Game Commentary: AI The Somnium Files

AI: The Somnium Files is a visual novel developed by Spike Chunsoft that is available on the PC, PS4 and Nintendo Switch. I had this game for a while now on the Switch but never had the time to play it. But because of this damn COVID-19, I've actually found myself with ample amounts of free time and so play I did.

This isn't a typical visual novel, much like Ace Attorney, though it is admittedly more like a VN than Ace Attorney. Gameplay is mostly dialogue with interaction dotted throughout. You get to click around the environment to prompt hilarious dialogue between the characters and you get to choose the dialogue you want to say during conversations but it's all linear so the additional dialogue options available, if any, are mostly played just for gags. There are QTE elements along with some interrogation sequences but they are few and far between and honestly don't deserve much of a mention.

There is the flowchart element to the game as well that deserves touching upon. The game basically has multiple endings but only one true ending and to get to that, you'd have to replay a lot of content and that's a chore ain't it? Most VNs tend to let you use a fast-forward option instead but Somnium Files does one better. The flowchart lets you go back to any point in the story to start gameplay from that point onward, making replayability such a joy. I'm talking about not just going back to the previous chapter but choosing the exact location and storybeat within that chapter. Such a brilliant quality of life improvement that all games need to do!

So, simple interaction mechanics with basic visual novel dialogue progression. Is that it? No! There is an additional element known as Somnium sequences where you dive into the mind of various individuals to gather information they otherwise wouldn't disclose. These sequences are played out more like an adventure game as you control the character in third person and interact with the surroundings to progress forward. You have a time limit of 6 minutes and each action consumes a certain number of seconds to execute. You can guess how this plays out.

Most actions in the Somnium are played for gags (which are completely worthwhile to play around with btw) and there is only one correct solution to each puzzle but these sequences are the ones that usually lead to the big decisions that lead to the various endings. They are important but as I said before, you can just come back to this point in the game once you're done with one ending to play the next branching one. Still, having Aiba wear a pot as a hat is something I didn't know I needed in life.

So gameplay is as straightforward as that. Somnium stuff and gags. Sounds like a typical visual novel right? OF COURSE NOT! The game's strength lies in the narrative which is one of the best I've ever seen in a video game. Full of twists and turns, the grand reveals and plot twists are almost completely unpredictable and is the main strength of this game.

The game's premise is simple. You play as Date Kaname, a detective who is trying to solve the murder of Shoko Nadami whose body is found with a missing left eye. Funnily enough, Date too had lost his left eye years prior and that void has been filled with an AI known as Aiba who resides in Date's left eye socket to act as both his eye and partner. The case might seem simple enough but it slowly devolves into a chaotic orchestra of lies, betrayal and death that ultimately transforms this simple mystery into one of the most satisfying stories to grace the genre.

I really don't want to spoil anything about the story so I won't say much about it. Great characters, hilarious dialogue, powerful narrative, bold design and strong lore come together to form my favourite visual novel to date. It's a must play for the genre without question. Much of what you play initially might feel unfinished and unsatisfying but the game eventually answers all your questions with a roller coaster of a finale. Like I said, plot twists and reveals are dotted throughout the game but it's only at the end where everything clicks and you realise just how insanely well thought out the game actually is.

The only downside to this title would be the performance on the Switch. The game runs terribly on the Switch with long load times for a simple image to pop onto the screen. You are also only given 3 save slots on the Switch but since the game allows you to traverse to any point in the story, this is only a minor issue. I'd highly recommend playing it on a different platform unless you don't mind trading some egregious load times for the portability of the console.

I highly recommend AI: The Somnium Files and I regard it as the best visual novel that I've played so far. It is a must buy on your platform of choice and while the overall journey will take you around 20 hours, the story will leave you thinking about it for a long time to come.

P.S. The game is rather crude with lots of perverted dialogue. Keep that in mind.