Seems this one bothered some people due to its "spoiler toggle". Can't say I'm one of them. Nirvana Initiative is by no means a perfect sequel. But like the first game, AI: The Somnium Files - Nirvana Initiative takes you on a wild ride of playing detective, with an utterly unhinged plot twist waiting for you at the end. And good god, does it makes me happy, just as the first game did.

I've grown to love Ryuki and Tama, and more Aiba content is fine by me. I do think Mizuki is a little one-note in this game, but a certain twist makes up for that.

I've heard some people claim character assassination for Date, but frankly, seeing his relationship with Ryuki, I can't help but disagree. He's still Kaname Date. And he's a surprisingly good mentor. Sure, they might go harder with a few of the gags, but that doesn't really bother me. That's just AITSF being more AITSF.

Honestly, this game is a lot of "AITSF being more AITSF" its more over the top, it's more batshit, and even if this isn't so much a sequel to Kaname Date's story solving the New Cyclops Serial Killings as much as it is the story of another case handled by ABIS, I truly do love it. It's authentically AI: The Somnium Files.

I adore this series' aesthetic, and this game more than keeps it intact, if not improving upon it slightly. Solving Somniums is fun as always, and there's even some new mechanics that drastically improve the experience.

There's only a few things that really bothered me. First, I'm baffled by the lack of post-credit scenes to tie up alternate routes. The first game basically had these after every route - with only a couple of exceptions where it made sense. They helped tie up those stories and highlight the lingering questions that would be solved in other routes. Here they're completely absent. Sometimes alternate routes just end. It feels weird - and it makes them feel like an afterthought (which they might be, considering the linearity of the flowchart this time). Besides that, too little Ikume Shrine. Shrine is the best track in the OST and I'll die on that hill. The scenes taking place at that shrine in the first game are so memorable to me. Give me more Ikume Shrine.

AI: The Somnium Files - Nirvana Initative is not the first game. It never could be. But the fact that it made me feel similar amounts of joy as that game did is more than enough for me to feel confident calling this a damn good sequel.

not a bad murder mystery game! completely stomps on everything aitsf 1 stood for and drops its most interesting concepts right at the end! i recommend you play it, but with a cautious mindset. some of the characters are great, some of them are quite benign or completely pointless to the story (genuinely why is lien even here??? what does he add!!). its trying extremely hard to be an uchikoshi game, and often fails. dont expect it to bring up any concepts from aitsf 1 in any meaningful way because its trying its hardest to not spoil that game, as well. also dont expect it to be relevant at all to the pre release ARG because uh.... i dont know??? im a little bit biased against it just due to how much of a dissappointment it was on launch, but while its flawed, its still enjoyable and has some endearing characters

This game is solid, but a few aspects keep me from really enjoying it to its fullest. First off, the game sort of throws continuity with a character into the trash right away, regardless of whether or not you've played the first game. It's a pretty lazy change that is pretty distracting until you get used to it. I also wasn't a huge fan of one of the protagonists in the game. You spend the first half of the game with them, but I just don't really like them at all, really. And lastly, I think that the game's ending was a pretty huge cop-out and reeks of Saturday morning-level shenanigans.

Despite my gripes though, I still had a fun time. The new characters were great, there were some creative somniums this time around, and the game has a pretty unique twist. I liked it!

Same overall opinion as for AITSF: on the positive side I prefer Somnia over escape rooms, on the negative I find the mood of the game too silly goofy. Man, I miss Zero Escape.

Gotta say, the cast of characters and the Somnia has improved since AITSF.

AITSFNI + ZTD spoilers ahead

Sorry, I don't buy "that", it's the ZTD bs all over again. It's too excluded from the narrative for me and I feel like it doesn't really serves a purpose besides an afternote at the end (which isn't that deep anyway). I wish Uchikoshi stopped trying to implement the unreliable narrator trope this way, it just doesn't work. I know that the mistery would be too straightforward without it, but imo arbitrarily obfuscating the narrative as a "puzzle" loses a ton of value if it doesn't provide anything meaningful besides a twist and putting your brain to work for a while.

I wish I could give AINI the same praise I gave to AITSF. On one end the performance issues on switch were fixed and the QTEs were given an accessible easy mode, and the animated sequences look much more impressive thanks to utilising mocap. I'd even say as well that this could've been a genuinely solid story... as its own thing.

As an AITSF sequel, however, it falls apart for me. The plot of AINI for me demanded less investment of the characters over Uchikoshi's newest "mindbending meta twist", which is the complete opposite of the first game where the plot was simpler in favour of the character dynamics and theme of family. It especially clashes when the character endings feel borderline unnecessary this time, not really providing the characters any resolution not already depicted in the main story with one exception. The somniums also feel much more like narrative vehicles than surreal weirdness, which on its own isn't so bad, but the subsequent railroading and genre shift to more conventional puzzles was a little underwhelming.

The two greatest offenders for me ended up being AINI's main twist, and its treatment of one specific character. The twist does absolutely nothing for the characters and basically serves to make the experience more frustrating for the player - it interests me in concept, and maybe trying it outside the AI series could've worked, but the execution just ultimately pissed me off with how pointless it was. It also requires multiple convoluted events to happen and a full retcon of a major plot point from AITSF, not to mention the complete ignorance of specific characters and dynamics in order to preserve it. The mystery is great without it as well! Meanwhile, the character I mentioned started as deeply interesting, only for their endgame role to completely destroy any pre-established nuance to their personality. I would've preferred if they had LESS depth if it meant this role was less unsatisfying.

I really don't want to just ramble on with misery, though, because AINI still has multiple shining lights that kept me playing the whole way. Ryuki is my favourite character in the entirety of the AI series, he's incredibly entertaining while also being a genuinely interesting and serious character, and his dynamic with Tama is a joy to witness. I also found new additions such as the crime scene recreation really enjoyable despite their simplicity, especially since they're the source of some of AINI's funniest scenes. Despite my criticism of the somniums most were still enjoyable, and some of the more unique gimmicks stuck with me! Also the soundtrack banged as always.

But yeah, I'd honestly still recommend AINI, but... in my opinion if you've played AITSF, don't play it like it's a sequel, play it as its own thing. That way you'll go through less disappointment at worst, and maybe find extra enjoyment from the game at best too if you end up loving what I wasn't able to.