[Rewrite] Nintendo Switch 2: Insomnia with Kaname Date – A Review of AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES

No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES bursts onto the scene as the series’ debut on Nintendo Switch 2. Seriously, who saw that coming? Anyway, we’re diving into this strange new world right after the whole New Cyclops Serial Killings hoopla. And here’s where it gets weird—Internet idol Iris Sagan, who the fans know as “A-set”—gets kidnapped by a UFO. Yup, you read that right. Kinda wild, right? She winds up trapped in this nerve-wracking escape game called The Third Eye Game. You, playing as Kaname Date, again, have got to chase these mysteries down—with your trusty AI-buddy Aiba—before everything goes to pieces. If it feels a bit like No More Heroes, you’re not alone in thinking so.

This latest adventure takes us back in time before AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – nirvanA Initiative, sprinkling in some sweet Escape Room twists. By the way, I’ve wandered through this universe before with the original AI: The Somnium Files and its just-as-good sequel nirvanA Initiative. I’m thrilled to leap back into AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES—now glossier on the new Nintendo Switch 2. Greg Chun voices Kaname Date, and with Jackie Lastra, Erika Harlacher, Jenny Yokobori—it’s a knockout lineup. I could go on and on about them, honestly.

The game unravels across three parts: Investigation, Escape, and Somnium. Investigations are like, “Hey, what’s that over there?” You maneuver your view and check out stuff that stands out, using Date’s high-tech left eye to peek deeper into things. Hopefully, this leads you to where Iris is stuck, and you cook up a plan to bust her out.

Escapes are exactly what they sound like. Navigate through your immediate surroundings, solve puzzles, and inch closer to breaking free. Keep your eyes peeled and identify things to help solve these puzzles. Press ZL for better focus (pro tip!). But, fair warning! In Hard mode, they take that away. Fill the bar at the bottom of the screen, and you’re golden.

Somnium sections throw you into these kaleidoscopic dreamscapes using the Psync machine. You get 6 minutes—isn’t it always the way?—to sift through emotions and unlock these Mental Locks that bar you from deeper secrets. Extend your time and maybe you’ll piece together something groundbreaking.

Difficulty settings, oh man, where do I start? It’s got multiple levels: Story, Easy, and Standard for Investigation and Somnium, plus an extra Hard for Escape. Story mode in Investigation guarantees infinite time and retries. Easy gives you a cushion. Standard keeps it tight.

Somnium’s Story mode slows everything down to a crawl—what a relief—while Easy speeds it up a bit. Standard? Pretty much what you’d expect. As for Escape, it’s a mix of time crunches and varying limits on how much help you get. Hard’s almost brutal.

Collect “Eyes” as you cruise through, cashing ’em in for extra goodies in the Bonus section. Be strategic about choices in Somnium to maximize your Eyes! You can pick up No Sleep For Kaname Date on Nintendo Switch 2 for $39.99 starting July 25. If you’re old school, there’s also a Switch version at the same price.

So yeah, that’s the gist! It’s chaotic, vibrant, and oh, did I mention mind-bending? Get ready to hop into Kaname Date’s shoes and hold on tight for the ride.