AI: The Somnium Files Reviews
AI: The Somnium Files features an excellent story which I can easily recommend to fans of the genre however some questionable game mechanics and hit and miss puzzle design hold it back slightly from being an experience I could recommend to everyone.
AI: The Somnium Files ended up being one of my favourite games of the year so far, so if it sounds up your street then I would suggest you give it a try. It’s also pretty good value, as I went through the game at a reasonable clip and it still took almost 24 hours to get to the true ending.
It brings an appreciably different approach through puzzles that manage to be more universal through the shunning of regular logic, with a strong cast and production that easily carry its story through to a very satisfying conclusion.
AI: The Somnium Files is the standout game for me this year, and it was ultimately everything I wanted and more. I was afraid I was setting my expectations too high. However, this game took my expectations, loaded them into the cylinder of a gun, and shot them away into the heavens.
It pales in comparison to some of his earlier work, but AI: The Somnium Files shows that Uchikoshi still knows how to craft a compelling narrative that can take you in unexpected directions.
If I was able to award a game more than a perfect score, AI: The Somnium Files would be one of the few which would easily break the barrier. Everything from the brilliantly scripted narrative adventure, to the frustratingly fun time-management Somnium segments, are beyond what I was expecting. I couldn’t stop playing until I had the platinum trophy on my account, which I achieved at around fifty hours, very few games grasp me like that yet the humour and narrative direction drew me in and had me hooked instantly. I don’t think I’ve played a game this generation (bar the Zero Escape remasters) which changes the storyline, interactions and outcomes quite as much as I experienced within AI: The Somnium Files – this game is a masterpiece and needs to be played by all fans of Spike Chunsoft and Kotaro Uchikoshi.