So, there's a lot to appreciate about this game. There's the memorable and loveable characters, who all have excellent visual designs and are complimented by an awesome English dub. There's the music, which hauls its weight in regards to creating an atmosphere that can go from tense and noir-esque to lighthearted and quirky without missing a beat. There's the theming: the failure of bureaucracy and institutions, the nature of identity and what makes us who we are, and the nature of truth, wonderfully symbolized by eyes.
But what I really want to talk about is how AI plays with its genre, and how it connects to Uchikoshi's earlier works to create a story that builds off the author's prior works to create his best yet.
Now, one could say that nearly every Uchikoshi work has about the same underlying genre: sci-fi mystery. But they're not identifiably so from the onset. For example, Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors is a Saw-esque escape room story, while Ever 17 and Remember 11 are about trying to survive in an isolated environment.
AI, conversely, is a sci-fi mystery and nothing but. This creates a set of expectations that the VN then soundly subverts. You'd think that an Uchikoshi story that turns his usual "underlying" genre into the "overlaying" genre would be more mysterious, more scientifically ambitious. But it's not. Instead, he uses genre conventions to create a story that's more introspective and contemplative, much more concerned with the question of "why?" than any of Uchikoshi's previous works.
This is partly where the VN's strength in character writing comes in. While other Uchikoshi stories have solid enough characters, this is a notable step up for him. Much of that is precisely because this VN places so much more emphasis on character over plot. But it's also because of how the characters relate to the themes of identity and truth that makes them seem so, well, real.
And, of course, the way the VN plays with genre conventions is just as much related to the plot as it is to the characters. A common complaint this story gets is that the plot is a little too predictable, that it's not a wildly erratic as some of Uchikoshi's other works. But it uses this weakness to its advantage. As the truth becomes increasingly obvious even before it's revealed, the VN begins to question what it really means, if the truth is worth revealing in full at all.
Another great example of how the VN plays with expectations relates to the culprit. Without saying too much, there's a moment where it seems, at first, that Uchikoshi has broken what is commonly regarded as one of Van Dine's single most important Commandments (if you don't know what those are, look them up... or read Umineko). It seems cruel trickery at first, until you notice the pattern. But by the time you have, so has Date. And not only that, he may have just figured out exactly what it means.
Regardless, this smart, borderline self-aware VN is surely incredible on its own, but is even better in the context of Uchikoshi's previous work. Here, he finally dials back the wild unpredictability of his plots to look more inward, and the results are just as awesome as they sound.
Also, if you don't get up and dance and sing along with the finale, you are soulless.

A very damn solid game, though not without its flaws. Some of the more detective-centric minigames aren't particularly engaging. The combat is fun, but at times frustrating with the degree to which bosses can interrupt your supposed combos. But the story is very engaging, even if it can occasionally get lost in its scale. Thankfully, the supporting cast is very good, and they are truly what's at the heart of the story. Plus, there's a whole lot to do, and it all ties into the wonderful setting. All in all, rough around the edges, but still very fun, and with an overall great story.

Honestly, I think this is moderately disappointing as a follow-up to Doom 2016. The platforming segments aren't great, but what irks me more is the emphasis on resource management. For a combat system this blazingly fast-paced, I find that it only serves to drag things down. Enemy design also feels worse. The idea that enemies have designated weak points means that there is a "correct" way to approach fighting certain enemies, as opposed to 2016, where fights were more open-ended. I also miss the more minimalist approach to storytelling that 2016 had, and while the art style does feel a little more in line with classic Doom's, I also think 2016's is better.
I've spent the entire review listing negatives, but these are just things that I think are worse compared to 2016. This is still a wonderfully strong game that's a ton of fun. I just wish it didn't devolve some of 2016's strengths.

Ugh. One of the most frustrating 6/10s I've ever given to a video game.
Presentationally, it's very capable. Art style and soundtrack are nice. But man can this game get frustrating, and not always for the good reasons. Enemy design is just bad. Most of them are annoying little things where the counterplay is just boring. Bosses aren't great, either.
But the most frustratingly straightforward problem is the controls. Double tap to dash? Tap forward to parry? It's nightmarish. I assume the developers wanted to emulate the NES feel by only using two face buttons, but it only drags the game down.
Also, the story is painfully generic, but this isn't a big deal, considering the type of game it's supposed to be. I just wish the game didn't make as much of a big deal of it as it does.
Overall, this game feels like a wasted opportunity, because it has all the right ingredients for a platformer with great flow, but it's squandered by suboptimal controls and poor enemy design. In the end, it just makes me wish I was replaying The Messenger again.

The game takes a little longer than I'd like to really kick into gear, but once you get all the weapons, and at least one mod for every weapon, everything starts falling into place. Enemy variety is great, and unique combinations keep fights feeling fresh. Movement and shooting is buttery smooth, with great unique arena layouts to compliment. Bosses are a little underwhelming, though, as they kind of feel a little plain. But the cherry on top is the awesome soundtrack that bobs and weaves with the combat. Totally engrossing stuff.

More ambitious than its predecessor for sure. Better in a lot of ways, worse in others. Character writing across the board is noticeably better. Matchmaker is my favorite individual scenario between the two games, Correctness is a solid improvement upon Transmitter, but I think Placebo fails to live up to its predecessor's iteration. I think the game actually fumbles a lot of its potential, and that its first half is on the whole better than the second. Half of the other reviews on this site are joking about the ending, but I'm gonna be neurotypical and say that I don't like it.

Every retro FPS fan owes it to themselves to go into this as blind as possible. What seems on the surface to be a pretty straightforward Quake tribute is hiding so much goodness beneath the surface. Gunplay and movement is top-notch as expected, but the tense atmosphere and minimalist storytelling is some of the best in the genre. Level design is also incredible, and the way the levels evolve across the three episodes keeps you constantly engaged. If there's one genuine complaint I have about the game, it's that I think there could be a little more enemy variety, and some of the bosses are a little underwhelming. Even still, this is easily one of the best FPS games out there.

There's a lot to unpack here. Narratively, this is quite the mystery. Though I love Uchikoshi's work, I've long held the opinion that his characters typically aren't that complex, but that's okay because the sorts of stories that he writes don't need them to be. Remember 11 takes that to the extreme. Aside from Kokoro and Satoru, who are fleshed out by their narration, just about all the other characters are pretty flat, existing primarily to fill a unique role in the puzzle that is the plot. Emotional character drama is traded for a compelling and deeply thought-provoking mystery. The ending is a popular topic of contention, for good reason. When I finished reading the epilogue, I didn't even realize that I had done so. Expect that most questions will remain unanswered, for better or worse. While my impression of the novel is evidently mostly positive, I do wish that I had a stronger connection to what was going on. For me, the only practical way to make that connection is through the characters. Nonetheless, I figure that with this sort of ending, I'll only grow to like the story more as I mull over it.