The original AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES reached the Xbox shore a little later than other platforms, but my god did it end up being a wonderfully sinister and pretty insane investigative adventure at the end of last year. Now, however, a mysterious new case is on the table in the sequel, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – Nirvana Initiative. Will it be able to top the original offering and provide another worthwhile story to keep you guessing, or has the series already peaked?
Well, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – Nirvana Initiative doesn’t mess around as you are soon faced with one of the most baffling cases imaginable. There are also quite a few new features and ideas to look out for, which can improve the overall experience.
Special Agent Mizuki is set in a near-future version of Tokyo and is found in a stadium a corpse, or rather, the entire left half of a body. It belongs to the famous CEO, Jin Furue, which makes the situation even more baffling as his deceased right half was sadistically showcased on a live-streamed game show six years earlier. In fact, out of nowhere, it seemed like it was traveling through time and space. After this, more half-corpses would appear in strange places and despite the best efforts of those responsible, the perpetrator was not caught. Nevertheless, the Half Body Serial Killer is seemingly back, but why now, and how is Jin’s half corpse still so fresh after all this time?
First off, don’t worry if you’ve played AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES beforehand, as this sequel has tutorials ready and does its very best to avoid giving away major spoilers from the previous story. There is actually a ticker that appears at the top of the UI to inform you about everything worth knowing about character backgrounds and the like. However, I’d definitely recommend playing the inaugural title as it’s a great game and you’ll be able to appreciate all the returning characters. Anyway, I’ll also do my best to avoid spoilers for the current outing as I delve deeper into the story.
Special Agents Mizuki and Ryuki work for ABIS (Advanced Brain Investigation Squad) and are the focal points here, with the former taking the lead in the reopened cold case and the latter being given the original assignment to investigate. Both special agents have a replacement eye, where the advanced AI Aiba and Tama come into play. These technologically advanced eyeballs give the protagonists instant access to all kinds of information and can, among other things, enable the use of X-ray vision, which is useful when investigating cases.
The latter case is intriguing, as the idea of a freshly cut body appearing in two different places, six years apart, defies logic. Logic isn’t really helpful in Nirvana Initiative, though, given how utterly bizarre the whole concept is. It can be morbid at times, with these strange murders taking place, but then in another scene you get an impromptu song and dance performance by a teenager in a restaurant. That’s without considering the process of diving into someone’s mind or the AI eyeballs that help the protagonists with every move. It makes you always on guard, not knowing what’s around the next corner, but on the other hand, you may have trouble following what’s really going on.
As for the gameplay itself, which is split into several aspects so that no one ever gets old. A conversation with colleagues, suspects and interested parties is the most direct side of the matter. This happens in the real world and provides questions you can ask to find anything relevant to the case or get to grips with a personality. Many items in each scene are interactive and this is always a fun pastime as the special agents AI usually has interesting insights to add.
I like that there is something for everyone in telling stories through these methods, with moments that include humor, excitement, shock, sadness, and more. Plus, whether you’re a science nerd, a conspiracy theorist, a prankster, or a fan of idols, there are characters that will definitely contact you too. I especially appreciate how fast the newly introduced Tama is; I think she will make most people laugh with some of her clever comments and allusions. Unfortunately, the inner thoughts she shares are quite lewd and it just seems inappropriate in certain situations, such as in a classroom with some high school students.
On the plus side, the new Virtual Reality segments are pretty cool, because you’re basically tasked with making deductions. It mimics the crime scene in a VR room so you can find clues and find out what happened. By being able to switch between X-ray, thermal and normal vision, there is an opportunity to discover aspects of a case that were previously undetected. To check that you understand the events that have occurred, questions are asked and you are a little more focused.
The most compelling feature of the plot, however, is that you can enter Psync and the Somniums of suspects or witnesses. Somniums are basically dream worlds in which you have a limited amount of time to delve deep into someone’s memories. The goal is to break through a series of Mental Locks and find the answers you seek. You control one of the AI ball characters turned into human form as you wander and interact with objects or perform actions. All you’re doing is tapping the clock, with decisions taking varying amounts of time, so efficiency is key unless you want to fail.
First, the designs for the dream environments are nothing short of excellent and the concepts really fit the personality of the person you’re syncing with. Second, there can be more than one way to solve the Mental Locks, which is great because it has the potential to diverge the story as a result. And finally, the addition of Keys to try and help your mission is a very welcome addition. These puzzling clues give real direction to what to do, avoiding the frustrations of its predecessor.
In fact, the Nirvana initiative is addressing some aspects that some thought were more of a stumbling block. Simply put, developers Spike Chunsoft have made the decision to let players choose the difficulty level that suits their play style. Whether it’s a more forgiving Psync experience or extra leeway during the quick-time events, usability is on the agenda and will allow more people to enjoy the story like nothing else.
Moving on, though there are still a few features that have yet to be mentioned, but that’s mainly due to the fact that I could take them or leave them. The ‘Wink Psync’ is a streamlined version of a real Psync, allowing you to quickly see inside someone’s mind during a conversation. And then there’s a weird Tamagotchi-style minigame where you raise an Eyeballie by answering questions. In return, you get Eyeballs, a currency used to buy sexy outfits for the human forms of the AI ball and also concept art. Not for me, but I do have a drawer full of dead Tamagotchis from my childhood, so that’s to be expected.
When all is said and done, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – Nirvana Initiative is a brilliantly outlandish sequel that tries to right some mistakes and introduces a handful of great new ideas. The complex case, the intriguing characters and the unpredictable nature are all reasons to delve into it. And if that wasn’t enough, the branching storyline and multiple endings will keep you going for hours and hours. However, the main drawbacks have to do with how strange the plot is, which makes it difficult to understand everything that is going on. Oh, and the wildly inappropriate comments spewed out every now and then don’t help.
If you liked the original, you should definitely get started in AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – Nirvana Initiative, and if you didn’t, perhaps the easier difficulty setting will make it a better experience for you.
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – Nirvana Initiative is on sale at the Xbox store
The original AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES made it to the Xbox shores a little later than other platforms, but my god did it end last year in a wonderfully sinister and pretty insane investigative adventure. Now, however, a mysterious new case is on the table in the sequel, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – Nirvana Initiative. Will it be able to top the original offering and provide another worthwhile story to keep you guessing, or has the series already peaked? Well, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – Nirvana Initiative don’t mess around as you’ll soon be faced with one of the most…
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – Nirvana Initiative Review
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – Nirvana Initiative Review
2022-08-17
James Birks
Advantages:
- A complex and intriguing case full of interesting personalities
- Smartly designed Somniums
- Branching story leads to multiple endings
- Difficulty for everyone
cons:
- The plot may be hard to follow
- Lewd comments at inappropriate times
Information:
- Huge thanks for the free copy of the game go to – Spike Chunsoft
- Formats – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch, PC
- Version Reviewed – Xbox One on Xbox Series X
- Release Date – July 8, 2022
- Introductory price from – £49.99
TXH score
4.5/5
Advantages:
- A complex and intriguing case full of interesting personalities
- Smartly designed Somniums
- Branching story leads to multiple endings
- Difficulty for everyone
cons:
- The plot may be hard to follow
- Lewd comments at inappropriate times
Information:
- Huge thanks for the free copy of the game go to – Spike Chunsoft
- Formats – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch, PC
- Version Reviewed – Xbox One on Xbox Series X
- Release Date – July 8, 2022
- Introductory price from – £49.99
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