Zero Escape Volume 3: Zero Time Dilemma is the third and final entry in the critically acclaimed Zero Escape series of video games. For the first time in the series, the game will be released on PC alongside the 3DS and Vita. If you are unaware of the series, please read the "What is Zero Escape" section and the section on the previous games.
What is Zero Escape?
Considering its sales, I assume most of you have never even heard of this series or the wild adventures its fans have gone through, both in and out of the games, since the first entry was released over six years ago!
Zero Escape is a visual novel/adventure series of video games. It is entirely dependent on its complex and enthralling plot, which means lots and lots of reading. If you're a puzzle fan, the second and (reportedly) third games feature very complicated logic puzzles - figuring out the answers on your own is a very fulfilling experience! The series can also be described as being of the horror, suspense, and mystery genres; there is lots of blood, deaths, betrayals, murders, mysteries, and plot twists that will keep you awake at night.
The games typically feature two sections: escape room and cutscenes. During the escape room sections, you and several of the other characters are locked in a room, whose puzzle you must successfully solve to escape. The cutscenes, which take place between the escape room sections, are where the plot advances; during this time, the playable character (you) is often given important decisions to make. This brings us to the next important aspect of the Zero Escape series: multiple endings. Depending on the decisions you make throughout the game, you will witness one of many endings. These endings aren't standalone and finishing one doesn't mean you've completed the game; to get the full experience, all endings must be played, ultimately ending with the "true" ending.
Previous Titles
999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors (later retitled:
Zero Escape Volume 1: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors)
Originally released: December 10, 2009 (Japan) and November 16, 2010 (North America); later released for iOS (but this version isn't as good!!)
Platform(s): Nintendo DS, iOS
Metacritic:
82
Quote:
Originally posted by IGN Review (they gave it a 9/10)
It's been three days since I started playing. Three days that stretched into three nights. Late nights, staying up well into the A.M. hours. It wasn't a choice. It wasn't a decision, ahead of time, to play like that. But as my mind began to become more and more intertwined into the world I'd begun exploring, it seemed impossible to stop. I couldn't stop.
[This game is] one complete and total mindf***.
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The first game in the ZE series features nine characters who have been kidnapped by the mysterious masked "Zero" who has locked them into a cruise ship and forces them to take part in the "Nonary Game." In this game, the characters must enter a series of doors marked 1 through 8 to ultimately find the door marked with the number 9, which will lead them to the exit. They must escape in 9 hours, after which Zero says the ship will sink. They must also follow the rules Zero has laid out for them, as breaking them will cause the bracelets on their hands to detonate a bomb which has been placed in their bodies.
The game flopped in Japan (where it was deemed "too scary") but ended up being a surprise hit in NA. It includes 6 unforgettable endings and a cast of memorable characters, each with their own agenda. What's the purpose of the Nonary Game? Why were the nine of them selected? And who is Zero?
Zero Escape Volume 2: Virtue's Last Reward
Originally released: February 16, 2012 (Japan), October 23, 2012 (NA), November 23, 2012 (Europe)
Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS, Playstation Vita
Metacritic:
88
Quote:
Originally posted by IGN Review (they gave it a 9.5/10)
This sequel is more twisted, more brutal and more memorable than that first volume, it's solidified Zero Escape as a series, and it's an experience I recommend to every gamer.
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The second game in the ZE series has nine characters kidnapped by "Zero", locked into a facility, and forced to play the Nonary Game: Ambidex Edition. Just as in the first game, the goal is to escape through the door marked with the number "9" but the method is different this time around. All nine have a bracelet which displays the amount of "points" they have. They all begin with 3 points, and the "9" door will open to anyone who has at least 9 points. How do they gain points? Throughout the game, the characters are split into six teams - six of the nine are separated into three groups of two (the "pairs"), while the remaining three are alone in their own team (the "solos"). One of the "pairs" are matched with one of the "solos" and following a puzzle room, they are forced into separate booths. The "pair" must decide if they want to "Ally" or "Betray" the "solo" team they've been matched up with, and the "solo" team must do the same to the "pair." If the "pair" and "solo" both choose "Ally" then both teams will gain 2 points. If the "pair" and "solo" both choose "Betray" then neither team gains or loses a point. If one of the teams chooses "Ally" while the other chooses "Betray" then the team that chose "Betray" will gain 3 points while the team that chose "Ally" will lose 2 points. It's important to mention that the bracelets also have needles and poison, and anyone whose bracelet reaches a number of 0 or lower is injected and killed. Surely no one will be selfish enough to choose "Betray"...right?
Following the surprising success of 999, the series was dubbed the "Zero Escape" series. This game is "lighter" in tone compared to 999 (due to the criticism from those in Japan) and it features over 30 endings. Will you choose to Ally or Betray your fellow contestant(s)? Who is Zero this time? Is it the same person as first game? And how is this game connected to 999 at all?
Zero Escape Volume 3: Zero Time Dilemma
This brings us to the game of the hour. Fans have been desperate for the third entry since VLR was released, since the game ends with a plethora of questions and a massive cliffhanger. However, despite trying to make the series more appealing to the Japanese, the game was an even bigger failure there than its predecessor. And though the game was still loved in NA, its lighter tone left western fans unhappy. The series creator Kotaro Uchikoshi announced in early 2014 that the third game was put on "indefinite hold" - which was a nice way of saying the game was probably never going to be made.
In response, fans began Operation Bluebird, a campaign to raise awareness of the series and to show the developers how much they wanted the game. Due to this, the game resumed development and in July 2015, it was announced that Zero Escape 3 was going to be released in Summer 2016.
In this game, nine characters participate in a test mission. However, the test mission is hijacked by a mysterious masked person who calls themselves "Zero" and the nine are forced to play the "Decision Game." The game differs from its predecessors in a few ways. You will be able to play as three of the characters this time around. In addition, the game will take less of a "visual novel" approach and more of a "cinematic" approach (similar to Telltale games).
Since it's the final game, and since Japan has shown they clearly do not care for the series, the creator has promised the game will not hold back and it will be the scariest, bloodiest, and most brutal of the three.
Release dates: June 28, 2016 (North American/Europe), June 30, 2016 (Japan), June 30, 2016 (PC)
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS, Playstation Vita, Microsoft Windows
Trailers (beware of spoilers):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8z9yogpeUA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etz9m5RApxo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbCB5TvjH4M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THxSb9GOgZ4
Reviews: (will be updated as more come in)
Metacritic: 88
Playstation Insider - 10/10
Quote:
Zero Time Dilemma is perfect. From it’s presentation to it’s onerous gameplay, this game flawlessly ends this seven year saga. So please take my advice, buy Zero Time Dilemma, 999, and Virtues Last Reward for about $60.00 altogether (you can get Zero Time Dilemma for 32 dollars via Amazon Prime). Encounter the creepy, rewarding, and provocative story, one that’s been the most flawlessly executed to ever grace video games.
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We Got This Covered - 5/5
Quote:
Throughout the 20 or so hours I spent playing, I laughed, I cried, and I wiped a bead of sweat off my forehead as a I made some truly gruesome decisions. I will sorely miss the moments where my close friends and I speculated on how the series will end, how the world will be saved, and whether unrequited relationships will be salvaged. To put it simply, Zero Time Dilemma is a masterpiece, and you shouldn’t hesitate to give it a go.
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Nintendo Everything - thumbs up
Quote:
Despite some changes from the first two entries, it’s more of the Zero Escape series that you’ve probably been waiting for. For others who haven’t played any Zero Escape games, this one, along with the other entries, are essential for anyone who enjoys a good visual novel and puzzle game.
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ps3blog.net - 100/100
Quote:
People will be talking about this game for years to come.
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Destructoid - 9.5/10
Quote:
Hands down, Zero Time Dilemma has the best story in the series. It made me laugh, shocked me, sickened me, surprised me, brought a tear to my eye, and taught me to look at Back to the Future in an entirely different light ... Zero Time Dilemma is nothing short of a flawed masterpiece.
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ZTGD - 9.5/10
Quote:
Zero Time Dilemma is a triumph in storytelling and world building with some of the most complex and yet satisfying narrative ever to grace a videogame. Whether this is the final entry to the Zero Escape series or not, the developers can rest easy knowing that they’ve managed to craft one of the finest visual novel series of all time.
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NerdMuch - 9.2/10
Quote:
Zero Time Dilemma is the best game in the Zero Escape series, featuring the most intense story, cutscenes, decisions, and fun (and sometimes frustrating) mind bending puzzles which makes this game so amazing and definitely deserving of a spot in your library.
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GameSpew - 9/10
Quote:
Aside from strange menu systems and a slow early game, Zero Time Dilemma marks an incredible conclusion to the Zero Escape franchise. Both the puzzles and the plot will give your brain a workout, but give you all the tools necessary to work them out. More importantly though, long after I’ve finished playing, my thoughts have lingered in this game universe. Kotaro Uchikoshi has given us one of the finest gaming trilogies of the 21st century, which has shaped me both as a gamer and a writer.
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Gaming Trend - 90/100
Quote:
Zero Time Dilemma takes some bold strides to tell the series’ final chapters, but even when it falters, it’s never slow to catch back up and deliver. Through well-designed escape rooms, brilliant writing and narrative decisions, and a more relatable cast than ever, Zero Time Dilemma puts the most deserving and exceptional final touches on this excellent trilogy.
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I Play PS Vita - 9/10
Quote:
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma is a great conclusion to the epic series and with all the new gameplay elements it hasn't hurt the original style, just improved over it and polished it up while leaving a few issues around.
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EGM - 9/10
Quote:
As the final chapter of the Zero Escape trilogy, Zero Time Dilemma is a dramatic journey through the strengths and weaknesses of the human spirit, one that longtime fans and newcomers can both enjoy and appreciate.
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Twinfinite - 4.5/5
Quote:
Zero Time Dilemma tells a compelling story that can only be conveyed through a video game, and it’s a wonderful sendoff to a fantastic visual novel series that might not have existed in a darker timeline, where it didn’t receive the fan support it deserved.
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multiplayer.it - 9/10
GamingUnion.net - 9/10
Quote:
While there’s some minor issues with the graphical presentation and some of the puzzles are a bit obtuse for their own good, it’s still easily a masterpiece and one of the best release thus far this year.
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GameInformer - 8.75/10
Quote:
The final chapter of the Zero Escape series is an excellent horror adventure both for fans and newcomers, allowing them to be storytellers in addition to players, defying time and fate to create their own twisted, macabre labyrinths.
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Gamers-Haven - 87/100
Quote:
the game offers a unique and varying experience and is definitely one of the more unique titles we have had the privilege of playing. Which I can only really say I hope you pick up a copy upon its release as it is really good despite its few flaws
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Tech-Gaming - 85/100
Quote:
Zero Time Dilemma is a synergistic blend of brooding story and complex brainteaser, creating an experience that’s exceedingly hard to put down. Even after completion, you’ll likely find yourself returning to the game, studying just how the amazing the amalgam of exposition, moral dilemma, and random element all fits together so stunningly.
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Anime News Network - A-
Quote:
I can tell you that ZTD never plays it safe, and that's why it's so damn good. You will see terrible and gruesome things happen to characters you love. You'll see revelations that come out of left field, only to realize later that everything was in plain sight. Most of all, you'll see a riveting story that takes a sadistic delight in constantly subverting your expectations.
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Reviews2Go - 8/10
Quote:
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma is something I simply couldn’t put down because of how emotional the plot was
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Hardcore Gamer - 4/5
Quote:
While it ends up feeling a bit like the weakest game in the series so far, even a weak Zero Escape game is still an absolute delight, and Zero Time Dilemma is no exception. Between the magnificent and bizarre mystery that keeps you captivated, the colorful cast of characters and the nicely perplexing puzzles, this is one for visual novel, puzzle and adventure game fans alike. Heck, it’s a darn good game for anyone in general
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Gaming Bolt - 8/10
Quote:
Zero Time Dilemma is a game that shouldn’t exist, and in a lot of cases, that is painfully apparent. But none of that matters, because when it comes down to it, it is an immensely satisfying conclusion to what might be one of the best, best told stories in the history of the medium.
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Nintendo World Report - 7.5/10
Quote:
Though it answered some of the questions I had while replaying the prior games, the execution of Zero Time Dilemma itself has some rough patches
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RPG Site - 7/10
Quote:
While some of its flaws may leave some areas feeling half-baked, Zero Time Dilemma will be something that won't be leaving our minds anytime soon.
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Kotaku - no score
Quote:
No other game can **** with your head quite this much.
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