AI: The Somnium Files Review | 22 Hours Later | Backlog Battle
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2019
- Kotaro Uchikoshi’s latest game is almost upon us, and I’ve got a full review of the game, after playing through (and finishing) the game for 22 hours! Is this the beginning of a new franchise? Find out in my review of AI: The Somnium Files, playing right now!
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#AITheSomniumFiles #SpikeChunsoft #KotaroUchikoshi - Hry
Just checked the price on the PSS and oh boy, yeah, that's gonna have to wait, for like a sale or something, got already pre-ordered Code Vein and I rather get this one first. Anyways like always great review man ;D! With this and all of those trailers I saw from this year TGS it just made my day :))!
Glad to have helped you decide on your next purchase! 😁
It’s on sale now gogogogo
@@5thkiechannel Too late already got it (☆▽☆), tho thanks for the tip ( ´ ω ` )!
Now the price for this on disc is 90.00 usd
Code Vein, Remnant From the Ashes, and Scarlet Nexus, Nier Automatic and Replication. All great options!!!! And similar
The comment about the characters pretty much existing for the sake of the plot for most of the game brings to my mind Uchikoshi's old responses to Zero Escape Q&As. I remember him saying that he does in fact usually plan out the plot completely first before working out what characters he needs to make it function.
I haven't played the other Zero Escape games and this was my first visual novel game. That being said, I can absolutely say that I had so much fun with the game. I love both the story and humor. To me it felt like the world was so alive and real in its own way. I don't usually get emotional from media but a couple of the story events and endings did cause me to tear up a bit. I know its all subjective but I had a lot of fun and the story reminded me of a mix of Yakuza (with the main plot being serious and anything that is not involved with the main plot being silly) and True Detective. It is a shame thar it will never get a sequel because I would like to see more of this world. I wish more people can experience this in some way. Out of my top favorite games this is my second favorite game just behind Nier Automata. I do agree its not perfect and has flaws but nevertheless its a bash to play.
I definitely agree with your thoughts. I always knew that Uchikoshi, as a director, is someone special who can really attract certain audiences into trying out the VN/hybrid-VN genre. I’ll say this now, if you have a chance to pick up The Nonary Games (contains 999 and VLR, the first two games of the Zero Escape series) I urge you to do so!
@@BacklogBattle I'm gonna guess from what you described in your video that those games aren't point and click like Ai was. If so what type of gameplay does it have and how can I play those?
@@BacklogBattle This game was such an experience for me that EVEN at full price I plan on buying it 2 more times. A physical Switch version so I can lend it to a friend and I'm gonna buy it for a different friend of mine so we can co-stream it together. I want to show my support even if we don't get a sequel.
I call it THE game series that popularized escape rooms. The Zero Escape games have puzzle sections that are, in fact, point and click as well, but with rules that I feel are far more understandable - but not at all easier - than AI! The mystery you have to figure out is in line with the kind of mystery you just played, which he truly excels at! Look for the Nonary Games on PS4, Vita, or Steam!
No sequel, you say?
I'm glad you were proven wrong. I'm so excited for NI
Just bought it on psn sale off for 8 euros only.
I was looking for something new, different and after couple hours of this, I can say this is special.
Its slow but story drives you on. People, get this piece of art.
Thank you for thorough and thoughtful review - very helpful!
You’re very welcome!
I'm a long time die hard fan of these types of games. I've played four of the Phoenix Wright games, the first two Danganronpa games, and the first two Zero Escape games. I just got this, I have no worries.
I have 24 hours in the game I've seen all the game has to offer and I can say as somebody who just heard of uchisoki barely a month ago I'm really curious what his older projects are like its probably not the best game I've played this year but it's definitely my favourite
Definitely recommend 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors and Virtues Last Reward. Both games are packed in a collection called The Nonary Games, with the final game in the trilogy Zero Time Dilemma sold by itself. The games have visual novel presentations with puzzles presented in an escape room fashion with no real time limits, with story elements that have a blend of mystery and science fact and fiction thrown in! Sadly, trying to talk about the plots of said games would be too much to put on here, but I definitely would recommend checking them out!
Having played the first two Zero Escape games(after AI) there came a time in the ZE games where the story overwhelmed the actual gameplay elements and I just Google walk-throughs to get through the puzzle rooms just to ride the rest of the story- the Dream Sequences of AI felt less separated from the story than 999 or VLR which made it more tolerable.
I wish AI had as complex of a story as the Zero Escape games but I'm looking to see what he does with the AI sequel so much
You have a very unique perspective in that you played Zero Escape after AI, and I think it's quite valid. I do hope that the AI sequel features dream sequences that felt more rewarding than forcing trial and error gameplay by way of its time limits.
I think that your opinion on this game will change quite a lot depending on how much you like the zero escape series. AI the somnium files is a *very* different type of visual novel from the zero escape series. I, for example, did like 999 but found that it was not quite what I was looking for. AI really caught my attention BECAUSE it was slower paced. the zero escape series is more about the endings each giving you infomation while AI is more about paying attention to every small detail to get a bigger understanding. Ex: at least half of the cast's names mean "eye" in some way.
Found your channel thanks to the HP/MP Podcast, I really, really liked the “Zero Escape” series (which were games that were definitely outside my normal comfort zone, but became favorites, lol!) but haven’t had a chance to check out “A.I. The Somnium Files” yet. But your excellent review definitely made me need to get playing it soon!
Glad to have you with us! I think AI The Somnium Files is one of my favorite games of last year, so I’m happy that you’ll be playing this! Let me know what you think of it when you’ve played it more!
Personally, one of my favorite parts of this game was the characters.
All of them felt like they had their own different personalities, with twists and various aspects to them that make them more interesting to interact with. I didn't really feel that any of the twists were unwarranted either, with each of them being led up to throughout the story (especially the twist that Iris has, though I won't spoil that). Though they may seem to be standoffish at first, it doesn't feel unrealistic that they'd be that way; Mizuki, for example, has just a generally sharp personality and is dealing with the loss of her parents, so of course, she'd be acting out. Many of the characters you meet are complete strangers too, so they don't want to divulge their secrets to someone they just met, especially one like Date (I also love his character but he's not the best at making people comfortable and getting information out of them without some kind of force).
Overall, I loved the game when I played through it. The ending felt satisfying to me, and it didn't feel like there were any loose ends in the case that made me feel there was more to it. That's just my thoughts, but I'd really recommend it to people.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment! It's actually very interesting to note that the further and further away from the review I go, the more my feelings about the game keeps changing. I still stand by my opinions in this review, but if I were to PLUS it - to use the Disney term - I might have perhaps approached it from a more neutral standpoint, versus comparing it to Zero Escape, which has an entirely different mood and feel to it. That, and Punchline, were the games I'm more familiar with Uchikoshi. But, we learn with every experience, and its comments like yours that help me improve and really think about the games from a different perspective! Thank you!
@@BacklogBattle Thank you for being respectful about other's opinions on the game! Its really great when people can share their thoughts like this!
I think the main reason that I feel differently and don't look at the game compared to Zero Escape is that I never actually played that franchise, only watched a playthrough. In my personal experience, playing the game yourself and watching someone else play it is an entirely different experience, so it makes sense that I'd view it from a different perspective (without thinking about the legacy the developer has brought up), than someone who has experienced Zero Escape and had expectations before playing AI.
Overall I thought this was a good review though, and I can see your perspective for a lot of those points despite my opinion being different!
@@yasha5041 Of course! One of the things that I wanted to do when I started this channel was to allow for the creation of constructive and interesting discussions about the games we play to help convince players to venture outside of their comfort zone and try out other genres! There's so many games beyond what's popular that it's a shame that so many outlets chase those popular ones just for the views. I also want to make sure that if I were to do this that I could best represent the games I review or talk about, even if I am critical of some of them. As you can imagine, I put A LOT of thought into this! Thank you again for your reply! :)
I have played the demo and LOVE this game! Maybe because I have played only one game like this before (Code:Realize), the 3D cutscenes and most gameplay in third person make it much more engaging for me than the more book-like passive gameplay with stills. I am going to wait for a sale or price drop, but this is at the top of my wish list.
I really adore this game. I was so engaged in it's story and at some points in the game I was so confused as what was happening but it was so satisfying when the story threads came togheter. It's on my(I admit quite long list 🤣) of fav games.
I'm really pleased with how much this game has been received overall! Admittedly, there's things that I felt could be better, but it delivered on a really engaging story up until the end!
@@BacklogBattleTrue. I thought the action sections with the porn magazines as a gag was fun the first time but no so much the 2nd and 3rd time. Has it sold many copies?
Not sure tbh! No news about its total sales have ever come up!
Never heard of this series...now I have another game in the backlog, and you've got a sub. 👍
Thanks for subscribing! Hope you enjoy the game!
I appreciate your objective perspective throughout this review. You managed to hit on a lot of the pain points I had during my playthrough, which a lot of other reviews I've seen seem to gloss over. Great stuff!
You’re very welcome!
If you like the story of this game, read Dark Matter by Blake Crouch! Amazing book
Thanks! I’ll check it out!
Recursion is better.
This game was a really tremendous and fun experience for me. Probably my favourite of 2019.
Probably one of the most memorable too!
Really glad I found this channel. Amazing reviews.
Thank you very much!
Just completed the game on Nintendo Switch OLED, first ran really well and was blown away with so much voice acting. I never played a visual novel before and have been looking forward to getting into the genre and this was such an amazing start, really enjoyed the game and hyped for the next one. Great video as always my g.
Make sure you get all the right endings so you can get the full picture!
@@BacklogBattle Yeah I wanted the real and two other endings online, wasn't going to play through the whole game again lol
Just finished this game, great characters, gripping story, and my gosh that music is amazing. I hope to see another game made by the same guys in the same style. I also wanna try the Zero Escape series and 999 e
I think you’ll enjoy the Zero Escape series! The Nonary Games collection will get you 999 and Virtues Last Reward, the first two games in the trilogy!
Backlog Battle Ohhhh, thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely pick up that collection
Did you get all the endings in this game? From what i heard, every endings in this game reveal a little bit of information about character's backstory, it's not just some useless bad ending like in ZTD
It’s required by the game to get certain endings to unlock the correct path. I think I missed one optional ending, but that’s it.
@@BacklogBattle i've been waiting 6 months for this game, i'm gonna get it next week, i can't wait XD. From what i saw, this game got a lot of high scores from reviewers because of the game's character and story, they're mostly complain about the time limit in the Somnium part, but that's it.
I got the bad end as my first ending lol. Well time to get the other ones tomorrow XD
Never heard of this game, apart from the little talks I've managed to see on our Discord, but I have to say that it sounds pretty damn cool! I also really like the art design and character models.
The concept of it being time based is also super cool, but it does sound a bit stressful? Though that depends on the person I guess.
Other than that, the actual review is great and informative! Might have to try it out one day!
Glad to hear you’re interested!
Great review as always. I may have to check this game out!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This a very well made review
Keep it up
Solid work, once again!
Thanks a ton!
Finished it a few hours ago.
Overall I had a very good time with the game. Game's art is very good and measured, voice acting too.
I think the main strength of the game is not the actual untangled plot but the plot devices used to confused the player while distilling pieces of information.
Everybody has or a more or less good sense of intuition to uncover a murder mystery's solution before the actual resolution, thanks to the experience of reading/watching many stories in this genre. But AI has a very good ratio of information given and misguiding of the player, unlike VLR I think where I feel nobody can be prepared for the big boom of lore at the end. On that aspect, I would place both games on par, especially since this game cover its plotholes a bit better as it suffice to itself.
My main grip of the game, except some characters personality and more than questionable choices, are the action scenes. I was legit asking myself the canonicity of what I was watching, and even if I welcome a bit of comical relief here and there, the silliness of it broke the overall atmosphere too damn hard for me.
Good game overall, although yeah pricy for the experience.
I suppose if people are familiar with Punchline (also a game from Uchikoshi) that some of the naughty jokes might make sense, but that certainly was too left field for me that they took me out of the experience several times.
The action scenes are one we can agree with, it gave me ZTD flashbacks
Those action sequences were tonally jarring and stupid, I’ve read better action sequences in books. The whole game would’ve been better if it was primarily serious without all the “”humor””
you're one of the few, if not the best j‐style games reviewer i've followed. please continue! your channel is growing
Thank you so much! This means a lot to me ❤️
Just subbed after seeing reviews of games I’m sort-of interested in maybe buying or not and the good editing. 👍
Thanks a lot for watching! I hope you enjoy the coming videos this week!
Just got the game since it was on sale, wanted to check if it will be worth it. Honestly it's so weird and different that I can't wait to give my opinion about this game.
I swear I keep hearing you say "Dante"
Maybe it’s subliminal? 😉
I've been on an uchikoshi kick recently, so this game came out at just the right time for me ( I played the zero escape a few years ago, finished ever17 a month ago, and was in the middle of never7). I just finished this game last night, and really liked the review!
Like you said, the beginning was a bit hard to get through, and I felt pretty confused for the first few hours. The flavor text was really what kept me going in the beginning until the story really picked up. And honestly, that was my favorite aspect of the game. I felt the mystery was better in zero escape, but I laughed a whole lot more in this game. Really, I went in more serious than I should have, I think. And the first time certain mechanics occurred (certain psyncs and QTEs and what not) I was a bit put off. I think that was so because those sequences had more of a zainy, actiony feel to them, and were less based in reality. But I started to lossen up, and those sequences became a lot more enjoyable. The overall story does have flaws (A LOT of suspension of disbelief, certain details just told to you without really giving you the chance to figure it out, and I felt the multiple time line mechanic what shoehorned in) but the writing really held it up throughout. Overall, I really just had fun playing it. The story won't stick in my mind like the zero escape series has, (the "time jump" aspect is really fascinating to me), but because of how fun and enjoyable it was to play, I think it's just as good, in different ways.
And the game is DEFINITELY worth the price I think. It's a dang good 30 hours or so.
I’m super happy to hear this! Like I said in the video, I’m sure Uchikoshi fans would no doubt love it, and it’s great that this holds true with your experience as well! Who’s your favorite character in the cast, out of curiosity?
Woo! Thanks for reading the long comment by the way. This might seem like a cop-out, but I think my favorite character was Date himself. He had a lot of the "spunk" I think you would typically see from a noir detective type character, which I dig, but his interactions with other characters showed off his more caring side as well, especially with mizuki (that ending was probably my favorite). Other than that, I would say Boss was my favorite "side" character. I liked her personality and demeanor the best out of the bunch, plus most of the best lines came from clicking on things in her office.
My favorite’s easily got to be Ota, obviously! I certainly didn’t hide that in the video! The Somnium leading to his ending is so heart wrenching and emotional that it’s what sold me on the entire concept of the game!
Picking this one up at a discount on the PlayStation Store!
Thank you so much for making this review. It’s 80% off rn so I’ll probably get it. Subscribed 🙏🏽
That's great! I hope you enjoy it!
This game is another hidden GEM 10/10
man ive been wanting to play this game for so long! but it never seems to go on sale, or when it does it still a pretty high price-point :/ (for me atleast lol) one day i hope to play it! it looks super interesting!
$15.99 now on eshop
@@AnotherCozyDay haha yeah, a few days after i posted this comment the game actually did go on sale so i ended up playing it all. its really fun!
Part of game pass now. Excited to start this
First time watching this channel.... i must say, this review is spot on. I know some people love the game, but i have the same problems with it that the reviewer.
Probably late, but bought the game when it was on half price and I'm just slow. In terms of character, I consider this the best of the 4 well-known Kotaro games, though it's not exactly a high bar, and I can excuse 999 for literally taking place over 9 hours vs a game with no immediate time limit. A lot of the storytelling keeps a similar fast pace to 999 but had more breathing room, and I won't complain over fewer hours vs. something with little regard to efficiency like VLR. I actually liked Ota because I unfortunately could see him as too realistic. His actions, along with others, made the world feel more lived in, thus allowing us to see the characters having their own lives vs. hearing about it.
Never too late to share your own thoughts! I personally love Ota as well, and you nailed a lot of the reasons why I absolutely loved that character!
Unless I'm mistaken, did he even talk about performances or the music? Or any sound design at all?
Sound design is terrific.
@@rainmaker6261 What no! The OST is fantastic and the dub was so amazing!
You had me at Zero Escape. You lost me at time limit. Overall, is it better than ZTD? The graphics look much less janky at least.
Imo, it’s the same level of quality as ZTD
@@BacklogBattle sounds like it's ZTD but reversed, a weak start but a strong finish. I still make fun of how bad ZTD's ending was.
@@Zubatticus I still hate ZTD even years after playing it.
I wouldn't say that Ai is on the same level as it though. I hated ZTD, as I said, but I really enjoyed AI.
The models are much better as well. I was unsure watching gameplay from others at first but playing it myself got rid of those doubts.
I’d say get the demo and try it out if you can, there’s a demo available on switch where you can try a Somnium (dream puzzle). Then you can see if you like it or not
This game is incredible :) Sprang up for collectors edition and I only do that rarely :D
Also Aiba best girl... and Hitomi too :D
And god damn the soundtrack...
I get some of your criticism, at the very least about the aha moments, it definitely make sense you would think that coming off of Uchikosi's previous works :D But hey its a new series, of course its different.
I do not get the thing about character development at all tho, I mena its clear that the different endings serve as routes, the game differs greatly depending on your actions, the characters are not static in each route, they behave differently depending on your choices hence what is true in their route doesnt have to be in the others, developing them outside of their specific routes wouldnt make much sense. Even with that tho, I feel like we have more than enough to know who we are dealing with and its not as tho most of them are children or incomplete characters, they are very much set as they are, its not a jrpg :D Not to mention having the development relegated to the other routes, the emotional impact of their own routes would be diminished, I freaking cried towards the end of Ota's and Mizukis routes and it was specifically because of how different it all turned out from what I was expecting.
I think my hang up is that the processes of being funneled flow through the story, even if they're different endings, etc, didn't get justified as part of the story. I get that it was an integral part of the Zero Escape series, at least finding the "correct" route, but AI, as you said, is a completely new series. So why, then, does it have a mechanic that Zero Escape has? And if the justification is that "it's just an Uchikoshi thing," then why didn't Punchline have it? I think much of this opinion stems from the fact that Zero Escape and, to some degree, Punchline, gave me the impression that Uchikoshi not only considers the story as part of his design, but also the gameplay and the context in which you advance through his stories, so there's a high degree of expectation there.
Looking back though, it's not as though I didn't enjoy the game nor did I absolutely feel that character development wasn't done well. It's why I brought up Ota as an example. And comparing to other games in the genre, I do feel that AI: The Somnium Files is a must play! To the point about character growth, it's not as though there isn't any. They just happen a lot later than how it happens, or that things happen too fast. In Mizuki's case where she underwent a traumatic event, typically individuals who suffer from similar events don't just revert back quickly to how they act normally. There's usually a self-doubt involved because they're behaving against how they believe they usually do.
This might be looking into the whole situation deeply, but it's a psychological thriller. That's the expectation, to delve deeper than what's actually presented, and to question presented truths! It's just the conclusion I arrived is wayy different than what others experienced, and it's why I love reading these kinds of comments :)
It's really worth the price. Honestly I didn't care about the character development or motivations for stuff that wasn't related to the murder, much like an actual investigator would.
Just finished playing this game and I agree with everything in your review. It’s definitely not a masterpiece like 999, but I still had fun.
The macguffin in the second half of the story is so true and I feel like even though it made sense, it wasn’t as satisfying of a twist as I’d hoped it would be
I love the zero escape series, especially the 2nd game.
However, time limits are really not my thing and it looks like this game's pace is a lot slower than his previous games...
I think I'll wait for a sale.
1:00 10/10
Whaaaaat?
@@BacklogBattle ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Thanks for the informative review, you have helped me realize that this game is definitely not for me. I enjoyed the original Zero Escape game but found it overstayed its welcome, with hours of rambling exposition and long random conversations about obscure subjects. The sequels were a big step back for me, mainly because they threw suspension of disbelief to the wind and ran with very wild and unlikely plot devices. I was looking forward to a good serial killer mystery and the idea of using an augmented reality system is interesting, but I don't trust Kotaro to be able to write a compelling 20+ hour story. I can tell already it's going to be crammed with filler and 'funny character moments' that I'll be tempted to skip.
Gotta admit; I did purchase and test the Zero game that got put on sale in the PlayStation Store a few months ago, but I just couldn't stay interested.
Well since Zero Time Dilemma was a complete dumpster fire, I think I will wait for a VERY deep sale.
Please don't. It's very good.
Is there an option to change the audio language to Japanese?
Yes there is!
In my opinion the genuine flaw in your review is the fact that you were admittedly expecting another zero escape game. This is not part of the Zero escape series, its goals is not to follow up to them. It's creating a completely new game that does its own thing. I want to bring up the four main critics you have about the game to form a discussion around them, which are the puzzle solving aspects of the game, the character develop, the main story mechanic, and endings.
Firstly I would to bring up its puzzles. I understand what you mean about wanting puzzles that are on the harder side, however AI the somnium files is not supposed to do that. It's a game where it's action parts are set in a dream world, causing you to think more creatively rather than logically. Rather than have puzzles that are hard to solve, it forces you to try to think outside the box which is a nice refresher from other games. Of course this does not always work because it's set in a dream world is truly unpredictable. The very essence of the game revolves around this, the fact that the players can make decisions without an idea of how it could affect the outcome. It's not another zero escape game or a spiritual successor, it's AI the Somnium Files.
Secondly, I want to mention is the character development you talked about. This is the first time I've heard someone say this, though I do respect your opinion on that. I just want to point out that it is definitely a rare occurrence to have someone feel that way. Most people do not feel that the character development was too slow and loved the cast. The game takes you on a journey with many alternating paths that heavily focuses on a certain characters worlds which includes other characters as collateral. You build up an understanding of the characters in the world around you by exploring different paths, never making alternative paths feel stagnant. Furthermore, the way the game makes you switch how you feel about characters based on the paths you chose was executed beautifully, making them feel more like real people. It has has a depth dynamics surrounding a character ingrained into it.
Thirdly, I want to bring up the mention of the "overdone story mechanic that's been used to rationalize parts of the story". If you're using that, then wouldn't the same apply to 999 and the morphogenetic field? 999 constantly talked about it till the very end, even going as far to use it in the sequels. The reason why it is not a flaw in zero escape, and not a flaw in AI the somnium files is because it's the foundation that the games story is based upon. Just like how the base of zeros escape story is the morphogenetic field, the base of ai the somnium files is the Psyncing machine. This story mechanic had revelations discovered about it that kept the game interesting to deliver on of the best reveals of any game. Now if you were able to critic the story mechanic itself rather then how often it was used, then you would have a valid argument.
Lastly there is no "wrong endings" other than the game over screens. The game makes it clear that all endings are their own, with every ending being its own timeline and just as legitimate as the rest. It shows how even the most minor decisions that can affect someone's mental can have drastic consequences to the future. It emphasizes the chaos the world, and how little control we have over it.
To conclude, this game is not zero escape. It does not follow zero escapes logical approaches to puzzle solving, and it's more direct and straightforward decision making that has more obvious affects towards future. Instead it focuses on the theme of the abstract, which fits wonderfully into a setting heavily involving dreams. This result in a unique story telling telling experience that portrays the very essence of chaos perfectly. Then at the end using its strong story mechanic foundation to come up with a reveal that will leave the players in awe, in a similar way to 999.
Thank you for your response! Admittedly I’ve been far removed from this game since it’s release, so I can’t really articulate all my points based off of that, and I would have to replay the game to really understand where my perspective came from.
What I do remember from my review of the game however is that I was using Zero Escape as a way to contrast the puzzle gameplay found in AI. I won’t go rehashing what I said, but I do feel based your comment that we both agree that the puzzles don’t always work due to the unpredictability of dreams. And I think we can agree that rules in dreams don’t always line up with our expectations. Which leads me to the fundamental issue I had with its design: walking makes time tick down. This mechanic forces you to think of a solution without ever understanding the puzzle’s rules, as navigating from one part of the area to the next ticks down the time you have. Thematics only go so far, and years later, after speaking with many players in the community (both within and out) regarding this, they’ve said that this is the weakest part of the game. In fact, I actually spoke recently with someone who had reviewed the game originally and they admitted that they did a lot more trial and error than trying to solve the puzzles in a way that the designers intended.
That said, I didn’t just reply here to try and refute every point of detail that you made. Rather, I want to express my sincerest thanks for taking the time to post this. I think games are incredible in that they invite such passion in us and are able to talk about it in such a nuanced way. Moreover, you’re so respectful the whole way through that I couldn’t help but read through your comment.
I do hope I don’t come off as patronizing here, but with how easy it is to come across bad comments on CZcams these days, it’s refreshing to read a comment that is well articulated and clearly passionate. Thank you very much for doing this!
Spoilers ahead: I’ll be honest. I didn’t like the games mystery much either. I felt like it tried to go in a bunch of different directions and fell flat on execution. There is a decent portion of the game where it seems like the world has just gone crazy like the fightscenes solved by porn or a superhuman mizuki (never explained why she's so strong). For a part of it i thought it was because Date suffered brain damage/corruption but there were plenty of moments where that stuff happened without that possibility. The true ending feels pretty cheap too, especially that dancing scene at the end just made me feel like Date was going crazy instead of it being a stylistic choice. Thats what you get when you're known for games that explain away anything strange that happens. You just can't pull stunts like these without the player reading more into it and expecting it to be explained away somehow later instead of just being an unrealistic trope. The fact all the puzzles were time-based didn’t help either and honestly just masked the lack of depth to them. I didn’t feel like i was solving anything, just trying to click on things in the right order (most were either obvious or just hard in the way that it’s random and may cost you time). There is even a massive plot point which all zero escape fans will know right away is in the game simply by the addition of several timelines: Some form of shifting, which isn’t explained at all in this game besides being used in a single timeline with a hint to parallel worlds as a way to introduce some random bits of psychological phenomena in a casual conversation most of which is just re-used from earlier games and doesn’t even fit a purpose here. So shifting requires prior knowledge from the zero escape series in order to make any sense and even then it doesn’t really fit the games setting, story or even works according to the same rules as in zero escape. Date is somehow unique in that he can recall memories from different timelines so he can make a few good decisions during the end. It felt like they just wanted to put this gimmick in there but had no real plan for it unlike in zero escape so it feels very shallow.
Just read your entire comment and agree with 100% with what you say here. That said, it’s being rated highly and enjoyed by hardcore fans as I expected. Frankly, the perspective you shared, similar to mine, made me question my approach to my review initially. That said, I took a stab and glad to hear that I wasn’t the only one who felt this way!
I agreed, I'm glad that someone can point out all this feeling in me. The writing is decent but not strong as zero escape in plot element and much more predictable. When I see that Aiba can calculate things I thought it will be explained like Ai can send those and see those information through her cloud in wadjet system somehow not date himself experienced shifting and there will be more lore on wadjet system later which the shifting in annihilation route seems so weak as he do not lost 'everyone' he still have Mizuki left behind. The Ota route is also a loose end not exactly 'ending'. The characters also start out strong but finished in a very weak way which lead ending to not feel so powerful as it should or can be.
Too many bullshit element point that makes things both hilarious and annoying at the same time. When it hinting that date need dose of something+those effects and brains stuff that been point out I also thought it's date world gone crazy not the world itself is crazy.
I feel like it have more potential than this somehow, but all and all I still like the game.
@@sirithorntharamas243 Thinking about it some more it honestly feels like they were trying to set up a lot more with the wadjet system like you said. They could have easily used a different gimmick than time travel like treating those timelines as possible calculated futures which aiba/wadjet had simulated and send relevant bits to date from (their brains are already connected, would have been easier to add in than the whole parallel world stick) to the real timeline.
Oh and while i'm ranting... The moral implication of the whole game is insane. Somehow suspects are drugged, taken to a secret lab, have their brains invaded and then usually wake up in said lab without any ramifications? How didn't anyone think this is fucked up I should go call my lawyer. It's a top secret facility too yet date takes potential murder suspects there like it's no biggie. They also perfectly embody everything that could be wrong in a police force. Corrupt and covering for each others crimes..
@@liamvt2 Right, that's my thought too. The true end is also no better, seeing someone head blow apart like that no matter who they are is also a serious hit to morale but they treat like it is nothing compared to first half of the story that take this to the account in Mizuki case.
In Mizuki route when Ota wakes up beforehand I thought 'oh, we fuck up...' then treat like it's nothing later too.
What I like about iris route is I thought it's a troll on previous fan from zero escape even though unlock the other route before just make it less enjoyable. Never thought it actually a face-on foreshadowing
Also Pewter and Mizuki character, I actually surprised that Pewter is Okiura's Lover and I really like feeling the different aspect of people in story through first half of the story but all down to drain at the second half. I don't like that in true ending they treat pewter like a big bad guy deserves jail and also treat Mizuki abandonment poorly like 'its better than everyone else dying. At the beginning Pewter showed that he cared for Mizuki which quite understandable before second half he outright become villain and makes no sense in everything.
There's a lot more to talk about how they rush things at the second half and just let character explained themselves at true ending.
They changed the game release date once, the develop time also not that much too, the puzzle could be actually puzzle with time based and let figure how to use timie and how to deal with death mark and encourage player to explored the possibility more not just press thing right at the right order (which they seem try to do so in iris somnium). Makes me question if it can be better than this
So good game but not so good characters, time system and what not, that kinda makes me sad that the side characters aren't as strong as they could've been. Also the boss's hairstyle reminds me of Aizen from Bleach
It’s definitely surprising given how Zero Escape has some great characters
so what should i get it on ps4 or switch
I only played the PS4 version, as I’ve shown in the video, so I don’t know how the Switch version plays
I don't know if you've already got it or not but it would probably be better to get it on ps4. I've heard some issues from the switch.
@@eonoflegend2985 I haven't got it yet so thanks for saying
AI GANG AI GANG, THIS COMMENT IS HERE TO MAKE YOU TREND
I loved the Nonary Games trilogy, but I do think the game mechanics here are way more interesting. The story is not as Sci-fy complex (those 3 games have a extremly cool and weird story with so many real life facts that blow your mind) but I see this game as a quick detective story with a really good plot and amazing character design. I do think this reviewer is being a bit closed minded with his approach...although people have different points of view...so it's ok...definetely at least worth cheking it out.
I liked everything in your comment for the exception of commenting about me being closed minded. If you take a look at the comments in this video, you'll find that my perspective is shared by a few others. As you say, people have different points of view. But throwing shade beforehand completely undermined the intended use of that phrase.
Honest question: why do you repeatedly pronounce the title "AYA (eye-ah)," instead of its actual title "AI (ayy-eye)," as in AI (Artificial Intelligence"?
Because there’s no period that follows A and I, which tells us that it’s meant to be pronounced as one word. Also, “Ai” is a pun that references the main character’s eye and the Japanese word for love.
Your trying not to be negative towards A.I but you are . Zero May be a better series to you but don’t take away from this hidden 💎 gem!
I stumbled on it $7.99 when it’s typically $39.99-$80
I’m blown away , When a gamer can take you away from Ni No Kuni 2 ,Travis Strikes Back and Hotline Miami then yes you have a hidden great game and that speaks volumes!
Years later, the consensus has been that the story’s the best part about the game. Every person who’s played through the first game will tell you that the gameplay isn’t great.
Hmm, I guess I'll skip this one.
Don't make this mistake, it's easily the best vn I've played. Everyone I've talked to who's played it has also loved it
I also recommend you watch more than one review for games, as this is just one persons opinion. It's kinda unfair to judge it from that
You lost me at time limit. I HATE timers they can ruin a game for me. I might still pick this one up later because it looks intriguing but I will definitely use a guide.
Also AI: The Somnium Files is way too expensive. They should never have asked full price for it because I doubt that even people that are interested in the game are willing to pay so much.
I’m really surprised that most reviews just gloss over the time limit part. I have friends who won’t play the game because of how the time limit works.
Personally the time limit added urgency for me. ON top of that some puzzles use the time limit as a mechanic. Why don't you like a timelimit?
Honestly, there is not really an issue with time limits in the game. The game itself is very forgiving, and I can assure you it does not change the experience much if at all.
Im sorry but I really dislike this review. You really do a good job making this game look bad. I mean after watching this video I didn't even want to play it but I still did and it was a great decision. As someone who just played 999 and VLR recently I can't understand how you put those 2 games way above this one. I think you should replay those 2 games especially VLR which in my opinion is extremely flawed.
czcams.com/video/sBqk7I5-0I0/video.html
I think this was a fair review. Ai is mediocre at best. I still think 999 is still Uchikoshi's best game. Ai is way too predictable in its plot points because they lay it out for you stating the obvious. None of the plot twists were surprising at all. I was very intrigued at the beginning of the game but the farther I got along in the story the more I became disappointed. I do think Ai is better than VLR and ZTD though.