Hump Day Husbandos: Lien Twining (AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative
If you haven’t played AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative yet, you really should. Not only is it a great murder mystery that plays with the concept of reality and time in a great way, but it also has a prime choice of himbo in the form of Lien. Though there are plenty of other characters that get more development than him throughout the game, Lien is easily one of the most likeable, kind, and funny figures the protagonists come across.
What makes Lien worthy of being a Hump Day Husbando? Here are all the reasons you’ll love this big beefy idiot. We’ll try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible for those of you who haven’t played the game – which, again, you absolutely should.
Who is Lien Twining?
We first get introduced to Lien early in nirvanA Initiative where he is hanging out in Matsushita Diner. Hanging out might not be the right phrase, though; really, he is stalking Kizuna, an idol who frequents the diner and occasionally can be cajoled into performing on the spot. It is love at first sight for Lien, though his intense infatuation puts the young woman off for some time. He is well-meaning if ill-advised.
Lien is a passionate guy who is more heart than brains, but he is also a skilled lockpick and has worked for some unsavoury characters in the past. These skills are both a blessing and a curse for him, as they have cost him both friendships and jobs in the past. No one wants to employ a convicted felon, even if the job is as simple as sweeping floors. Once you get past the over-enthusiastic exterior, you find that Lien is often depressed and drifting, trying to find his place in the world.
Why we love him
Despite his intimidating exterior, Lien is one of the nicest people you meet in your journey through the nirvanA Initiative. He never backs down from an opportunity to help people. Even when he knows it could send him back to prison, he views these moments as a chance to make up for his criminal past. There is a wholesomeness to everything he does, which usually stems from his desire to convince Kizuna that he would make a good husband, and that makes it impossible not to root for him.
Lien is also an absolute idiot most of the time, not understanding the implications behind some of the more pressing plot points in the game. But that doesn’t matter because, in true himbo fashion, Lien shows up when you need him most to provide some much-needed muscle… usually wielding a giant key because, no matter how much this game tries to convince you otherwise, it does not care about being realistic. This is easily the smallest leap in logic the game inflicts upon you during its lengthy runtime.
Why you’ll love him
I always love a good himbo character. Someone with a big heart and exactly two brain cells functioning at any given moment. Lien is one of the best examples of this trope. I’m not convinced that he ever knows what is happening around him but that doesn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. There is a scene late in the game that is genuinely touching with how it resolves his relationship with Kizuna.
If you want to unravel the mystery behind the Half Body murders, and, more importantly, meet this loveable idiot, then you should definitely pick up AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative. It is one of the most creative, fun games I’ve played this year. If you love weird murder mysteries that defy every attempt at logic, then it will be right up your street.
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