Zero Escape Director Reveals AI: The Somnium Files

Kotaro Uchikoshi, creator of the popular visual novel mystery series Zero Escape (and the director of two entries: 999 and Zero Time Dilemma), revealed the first details of his latest game, AI: The Somnium Files.

Check out the announcement trailer of AI: The Somnium Files, featuring a cinematic video:

“AI: The Somnium Files unfolds in a technologically-advanced modern-day Tokyo, and begins with the discovery of a body that’s had its left eye gouged out. Enter Kaname Date, a detective with a cybernetic eye, on the trail of a serial killer.

Thanks to the AI helper in his eye, Date can peer into the memories of witnesses and suspects in order to extract new information. These memories, explained Uchikoshi, are like dreamscapes, and are called “somnium”, from the Latin word for dream.

During the Anime Expo panel, Uchikoshi also revealed a second character from AI – Iris Sagan, an 18-year-old high school student and “net idol” who posts videos of herself to YouTube, dancing, singing, and doing Let’s Plays. She has an as-yet-unknown part in the mystery.

AI: The Somnium Files has snagged Yusuke Kozaki as lead character designer (who previously created characters for the likes of Fire Emblem: Awakening, No More Heroes, and Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan) and Spike Chunsoft says the game is coming to Switch, PS4, and PC.

About SPIKE CHUNSOFT, INC.

Spike Chunsoft, Inc. is a subsidiary of Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. of Japan, which established its North American operations on December 1, 2017. Based in Long Beach, California, Spike Chunsoft, Inc. serves as a base of operations to localize and publish titles from its parent company for the Western market.

Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. was established in April 2012 by a merger of two renowned video game developers/publishers, Spike Co. Ltd. and Chunsoft Co., Ltd. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. specializes in developing and publishing entertainment content across consoles, PC, and mobile for some of the most popular series in the industry, such as Danganronpa and Mystery Dungeon.”