History VideoGame / AITheSomniumFilesNirvanaInitiative

* DeusExMachina: [[spoiler:{{Invoked}} in the Divergence Route, where early into the investigation, Ryuki suddenly gains the knowledge of everything that happens up to the main ending. He not only uses it to arrest Tearer before he kills anyone other than Chikara and Jin, but also to resolve every single other issue that arresting Tearer early doesn't fix, like Komeji paying off his debts, getting an above-board job and reconnecting with his kids, or Gen and Amame not getting any punishment for trying to hide half of Jin's corpse. It's a perfect, shallow, and melancholic end where Ryuki ends up with the knowledge that everything and everyone he knows including himself are fictional and Tokiko's escape from the game might have serious repercussions in the future.]]

** Unlike the first game,[[spoiler:Hitomi's right arm is unmoving during the DancePartyEnding]].

* DemotedToExtra: Several characters who played important key roles in the previous game have severely diminished roles here. Long story short, anyone who's not [[spoiler:Date, Mizuki, Boss, Aiba, Iris, or Moma]] don't have much to do in the new plot. Conversely, though, [[spoiler:[[AscendedExtra Amame Doi]]]] from the first game receives a ''very'' substantial amount of attention when [[spoiler:she]] used to be just around for exposition sake on other characters.

* DownloadableContent: A hot-dog costume and three T-shirts for Aiba and Tama [[TemporaryOnlineContent were available as free limited DLC for those who bought the game within three weeks of its release]]. There are also various other DLC outfits that always had a price tag, including kimonos, Aiba and Tama swapping their leotard colour palettes, and a trio of horror-themed facemasks that includes [[VisualNovel/ZeroEscape Zero's]] gas mask from ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors''.

** The Somnium for [[spoiler:Tearer]] takes heavy cues from the ''VisualNovel/ZeroEscape'' franchise. Additionally, completing the game unlocks [[spoiler:the first escape room from ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'' as a Somnium]].

* OneHitKill: Using the right Kusemon and skill will end certain fights in [[spoiler:Iris' Somnium]] in a jiffy. [[spoiler:Boss can one-shot So Sejima using the Blackmail skill, Date can insta-kill F using the Treasure skill, and while F has only one attack, he can one-shot the final boss.]]
* OneWingedAngel: The final opponent in the Kusemon fights has a second phase. Which literally has one wing.

** The RunningGag of the painting in the Lemniscate lobby having different names has it referred to as "TNY-EO", "HKOERN" and "A-UVYE". If you line them all up vertically next to each other, you'll get "[[ThankingThePlayer THANK-YOU-EVERYONE]]" for reading the FlavorText.

* SeekerWhiteBloodCells: The Somnium sections now have antibodies that will try to stop the player's progress, caused by the subject of the Somnium consciously trying to hide their memories. Touching those will rapidly drains your remaining time.

** The original game's storyline was ultimately about a serial killer who just [[spoiler:A:wanted his original body back, and B: wanted revenge on the man who "stole" it from him, aka TheProtagonist Date.]] The sequel involves [[spoiler:a power struggle between rival [[NebulousEvilOrganisation international organizations]], the more prominent of which is seeking to "free" humanity from what they believe to be a giant simulation, ultimately involving murder and terrorism to achieve said goals.]]

** Near the end of Mizuki's route, [[spoiler:Tearer is located at the Kabasaki Chemical Plant. After he gets knocked out, Mizuki suggests bringing him back to ABIS to psync with him, but Date instead suggests using the prototype Psync machine residing in the plant, revealing that it's still there since the first game.]]

* CuttingOffTheBranches: The events here firmly take place after the [[GoldenEnding Resolution Route]] from the first game where the New Cyclops Killings were completely solved after Date defeated the culprit, as you're blatantly asked two questions regarding that ending which unlock spoilers referencing past events.

''AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative'' is the sequel to ''VideoGame/AITheSomniumFiles'', developed by Creator/SpikeChunsoft and written by Creator/KotaroUchikoshi under the newly formed development team "Team Zero Escape". It was released on June 24, 2022 for Platform/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and PC via Platform/{{Steam}}.

* CuttingOffTheBranches: The events here firmly take place after the [[GoldenEnding Resolution Route]] from the first game where the New Cyclops Killings were completely solved after Date defeated the culprit as you're blatantly asked two questions regarding that ending which unlock spoilers referencing past events.

* EasterEgg: The QR code on the sign in the opening crime scene is an actual, working QR code. Scanning it provides a link to an unlisted video of the "Fray to Free" video on the game's official Youtube Channel.

* ForWantOfANail: [[spoiler:Amame]] speculates on this during [[spoiler:the final somnium. She reflects on multiple choices she made over time: which parent to stay with after their divorce (choosing her mother), whether to comfort her father or best friend after both witness Jin's corpse suddenly appearing (choosing her friend Iris), whether to get a technically illegal job (due to being underage) to support her father and brother or else just provide emotional support (choosing the job). Though individually, none of her choices were explicitly the wrong one, she wonders if she had chosen to support her father Komeji more, maybe he wouldn't have gotten involved with such shady people and by extension wouldn't have ended up in the Tearer's crosshairs, leading to his death]].
** Similarly to the previous game, the reason why making certain decisions within Somnia leads to wildly different sequences of events are not arbitrary. For example, in Komeji's Somnium, if you choose to focus on him trying to get more money, he will wake up shortly after the Somnium is over. Ryuki will start grilling him about the memories he uncovered, and a terrified Komeji will insist that you take Shoma into protective custody, [[spoiler:ensuring he is not kidnapped and forcing Tearer to target Komeji directly]]. However, if you pursue the Shoma angle in the Somnium, the emotional stress will cause Komeji to take an extra hour to wake up, [[spoiler:making Shoma easily abductable]].
* FourLinesAllWaiting: The game notably has a heap of subplots.

*** Pewter [[spoiler:is out of prison and working at ABIS again because Boss wanted him and his skills back. She of course, got him out through lots and lots of blackmail, but now he's pretty much reduced to more of her lapdog with a tighter leash]].

* HappyEndingOverride: Soon after the first game's epilogue, the Half Body Serial Killings occurred which led to Mizuki losing her left eye and Date being MIA for 6 years in the present.

* KungFuProofMook: In the final battle, [[spoiler:Tearer's goons are all equipped with insulated suit. This makes stun rounds ineffective against them. Date has to resort to shooting them with live rounds in non-vital areas]].

** {{Defied}}. At the start of the game, you're asked if you've played the first already, and given a brief quiz on what you remember. Saying no or failing the quiz trims out dialog that would spoil the first game's mystery.

* OminousVisualGlitch
** Less stable somniums have moving holes in parts of the ground and walls.
** The antibodies in Ryuki's somnium have the vertices of the 3d model quantized to a small 3d grid in realtime, making their appearance blocky and unnatural.
** All textures in the scene change to "cyperspacey" looks whenever Ryuki has an episode of madness.
** The chapters in the flowchart for the [[spoiler:diverge]] route are [[spoiler:placed so far to the side that the normal background doesn't cover the screen when zoomed in, revealing error messages off the edge]]. At least one chapter description is filled with gibberish too.

** The "Eyeballie" minigame has a "So-ie" who is hiding in a vase. [[spoiler:In certain parts of the left-side timeline of the previous game, Saito chopped So into pieces and hid the pieces in a vase.]]

** [[spoiler:Iris's Somnium]] has [[Franchise/{{Danganronpa}} Monokuma]] and [[VideoGame/ShirenTheWanderer Shiren]] as secret Kusemon.
** The masks of [[VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward K]] and [[VisualNovel/ZeroTimeDilemma Q]] are unlockable outfits for Aiba and Tama while [[VisualNovel/ZeroEscape Zero's]] is DLC.

** There's also "Come get some, motherfuckers!" during the final battle from [[spoiler:''Kizuna'']] of all people, [[spoiler:when she and Iris find [[GatlingGood Moma's minigun]].]]

* RiddleForTheAges: The characters reflect on, but ultimately never answer the question of [[spoiler: why Shigure took her own life in a manner deliberately imitating the HB killings, as it isn't relevant to what they urgently need to do. However, the secret GainaxEnding reveals this to be, of all things, an ExploitedTrope: Shigure arranged her own death to create a loose end for the ''player'', as part of her plan to get them curious enough to go back and follow up on that cryptic dialogue from her first in-game appearance...]]

* SecretLevel: After completing the game [[spoiler:and getting the nil number ending]], you unlock an extra Somnium: [[spoiler:The 3rd Class Cabin from [[VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors 999]], with Aiba taking Junpei's place]].

** Ryuki will sometimes do an [[Manga/MyHeroAcademia All Might]] impression (which he calls "Half Might"), complete with yelling "I am here!"

** While drunk at the start of the game, [[Series/KamenRiderRyuki Ryuki starts talking about a mirror world]]. It can't really be a coincidence considering his name.

** [[spoiler:Iris's Somnium]] takes the form of a game of [[VideoGame/PokemonGo Kusemon Go]]. At the end of it [[spoiler:Tearer]] [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII quite literally]] goes OneWingedAngel. Not to mention, they do [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood Jonathan Joestar's]] iconic pose before you battle them.

* DancePartyEnding: [[spoiler:The true ending of the game ends with one in the stadium, celebrating the defeat of the evil plan.]]

** Unlike the first game [[spoiler:Hitomi's right arm is unmoving during the DancePartyEnding]].

* DoingInTheWizard: In the first installment, [[spoiler:Mizuki has unnatural super strength despite being a 12 year old child, strong enough to punch over a tree at even younger than that. This is never particularly commented on, giving the game a sort of MagicalRealism element to it. However, the sequel reveals that Mizuki was genetically altered by a MadScientist (and is also the improved clone of another girl who was also experimented on), which is why she has superhuman strength.]]

* DownloadableContent: A hot-dog costume and three T-shirts for Aiba and Tama is available as free limited DLC for those who bought the game within three weeks of its release. There are also various other DLC outfits that always had a price tag, including kimonos, Aiba and Tama swapping their leotards, and a trio of horror-themed facemasks that includes [[VisualNovel/ZeroEscape Zero's]] gas mask from ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors''.

* CompanyCrossReferences: The bonus Somnium you get from [[spoiler:reaching the NIL ending]] puts Aiba in [[spoiler:[[VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors the 3rd Class Cabin of the Gigantic]] and is basically a remake of the intro escape scenario using the Somnium mechanics. You even get Junpei's "5" bracelet as a cosmetic once you finish it.]]

* MythologyGag: A few to the ''VisualNovel/ZeroEscape'' trilogy:
** Horadori Institute scientists wear bulky red spacesuits, identical to the Rhizome 9 suits in ''VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward''.
** Rhizome 9 itself is mentioned (and shown) by name if Ryuki suggests to Boss that [[spoiler:a kidnapped Kizuna]] is being held at a "moon base" late on his route.
** Some Somniums have timed, snap decisions, the interface of which is nearly identical to the Decision Game segments of ''VisualNovel/ZeroTimeDilemma''.
** The ''[[VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors Gigantic]]'' is one of the joke options the player can select for the location of the Nirvana Initiative's final phase.
** In the Dream Album, one of the unlockable pieces of art depicts Aiba in a pose mirroring that of Clover's from the Axe ending of ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors''.
** Mama offers to show Mizuki a video of [[VisualNovel/ZeroTimeDilemma Leucochloridium being a parasite inside a snail]].
** Examining the posters at Marble will have Mizuki comment in surprise that "9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors" is going to be a movie.

* DeusExMachina: [[spoiler:{{Invoked}} in the Divergence Route, where early into the investigation, Ryuki suddenly gains the knowledge of everything that happens up to the main ending. He not only uses it to arrest Tearer before he kills anyone other than Chikara and Jin, but also to resolve every single other issue that arresting Tearer early doesn't fix, like Komeji paying off his debts, getting an above-board job and reconnecting with his kids, or Gen and Amame not getting any punishment for trying to hide half of Jin's corpse. It's a perfect, shallow, and melancholic end.]]

* {{Motifs}}: Halves are the game's main motif. This is most obviously shown in how the killer [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe cuts the victims perfectly in half]], but if you pay attention, lots of other things are broken in two during the game, such as the origami medal Shoma made for his father. This also manifests as relationships being broken up, like [[spoiler:Ryuki talking about how he lost his twin brother, which he compares to losing half of himself]].

''AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative'' is the sequel to ''VideoGame/AITheSomniumFiles'', developed by Creator/SpikeChunsoft and written by Creator/KotaroUchikoshi under the newly formed development team "Team Zero Escape". It was released on June 24, 2022 for UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and PC via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}.

** [[spoiler:When asked why it seemed like the two body halves appeared after six years, one of the options is "[[Film/BackToTheFuture Professor Brown created a time machine.]]"]]

** Mizuki lets out a big "What the fuck!" when faced with [[spoiler:Date being alive (and in a Gen Costume), half of a corpse in Gen's freezer, and [[MurderArsonAndJaywalking Lien and Kizuna back together (after Kizuna had dumped Lien due to pressure from her father)]]]]. One can sympathize.