AI: The Somnium Files

AI: The Somnium Files divides its gameplay between visual novel sections (above), and third-person exploration (below).

AI: The Somnium Files is a single-player adventure video game with visual novel elements, in which the players assume the role of detective Kaname Date. Gameplay is split into two sections: investigating Tokyo and exploring dream worlds, known as "Somnia".[2] The story progresses via branching routes, leading to multiple endings depending on choices the player makes.[3] The plot is not fully revealed in a single playthrough; the player must complete every route to gather the information necessary to solve the mystery.[4] Rather than starting from the beginning of the game after each completed route, the player can skip directly to other chapters–called "Days"–using an in-game flowchart.[5]

Investigation sections take place from a first-person perspective. The player interacts with the environment via an on-screen cursor, similar to point-and-click video games.[6] Date uses his artificial intelligence assistant, Aiba, to analyze crime scenes, reference databases, and receive phone calls. Aiba is also able to augment Date's field of view with optical magnification, X-ray vision, and thermography.[7] Apart from collecting evidence, Date also gathers information via non-player characters in a visual novel format. By selecting characters with the cursor, the player is able to ask questions pertaining to the individual or the environment. During specific action-oriented segments of the game, the player may be presented with quick time events to evade danger or engage in scripted combat sequences.[7]

Somnium exploration plays out in third-person.[6] Date uses a device called the "Psync Machine" to enter the Somnia of subjects who withhold information from him.[8] Within a subject's Somnium, Aiba acts as Date's avatar, taking on a humanoid form. The player controls Aiba, exploring the dream world and solving puzzles to extract information.[7] Somnium puzzles involve examining objects within the environment and choosing an action to perform with them. The player is only able to remain in Somnia for six minutes, with each object subtracting a set amount of seconds from the timer when interacted with. If the player triggers the correct sequence of objects, a "Mental Lock" will open, allowing Aiba to venture further into the subject's subconscious.[5] Depending on the Mental Locks the player chooses to open, the game's story will diverge upon exiting the Somnium.[7]

The game was written and directed by Kotaro Uchikoshi (left), with character designs by Yūsuke Kozaki (right).

AI: The Somnium Files was developed by Spike Chunsoft,[9] and was written and directed by Kotaro Uchikoshi with character designs by Yūsuke Kozaki.[10][11][12] Kozaki was approached by Uchikoshi for his role as character designer due to being an internationally known artist, and how Uchikoshi wanted the art to have a worldwide appeal.[2] The game was developed with a higher budget than that of Uchikoshi's previous work, the Zero Escape series, which allowed him to express his concept for the game in a way that he was unable to with Zero Escape.[3] Comparing AI: The Somnium Files to Zero Escape, Uchikoshi described the game as being made more with adventure game fans in mind, in contrast to Zero Escape's heavy use of cutscenes.

Two of the game's core themes are eyes and "different types and expressions of love", reflected in how the title AI is pronounced "eye" and in how "ai" (愛) is the Japanese word for love.[13][14] The title also has additional meanings in that it is pronounced like the English word "I" and is short for "artificial intelligence",[13][2] and the "Somnium" in the subtitle is taken from the Latin word for "dream".[13] The idea of entering characters' dreams to solve cases was proposed by Iizuka. Uchikoshi thought it was intriguing, so he decided to use it in the game.[12] The game's investigation-based puzzles are intentionally designed to be less difficult than those in the Zero Escape series,[12] and are described by Uchikoshi as a modern take on the style of Hideo Kojima's 1994 adventure game Policenauts.[3] Other influences on the game included EVE (1995) and The Silver Case (1999); Okada additionally mentioned Life Is Strange (2015), Detroit: Become Human (2018), Heavy Rain (2010) and The Walking Dead (2012–2019) as influencing his work on the game.[15]

The game was first teased at a Game Developers Conference 2017 press event under the working title Project Psync,[9] with a piece of artwork depicting an eye.[16] Spike Chunsoft announced the game the following year during an Anime Expo 2018 panel, and released a first teaser trailer introducing Date.[13][17] In January 2019, Spike Chunsoft started promoting the game with a YouTube and Twitter account for the character Iris.[18]

The game was released in North America on September 17, 2019, in Japan on September 19, and in Europe on September 20[19] for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Windows with both English and Japanese audio. In addition to the standard edition, a "Special Agent Edition" was also released, which included an artbook, the game's soundtrack, an Iris acrylic stand, a set of stickers, and a game box.[10] Due to manufacturing delays and increased demand, the North American physical release was delayed until September 24, 2019.[20] An Xbox One version was announced during Tokyo Game Show on September 30, 2021. It was released digitally on the same day, and is available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers.[21]

AI: The Somnium Files received generally positive reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic,[22][23] and was the 12th best reviewed Nintendo Switch game of the year.[27] Reviewers generally praised the plot and strong writing to the game; they noted it was simultaneously cerebral and thought-provoking while remaining accessible and understandable.[26][28] The voice acting was also considered "superb", with the actors bringing life to the characters.[29] The dream sequences were also praised as creative and inventive.[26] The art and character designs received approval as well.[30] There was also some light criticism of certain "sleazy" jokes as being not particularly funny and painting Date as less sympathetic and more of an "oaf" than he was presumably intended to be.[29][28]

In Japan, the game failed to chart in the Media Create top 10 and Famitsu top 30 in its release week.[31] The PlayStation 4 version ranked 27th with 2,267 copies sold, while the Nintendo Switch version was 33rd with 1,767 copies sold in the Dengeki top 50.[32] The PC version of the game was among the best-selling new releases of the month on Steam.[33][lower-alpha 4]

The game was nominated for "Best Adventure Game" at the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2019.[35]

A sequel, AI: The Somnium Files – Nirvana Initiative, was released in June 2022 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. Uchikoshi returned to write it, while the first game's designer and assistant director Akira Okada took over as director.[36]

• Official website
• AI: The Somnium Files at The Visual Novel Database