Let’s go to Atami!
Having thoroughly enjoyed both of the AI: The Somnium Files games, when “No Sleep for Kaname Date” was announced, I was happy to see another entry but at the same time, I thought it was titled a bit odd and that it was also a bit soon for a full sequel.
With that in mind, I tempered my expectations and went in and found a shorter, much less ambitious entry- but one that was very entertaining all the same.
Iris should have enough stamps on her “Frequently Kidnapped” card to get a free smoothie or two.
MSRP: $49.99
Platforms: PC, NSW
Length: 15~ hours
Taking place between the original AI Somnium Files and its sequel, special investigator Kaname Date and his partner Aiba are pulled into a case when Iris contacts them looking for help.
Trapped in what seems to be a spaceship, Date and Aiba guides Iris through a series of escape rooms while investigating the Somnium of a mysterious individual, locked in a medical support system. As they get closer to the identity of the true culprit, they begin to learn more about their new ally, Hina and her connections to unfolding events.
While the story in “No Sleep for Kaname Date” is by no means basic, when put side by side next to the other two games in the series, it felt very straight forward, both in its story telling as there wasn’t any branching story as well as in the content of said story.
It’s a bit unfortunate to be compared to some of the wildest sci-fi stories ever penned into a video game but that’s just how it is. I suppose this is a form of “suffering from success”. The adventure was much shorter as well, clocking in just around 12 hours to complete the story. Luckily, there was a bevy of bonus story content to unlock and enjoy which extended the playtime to around 15 hours.
Luckily, the interactions and chemistry between the characters remain strong and I could honestly just watch a sit-com with these characters going about their lives.
While the game is fairly short, there were a bunch of fun “what if” scenarios to enjoy.
In terms of the gameplay, it was nice to see escape sections alongside the tried-and-true somniums. Given the history of the director and many of the members working on AI:Somnium Files and their history with the fantastic Zero Escape series, it felt like they were tapping into their roots.
It was nostalgic to hear the “Find a Way Out” and “You Found It” motifs from the Zero Escape series.
After the initial escape room, I was also able to switch between multiple characters in order to solve more elaborate puzzles taking place in larger areas.
While I was never stuck on any particular puzzle for very long, it was nice to be given difficulty options to control how many hints I was afforded and how much time I had to handle certain segments. I left things in the standard normal difficulty and had an enjoyable time overall.
Somniums return in the same way and still remains a highlight- shuffling through the mind of an individual, trying to make sense of their memories and feelings is always intriguing.
I could feel the immediate loss of rizz whenever I switched to Ota.
Previously, I noted how much of a barebones port the previous games were and once again, we’re dealing with the same treatment. Having to configure the settings for the game on a launcher, with no support for UW, DLSS/FSR or anything. At the very least, the game didn’t crash on me during my playthrough so that’s something at least.
I believe him.
Even though it is much shorter and less ambitious than the other titles in the series, “No Sleep for Kaname Date” is a good time, albeit with the stipulation that it should not be the introduction to the series for anyone and strictly for the fans of special agent Date and his misadventures.
Fun Tidbit – In a way, this feels like a DLC they had planned for the second game that grew too large and ended up being a standalone adventure.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
