sherlock and Watson-esque banter as they work together. But like all relationships, there are tensions, with Mizuki admitting she doesn’t want her Aiba ‘seeing’ everything. The game’s other hook is that the duo’s investigatory efforts are set in two different times; Ryuki’s timeline is in 2020, while Mizuki works in 2026. While this could have been a gimmicky conceit, the game consistently makes good on the concept, with plenty of narrative strands interweaving the two periods.

Unsurprisingly, the procession of nirvanA Initiative’s procedural investigations are just as involving, with each new inquiry drip-feeding just enough substance to keep the level of intrigue at a rollicking simmer. As a mystery, it’s effectively told dishing out more than enough suspicions, red herrings, and hints to keep interests piqued and brains busy.

Whodunnit Balanced with Who Solved it

But Uchikoshi understands that the gradual reveal toward the “who” and “how” are just the essentials. Superior procedurals are elevated by distinctive characters and observing how they interact with one another. Here, almost all the major characters are puzzles of their own, endowed with realistic idiosyncrasies and their own personal motivations. Strip all the science fiction and detective noir elements and nirvanA Initiative’s cast would still be interesting.

Yet, the game’s near-futurism is persistently fascinating. The title imagines a context where information comes as a breakneck pace and accomplishment hinges on making sense of it all. When you’re clicking on NPCs and selecting topics for discussion, you’ll intermittently be given simultaneous updates from your AI-Ball. Don’t worry about missing information, the game’s sophisticated interface allows you to review conversations or rewind the data stream coming from your AI assistant.

Similarly, the game goes out of its way to not spoil anything from the original The Somnium Files. Early on, you’re asked in you are familiar with the case of the inaugural game. If you state that you do know about the circumstances, nirvanA Initiative makes you prove it with a short quiz. When you think you have a handle on the storyline, replay reveals additional strands of dialog. Here, the game might ask you to state a particular piece of information that you’ll only know if you’ve been privy to a reveal. Agreeably, the amount of software engineering that went into the title matches the complexity of the whodunnit.  Ostensibly, there’s always seems to be some information appearing on-screen or new info unlocking in the supplemental areas on the game’s menus.

Forget Google Glass, We Need the Power of AI-Balls

Additionally, scrutiny of areas like crime scenes involve using tools like x-ray vision, thermal vision, and a new Wink Sync ability. Additionally, you can obtain verbal responses from questioning or get data from your AI Ball and the game signals where additional clues exists, preventing a lot of the traditional adventure game frustration. But the highlight here is the return of Somniums. Across these sequences, you seek evidence that isn’t directly offered up by interviewees. They’re rendered as weird and distinctive worlds for Tama or Aiba to explore, although examination has to be completed in a six-minute time span.

Fortunately, there’s a lot of leniency here. Beyond the ability to earn extra time and a mechanic that effectively pauses the process when you’re not taking action, the game’s difficulty settings ensure that nirvanA Initiative remains accessible to almost anyone, regardless of adventuring experience.  Undoubtedly, there’s seen an effort to make Somniums more straightforward, cutting back on the perplexing eccentricities in each person’s subconscious. One of my favorite new features is the ability to create VR-style recreations of different areas, which offer a nice break from the more convention point-and-click style gameplay.

Conclusion

Save for the game’s tendency to overexplain some of its philosophical underpinnings, AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative is indisputably one of the best adventure games of the past few years. Sure, the central murder mystery is absorbing, but its Kotaro Uchikoshi and Akira Okada’s deft characterization and taut direction that pushes the game ahead of its peers. Any game that cunningly imparts several academic theory while also goading you into searching cleavage for clues is unquestionably one of the more distinct experiences around. I’ll be disheartened if The Somnium Files doesn’t generate a trilogy.

AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative was
played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.