AI: The Somnium Files Impressions

Developer: Spike Chunsoft

Designer: Akira Okada

Engine: Unity

Mode: Single-Player Video Game

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows

Publishers: Spike Chunsoft, Limited Run Games

Genres: Adventure Game, Puzzle

Release Year 2019

AI: Somnium Files is a point and click mystery game and prequel to the upcoming soon to be released AI: Somnium nirvanA Initiative. Since I plan on playing the latter I decided to make a few gameplay videos for it’s prequel that you can find here. Presentation and artwork reminds me of the Personna series somewhat. Gameplay features point and click investigations with dialogue options as well some walking moments sprinkled in. Visuals and graphics were pretty decent. For this article I have to be honest I only played maybe two hours of this game. The time I spent with it was fun and chill if that makes sense. AI: Somnium Files starts off weird but grabbed me with it’s story, atmosphere and characters.

You play as a Psyncer Special Agent named Kaname Date who as the player is immediately thrusted into a crime scene involving a young woman at a merry-go round. You can point and click characters who all have dialogue choices tied to them as individuals. You can interact with a bunch of stuff on screen during these investigation sequences. AI: The Somnium Files has that quirky weirdness about it. During Kaname Date’s first dream sequence your AI eyeball named Aiba takes on a human form. Yes I said AI eyeball. Kaname Date is all cyberpunk with his AI eyeball. Anyways, during “Stinkin In The Brain” mission you take control of Aiba in human form who has to wake Date up from his sleep. The sleep sequences are very Dreamscape-esque, weird, fun and quirky. I enjoyed how this game has real-word presentation attached to dream-world gameplay sequences.

The music, sound design and character voice dialogue stood out to me because I remembered how good the atmosphere was while playing. Oh yup, I did play in English voiceovers but know Japanese voice work would be the real way to go. This article was short I know and I wish I had more time to play this game because it’s one of those chill and relax type games you can get entrenched into the story. Anyways, thanks for reading. – Jason