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Spoiler Will the ending of Somnium Files nirvanA Initiative be able to match the first game's?

Will the ending of Somnium Files nirvanA Initiative be able to match the first game's?

  • Yes, somehow it's going to be even better

    Votes: 10 76.9%
  • No, the first game's ending was just too perfect to be matched

    Votes: 3 23.1%

  • Total voters
    13

Kitty Paws

Shriekbat
Pronouns
He/Him
AI: The Somnium Files' true ending is one of the most rewarding I have ever experienced. So much that I find myself wishing more games ended that way. The game was already good but the ending pushed it to greatness.

However, that might be a problem. How can the sequel ever hope to match that kind of perfection? Whatever the ending is going to be, if it does indeed manage to be as great - or, heaven forbid, even better - as the first one, then we're in for one hell of a treat.
 
0
I trust is gonna be great. The premise for the sequel can led to some interesting twist. Fingers cross they nail it.
 
0
If I don't get a massive case of second-hand embarassment it'll be an improvement.

I don't hate the idea of a dancing number, but I really dislike the song in question, so the whole section was ruined for me.
 
I hope we get another song and dance. First ending was a 10/10.
 
0
If I don't get a massive case of second-hand embarassment it'll be an improvement.

I don't hate the idea of a dancing number, but I really dislike the song in question, so the whole section was ruined for me.
I'm pretty sure the song was cringe on purpose.
 
0
I hope it's not the same, but something fun still.

I did enjoy it and I especially enjoyed watching my friend get the ending. He wasn't as into the song as he would skip it every time it showed up in the game, but the ending couldn't be skipped. lmao
 
0
It's a tough act to follow, that's for sure. Leaning towards 'no', especially if they're planning to make this a trilogy.
 
It's a tough act to follow, that's for sure. Leaning towards 'no', especially if they're planning to make this a trilogy.
I hope this trilogy will come to a better ending than Zero Escape then.
Cause man was Zero Time Dilemma disappointing in the Story department, especially after the first two games.
Atleast it didn't fail gameplaywise.
But man was AI a breath of fresh air after that.
 
I hope this trilogy will come to a better ending than Zero Escape then.
Cause man was Zero Time Dilemma disappointing in the Story department, especially after the first two games.
Atleast it didn't fail gameplaywise.
But man was AI a breath of fresh air after that.
ZTD was so bad it'd be genuinely difficult to replicate it, so I'm not too worried.

Besides, I get the feeling that AI isn't as interested in setting up mysteries to be solved in the sequel compared to Zero Escape. I don't recall much sequel-baiting at all in AI, but it's been a while. Even 999 set up some mysteries that would become more prominent in VLR. It's hard to compare both series' trajectories without having played Nirvana Initiative yet, but, despite loving VLR, I hope it's more focused on character writing than in trying to build up mysteries across various games.
 
0
I don’t remember the first game’s ending being all that special. It was well done but that’s it.
 
0
The shock factor of the dance scene is a lot more muted now considering that it was sorta expected, but honestly I think I prefer this one more given how the dance itself played into the story a bit. Lien picking up Kizuna and doing the dance for her in their shared ending was some of the most wholesome shit I've ever seen Uchikoshi put out.

As for the game itself, woof. To say that it's dense would be an understatment. Still need to sort my thoughts out on it, but my overall thoughts are positive. Don't think the story is anywhere near as airtight as the first game, but the scope and ambition of Nirvana Initiative along with the drastically improved gameplay push it over The Somnium Files overall.

Easily the highlight of the game for me was the timeline twist, even if it ultimately didn't connect to the main story all that much. I absolutely love how the game just unabashedly gaslights you. Characters say things that seemingly check out on paper, but upon deeper thought make absolutely no sense at all. Crucial information is seemingly left out, like how nobody ever acknowledges the six year gap between bodies beyond the first one. Other theories proposed by the characters are completely illogical, like when Mizuki and Aibi propose that Komeji moved the body from Misetan two days ago despite having been dead for years at that point. Elements like the Nirvana Trial are treated as entirely new in the present timeline, despite already having shown up in the past, while Mizuki and Date show absolutely no emotion upon meeting despite having been separated with no contact since the cathedral explosion. There's obviously something wrong, but the game doesn't bring any attention to it all, leaving the player disoriented and confused, questioning their own logic and timeline. It's absolutely brilliant stuff, and I honestly can't remember the last time a game has made me feel anything similar.

And of course, when the ball drops and the game reveals the twist, it's an absolutely incredible OH SHIT moment. For the next hour or so afterwards, I would periodically connect the dots between past events that I never would've thought possible: How there were three protagonists all along, that the "Mizuki's adoptive mother" in Boss's profile was referring to Bibi, that the person Lien broke into Horadori with was Bibi, that the bunny in Bibi's Somnium was a reference to Adorabbit, why Gen was so hesitant to reveal his information about Tearer, and so forth. I'm currently starting a second playthrough, because I want to experience the story in true chronological order and see just how each day was written to get around this twist.

However, my thoughts on the story itself are fairly mixed. I'm fine with the larger scope, but the overreliance on the action scenes got pretty tiring. The combat choreography in these games are terrible, and that final battle in particular was just dreadful. The inclusion of the original game's cast is a nice touch, but they ultimately muddy the waters and make it harder to connect with the new characters, stealing away screen time in the process and feeling like filler overall. It also doesn't help that Mizuki, Bibi, and especially Ryuki are all pretty much completely uninvolved with the core cast; Mizuki and Bibi at least have the connection to Chikara, but Ryuki's character development and backstory is pretty much entirely irrelevant, and the result is that he becomes a complete afterthought in Side Mizuki. Lien and Gen are also somewhat disappointing; Lien has a heart of gold but comes off as a creep and is never really admonished for that, while Gen's relationship with Amame is made romantic when it absolutely didn't need to be. Bibi makes for a really cool twist, especially when you realize that there were actually three protagonists all along, but once that twist is revealed she doesn't really do anything to differentiate herself from Mizukil which was disappointing. Komeji was a treat, though I can't say I care for his design. It's hard to take his story with Shoma and Amame all that seriously when he's quite literally a blockhead.

Speaking of which, Amame is easily my favorite "new" character of this game. It's wild how they took what was essentially a meme character, gave her a tragic story, and made her one of the goddamn culprits. Definitely wasn't on my bingo card. While her relationship with Komeji and Shoma should've gotten a bigger focus, I still really like the overall direction they took with her, and I fully expect her to return in a potential sequel given how heavily the game hints at Amame not really being blamed for what happened. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she was a protagonist next time, given that Boss was able to reinstate Pewter into ABIS with relative ease.

The other characters that deserve their own spotlight are of course Uru, Chikara, and Tokiko. Uru was a bit of a letdown, although it makes sense considering that you never get a chance to really interact with him and he's dead for half the game. Wish they had expanded on his dynamic with Chikara and Tokiko more. Loved how they initially paint Chikara as a kooky old dude, only to slowly unveil just how much of a monster he was over the course of the game. Kinda impressive how much they get you to despite him despite only having a single conversation with him throughout the entire game. And, of course, Tokiko basically breaking the game logic itself to reach Moksha is some Doki Doki Literature Club shit. The fact that she willingly committed suicide just to perpetuate the mixed timelines and fuck with the player is bonkers, and I can't wait to go back and analyze the interactions with her again now that I have that extra context, along with the knowledge of her original impulsive self. Fascinating to see how she transformed from a naive and loving mother into the emotionless monster that she is now.

Gameplay doesn't matter that much with games like these, but it's impossible to ignore just how much better the gameplay is here. The addition of the VR investigation helps break the pacing of plain dialogue boxes, and the Somniums are so much more creative and structured. Iris, Amame, and Bibi's in particular were highlights. One-shotting So Sejima and Sephiroth in a Pokemon battle with a secret boss you acquire using a porn magazine is such an incredible sentence that I never expected to type out, and yet that coexists alongside a zombie Chikara jumpscare. They went wild with the Somniums in this game, and yet they're so much better structured than the first game. Huge win for Uchikoshi there.

Soundtrack is a bop, which is to be expected. Nefarious Institute has been my go to for the past few days, and I really love Secret Faith as well.

Overall, I really liked my time with Nirvana Initiative. Not an improvement in every aspect, but I consider it the better game between the two and my second favorite Uchikoshi game between Zero Escape and The Somnium Files.
 
Loved the ending in this one, probably not as great as the first game, but still holds up

Even better since I got to hear my older brother sing lol. He voiced Ryuki and couldn't stop myself from busting out laughing when he started singing.
 


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