The 2019 visual novel adventure game AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES introduced the world to Kaname Date, a quick-witted and eccentric detective with a mysterious past. After taking a backseat in 2022's AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative, Date returns as the protagonist (and title character) of No Sleep For Kaname Date From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES. Date's return to the spotlight was an exciting one for No Sleep For Kaname Date's development team, as well as something highly anticipated by the series' fans.
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The Series' Fans Wanted Kaname Date Back
In a conversation with The Best War Games, director and scenario writer Kazuya Yamada and series director and scenario supervisor Kotaro Uchikoshi revealed that bringing Date back as the protagonist was something that fans had very much wanted. "We actually monitor and search through posts on X more closely than you might think," Yamada revealed. "The idea of making Date the protagonist was based on considering everyone's opinions."
Kaname Date intrigued fans with his compelling story in AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES, where his involvement in the tricky New Cyclops Killings serial murder case forced him to confront his own missing memories and convoluted past. In nirvanA Initiative, Date played a more minor role, with the protagonist slot shared between newcomer Kuruto Ryuki and Date's adoptive daughter, Mizuki Date.
But fans wanted more of Date, and so he takes on another mysterious investigation in No Sleep For Kaname Date when his friend Iris Sagan is kidnapped and forced to play a strange escape game. Both Ryuki and Mizuki return in supporting roles, and Yamada hinted that writing Ryuki from Date's perspective was a fun experience for him. "I believe I was able to bring out a new charm in Ryuki," Yamada revealed.
Writing Kaname Date Again Felt Like Coming Home
Both Yamada and Uchikoshi expressed a feeling of love towards Kaname Date and were delighted to see him make his grand return. Uchikoshi loved how much his fans enjoyed Date and his previous adventures, saying, "I truly feel the love for the AI series from so many fans. I'm confident that once everyone plays No Sleep For Kaname Date, their love for this series will further deepen." When asked what it was like returning to Date's story after years of absence, Yamada described it as such:
"In Japan, there's an expression: "a sense of comfort, like being at your parents' home," and that’s exactly how it felt to me, since I also wrote some of the dialogue for the Somnium parts in the first game. Kaname Date is a character who truly shines in both comedic and serious moments, so writing his lines was really enjoyable."
No Sleep for Kaname Date takes place between the events of the first two games, so it remains to be seen what new adventures Date will get up to - or how he will cope with the truth about himself he learned during AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES. He'll also be working alongside two returning characters: Iris Sagan and Ota Matushita, who become playable characters for the newly added Escape segments after playing a supportive role in the previous two titles.
However the investigation goes, players will be able to reunite with the smart but unusual ABIS detective who bickers with his AI-Ball partner Aiba, dreams of moving to the hot spring town of Atami, and increases his power by reading adult magazines. There is truly no other character quite like Kaname Date, and No Sleep for Kaname Date promises to be a memorable journey for its players and characters alike.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 73%
- Released
- July 25, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Violence, Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Spike Chunsoft
- Publisher(s)
- Spike Chunsoft
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unity
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Puzzle, Mystery, Visual Novel
