No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – More details (Escape segments, returning characters and mechanics)

Spike-Chunsoft has shared a fresh batch of details and screenshots for No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES, this time focusing on three elements: the brand new Escape segments, returning characters, and some returning game mechanics.

As previously mentioned, No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES features brand new Escape segment with gameplay inspired by the Zero Escape series. At first, only Iris Sagan is playable during those segments, but as you progress through the game, Ota Matsushita eventually joins the fray, and you will need to switch between the two (who are kept in separate rooms) to escape.

In Escape, take control of internet idol Iris Sagan, also known as A-set, who has been trapped in a locked room. Your goal is to solve the puzzles scattered throughout the room and find a way out. As the story progresses, Ota Matsushita, a huge fan and friend of Iris, will appear as a playable character to take on the challenges of this dangerous escape game.

In Escape segments featuring Ota, you switch between Iris and Ota to solve puzzles in the locked room. Although they are separated, information and items obtained by one can be essential for the other’s escape. By alternating between them, gather clues and combine their findings to free both of them.

Spike-Chunsoft has also confirmed that the following returning characters will be present in this new game:

Ota Matsushita

VA: Zach Aguilar
Japanese VA: Natsumi Fujiwara

A devoted fan and friend of Iris. He met Date during the previous case. Until recently he was unemployed, but now he runs his family’s restaurant, “Matsushita Diner,” by himself. Following Iris, he also becomes a playable character in Escape segments.

Mizuki Date

VA: Corina Boettger
Japanese VA: Tomoyo Kurosawa

A sixth-grader who serves as the president of Lemniscate, the talent agency that represents Iris. Her last name used to be Okiura, but after a certain incident, she was adopted by Kaname Date. She possesses incredible physical strength.

Kuruto Ryuki

VA: Stephen Fu
Japanese VA: Atsushi Tamaru

Tama

VA: Anairis Quiñones
Japanese VA: Ai Kakuma

Ryuki is a reserved and cool-headed investigator newly assigned to ABIS. Like Date, he is a “Psyncer” who enters dream worlds to conduct investigations, and he has the AI-Ball Tama equipped in his left eye. Ryuki was one of the main protagonists in the previously released game, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – nirvanA Initiative. This installment portrays his early days as a rookie.

Moma Kumakura

VA: Kaiji Tang
Japanese VA: Wataru Takagi

As the leader of the Kumakura Family, an organization that views itself as “a gang with morals,” he’s deeply connected to the underworld and sometimes has access to information even the police don’t. He’s also a secret fan of Iris, with a passion that rivals even Ota’s.

Also, we learn that two gameplay mechanics from AI: The Somnium Files – Nirvana Initiative (which takes place later in the series’ timeline) will be present in No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES:

• Wink Psync (Investigation parts)

Wink Psync is a simplified version of Psyncing used during Investigations to peek into the mind of the person in front of you. By using Wink Psync, you can uncover lies or learn about a person’s worries or hidden secrets when regular conversation yields little results. In this game, it is still an experimental technology used by Kaname Date and Aiba.

• Key Rules (Somnium parts):

In Somnium, you enter the dreams of people involved in a case to uncover hidden truths. Each dream world is governed by a set of Key Rules, or Keys. By deciphering these rules, you can grasp the logic of that world, making it easier to choose actions that lead to the truth. At first, the Keys appear blank, but as you progress, the sentences explaining them gradually fill in. In the early stages, experimentation and trial-and-error are essential for discovering the rules. Later, it becomes crucial to act in accordance with the completed Key Rules.

Finally, Spike-Chunsoft has confirmed that No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES will be available as a Game Key Card on Nintendo Switch 2 (but as full game on cart on Nintendo Switch). It will require 10GB of free space on that platform.

No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES (Switch, Switch 2) comes out on July 25th worldwide.

Source: Spike-Chunsoft