Spike Chunsoft has announced AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative, which is planned to release on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC in Spring 2022.
AI: The Somnium Files has become a cult classic over the last couple of years, and the game’s Steam page shows a Very Positive rating with over 3500 reviews. The new title is a direct sequel to 2019’s AI: The Somnium Files, this time featuring Mizuki Okiura as the main protagonist. Mizuki was a major character in the previous game, whose father was friends with the protagonist Kaname Date.
AI: The Somnium files takes place in a near-future Tokyo, where detective Date investigates a series of serial killings. The game’s unique mechanic sees Date use something called a Psync Machine to jump into the memories of suspects or witnesses to aid his investigation.
The reveal trailer doesn’t show much about the new game, but there is a neat Easter Egg that shows Mizuki playing 999(Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors) on a handheld game system. For those who don’t know the writer and creator of AI: The Somnium Files, Kotaro Uchikoshi, also created the Zero Escape series. Like with the Zero Escape series, AI: The Somnium Files featured a branching story and it seems likely the sequel will do the same thing as it fits with Uchikoshi’s style. Here’s a brief description of the game’s story,
“Six years ago, the right half of a corpse was discovered under mysterious circumstances. The left half was never found…until six years later, when it was discovered completely fresh with no signs of decay, as though the victim was alive until just recently. Now, newly-appointed Special Agent Mizuki and her AI partner Aiba are tasked to solve the bizarre Half Body serial killings…”
A Collector’s Edition of AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative will be available, although it’s not up for purchase yet. The package will cost $119.99 and includes an exclusive Goodsmile figure of the AI-Ball Aiba, an artbook, and an official soundtrack.
