Underplayed Gems

AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative (2022)

AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative cover
Developer
Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Platforms
Windows
Genres
Adventure
Rating
4.3 of 5, 3,718 player ratings
Typical playtime
about 27 hours
Where to get it
Steam

More by Spike Chunsoft

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A surreal detective thriller with a slow-burn mystery, driven by dialogue and choice, where reality feels disjointed and nothing is quite what it seems.

mysterioussurrealatmosphericinvestigativedialogue-heavyplot-driventhoughtfulstrange

What players say

Players say the Somnium puzzles are improved and the presentation is polished, but many feel the plot gets messy and the story falls short of the first game. There is a split on the ending: some find it mindblowing while others say it didn't land. A notable point of criticism is the sexualization of underage characters.

Screenshots

AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative screenshot 1AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative screenshot 2AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative screenshot 3AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative screenshot 4

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More by Spike Chunsoft

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.