Archive for May 2023
Best Visual Novel Releases – May 2023
As
the rising summer heat brings this month to a close, the visual novel
sphere has been on fire with an array of excellent releases that
showcase the best the medium can offer. We have romances from yuri to
yaoi with a dash of otome for good measure and they accompany a
selection of mystery and drama stories that have a bit of something
for everyone in them. So without further ado let’s dive into the
list of the best visual novels of the month.
Official Releases
Akai Ito & Aoishiro HD REMASTER
This
pair of yuri mystery visual novels have received a much deserved HD
remaster as well as their first official English releases. These
games focus around a series of fantasy mysteries that specialise in
building up an atmosphere of disquiet and distrust as the player and
the protagonist struggle to find a way out this maze of actions and
consequences. The yuri element is integrated into this mixture with
grace as the game puts the longing of yuri to good use by placing
that desire to bond against the fear of what the other person could be hiding and
asks the characters to overcome it. Through the contrast of these
emotions the games leverages the players investment in each half of
the experience to boost the engagement with the other. Serve all this
with a good helping of bad endings and the result is two games that
have stood the test of time as definitive yuri titles.
All Idleness and Ephemera
Ebi-hime
is at it again producing an excellent romance visual novel.
This time she has chosen to go to the opposite end of the homosexual
spectrum then where she normally writes with a yaoi narrative core.
An alternative version of her other middle eastern styled work, All
Ashes And Illusions, this game takes those strong characters in a
new and interesting direction present in decidedly more sensual
terms. In re-framing the emotions and ideas of the previous game is
an effective method of engaging the player and seeing another side of
Yuel fulfils this purpose with flying colours as his struggle to
understand the new found feelings inside him makes his other actions
take on a new light. Its short length also helps sell this title as a
supplementary experience to the original game and you should pick it
up if you enjoyed that game or are looking for an spicy yaoi tale.
Tamayura Mirai
There
is always at least one good slice of life title and month and for May
this slot goes to Tamayura Mirai which with its magic and monsters adds
some much needed danger to the genre. It follows the tale of Yohane
Mutsuki a sorcerer tasked with maintaining the peace in a town where
people live alongside a plethora of supernatural creatures. As you
can imagine this leads to a lot of tension and conflicting interest
and this is where the game finds most of its stakes which play
into the heroine routes for dramatic effect. There is also the theme
of coming together despite our difference and this is well
communicated through both conflict and romance to form a strong
backbone to an enjoyable experience. A game which is not aiming to be
more than it first appears and ultimately is better for that focus.
Winter’s Wish: Spirits of Edo
Nintendo Eshop VNDB Genre
– Otome, Historical Play Time – 50 hours
Aksys
Games are at it again with another otome title, this time one set in
Kyoho era Japan with monsters mixed in. Our heroine can see the
‘thread of emotion’ and this leads her to become involved with
the mysterious Oniwaban set up by the Shogun to counter the monsters.
In coming to know the men who make up its members she will find her
place in the world and come to know the truth of the dangers that she
and her friends face. It is interesting to see a game set in this
often forgotten period of Japanese history and it makes for a
flavourful background upon which the cast can act out their drama.
Another excellent visual novel to add to the otome fan’s
collection.
Fan Translations
Dei Gratia no Rashinban
Translation Download VNDB Genre
– Sci-fi, Thriller, Mystery Play Time – 45 hours
Our
last game this month is one which wears it inspiration on its sleeve
and when that is Ever 17 it has some large shoes to fill. Just like
that game it take place in a confinement situation in the depth of
the sea and more is going on than the basic events initially let on.
This time it is set in a deep sea cruise submarine and it makes for an
interest bit of world building to compliment the technology on
display and the ideas presented by this sci-fi setting. Dei Gratia no
Rashinban has an understanding of what made Ever 17 such an
impressive game in terms of tension and mystery management over the
course of a story, but does not just wholesale copy its influence as
the game is more than willing to betray the player’s expectations
so long as it serves to sell the narrative. Overall this is an
interesting visual novel which fans of the niche formed around Ever
17 will absolutely adore.
Hybrid Visual Novels – An Anatomy of Visual Novels
The Best Of Both Worlds?
When
talking about visual novels there is a tendency to present the medium
as pure and distinct from all other types of games. Of course the
reality is that other games influence visual novels and visual novels
influence other games in a cycle of mutual adaptation and growth. The
most noticeable manifestation of this union is the hybrid visual
novel. This being a visual novel which includes another style of
gameplay. While this might seem like a simple definition at first
glance it is slippery when examined more closely as it is unclear
where it ends and the other gameplay style becomes the dominant
aspect. Straddling this line between worlds provides many unusual
benefits and showcases the strength of visual novel design, but runs
the risks of harming the overall vision of the game through confused
presentation and engagement. Let’s seek to bridge the gap and
examine what makes hybrid visual novels such an interesting part of
the medium.
Defining the Hybrid
Debate
over the point at which a hybrid ceases to be a visual novel and
transitions to another genre of game is one few people can agree on.
This makes defining what constitutes a hybrid visual novel a
difficult task as the only thing most people will agree on is that it
is a merger of visual novels and some other gameplay. However, even
this is not set in stone as there are those that would argue that the
addition of another gameplay style fundamentally changes the game and
excludes it from being a visual novel. So rather than providing a
rigid definition. the extremes of the design space will be
demonstrated by examples in the hope of presenting the idea in
practice.
 |
| It is surprising how even the smallest things can change a game |
If
there is one visual novel which exemplifies the hybrid approach best
then it is VA-11 HALL-A. This game blends in a strong gameplay
element in the cyberpunk bartending where the player must mix drinks
to meet the individual needs of each customer. What is important here
is that the emphasis is on the visual novel part of the game rather
than on the bartending sections. Both work in tandem to sell the
experience of the narrative and provide a sense of place the visual
novel elements would lack on their own. As a complementary whole the
game spends more time in the important visual novel sections and
brings in the bartending to break up the scenes, control the pacing
or sell the sense of being in the protagonist’s job. On top of this
VA-11 HALL-A is informed by visual novel design sensibilities
throughout its entirety which manifests in the way it places and uses
its assets to present key moments and how the dialogue is utilised.
All of the techniques found in VA-11 HALL-A are the hallmarks many
hybrid visual novels choose as their basis.
 |
| Visual Novels are not the only games to like portraits and textboxs |
Standing
on the opposite side of the divide are the many games which include
aspects from visual novels but are definitely not hybrids. The one
chosen for this example is Persona 5, a JRPG that stands far apart
from visual novels. The reason for its inclusion is the presence of
textboxes in combination with portraits that are generally associate
with visual novels and yet their existence here does not make Persona
5 a hybrid visual novel. While it might be tempting to just point at
the large sections of RPG dungeon crawling to prove that the is not a
visual novel and call it a day, there is more to it than that simple
statement. The way in which Persona 5 presents its narrative is baked
in a RPG understanding of story presentation which is visible through the
manner it chooses to use its 3D models and how place them within a
scene. In this contrast we can see what makes a
hybrid visual novel and that is the design behind it and how the
creators use the assets to achieve the desired effect. Hence why
something like AI: The Somnium Files can be considered a visual novel
despite its heavy use of 3D assets and space, as it has a visual
novel ideas baked into is very presentational fabric.
Informed By Visual Novel Design
Being
so focused on visual novel design philosophies leads to every part of
the game becoming warped to meet these needs and results in a heavily
influence on how the secondary gameplay manifests. This often means that the gameplay is something which is dipped in and out of to make a
narrative point before returning to the visual novel alongside an
ability to present character ideas through subtle cues. Danganronpa’s
debate sections showcase this warping well. The main focus of these
sections is the deducing sequences and mini games, but they are
regularly broken up by visual novel story sections that go on for
long stretches of time. This makes it clear which part of the gameplay
the important content lies in since everything on consequence happens
in them. The deduction and mini games serve to highlight specific
thoughts Danganronpa wants the player to remember while at the same
time selling the atmosphere of a live or death mystery. In addition,
these elements continue the visual novel tendency towards character
intimacy found in Danganronpa through a fixation of the actions of
individual cast members and their interplay with the story.
 |
| Mixing together ideas is how new approaches are born |
For
hybrids where the other gameplay has a greater presence, the visual
novel design makes itself felt through how the two parts interact
with one another and flow as a whole. This often results in visual
novel elements poking through and directing not only the narrative
but the next objective for mission completion. These gameplay
‘missions’ also lean into an emotional resonance to obscure their
mechanical nature and brings them into line with the visual novel aspects
surrounding them to prevent a clash of identity for occurring. Games
from Eushully are some of the most gameplay leaning hybrids that
manage to maintain their visual novel core focus and Kamidori Alchemy
Meister perfectly encapsulated their design philosophy. This mix of
visual novel, shop sim and turn based tactics combat is blended
together through their common element, characters. It starts off with
the visual novel sections acts as the backbone of the character
interacts and shows the player what kind of person they are inside
and out. This is then reflected in the shop sim and tactics sections
where character abilities take on the characteristics we have come to
know them for in a practical setting and helps from an emotional link
that informs how missions and narratives play out.
 |
| Not exactly a screen you would associate with visual novels |
Reasons For Creating A Hybrid
By
far the biggest selling point of choosing to make your visual novel a
hybrid is the additional avenue it provides a developer to create a
link between the narrative and the player. Through this more
immediately visceral extension the player can be made to experience
a simulation of the characters actions without losing the internal
and complex ideas that are the core of visual novels. In doing this
merger the game gains an extra level of robustness since if the player
misses a subtle theme or character moment provided by one part then
the other offers another chance from them to pick up on it and
preventing them from losing interest. We can see a good example of
this practice in Eiyuu * Senki. The main thrust of this game is the
world conquest and the idea of uniting while overcoming our
differences. These two ideas are present in both the visual novel and
SRPG sections with each offering a different expression of them.
Having the SRPG sections provides the game with an avenue of
presentation it would not otherwise have and allows it to express its
events through direct involvement in the conquest and by having the
people the player recruits have a role in helping their success.
Without these additions the narrative would not have the same impact
and in through their link to the narrative and the player they can
form an emotional resonance not possible if either part was in
isolation.
 |
| An odd mixture, but one that works well |
Beyond
the way the two parts interact there is a simpler benefit to the
hybrid approach that all visual novel could in some way take
advantage of and this is the breaks from the story it gives the
player. These intermissions from the visual novel segment allow for
breathing room to be made and the player to properly process what has
happened while the game maintains engagement through a different path
so as it not overwhelm them. The puzzle rooms from Virtue’s Last
Reward are a strong example of this use case. Each one offers a pause
that still continues the overall mystery of the game through a more
manageable smaller mystery to solve and act as a place for the player
to try and piece together the complicated narrative. In creating these
spaces Virtue’s Last Reward prevents its twisting story from losing
the player’s interest due to an over-saturation of information that
would be present without these well placed breaks.
Risks Involved In The Hybrid
Including
another gameplay style invites the risk of it either overwhelming the
visual novel element or becoming so detached from it that the two
feel as if they exist in separate universes. By inviting this
aspect into your visual novel you also saddle yourself with the
accompanying genre expectations and the temptation to lean into them
often leads to the aforementioned issues since they are
not always compatible with visual novels. The Bunny Black games fall
into this trap with their dungeon crawling gameplay as it ends up
entirety segregated from the main narrative. This is the result of
its emphasis on the complex party management and min-maxing which it
inherits from its genre influences and how they do not fit alongside
the themes and emotions presented by the narrative. It is not
initially a major problem with a good balance being struck in the
early game, but as the later game brings in more extended and
complicated systems and enemies the gap between visual novel sections
lengthens to the point that the two come across as unrelated to one
another.
 |
| While not a bad game, it does come across as confused |
Conclusion
While
it might be difficult to pin down exactly what exactly counts as a
hybrid visual novel, there is no denying their ability to expand how
the medium engages with the player and way they form their
narratives. Possessing a design informed by visual novel
sensibilities gives the other gameplay style a unique means of
interacting with the player and invoking the right emotional
resonance within them. By providing another avenue of expression and
an ability to create breaks to make longer visual novel’s more manageable, the
secondary gameplay element can merge with the visual novel sections
in an organic way and contribute to the game’s overall vision.
However, if handled incorrectly the two parts can become detached to
each other and create a dissonance that cannot be repaired. Despite
this risk, the hybrid approach to visual novels is definitely one
your should consider as it offers a distinctive set of tools not
otherwise available to the visual novel developer.
Developer Spotlight - Love In Space
From The Depths of Space To The Heart Of An Idol
One
of the greatest advantages of the approach to visual novel development
outside of Japan is the range of different themes and gameplay styles
a developer can mix into their games. Love In Space are an excellent
showcase of the innovation and freedom this allows and how it can
push a developer into new directions to not only create exciting
future titles but also improve upon existing series. Their portfolio
of titles covers two main through lines, these being the Sunrider and
the Shining Song Starnova games and these two could not be more
different from one another in terms of content with one being a
sci-fi adventure and the other being grounded in the idol industry.
You can never be quite sure what Love In Space will do next and how
they will put a new spin on something familiar. Just when you think
you have them pinned down they take a turn into somewhere you least
expected. Now let’s dive in and see what exactly makes Love In
Space’s approach to visual novel development work and how has been
reshaped over time.
Developer Overview
When
it comes to the output of Love In Space they lean heavily into the
realm of hybrid visual novels, these being visual novels with another
gameplay style attached to them which emphasises the narrative being
told in some manner. These complementary elements come in many
different forms from tactics gameplay to dating sims, but all work to
help the visual novel sections communicate their messages and ideas.
It is this balance between the two competing halves of their games
which is by far Love In Space’s greatest talent and the
biggest reason to play their games. However, this is not to say that
they cannot create brilliant pure visual novels as when they turn
their skills to this task they prove that their stories can stand up
on their own and do not need the accompanying alternative gameplay
elements to shine brightly. This ability to occupy both ends of the
spectrum of visual novels gives them a depth of perspective that
helps inform each new title they make in a way which creates a
compounding of experience and the results of this process speak for
themselves.
Sitting
beside this flexibility of mechanics and approach to what defines
their visual novels is Love In Space’s wide range of themes,
settings and subject matters. This is a developer who thought that
pivoting from space adventures to idol management was the way to go
and through their deft hand actually managed to pull this transition
off. Despite their regular shifts in gameplay and narrative style
there is an emotional and character driven focus which ties their
work together and defines their identity as a developer. This
manifests in their fixation on motivations and how they like to
deeply pull at a character’s inner thoughts to help the player get
a rich understanding of these people and their struggles. Above all
else empathy is what each interaction and carefully crafted plot
point drives home with an impact that is both satisfying and lingers
in your perception of the characters involved.
Selection of Notable Works
The Sunrider Series
Upon
the wings of the Sunrider Love In Space came into their own and had
their first big success. Now consisting of four entities, the
Sunrider series follows the adventures of Kayto Shields as he
commands the titular Sunrider through its spacefaring exploits and
the crew who reside within it. These games are the best showcase of
the improvement of Love In Space’s skill set and refining of what
they want their games to present to the player. Comparing First
Arrival to the most recent game Captain’s Return is like night and
day. Everything has improved across the board from the artwork to
writing and the gameplay has been completely reinvented to inject new
life into the ailing systems. However, despite all these changes the
core identity of the series shines through in exactly the same way.
This is a tale of a captain and his crew and the games never lose
sight of that fact as each one of the characters has to grapple with the
conflicts they encounter and the truths they uncover. These people never
remain the same but they do retain what makes them who they are and
Love In Space knows how to make that an exciting and wondrous journey
through the star and people’s hearts.
Shining Song Starnova
Idols
were not what many expected from Love In Space after the success of
Sunrider, yet that was exactly what they did and the result was a
fresh experience that maintained the core strengths of the developer.
The game follows the rise of a producer in his new job and the misfit
girls who will bloom into stars on the idol stage and it charts their
struggles to overcome their flaws and create a future for themselves.
This is by far their most character focused work and has quite a
large cast and the similarly large number of routes, but despite this broad nature there
in an intimacy to the player’s relationship with each heroine that
helps sell them as people. Each route knows how to focus in on the
main heroine to get the most out of their conflict without losing
sight of the other character’s relationships and how they relate to
the main pair. While the overall plots of the routes might be more
familiar to those who have played other romance visual novel, there
is a considerable effort to introduce at least one exiting twist to
the standard formula per route.
Sunrider Academy
With
Sunrider Academy we can see Love In Space’s first attempt to move
away from the turn based tactics gameplay that they had up to this
point been relying on. What they chose to experiment with is the
dating sim genre with a heavy focus on stat management and a tight
time frame to achieve the results need to secure the heroine’s
affection. Taking the Sunrider cast and placing them in a slightly
sci-fi school setting was a stroke of genius as it allows for these
characters to present another side to their personalities which is
born of this lower stakes environment. The heroines are introduced as
the heads of their failing clubs and Shields is tasked with bringing
each club into a reasonable state or they will be shut down. As a
starting point for a relationship this is excellent as it pushes
Shields into direct contact with the heroines in a position of mutual
interest from which the more personal conflict can spawn. You can see
many of the beats and techniques that Love In Space would later
refine in the Starnova games.
Shining Song Starnova: Idol Empire
The
logical continuation of the original Starnova was to give the player
direct control over the management aspects of the setting now that
the character arcs have all be concluded and this is exactly what
Idol Empire does for the series. Idol Empire has the player juggling
all the parts of the idol industry in a package which has fun playing
with the previous game’s established relationships and presenting a
dynamic set of systems. The various modes allow for the player to
express themselves and engage with the gameplay in whatever manner
they desire as some modes promote a focused story while others give
them a tool box to freely play with. Having the confidence to present
so many options to the player and being sure that no matter what they
choose they will have a good time is testament to how far Love In
Space has come with their unique identity and how much confidence
they have in it. There is a definite sense that this has been built
upon their previous experiences which they gained from Sunrider
Academy and remade here into a more refined and for purpose product
that truly shines because of the insights gained beforehand.
Conclusion
Love
In Space is a developer who has formed a unique and flexible identity
that has served them well over a variety of settings and mechanics
while providing the player with new and fun visual novels to play.
Focusing in on the characters and making them the core of their
narratives through the lens of motivations and picking away at what
makes them tick through well thought out conflicts gives their games
a common and strong core to form around. Coupled with their ability
to smoothly introduce new gameplay styles to their visual novels and
the resulting packages are compelling in a way that few other
developers can match.
AI: The Somnium Files Review – The Mysteries Of The Mind
Genre – Mystery, Detective, Sci-fi Play Time – 30 hours Developer – Spike Chunsoft Steam
One Eye Lost And Another Gained
Found
wandering in the street with a missing eye and no memories, Date is
taken in by a woman calling herself Boss, given a new eye/partner
Aibo and takes up the role of detective. Now years later he finds
himself investigating the murder of a former friend and uncovering
truths which will reshape how he sees himself and those around him.
From the developers of the Zero Escape series, AI: The Somnium Files
is a radical departure from their previous escape room style
narratives and into the genre of murder mystery. Their unique fingerprints are still all over this game but they take new and interesting
forms to better compliment the other changes in design. No longer
being bound to the rigid escape room structure opens a great many
possible spaces to explore for The Somnium Files but also presents
many chances to slip up that were not present before. There are few
games which bank on their plot and mystery more than The Somnium
Files does and this is both a blessing and a curse as it highlights
issues with other aspects of presentation and narrative. However,
there is little doubt that this visual novel will leave a strong
impression on you one way or another and this review will cover the
reasons for this distinctive flair. Let’s team up with a sassy AI
and solve this mystery.
A Dream Towards The Truth – Narrative and Themes
If
there is one area above all else in which AI: The Somnium Files triumphs it is its plot and the way the entire narrative is shaped around
it in a complete and engaging fashion. This is formed from the way it
blends its mysteries with its core plot device, the Somnium, and
makes the unknowns of each interweave in a way that keeps the player
guessing. Alongside it is the use of a limited but effective presence
of story branches that help the package feel like it is giving the player
room to explore the mystery. However, not everything is up to this
level of quality and most of it takes the shape of the game's many tonal
issues.
At
the core of any good detective story is a mystery which the player
and the protagonist must solve to overcome the threat against them
and bring the killer to justice. The medium that AI: The Somnium
Files uses to immerse the player in this fantasy is the titular
Somnium, the mental landscapes of the people Date dives into. These
worlds are abstract in nature and provide fertile ground on which
speculation can form about what the person is hiding and how they fit
into the overarching plot. Each Somnium is distinct from one another
with some being places the individual has been in the past while
others are twisted representations of their current state of mind and
these places are bursting with imagination that provide just enough
information to engage the player but never enough that they feel
satisfied. As such they are a perfect trail of breadcrumbs to lure
them into continuing to play both for more knowledge and to see what
strange place they will be able to experience next. Outside of the
Somnium scenes themselves this plot device is not treated as an
element isolated to those few moments, but as a feature which shapes
everyone in the story and they grapple with the implications of the
technology which makes this miracle possible. There are moments where
Date is too eager to use the Somnium to solve his problems rather
than deal with them through conventional means even when there will
obviously be consequence to doing so. The Somnium occupies this gray
space in the mystery and brings out the best and worst in people and
acts a thematic bridge between their feelings and the reality of the
situation by providing a tempting power which promises to give
solutions to issues that seem insurmountable.
 |
| The Somnium are strange places |
Unlike
the developers’ previous games AI: The Somnium Files is not a
sprawling web of story branches but instead a tight set of a few
paths for the player to explore. The aim this time seems to have been
to tell a more personal narrative while still retaining the freedom
their games have been know for. These few directions of travel
through the game go a long way to solving the almost paralysing level
of choices that had become a staple of their titles and it is much
better for it with a tighter focus on key characters with a clearer
vision of how the plot will take place. These all tie nicely into
Date’s relationships to the characters and do a lot to sell the
state of mind he is in to make the choices that the player selected
to set him this path. Complimenting this is the way the choices are
merge into the Somnium sections in an organic way that allows for a
smooth transition from one path to another in such a way that the
player will not immediately notice until the distinctive tones of
each route come to the forefront. This is a system that has been
developed by people who understand the kind of story they want to
tell and know when a more hands off approach is needed to help ease
the player into the experience.
 |
| These are meant to be highly trained and dangerous mercenaries |
The
single largest problem within the narrative of AI: The Somnium Files is
the tonal issues which plague it from beginning to end. This is a
game with horrific murders and high stakes that demand a the player
take it seriously but it cannot help but constantly put in stupid
jokes and banter in moments where the stakes are meant to be high. We
are not talking about the occasional bit of humour to prevent the mood
from becoming too dark but rather a pervasive inability to maintain a
straight face for any extend period of time. Often this manifests
silly banter in situations that are otherwise dire or jokes about
what a bunch of perverts the man in the story are. Having banter
between characters is an important way to build and sell their
relationships in a believable way but there is a time and place for
it. Where The Somnium Files missteps is having these interactions in
otherwise serious moment such as investigating the mind of a person
they believe to be a murderer. Rather than being focused on the
dangers in front of them and treating each with the severity the game
has communicated them as having, they instead joke around and behave
in a flippant manner not suitable for how the scene has been built up
and as a result kill the tone. This plays into the regular jokes at
the expense of the male cast which paints them as a bunch of dumb
perverts. Perhaps the most egregious example is the treatment of a
band of mercenaries who are introduced as a major threat to the lives
of the cast but are defeated because they get distracted by a porn
magazine thrown their way. It is not just one of them who falls for
this obvious trick, they all do, at once. They all come over and
abandon their attempt at murder because of a porn magazine. The issue
here is the extreme clash between the seriousness of the plot and the
sheer stupidity of so many moments within its narrative. Instead of
being funny it is just confusing, does this game want me to take it
seriously as people get brutally killed or is this a slapstick comedy
where dumb things happen?
To Catch A Killer – Characters
In
order to have a good murder mystery you need a good collection of
characters with many among them having possible motives and means for
the murder to create a soup of relationships to compel the player to
engage with them. AI: The Somnium Files meets this need through
a charismatic cast who have larger than life personalities and
clashing dreams that are all the better to muddy the waters.
Underpinning the narrative is the dynamic between the main duo of
Date and Aibo as they banter backwards and forwards in a way that
sells the closeness of their bond and their complementary strengths as
detectives. Of course the ugly tonal issues rear their head here as
well and alongside them are a selection of characters who are
overemphasised despite being clearly minor to the overall story.
 |
| This duo are the heart and soul of the narrative |
Front
and centre of the narrative is the dynamic duo of Date and Aibo,
they are rarely separated from one another especially since Aibo
takes the form of Date’s eye just to drive home their intertwined lives. Their banter is a gold mine of fun interactions with
neither one of them being assigned a set role in their relationship
and instead being flexible depending on the needs of the scene. This
means that Date can be the straight man in one section and then in
the very next one Aibo switches around with Date to be the straight
man. Rather than it feeling like they do not have a set personality,
the result is a believable friendship where the two can play along
with whatever nonsense the other comes up with and know how to have a
good time as they are comfortable with each other. Having a
relationship like this is an important part of a good detective story
since the player will be spending a lot of time in the heads of this
pair so making them empathise and feel like they are part of this
small group is important for the later trails they will undergo.
Without this bond the later revelations in the plot and the pair’s
eventual triumph would not have the desired impact. The duo of Date
and Aibo easily steal the limelight and serve as excellent point of view
characters into this world and the mystery which threatens them.
 |
| Is she innocent or just pretending? |
The
rest of the cast are in many ways just as charismatic as the main duo
but the emphasis is different for them. Rather than being solely
people the player is meant to empathise with, they are instead a
muddied mire of emotions and concealed intent that paint them
simultaneously as innocent and guilty. Their actions leave enough
potential for each of them to be the murder that you are encouraged
to analyse every word that comes out of the mouth for some clue as to
their motive and threat. Despite the possibility of them being a
killer they all maintain a strong humanity that makes you want to
believe in their innocence and helps ground them so you will never
see them in a detached fashion. Iris is one of the strongest examples of this mixture,
she is a cheerful internet idol who has boundless curiosity even if
it often get her into more trouble than she bargained for and coupled
with the loving friendships she has with many of the other cast
members and the result is an instantly endearing character. However,
throughout the game Iris behaves inconsistently in an almost mentally
unstable manner and alongside the undeniable link between her and the
murders which begins to form as more information is revealed, the
seeds of doubt sprout in your mind no matter how hard you try and
deny them.
 |
| Outa's role in the plot can be somewhat questionable at times |
Once
again the aspect of the game which brings it down is the tonal
issues. They manifest here as characters who are used for most of
their screen time as the butt of jokes suddenly being shifted into a
major staring role. This highlights their lack of personality traits
and motives forceing the game to give them some and they can feel
out of place next to what we already know about them. Their role as
joke characters does not help things as before they are pushed into the
spotlight they often break up serious moments in ways that destroys
the tension that has been building up and they have been involved in too
many scenes for their joke to still be funny. They are background
characters raised above their station and it is very obvious to the
player they should have remained where they were. Perhaps the
most noticeable example of this Outa who is painted as this pitiable
Otaku type character who is the butt of many of the character’s
jokes and generally says and does stupid things every time he is on
screen. However, later on he is suddenly thrust into the limelight by
the game’s narrative and standing in centre stage it becomes
obvious how little there is to his character. This is not helped by
the fact that the game continues to undermine Outa at every turn with
his actions often appearing pathetic until the climax of his
involvement in the story. Overall, if he had only been a secondary
character then these issues would not have been so clear and he could
have had a strong place among the characters as a palate cleanser,
but instead the result is an undermining of tone and content.
Diving Into The World Of The Mind – Visuals, Audio and Gameplay
In
terms of presentation the distinctive style of the Zero Escape games
is very much alive in AI: The Somnium Files with stylised 3D graphics
and a vibrant soundtrack carrying the game to greater heights. The
actual Somnium worlds all have a distinct visual identities that are
a treat to look at, but when it comes to the gameplay within them
they are somewhat of a mixed bag.
 |
| Twist and beautiful a perfect balance |
Utilising
3D space for effect is something that the game knows how to leverage
and get the most out of each itch. Despite not existing on the 2D
plain used by most visual novels it is still very much informed by
visual novel design sensibilities in terms of scene framing, emphasis
and composition. The 3D space is used as if it were an extension of
the backgrounds and sprites found in other visual novels and it is
presented with this in mind to capture both that familiar feeling
while adding its own unique spin on these ideas. Each movement is
composed in a way that makes it clear that it holds some importance
and demands the player’s attention in the way only a visual novel
is capable of achieving. Supporting all of this higher level design
is a visual and musical identity that blends a familiar world with a
futuristic method of investigating. Juxtaposition is AI: The Somnium
Files’ favourite technique but it understands that there need to be
gaps between its use in order that it never becomes too familiar so the
futuristic elements are used sparing to keep the player stimulated
and looking forward to more.
 |
| This choice is simple but later ones are not |
When
it comes to the Somnium the strong identity and narrative technique
are maintained with their free-form nature allowing for more
experimental and abstract forms of presentation. There are few spaces
as memorable as the variety of Somnium the player will witness over
the course of the game and each one has a distinct flare resulting in
an impressive level of complexity to the feeling of being in one. They all sell their owner’s mental state in a way mere
words could never be able to express and this is by far their
greatest triumph. It is a shame then that they are such a mixed bag
when it comes to the mechanics. Each Somnium has a time limited
attached to it and the player is offered choices which deduct time
from that pool and they must deduce the correct path through choices
before they run out of time. One the surface this might seem
perfectly harmless and for much of the early game it is, but once the
later game Somnium hit things go down hill as the choices and correct
outcomes become increasingly nonsensical with there being no way for
the player to determine the correct path from the information they
are given. What results is a tedious mire of trial and error which
not only bores the player but takes away from the fantasy of being a
clever detective figuring out the mystery by making the player feel
as if they cannot possibly work out the solution. This weakness is
not a deal breaker since no Somnium ever lasts long enough for this
to completely shatter the experience but it does sour an otherwise
outstanding visual novel.
Verdict -
A
gripping mystery and abstract visual identity define AI: The Somnium
Files and come together to make for a truly unforgettable journey.
Pros -
+
An excellent mystery with proper build up and incorporation of the
Somnium into its progression.
+
Memorable characters who you grow attached to and a strong main duo
dynamic.
+
Tightly paced narrative containing very little unnecessary content.
+
Distinctively designed characters and locations that make the most
out the limited space available.
Cons -
-
An extremely inconsistent tone which jumps wildly between life or
death seriousness to silly high jinks seemly at random.
-
Some of the chacters feel out like they should not have assumed a major role but stayed to their background tasks.
-
The Sommium themselves are a mixed bag with the later ones
descending into trial and error nonsense.
