Stay calm, everyone — but Spike Chunsoft, makers of the brilliant Zero Escape series, the excellent Danganronpa series, and many other visual novels and narrative adventures, is teasing something new.
The website features nine eyes, each with puzzles on them. Clicking on each puzzle will allow you to type in the answer — in the form of a letter or a few letters — which will eventually give you the password to type in at the bottom of the page.
Regardless of what it is, it's probably going to be exciting... but there are clues that fans have found already as to what it might be.
"The popular theory," reads a tweet from "batts", whose handle is @somniumfiles, "is it's an AI:TSF sequel — the cryptic puzzle-style announcement is VERY on brand for Uchikoshi, and assistant director Akira Okada tweeted about it!" AI:TSF is AI: The Somnium Files, a game about detective work by the director of two of the Zero Escape games, which prominently features eyes.
Others have different theories, like the fact that the mobile site's icon is Clover from 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, there are nine eyes, and these types of puzzles are very similar to ones found in the Zero Escape games.
Over on Reddit, fans are speculating that it means both games, combined into one, with Uchikoshi at the helm. Be still, our beating hearts.
Once you solve the puzzles and work out the password, you can put it into the box at the bottom to get a skull with some numbers in its eyes. At the time of writing, the numbers were ticking down from 2300:12, which resets when you refresh the page. However, 2,300 minutes is around 38 hours from now — could we be seeing a new Spike Chunsoft announcement within the week?
There's also this SC video, which doesn't tell us much, except that SKULLS are important, somehow. Wait — skulls, you say? Didn't the protagonist of Virtue's Last Reward have a skull...?
We'll hopefully be back soon with even more information on whatever this game is.
Give us your most sensible theories and tinfoil hat conspiracies alike in the comments below!
[source twitter.com]
Comments 21
Uchi doesn't work for Spike Chunsoft anymore right? And I think Spike Chunsoft currently owns the Zero Escape IP.
Zero Escape without Uchi wouldn't work. But if they team back up to fix the third entry with proper funding then I'm all for it.
EDIT: It's AI.
https://www.spike-chunsoft.co.jp/ai-nirvana/
Done with Zero Escape. Zero Time Dilemma is one of the biggest disappointments I’ve ever bought, despite loving 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward. No chance in hell I’d buy a new one.
I'd prefer something else set in the universe of The Somnium Files. Loooooove Zero Escape (even ZTD, lol), but that series is done.
I'd happily take a Switch port of The Nonary Games, though.
If the Zero Escape Trilogy released for the Switch- Day. 1.
@Aurumonado Ditto. ZTD could have been solid with a bigger budget and some rewriting of the script. Still really like the more brutal, Saw-like vibe that game had.
@Aurumonado
I see no reason why they couldn't work together. Nintendo doesn't own Platinum but we they are still making Bayonetta 3.
@nessisonett
It was disappointing but not a train wreck. The Sigma, Phi & Diana route side of the game was excellent but do feel the other routes dropped the ball. I feel the increased frequency of brutal death scenes eventually started to undo their impact which didn't help.
If this is a new Uchikoshi directed game in the vein of either ZE or AI then I'm psyched. I'll set my expectations at the Nonary Games for Switch port to avoid overhyping myself.
Love both Zero Escape and Ai:TSF. They can easily do more with Ai:TSF, but I do wonder what else they could do with Zero Escape> I feel like that would be a hard story to continue without creating tons of new plot holes.
AI: Nirvana, sequel to Somnium Files
It seems that it's likely going to be an AI: The Somnium Files sequel which would be awesome news if that turns out to be the case. As much as I really love the Zero Escape series (even Zero Time Dilemma), I think I might love AI that little bit more.
Still hope to see a Zero Escape Trilogy for the switch! It'd be perfect to use both touch-screen in handheld mode and control sticks or (preferably pointer) in TV mode.
Brock Sampson is coming<3
(Wishful thinking, I know. The skull in the article reminded me of The Veture Bros<3)
Zero time dilenma was, basically, all the worst uchikoshi tropes in one cringy game. Its hard to imagine what he was thinking while writing it. Its a awful sequel, the story was poor, and the atempts at "twists" laughable. I don't mind Somnium (at least, it was better that that) but i dont think a sequel would improve on the original.
Sometimes i think he's a one trick pony that keeps using the same things over and over again.
The Zero Escape trilogy and AI:TSF are some of my favorite games of all time!! Heck, I'm even really enjoying World's End Club. I feel like no matter what this news is, I'll be into it!!
@WoomyNNYes Did you see they announced a movie?
Zero Escape is done as far as I’m concerned. I was satisfied with the conclusion while many weren’t but I feel like most people would agree that it concluded and there’s little reason to revisit it without a full series reboot. Ai the Somnium Files on the other hand is something new that I would love to see explored more.
I just finished ZTD the other day so I'mmore than happy to have more. Also y'all saying it's the worst Zero Escape I will NEVER understand, Virtue's Last Reward is just 999 stretched out over 40 hours of padding and meaningless route locks, without any semblance of thematic substance/meaningful character interactions until the end. ZTD doesn't fully deliver on several of its ideas but it's much more ambitious, entertaining and of substance.
THAT SAID: Zero Escape is very much done as a trilogy. I don't think you can add anything to that story without diluting it. If it goes back to any of those stories/characters, I think I'll pass, they'll probably mess it up.
Good timing i just finished AI:TSF last sunday
@Toshiro_Baloney Venture Bros movie? I didn't know that. Thanks for the heads up<333 (found a nerdist youtube talking about it from may 21)
2,300 minutes is 38 hours yes? so that could be the nonary root of 5 (2+3+0+0=5) or 2 (3+8=11, 1+1=2)
maybe its the nonary root of both, 2+5=7.
So it's 7? Ah whatever, just wake me when they mention the funyarinpa.
Eh...I really liked 999 and VLR, but frankly I hated Zero Time Dilemma, so if it's Zero Excape I can't really have any enthusiasm anymore. I've heard of Somnium Files but I'm not really familiar with it.
It’a a sequel to ai the somnium files , just announced by chunsoft out in april 2022 with mizuki as the main character and dubned ai the somnium files nirvana initiative
https://nintendoeverything.com/ai-the-somnium-files-nirvana-initiative-announced-for-switch/
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