Zero Escape: The Nonary Games (2017)

Having played most of the Phoenix Wright and Danganronpa games, I looked forward to finally approaching Zero Escape, which is often mentioned alongside these other series. I was at first disarmed and then ultimately won over by how different it is. It is, on a more abstract level, much more about puzzle solving, and both games present in this collection present a sort of meta-game that invites players to investigate their stories from all possible angles. This clever trick really comes at the cost of the games' characters who, while charming, feel very flat.

999 is the more simple game and in that respect I sort of enjoyed it more. There are fewer barriers to entry, and its ambitions seem somewhat small compared to its sequel. It's more enjoyable for what it is, though as an older game it is a bit sluggish and the environmental storytelling is a bit lacking as most in-game areas are quite bland.

Virtue's Last Reward really ups the complexity, and presents a sprawling timeline that gives each of its characters a distinct "ending." It took me a good 30 hours to see the entirety of the game, even after I learned to use the "allskip" function. I enjoyed that note-taking was pretty much compulsory, and you feel like a genius when you write something down (in the in-game notebook) that you can use later. I just wish it didn't take so long to get there. The lore attempts a Danganronpa-like rug-pull but it's not nearly as cartoonish or audacious as any of those three games.

Once I got the hang of jumping between timelines I decided it would be simple enough to Platinum the game, even though I didn't love it. So maybe that counts for something. On the whole though, the experience has made me feel a bit down on visual novels going forward so I think I'll wait a while before playing another one. And I almost certainly won't play the third game in this series, alas.

Played digital version on PlayStation Vita. Took forever. Got the platinum.

There's something delightfully schlock-y (in the kindest use of that word) about both 999 and VLR. Both feel like the best kind of B movie- simultaneously completely absurd and yet resonant. both games take a vaguely Saw-esque plot- individuals kidnapped and forced to participate in a deadly game- but the miserable cynicism of the movies is nowhere to be found, replaced by intriguing characterization and a good heap of out-there pseudoscience for good measure. 999's more taut and thriller-influenced plot makes a natural progression to VLR's broader sci-fi setting- both offer a compelling narrative that's managed to stick with me for a long time (read: I may or may not cry when a certain song comes up on my phone).

The puzzles are fine-to-good: There's a couple of frustratingly obtuse solutions but the games, especially the second one, are good about doling out hints to the frustrated. the other gameplay sections- the visual novel parts- get a fair amount of flak for repetitiveness- it's certainly there but I've never had a major problem with it- the skip-text function works well to ameliorate the issue. (Note that this re-release comes with a modification to the first game that significantly mitigates repetition).

One final note is that the soundtrack to both games makes a great alternative soundtrack to any other puzzle game- there's something about Digital Root that makes it the best song to solve something to that I've ever heard.

This is another one of those games that I wanted to like more than I did. Puzzles? Mysterious villains? Interesting characters who keep me guessing? Tying it all up with psychology and philosophy? I'm there. And to their credit, both 999 and VLR have a lot of elements I like--they just never came together in a way that I found personally satisfying.

A huge part of the problem for me was the bloated dialogue. I think easily a quarter of it could have been snipped because it was either the main character recapping events and conversations that literally just happened, or they started with the words "let me give you an example". The 'example' talks definitely needed an option to cut them off early--if I got the philosophical concept they're describing the first time, another ten minutes providing a second or third illustration was nothing but irritating. I started to dread the end of the escape segments because of those overlong talks. At the very least, I would have preferred more actual gameplay to balance them out. The escape room segments are pretty brief in comparison.

I will say that the character development is excellent. I started out disliking characters like Alice, then softening toward them as they opened up. The writers did a wonderful job of writing very human characters--people who can be selfish and cruel, yes, but also kind, generous, and loving, even in the face of grief, fear, and pain.

Ultimately, while I wasn't as impressed as I hoped I would be, this was an interesting ride and it warrants three stars out of my customary four. If complex (arguably overly so) plots involving quantum physics sound like your thing, keep an eye out for this one on sale. Just be aware the words "let me give you an example" may cause involuntary eye twitching afterward.