AI: The Somnium Files is what happens when Kotaro Uchikoshi is given the budget needed to execute his vision. The final result is a “visual novel” with one of the most tightly-written detective thriller stories i have ever gone through, accompanied by great characters, visuals and one of the best english dubs of any videogame.
Usually, I would start with the main attraction of a certain game (in this case being the story), but since I have quite a lot to say about that, I’ll first knock the gameplay out. The gameplay is quite good in my opinion. It is split in two different categories, the investigation part and the somnium exploration part, both of whom are compelling for different reasons. The investigation part taps into that engaging loop of any detective game: finding clues in crime scenes, tying them together and confronting suspects in interrogations with the right evidence. They’re more short-burst and don’t overstay their welcome as a result. There are also some QTE action sequences that are entertaining thanks to the writing. The meat and bones of the gameplay however are the somnium levels. Investigating crime scenes isn’t quite enough to uncover the truth, so you are tasked to dive into the minds of characters to gather more information. These levels are the result of that and they’re basically puzzles. You are given 6 minutes to solve these “puzzle rooms”, as well as “timies” that help with making the time more manageable. The “puzzle” stays with managing your timies wisely to make it out in time, as well as making the right decisions that strike the right balance of “out of the box”, “somewhat logical” and fit with the theme and narrative given by the game before the somnium. Yes, there will be some trial and error involved, but they’re nowhere near as ridiculous as some others make it seem to be. These somniums are very much carried by their excellent writing, atmosphere and aesthetic. They do a good job of keeping you engaged in the narrative.
Of course, the real highlight of the game has to be the story. It has all the hallmarks of an Uchikoshi story and they’re all at their best here. The main mystery is fantastic and intriguing the entire way through, with Uchikoshi expertly weaving characters and each of their own personal narratives and personalities into the mystery and making you question every clue given to you. Every action is logical and in-character and every plot twist is well foreshadowed beforehand and never feels unearned. The characters are all amazing, from the main protagonist Kaname Date to the side-characters, whether they be important or less important. Exploring all the branching routes makes you care and be attached to these layered and three-dimensional characters, with their own personal arcs, personalities and relationships, enforced even more emotionally through some characters having their somniums that you can tackle. The main themes present in this game are love, family and emotional trauma, each one of which is present and executed with authenticity and respect in every route of the game. The story also strikes a perfect tonal balance between serious and comedy. The comedy is amazing, as it got me laughing consistently whenever it showed up, mostly in the form of character banter that made the characters even more memorable. The serious moments are also written excellently, as I felt either engrossed, creeped out or extremely emotional many times through the games. I even cried twice during the story, and if a story has the power to make me feel this way, then you have done a great job at being compelling. The story and characters are elevated to another universe thanks to the music and voice-acting. The soundtrack is fantastic the entire way, with each track striking different emotional levels, from catchy to creepy to cheerful to intense to sad, and they help elevate the atmosphere and immersion with the story throughout the game. The voice-acting is some of the best the industry has to offer. Every performance is authentic and not once does it take you off the experience. You don’t hear the voice actors in this game, you hear their characters and performances are judged based on how blurry the line between these two are. The voice direction is also something worth praising, as the story goes as far as to foreshadow aspects of it purely from vocal performance, as the voice actors are able to transform their voice on a dime to suit the story. Some of my favourite moments in this game are a result of being blown away by the voice-acting.
The visuals are also great. Don’t let that Unity watermark at the beginning of the game fool you, the artstyle of this game is really good. It nicely manages to bring to life the 2D anime aesthetic with 3D models, with each setting (real or somnium) having a distinct look and atmosphere to them. The UI and menu design is also great throughout, with each menu being essentially an homage to police procedural or detective tropes (Flowchart menu being a planning and evidence presentation board, collectible logs looking like case files out of a shelf in a police office, options menu looking like a patient log and so much more). It is unnecessary attention to detail that helps you be more immersed in the vibe and setting of the game.
I had high expectations for this game and Uchikoshi took those expectations, shot them to the stratosphere and told me I should have had them there. AI The Somnium Files is not just one of the best detective stories i have experienced, but also one of the best videogame narratives I have experienced period. It is a masterclass showcase on the possibilities and creativity that this format offers to storytelling and Uchikoshi takes full advantage of it yet again. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an immersive murder mystery story, great characters, voice-acting, music and for a rather unique “puzzle-exploration” type gameplay experience. I cried twice during this game and danced to one of the greatest endings ever, and so will you!
Usually, I would start with the main attraction of a certain game (in this case being the story), but since I have quite a lot to say about that, I’ll first knock the gameplay out. The gameplay is quite good in my opinion. It is split in two different categories, the investigation part and the somnium exploration part, both of whom are compelling for different reasons. The investigation part taps into that engaging loop of any detective game: finding clues in crime scenes, tying them together and confronting suspects in interrogations with the right evidence. They’re more short-burst and don’t overstay their welcome as a result. There are also some QTE action sequences that are entertaining thanks to the writing. The meat and bones of the gameplay however are the somnium levels. Investigating crime scenes isn’t quite enough to uncover the truth, so you are tasked to dive into the minds of characters to gather more information. These levels are the result of that and they’re basically puzzles. You are given 6 minutes to solve these “puzzle rooms”, as well as “timies” that help with making the time more manageable. The “puzzle” stays with managing your timies wisely to make it out in time, as well as making the right decisions that strike the right balance of “out of the box”, “somewhat logical” and fit with the theme and narrative given by the game before the somnium. Yes, there will be some trial and error involved, but they’re nowhere near as ridiculous as some others make it seem to be. These somniums are very much carried by their excellent writing, atmosphere and aesthetic. They do a good job of keeping you engaged in the narrative.
Of course, the real highlight of the game has to be the story. It has all the hallmarks of an Uchikoshi story and they’re all at their best here. The main mystery is fantastic and intriguing the entire way through, with Uchikoshi expertly weaving characters and each of their own personal narratives and personalities into the mystery and making you question every clue given to you. Every action is logical and in-character and every plot twist is well foreshadowed beforehand and never feels unearned. The characters are all amazing, from the main protagonist Kaname Date to the side-characters, whether they be important or less important. Exploring all the branching routes makes you care and be attached to these layered and three-dimensional characters, with their own personal arcs, personalities and relationships, enforced even more emotionally through some characters having their somniums that you can tackle. The main themes present in this game are love, family and emotional trauma, each one of which is present and executed with authenticity and respect in every route of the game. The story also strikes a perfect tonal balance between serious and comedy. The comedy is amazing, as it got me laughing consistently whenever it showed up, mostly in the form of character banter that made the characters even more memorable. The serious moments are also written excellently, as I felt either engrossed, creeped out or extremely emotional many times through the games. I even cried twice during the story, and if a story has the power to make me feel this way, then you have done a great job at being compelling. The story and characters are elevated to another universe thanks to the music and voice-acting. The soundtrack is fantastic the entire way, with each track striking different emotional levels, from catchy to creepy to cheerful to intense to sad, and they help elevate the atmosphere and immersion with the story throughout the game. The voice-acting is some of the best the industry has to offer. Every performance is authentic and not once does it take you off the experience. You don’t hear the voice actors in this game, you hear their characters and performances are judged based on how blurry the line between these two are. The voice direction is also something worth praising, as the story goes as far as to foreshadow aspects of it purely from vocal performance, as the voice actors are able to transform their voice on a dime to suit the story. Some of my favourite moments in this game are a result of being blown away by the voice-acting.
The visuals are also great. Don’t let that Unity watermark at the beginning of the game fool you, the artstyle of this game is really good. It nicely manages to bring to life the 2D anime aesthetic with 3D models, with each setting (real or somnium) having a distinct look and atmosphere to them. The UI and menu design is also great throughout, with each menu being essentially an homage to police procedural or detective tropes (Flowchart menu being a planning and evidence presentation board, collectible logs looking like case files out of a shelf in a police office, options menu looking like a patient log and so much more). It is unnecessary attention to detail that helps you be more immersed in the vibe and setting of the game.
I had high expectations for this game and Uchikoshi took those expectations, shot them to the stratosphere and told me I should have had them there. AI The Somnium Files is not just one of the best detective stories i have experienced, but also one of the best videogame narratives I have experienced period. It is a masterclass showcase on the possibilities and creativity that this format offers to storytelling and Uchikoshi takes full advantage of it yet again. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an immersive murder mystery story, great characters, voice-acting, music and for a rather unique “puzzle-exploration” type gameplay experience. I cried twice during this game and danced to one of the greatest endings ever, and so will you!