Thanks to its narrative-based adventure, Pentiment offers a multi-layered story with interesting characters, and Niko is definitely one of them. He’s the co-proprietor of The Golden Hand Landhaus, who seems to be a kind, harmless family guy. As Pentiment’s campaign progresses, however, he proves to be a rather suspicious fellow citizen.
Although most players are quick to notice Niko’s strange behavior, very few manage to persuade him on their first try. This guide can help in that respect though, explaining how to convince Niko to comply with Andreas’ orders and let him investigate the inn.
How to Convince Niko in Pentiment
To persuade Niko, players should avoid showing sympathy for what he’s going through. Instead, they'll need to choose the mean dialogue options in an attempt to hurt his feelings. In Pentiment’s words, Niko is a wittol and he subconsciously enjoys being humiliated. With this in mind, choosing the negative options will eventually convince him.
Players should choose the following lines when talking to Niko:
- “Actually, I’d like to talk about your wife.”
- “You know that she’s fooling around with the Miller.”
- “Pathetic.”
Niko is aware of his wife’s affair with Lenhardt but he tries to convince Andreas that he’s coping with his cheating wife out of pure love. Showing sympathy for him only encourages him to continue his lies and obstruct the murder mystery investigation. Being harsh to Niko, however, has a positive effect on the Persuasion Bar because that’s somehow what he wants to hear.
Nikolas “Niko” Berger is not the first Pentiment character to require a negative persuasion strategy. Casper, Andreas’ beloved assistant, has the same fate. To save Casper, players should talk down to him all the time and break his heart rather than support his dreams.
How to Persuade Niko’s Wife, Hanna
Unlike Niko, convincing his wife, Hanna, takes a little longer. To persuade her, players should top the fight in the inn, compliment the inn on the first day, and lie about her husband knowing about Lenhardt. Basically, they'll need to be nice to her and avoid telling her that Niko knows that she’s cheating on him.
When talking to Hanna after the family dinner, players should choose the following dialogue options:
- “I know that you’re cheating on your husband with Lenhardt.”
- “It doesn’t matter” or “It’s not hard to figure out.”
Another thing that can help beginners to convince Niko’s wife is disagreeing with Otto’s ideas at the dinner.
Pentiment is available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. It is also available on Xbox Game Pass.