I was torn on whenever to give this game a 7 or 8, hell I even considered a 6 every once in a while. In the end though, AI Nirvana Initiative remains a very good game, but doesn’t quite live up to the expectations set by the first game, as well as the potential of its plot and many concepts.
The saving grace of this game’s rating is the gameplay. Yes…the fucking gameplay is the one that mad carries, since it is a significant improvement over the first game.
For starters, there is a new gameplay addition and a few quality of life improvements, regarding somniums. The gameplay addition is vr investigation sequences, where you analyze and track clues in the environment in order to figure out and reenact the trick used by the culprit in the murder scene. These sequences replace the interrogation from the first game and it is more fun trying to piece the clues together on your first try (even if you’re still given chances if you guess incorrectly) and the reenactment itself, once you piece the clues, is really funny.
The QTEs remain the same: funny, entertaining, albeit they are a bit longer (to the point they can drag sometimes).
The selling point of the gameplay remain the somniums though and they are great here. They are more logic-based now and feel like proper “puzzle rooms” and they become more fun to explore as a result. There are also different somnium difficulty settings to suit your playstyle of them and they are appreciated. The somniums also do a much better job at environmentally showing you the rules of each different somnium…if you do happen to still not get the rules, the game introduces “keys” which serve as little riddles that give you clues to how to solve these somniums. They are a much appreciated QoL improvement. The camera is also further behind to let you see the environment more clearly. The somniums still nail the story, atmosphere, visuals and music AND almost each of them have unique gameplay gimmicks to make them even more entertaining. Overall, big big improvements over the first and it made me actively be excited for the somniums in this game.
There are also two rather inoffensive additions: tomogatchi-lite with different characters as aiballs and a customization room for Tama (Ryuki’s aiball) and Aiba (Mizuki’s aiball)…not much worth mentioning there.
And now for the story of this game…boy oh boy. In a nutshell, I feel the plot is good, but there is also some stuff that really stick out that squanders the full potential that such a plot even has. The story is split into two different sides (or halves even): Mizuki and Ryuki.
Ryuki’s side of the story is fantastic and it’s the best writing of both games in my opinion. It perfectly establishes the new characters (as well as returning ones), their personalities and stories, their relationships, the mystery and conspiracy surrounding it, as well as the new themes and concepts. Ryuki himself is a great protagonist (dare I say better than Date) and his mental journey through this crackhead of a plot is compelling to witness. His new companion Tama is also great and their relationship and chemistry is really good as well, balancing humor and emotion. The new characters are also great and have different backstories and personalities that make you connect with them (my favourite ones being Gen, Masked Woman and the returning Amame)…though you might notice similarities with the old characters as well. The older ones (outside of Amame) are thrown somewhat to the side, considering their arcs were already done in the first game, but I don’t mind it. Ryuki’s route is also more linear, allowing the plot to be more focused as well. If it were just Ryuki, this game’s plot would have definitely surpassed that of the first game…but of course it’s not just his route.
The next route is Mizuki’s and this is where the writing weakens compared to Ryuki’s route and where the biggest issue of this game is presented. You see, Nirvana Initiative is pitching itself as both a “newcomer-friendly game with a self-contained story” (thanks in large part to an option that cuts the massive spoilers from the first game, which is a neat thing in general), as well as “a sequel”. By having one foot in both territories, it ultimately hurts the plot’s ambition and potential in the long run and it feels more prominent in Mizuki’s. Don’t get me wrong, the plot in Mizuki’s remains decent, but this approach ultimately leads to Mizuki being a static character, since…you know, her arc was already done in the first game! The story also has elements of the first game’s plot carry over, so not even the “self-contained” aspect works. The game decides to introduce a specific plotpoint (you’ll see what I mean when you play it), which is both a gift and a curse, as it does give Mizuki a possible motive and arc for this game, but it comes at the cost of downplaying her arc from the previous game. There are still positives to her half. Mizuki and Aiba’s chemistry and relationship is entertaining to watch, the new characters are still great, the plot remains more focused as a result to the linearity, as well as interesting…even if it comes at the cost of the murder mystery being toned down and the conspiracy aspect to be cranked up. I also still cried once and was close to tearing up another time during the story so that’s worth mentioning.
Now for “overall plot” aspects. The culprit in this game is weaker than the first one. While he is still threatening, it really comes down to the fact that he simply doesn’t feel as connected to the main cast as the culprit of the first game did. Aaaand then there are the plot twists. Most of them are well-delivered and have great clues and foreshadowing beforehand, but one of them sticks high and mighty for a different set of reasons…the actual main twist. I won’t spoil what the twist is, but it falls under the category of “genius, yet flawed at the same time”. The foreshadowing and weird narrative hooks make a whole lot more sense when the main twist is dropped…then you realize that it doesn’t exactly impact the characters or plot that much (on top of spotting oversights and possible plotholes). It is neat however to go back and replay some of the story with the twist in mind and realize just how much everything connects together. So yeah, kinda disappointed how this game’s twist goes purely for the shock factor without the nuance to it (though I suppose even making such a twist work to some degree in the first place is quite commendable)
The presentation still remains great though. The artstyle and graphics haven’t changed that much, but they already looked great to begin with and still look great now. The UI (in the menus and in-game) have received some touch-ups and they still remain great “attention to detail” to make you immersed in the vibe of the game. The voice acting remains amazing too (with Ryuki, Tama and Tokiko being my favourites regarding it)
The music is absolutely fantastic and an improvement over the first game’s already amazing soundtrack, thanks in large part to cranking up its creepier, darker and more atmospheric sounds with the new songs, while still having its fair share of bops. The main theme, as well as ending song, are better than the first game’s.
Overall, Nirvana Initiative is a very good game, but an above average SEQUEL to the first game. Had it not been for the gameplay being as much of an improvement as it is here, the game would have been a 6 or 7. I hope that a possible AI3 commits towards one of these aspects, rather than having their foot in both and not doing either justice as a result.
The saving grace of this game’s rating is the gameplay. Yes…the fucking gameplay is the one that mad carries, since it is a significant improvement over the first game.
For starters, there is a new gameplay addition and a few quality of life improvements, regarding somniums. The gameplay addition is vr investigation sequences, where you analyze and track clues in the environment in order to figure out and reenact the trick used by the culprit in the murder scene. These sequences replace the interrogation from the first game and it is more fun trying to piece the clues together on your first try (even if you’re still given chances if you guess incorrectly) and the reenactment itself, once you piece the clues, is really funny.
The QTEs remain the same: funny, entertaining, albeit they are a bit longer (to the point they can drag sometimes).
The selling point of the gameplay remain the somniums though and they are great here. They are more logic-based now and feel like proper “puzzle rooms” and they become more fun to explore as a result. There are also different somnium difficulty settings to suit your playstyle of them and they are appreciated. The somniums also do a much better job at environmentally showing you the rules of each different somnium…if you do happen to still not get the rules, the game introduces “keys” which serve as little riddles that give you clues to how to solve these somniums. They are a much appreciated QoL improvement. The camera is also further behind to let you see the environment more clearly. The somniums still nail the story, atmosphere, visuals and music AND almost each of them have unique gameplay gimmicks to make them even more entertaining. Overall, big big improvements over the first and it made me actively be excited for the somniums in this game.
There are also two rather inoffensive additions: tomogatchi-lite with different characters as aiballs and a customization room for Tama (Ryuki’s aiball) and Aiba (Mizuki’s aiball)…not much worth mentioning there.
And now for the story of this game…boy oh boy. In a nutshell, I feel the plot is good, but there is also some stuff that really stick out that squanders the full potential that such a plot even has. The story is split into two different sides (or halves even): Mizuki and Ryuki.
Ryuki’s side of the story is fantastic and it’s the best writing of both games in my opinion. It perfectly establishes the new characters (as well as returning ones), their personalities and stories, their relationships, the mystery and conspiracy surrounding it, as well as the new themes and concepts. Ryuki himself is a great protagonist (dare I say better than Date) and his mental journey through this crackhead of a plot is compelling to witness. His new companion Tama is also great and their relationship and chemistry is really good as well, balancing humor and emotion. The new characters are also great and have different backstories and personalities that make you connect with them (my favourite ones being Gen, Masked Woman and the returning Amame)…though you might notice similarities with the old characters as well. The older ones (outside of Amame) are thrown somewhat to the side, considering their arcs were already done in the first game, but I don’t mind it. Ryuki’s route is also more linear, allowing the plot to be more focused as well. If it were just Ryuki, this game’s plot would have definitely surpassed that of the first game…but of course it’s not just his route.
The next route is Mizuki’s and this is where the writing weakens compared to Ryuki’s route and where the biggest issue of this game is presented. You see, Nirvana Initiative is pitching itself as both a “newcomer-friendly game with a self-contained story” (thanks in large part to an option that cuts the massive spoilers from the first game, which is a neat thing in general), as well as “a sequel”. By having one foot in both territories, it ultimately hurts the plot’s ambition and potential in the long run and it feels more prominent in Mizuki’s. Don’t get me wrong, the plot in Mizuki’s remains decent, but this approach ultimately leads to Mizuki being a static character, since…you know, her arc was already done in the first game! The story also has elements of the first game’s plot carry over, so not even the “self-contained” aspect works. The game decides to introduce a specific plotpoint (you’ll see what I mean when you play it), which is both a gift and a curse, as it does give Mizuki a possible motive and arc for this game, but it comes at the cost of downplaying her arc from the previous game. There are still positives to her half. Mizuki and Aiba’s chemistry and relationship is entertaining to watch, the new characters are still great, the plot remains more focused as a result to the linearity, as well as interesting…even if it comes at the cost of the murder mystery being toned down and the conspiracy aspect to be cranked up. I also still cried once and was close to tearing up another time during the story so that’s worth mentioning.
Now for “overall plot” aspects. The culprit in this game is weaker than the first one. While he is still threatening, it really comes down to the fact that he simply doesn’t feel as connected to the main cast as the culprit of the first game did. Aaaand then there are the plot twists. Most of them are well-delivered and have great clues and foreshadowing beforehand, but one of them sticks high and mighty for a different set of reasons…the actual main twist. I won’t spoil what the twist is, but it falls under the category of “genius, yet flawed at the same time”. The foreshadowing and weird narrative hooks make a whole lot more sense when the main twist is dropped…then you realize that it doesn’t exactly impact the characters or plot that much (on top of spotting oversights and possible plotholes). It is neat however to go back and replay some of the story with the twist in mind and realize just how much everything connects together. So yeah, kinda disappointed how this game’s twist goes purely for the shock factor without the nuance to it (though I suppose even making such a twist work to some degree in the first place is quite commendable)
The presentation still remains great though. The artstyle and graphics haven’t changed that much, but they already looked great to begin with and still look great now. The UI (in the menus and in-game) have received some touch-ups and they still remain great “attention to detail” to make you immersed in the vibe of the game. The voice acting remains amazing too (with Ryuki, Tama and Tokiko being my favourites regarding it)
The music is absolutely fantastic and an improvement over the first game’s already amazing soundtrack, thanks in large part to cranking up its creepier, darker and more atmospheric sounds with the new songs, while still having its fair share of bops. The main theme, as well as ending song, are better than the first game’s.
Overall, Nirvana Initiative is a very good game, but an above average SEQUEL to the first game. Had it not been for the gameplay being as much of an improvement as it is here, the game would have been a 6 or 7. I hope that a possible AI3 commits towards one of these aspects, rather than having their foot in both and not doing either justice as a result.
3 Comments
its not gonna happen
Stockholm Syndrome
Reddish
1 year ago