AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES is a series that I never knew I needed. I discovered the first game during a lazy afternoon pet-sitting for my sister, intrigued by its interesting premise and quirky cast of characters. What followed was a week-long binge, in which I devoured the first game and immediately demolished the sequel,nirvanA Initiative, smitten with a creative and, at times, baffling series that reveled in its own absurdity. It was a breath of fresh air in an industry afraid to tell fun, silly stories.
Now thatNo Sleep For Kaname Dateis almost here, I sat down with director Kazuya Yamada and series director Kotaru Uchikoshi to discuss their ideas during development, the challenges they faced, and what we can expect from the game when it launches this month.
Unlimited Creativity With A Limited Budget
The Psync machine, a device that allows Date to dive into someone’s mind and explore a Somnium dream world in which almost anything is possible, allows AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES a seemingly endless amount of experimentation and creativity. We’ve seen some interesting ideas and genre shifts during these segments, and I wondered if there was an idea too bold or ridiculous that had to be thrown away due to its feasibility.
“In the AI series, there is a dream world called the Somnium, so no matter how crazy an idea is, it can be realized there,” Uchikoshi says. “Of course, within budget… So I don’t think there are any ideas that were completely scrapped just because they were ‘too crazy.’”
“We can’t fully replicate a fighting game like Virtua Fighter or Tekken, and the same goes for FPS games like Call of Duty. But it’s not completely impossible. Figuring out how to recreate those kinds of experiences within budget constraints is exactly where a planner’s skills come into play. I believe the AI development team has members with that kind of ability.”
Yamada, too, agrees that budget constraints are the main thing holding back the AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES developers from being too outlandish with the Psync machine, as well as concerns over whether fans would actually be interested in deviating so far from the standard format they’re used to.
He admits thathis desire to make a JRPG is how the Kusemon Go stage in AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES, and admits that there have been times in which he thought about experimenting with different genres.
“I’ve fantasized about all sorts of things like side-scrolling beat ‘em ups and dungeon RPGs, but at the same time, I can’t help but wonder, “Would that actually be fun?” and “Is anyone really asking for this?” So it’s tough.
When I was looking back over some old notes, I found a scribble that said, “A Metroidvania where you explore the Somnium world. Right below that, it said, “We don’t have the budget for that.”
No Sleep For Kaname Date And The Influence Of Zero Escape
As for No Sleep For Kaname Date itself, Yamada describes it as “an experiment and a challenge”, as he tries to go in a different direction that seems to be more in line with Zero Escape, another series that fans of Uchikoshi’s work will be familiar with.
When asked whether Zero Escape played a part in development, he said that the team was “very conscious” of the series when making No Sleep For Kaname Date, while Uchikoshi admitted that the fan reception of Zero Escape content in other games in the AI series “may have had an influence”.
“We included elements that would make people who are familiar with the series happy when they played it,” says Yamada. “However, this game is ultimately part of the “AI series,” so we were careful not to stray from that core. If someone who isn’t familiar with the Zero Escape series ends up enjoying this game, I’d be happy if they went on to play those games as well.”
Uchikoshi, one of the minds behind Zero Escape, also chimed in to explain that many people who are currently working on AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES and No Sleep For Kaname Date worked on the Zero Escape series, and that “many of them are fans” too, describing its influence as “inevitable”.
Are We Dancing To The End Of The AI Series?
As an AI series fan, I naturally had to ask Yamada and Uchikoshi about the spectacular dance finales at the end of both the first game and nirvanA Initiative. Unsurprisingly, the pair knew exactly how much chatter there had been around No Sleep For Kaname Date receiving its own. Uchikoshi even goes into the quite frankly ludicrous amount of work and collaboration that is required to actually include them.
“The same amount of effort was put into those as the SEGA development teams put in back in the 1990s. For the music in previous games, the composer was Keisuke Ito, the lyrics were by me, the choreographer was Polestar, the dance motion actress was Rika Kyuno, the 3D motion etc. was done by SF Graphics, the ending was also composed by me. For No Sleep For Kaname Date, I think Yamada-san was in charge of the lyrics and composition.”
We then hear from Yamada about what to expect from No Sleep For Kaname Date’s finale, admitting that he “felt pressured” by the calls for the game to finish with one, but doesn’t give away too much. All he says is that he’s taken “a slightly different approach” this time.
And that’s the core theme throughout No Sleep For Kaname Date, an “experiment” that allows the developers to try something a little different. It’s structured differently, its story is unlike anything we’ve seen so far, and Uchikoshi has been far more hands off this time around, something that Yamada understands some fans are slightly worried about.
“I fully understand the concern among fans that Uchikoshi-san did not write the scenario,” admits Yamada. “That said, the rest of the development team has remained fundamentally the same. As fans of the AI series ourselves, we on the development team have put more effort into this project than ever before, and I’m confident you’ll enjoy it.”
It has all the potential to be another great game in the series though, and Uchikoshi is confident we’ll all love it, encouraging fans to help Yamada “stay motivated” and that the game has been “created with love by a staff who loves the AI series.”
Yamada says that if it does well, “there might be a next time, or next time might be a completely different way to play”, and what happens next with the AI series is mainly down to fans. So, if you want more from the AI series, head out to support Yamada and Uchikoshi when No Sleep For Kaname Date launches on July 25.
