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AI: Somnium Files

AI：ソムニウム ファイル

Titles
AI：ソムニウム ファイル
AI: Somnium Files
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES
AI：夢境檔案
AI: Mengjing Dang'an
AI：梦境档案
AI: Mengjing Dang'an
AliasesAITSF, AI1
Play timeMedium (29h55m from 162 votes)
DeveloperSpike Chunsoft
PublishersSpike Chunsoft
RikuKH3
Dream Team Trad
Xzonn
TraduSquare
Relations
Shares characters

[unofficial] Escape From Somnium

Sequel

AI: Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative

LinksWikipedia (en), Wikipedia (ja), Wikidata, MobyGames, MobyGames, MobyGames, GameFAQs, GameFAQs, GameFAQs, GameFAQs, ACDB, HowLongToBeat, IGDB, IGDB, PCGamingWiki, Lutris, VNStat
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Description

One rainy night in November, a woman’s body is found at an abandoned theme park, mounted on a merry-go-round horse. She had been stabbed repeatedly, and her left eye was gouged out.
Kaname Date of the Metropolitan Police Department arrives on the scene. He recognizes the woman. Suddenly, he hears a noise from inside the merry-go-round.
He breaks into the merry-go-round’s central column to find a young girl. And in her hands, she grips a bloody ice pick...

AI: The Somnium Files takes place in a technologically advanced Tokyo in the near future, and follows Kaname Date and his top-secret team within the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, known as the Advanced Brain Investigation Squad (ABIS). ABIS is responsible for investigating crimes through the process of Psyncing, exploring the subconcious dreams of persons of interest via a machine connecting the two together in a dream state known as Somnium. ABIS agents doing such are known as Psyncers, and act as observers in subjects' dreams who are able to retrieve secrets and clues the subject may be hiding or may not be aware of. To ensure psyncers are not subject to adverse effects, their time in a subject's somnium is limited to a maximum of six minutes. Also featured in the universe is the topic of advanced Artificial Intelligence, based around a global cloud-based system known as the Wadjet System that acts as the core of AI.

[From Wikipedia and Official Site]

Mini reviews

By lucifermeo on 2020-11-19Vote: 7
<report>AI The Somnium Files has a great plot. I thought the twist and wrap-up of the main mystery was very satisfying, and although there are many "branches" the different events can realistically all happen, i.e all characters are consistent across routes. I really like the presentation, it's very innovative for a VN and well done for the most part, plus the 3D models are very immersive. Puzzles are more trial-and-error, but very fun.

However, I had a hard time with the characters in the game. I can see efforts put in them, they're not flat characters, but I can't really care for anyone. Not a single character in the whole game. It's very personal, but it's undeniable it affected my enjoyment of the game.
0 comments 2 points
By Dots on 2022-01-25Vote: 9
<report>The character and actions of Date are questionable at best if not outright moronic. And yet, there is no man I wish to be more than Date. I also NEED an aiba.

The art and presentation in somnium files is extremely unique and is one of the best parts of the VN. Many of the story beats were genuinely emotional and the mystery aspects were serviceable. The main reason I gave it an excellent score however, is the two leads aiba and date, whio were some of the best "buddy cop" fiction out there. Disco Elysium is the only game that can top their dynamic and that game has much more freedom to breath. I also may have fallen in love with the idea of an aiba, it's a fantasy I never knew I needed. I truly have become a "weeb" after playing and fully enjoying this game.
0 comments 1 point
By kin-nikukyuu on 2023-06-22Vote: 7.5
<report>my first uchikoshi title. very impressed with the writing, great comedy and banter between the characters, loved all the character routes. the actual way the story is presented is quite confusing though, jumping between routes left me very confused, given that different things happen in different routes, and there's no way i could remember every single detail. the game does give you the necessary info when needed so it's fine i guess, but i wonder if this is really the best way to present a multi-route mystery plot. that aside, fantastic vocal performances all around (i got this game knowing kitou akari was in a lead role), especially kitou and kurosawa tomoyo. i'm a sworn kurosawa tomoyo fan now... and well, there's the extremely mid gameplay. it was all worth the end credits though...
0 comments 1 point
By anicchie on 2023-01-07r66470Vote: 7.5
<report>A pretty compelling mystery story overall with some interesting twists and turns, but it does seem unnecessarily absurd in some parts, which kinda ruins the seriousness/stakes. But it's still pretty good for what it is.
0 comments 1 point
By carito728 on 2021-12-23Vote: 7
<report>Not a bad mystery VN but not an amazing one either. It's mildly entertaining but some flaws held it back from being truly great:

- 75% of the game is spent investigating so it's nowhere as entertaining as games like Raging Loop, DR, and AA, which maximize the time in "trials" confronting the truth, which IMO is the most fun part of these kinds of games.
- The 'comedy' is very immature and uncreative and takes away from the characters. "Haha porn magazines funny". "Haha boobies". "Haha stupid puns".
- The Somnium gameplay sometimes boils down to "random bullshit go". It needs polishing.
- The writer made Aiba so capable that she often makes the MC look incompetent in turn. They're partners but one side puts in way more work than the other. This is a writing issue.
0 comments 0 points
By Rusio on 2023-01-05r88043Vote: 8
<report>Good mystery but has issues with maintaining anything but a comedic tone in majority of routes and scenes. The story has some pretty interesting plot twists but overall is a very simple mystery, to clarify you cant solve it before the main story pretty much ends due to the way routes are structured. OST, art design and flavor dialogue were all done well as well
Its just a really good and polished VN I suppose, you wont regret it.
0 comments 0 points
By HarisO on 2022-12-13Vote: 8
<report>It's not as heavy and intense as the Zero Escape games. While the humour is comparable, the outlook is far less bleak and it's in general just a much happier game from start to finish. For me, I was slightly disappointed because I enjoyed Zero Escape so much and I was hoping that thematically this would be similar. It's not, but that does not make it bad. I like the cast and the story, though the twists themselves did not really hit me as hard as with the first two Zerp Escape games. The gameplay in AI is interesting and novel, but again, not as fun as in Zero Escape because there is less logic and sometimes it's just about trial & erroring your way through.
0 comments 0 points
By animecac on 2020-12-05Vote: 8.1
<report>What a ride. One of the best things about this game is that the game mechanics make it a joy to play. Easy and clear where the story branches happen, easy to navigate the flow chart. High quality visuals, sound etc. One of the best VNs in terms of production and mechanics I have ever played.

The story and characters are very solid. There are some big twists, and all the loose ends of the mysteries end up well explained. Although it isn't on the level of the nonary games in terms of melting the mind, it introduces interesting concepts with some really interesting characters you grow to love.

It's not perfect, the humour is hit or miss - some plot points could have been better and I felt they missed a trick at certain points. A highly enjoyable VN, though it won't be remembered a classic.
0 comments 0 points
By quitch on 2022-08-22Vote: 3
<report>Attempts to tackle some heavy themes but is unable to do so due to the dialogue being written by a child who just learnt the word "boobies" and the protagonist being less mature than his 12-year-old ward.
1 comment 0 points
By bellis on 2020-09-27Vote: 10
<report>AI: The Somnium Files, that is a game that i think EVERYONE should play ! No matter if your's tastes makes you think that you wouldn't like the game... You REALLY should give a chance to it !
AI: The Somnium Files is a game that talks about a LOT of interessting stuff ( Imo, ofc ), but most of all, it talks about love and how we can receive/give this wonderfull feeling to those who are important to us !
I just finished the game and i really think that theres not much to talk about it... It's a game with a really interessting story, a slow yet enjoyable gameplay, a lot of good mysteries ( even that isn't that mindblowing ), and a really heartwarming message behind all the routes !
GO PLAY AI:THE SOMNIUM FILES, NOW !!!!
0 comments 0 points