The Zero Escape series director / scenario writer Kotaro Uchikoshi unveiled AI: The Somnium Files, set for a worldwide release on the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam! The game will take place in a more technologically-advanced Tokyo, Japan. The first teaser trailer introduced detective Kaname Date. Yusuke Kozaki (Fire Emblem Awakening, No More Heroes) is the lead character designer for the title.
About the Director
A director and scenario writer, his skills shine in his adventure titles, such as the Zero Escape series (including the award-winning Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors), Punch Line, and Ever17: The Out of Infinity. He is well-known for his unconventional plot twists and offbeat humor and has been actively working on many genres, many games, and many stories.
■ From the Panel
AI: The Somnium Files is a detective adventure game in which you investigate the mystery behind a series of murders in a technologically-advanced modern day Tokyo, Japan.
The game starts out with a bizarre murder case where a body is found with the eye gouged out of the skull. Players take on the role of a detective named Kaname Date on the trail of the serial killer behind this murder. Date’s left eye is an artificial eye with an AI unit within it that he uses to solve crimes.
If Date is investigating a case and finds a key witness or suspect, people will not always give up information freely, so Date can enter their memories and extract information. These memories are kind of like dreamscapes. The latin word for “dream” is “somnium,” so in the game the dreamscapes you enter are called somnium.
Since this is a detective game, there will be a wide cast of characters involved in the mystery. Iris, an 18 year-old high school student, is one of those characters. In the story, she is essentially a YouTuber who makes viral videos where she records herself dancing and singing, as well as Let’s Plays.
The game’s title can be broken down like so:
AI: Artificial Intelligence
Eye: The pronounciation of “AI” and main theme of the game
Love: “Ai” also means “love” in Japanese
Somnium: “Somnium” means “dream” in Latin
Spike Chunsoft’s latest thrilling detective adventure, AI: The Somnium Files, launches on July 25 for PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch™, and Steam®! The new trailer debuted at GDC gives you a first look at the world of AI: The Somnium Files.
Game is pretty charming from what i played, very graphic tho probably Uchikoshis goriest game so far. Gameplay and writing are definitely a huge step up from Zero Time Dilemma, artstyle as well. We'll see if i like it as much as 999 and VLR (and Ever 17 ofc) but it's off to a very good start.
Last edited by tet666 on Thu, 19th Sep 2019 11:14; edited 1 time in total
The ending clearly means Date has a malignant brain tumor haha, but boy did that finale put a smile on my face. Work it Mama.
Great game, and I like the sort of linear progression, so you only really get the ending after going through all the other paths.
Hope they make another game of this sort, maybe add in more interactive elements, but yeah, I had fun.
But yeah, seems like that end credit and the dance mode only exist because they spend months working on a dance animation that only gets used maybe thrice haha.
Not trying to pile on but people play these games to experience crazy shit themselves. Knowing "something wild happens" kind of takes the anticipation and shock out of it because now we know something is coming.
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