Kotaro Uchikoshi is a creator who has truly made a name for himself. Beginning his career with none other than Pepsiman, he went on to work on and create iconic visual novel series such as Memories Off, Never 7: The End of Infinity, Ever 17: The Out of Infinity, and Remember 11: The Age of Infinity. While these titles gained him fame, it was the Zero Escape series that fully put him on the radar in the West. 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors, Virtue's Last Reward, and Zero Time Dilemma are what many consider "must-play" titles—experiences one will never forget.
While the original 999 was a pure 2D visual novel with escape room gameplay, Virtue's Last Reward experimented with 3D before the series took a full plunge into completely animated, cinematic scenes in Zero Time Dilemma. Following this style, Punch Line was Uchikoshi's next visual novel where the gameplay shifted further. Rather than a typical escape room, the game focused on giving players a set amount of time to interact with the world and set up "reactions" to achieve their goals. This style of gameplay was further improved upon for his next title, AI: The Somnium Files, taking it to a whole new level.
AI: The Somnium Files is a 3D adventure game crossed with a visual novel. It features a new cast of characters distinct from Uchikoshi's past works, and despite being a unique story and setting, it feels like the natural evolution of what came before. With high-detail 3D models, full voice acting for every line of dialogue, and multiple locations to explore, it is a significant technical step up from Zero Time Dilemma. But the real question is: how does it hold up as a game and a new series? Is it a worthy successor to Zero Escape, and—most importantly—is it a game worth playing on its own? Well, let's find out.
The Story:
The story of AI: The Somnium Files follows detective Kaname Date as he investigates what will become known as the "New Cyclops Serial Killings." Date's story truly began years prior to the game's opening, where he was caught up in the original case—though he has no memory of that time. All he knows for certain is that he lost his eye and was forced to embrace a new life following his memory loss. This new life involved joining the Advanced Brain Investigation Squad (known as ABIS) and putting his newfound talent to work: the ability to "Psync" with victims.
Thanks to his cybernetically implanted eye and the AI that lives within it—Aiba—Date is able to use a Psync Machine to dive into the memories of others. This world is known as a Somnium, and Date is able to use it to investigate the past. This ability is dangerous, however, as those who stay within another’s mind for more than six minutes may never return—resulting in the deaths of both the user and the person they are investigating.
During the game's opening, Date is called to a crime scene where the body of Shoko Nadami—the ex-wife of his best friend—has been discovered with her eye missing. Additionally, Nadami's daughter, Mizuki Okiura, was found at the scene and is now unable to speak or respond. This comes as a shock to Date, as he had been taking care of her in her father's absence. Unknown to Date, this single incident is part of something much larger, and getting to the bottom of this case will ultimately change everything.
Investigating the Real World:
Gameplay in AI: The Somnium Files is split into two parts, beginning with the real world itself. In the real world, Date investigates the city and talks to other characters to gather information. This portion of the game is a mixture of Date's daily life and the ongoing investigation, featuring multiple locations that can be selected from a city map.
Once in an area, the game shifts to a first-person point of view where the camera can be rotated and a cursor is used to examine or interact with objects. Date and his AI companion, Aiba, have a lot to say; a significant amount of time can be spent simply clicking on everything in the environment. This is where much of the game's humor shines, as the banter between the two is quite memorable. However, diving into this optional dialogue is entirely up to the player, and those should be prepared to see Date's dirty mind in full force.
Outside of examining objects, talking to other characters brings up a dialogue list where different questions can be asked to help achieve the current objective. AI features a diverse and unique cast of characters, each of whom has some connection to the central mystery. Although it isn't always clear what these characters know or how they are related, it is Date's job to figure it out. To do so, he must pry into their lives until the truth becomes clear. Of course, not everyone is willing to speak, and these roadblocks will eventually send Date down a different path—literally.
Inside the Somnium:
Once the real-world investigation is complete, the only place left to turn is the Somnium itself. In this dream world, Date is given the chance to examine not only the past but also the current mental state of the person with whom he is Psyncing. While the real world is explored by Date himself, Aiba acts as his avatar within the Somnium, carrying out all of his requests. However, the six-minute time limit is a constant threat; although time slows down when Aiba is stationary, the clock is always counting down whenever she moves or acts.
While some "escape room" elements are featured in AI, the game takes a page out of Punch Line’s book, requiring Aiba to interact with the world to trigger "reactions." These reactions break "Mental Locks" in the subject's psyche, eventually allowing Date to uncover memories buried deep within. This is where the game can become a process of trial and error, offering limited checkpoints and retries if you fail. Every interaction costs a specific amount of time, and a single wrong move can be enough to fail the entire dive. Since this is a dream world, the necessary interactions are not always logical; often, the most bizarre choices are the correct ones.
Do you push the button in front of you, or do you kick it? Do you turn the lamp on, spin it, or pick it up? Do you ride the panda, stop it from moving, or spin it faster? It isn't always obvious which action will progress the story, but sometimes the risk is worth the potential bonus—and these bonuses can be literal lifesavers.
Aside from the narrative outcome, each choice typically carries a time-cost modifier (a "Timeie"). For example, one option may grant you a "1/3" item, which reduces the time cost of your next action to one-third of its original value—a major advantage given that every second counts. Choosing to ride the panda might normally cost 40 seconds, but using that item cuts it down significantly. This becomes vital when certain actions require 120 or even 200 seconds.
Conversely, some choices penalize you by adding extra time to your next interaction. This creates a unique strategic puzzle: rather than applying a "plus 40 seconds" penalty to a major 100-second action, you can "offload" the penalty onto a minor 10-second task. If that smaller task rewards you with a "30-second" fixed-cost item, you can then use that item to turn your 100-second interaction into a mere 30-second one. You still lost time making the strategic pivot, but you saved a net total of seconds in the long run.
While it feels overwhelming at first, the system becomes intuitive with practice and repeat visits to the Somnium. Furthermore, discovering "Album" items and secret paths within these dreams makes all the difference as the game progresses.
Multiple Paths:
As mentioned before, roadblocks will frequently prevent Date from progressing, and many can only be overcome by uncovering new information within the Somnium. While this opens up new leads for investigations, how a player solves the Somnium itself determines which timeline Date will follow.
Similar to the Zero Escape series, AI features numerous branching story paths, managed by a flowchart that allows players to jump to any given point in time. All paths on this chart must be completed to reach the true ending, as vital information required for one path may only be obtainable through another. This means players will occasionally hit "hard" dead ends, requiring them to revisit earlier chapters to try a different approach. While lucky players might stumble down the correct paths in an efficient order, nearly everyone can expect to hit at least one dead end before being led in the right direction.
It is important to note that no two paths are the same; vastly different events occur on each branch. This isn't a case of replaying large sections of a game just to see a slight variation; rather, every point on every timeline contributes to the complete picture. This design takes the sting out of reaching a "bad end" and reinforces the scale of the overall mystery. However, discovering how to access these alternate paths isn't always obvious, as some are quite cleverly hidden within the Somnium dives.
Should you play it?
AI: The Somnium Files is a fantastic mystery adventure game that explores just how far someone is willing to go to protect the ones they love. It features a memorable cast of characters, a unique dream-like investigation system, and countless plot twists that no one would see coming. Despite its dark subject matter, there are still plenty of laughs to be had, and those who reach the conclusion will find themselves wishing the story would never end.
While the trial-and-error formula of the Somnium dives can occasionally be frustrating, the payoff is well worth the effort.
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on PlayStation 4
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