AI: The Somnium Files Reviews
When the story hits some of its high points, AI: The Somnium Files is really good, and feels like the same kind of high 999 gave… but it is largely crippled by just how slow and repetitious it all is. Random slapstick and outright unrealistic scenes draws players out very quickly from the attempt at being a serious plot. It goes nowhere fast, and the whiplash between attempts at humour and serious moments are too ham-fisted. The overall plot could easily be cut by more than half, and the overall experience would be better for it.
If you’re looking for a visual novel with a compelling plot, and are able to ignore lots of terrible dialogue, then AI: The Somnium Files is a no-brainer recommendation.
If you were hoping for a worthy successor to the excellent Zero Escape series, this ain’t it chief.
Ultimately, AI: The Somnium Files is a game that has moments of brilliance that are obscured by a disjointed narrative and investigative process. Aside from the Somnium sequences – which are, admittedly, very cool – the game failed to motivate me to truly engage with its overarching story. I just didn’t find it appealing.
AI: The Somnium Files tells an often engrossing tale. It takes a couple of hours to really get going, but when it does, it blossoms into one of the most impressively executed visual novels on PS4. A range of characters, both surprisingly deep and brilliantly stupid, elevate an already intriguing and smartly paced story. It's just a shame that the dream sequences, with their frustratingly obscure puzzle solving, can really put a dampener on the experience.
Investigating gruesome murders in AI: The Somnium Files is fun even though it's not particularly challenging. What really makes this game worth playing is its gritty sci-fi story and engaging characters. The mix of oddball characters work perfectly together to make you experience a rollercoaster of emotions, and piecing together all the threads of the story will reveal some surprising plot twists.
Much like the Danganronpa, and Zero Time series, AI: Somnium Files gives a casual gaming experience and a complex story, which is perfect for gamers who want a little interaction in their visual novels.
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.
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.
AI: The Somnium Files is another bizarre but interesting murder mystery from the mind of Kotaro Uchikoshi. It is a refreshing take on the genre that has memorable characters embroiled in a story with many twists and unique gameplay elements.
Date may not be a great detective, but there’s no doubting that AI: The Somnium Files is a great detective game. It blends humour and human horror to deliver an engaging, mind-bending experience that’s a cut above most visual novels.
A lot of my interest in Ai was due to the writing talent: though he's done things since, this is the first post-Zero Escape project from Uchikoshi that I've had the chance to play. I definitely want to see where Ai is going next, and just hope that the experience is a little smoother when it goes wide.
For those who enjoyed the storytelling of Zero Escape and other works by Kotaro Uchikoshi, AI: The Somnium Files is a no-brainer purchase, and might just be his most solid game yet.
Many years have passed since I played the masterpiece that is Ever 17, and I'm still in awe of his ability to weave in so many strands, concepts, and plot twists and still create something that isn't just coherent, but also adrenaline-inducing and emotionally resonant. Every game is a team effort, but Uchikoshi's brilliance is what's made many of the visual novels he's directed and written become cult classics. AI: The Somnium Files isn't his best work, but it's entertaining from start to end and a game I'd recommend to anyone interested in visual novels, murder mysteries, or simply a great story.
Even with its dumb jokes and insubstantial puzzles, AI: The Somnium Files is an engrossing mystery that twists and turns in ever-exciting directions.
AI: The Somnium Files is yet another winner from Kotaro Uchikoshi, expanding upon Spike Chunsoft's renown formula and pushing it in bold new directions. It can fumble in its visuals and mechanics, but look beyond a few of its weaker elements and there's a truly original adventure brimming with excellent ideas.
Despite a few frustrations, AI: The Somnium Files is one of the most immersive stories I've ever played.
Once again, Uchikoshi has come out of nowhere with an utterly crazy murder-mystery that explores the link between witnessing horrific trauma and how it affects how victims dream.The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
AI: The Somnium Files starts out slow but once you've traversed a few of its delightfully surreal Somnium dreamscapes and got to an ending or two, working your way back through your flowchart and striking out in different directions, it becomes an engaging and tense affair. Fans of the Zero Escape games will feel right at home here, and director Kotaro Uchikoshi's talent for putting the player into increasingly unsettling circumstances ensures everything takes flight in a very satisfying way as you work your way through the many strands of the loopy central mystery towards its various different endings.
The various twists and turns of AI's wild sci-fi, dream-exploring detective tale will keep you engaged and intrigued until the very end.