Kotaro Uchikoshi and the team behind the Zero Escape series are known for intricate puzzles. Its games feature both complex mind-bending mystery plots and abstract escape-room-like challenges.
AI: The Somnium Files - NirvanA Initiative, like its predecessor AI: The Somnium Files, builds on this reputation. Players use advanced technology to enter the dreams of suspects and investigate the Half Body Serial Killings, a string of murders in which each victim's body was perfectly split in half.
One of the more troubling puzzles appears when investigating the office of Tokiko Shigure, the bizarre president of a group researching simulation theory. Half of a corpse appears inside her office when the only door was both locked and guarded. But solving this mystery involves solving a tricky number puzzle.
Nirvana Initiative's Virtual Realty Investigation
New to this game is the Virtual Reality Investigation system, where the player's AI companion recreates the crime scene in virtual space. These play like puzzle rooms, where the player gathers clues using X-Ray, Thermal, and Night Vision to answer a singular question.
When investigating Tokiko's office, it becomes clear that the front door isn't the only way in and out of the room. There's a second, secret entrance, hidden by the giant plaque behind her desk. The plaque can be lifted by shifting statues equipped with infrared sensors.
That's only the first half of the puzzle, however. Once the plaque is lifted, the player has to input a seven-digit pin code into the reader behind it.
Tokiko's Secret Pin Code
There are two hints in the room that point to the pin code. The first is a set of numbers hidden in the desk, pictured above. The second is the nonuple-X symbol on the plaque, a series of 9 Xs arranged into a diamond. The numbers slot easily into the shape.
The X's aren't just dividers. They're also multiplication symbols. The downward arrows on the squares beneath show which way to multiply. In other words, starting from left to right, the player needs to multiply together each vertical number of columns.
The final result is 4901095.
This isn't NirvanA Initiative's most complex puzzle, but it tends to throw players for a loop, both due to its relatively early appearance and due to the game not signposting the multiplication clue enough. Thankfully, for players uninterested in puzzles, the game has a puzzle difficulty setting that can be changed at any time in the options menu.
AI: The Somnium Files - NirvanA Initiative is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.