Video Game Review: Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
Developer: Chunsoft
Publisher: Aksys Games
Type: Nintendo 3DS game
Format: Game card
Length: 30 - 40 hours
Content rating: M for Mature (ESRB)
Review rating: 5.5 (out of 10)
Written by: Kenneth "Link1986" Russey
Virtue's Last Reward is a sequel of sorts to the 2010 Nintendo DS game, "9 Hours, 9 People, 9 Doors." I say a sequel of sorts because they are not directly related to each other. Besides a few returning characters, the game play being identical and making the side stories make more sense, the two share nothing else. With that being said, should you play 999 before you play Zero Escape? In my humble opinion, the answer is a resounding no. Having played 999 before Zero Escape, (and even ranking on my top ten best games of 2010.) I found that Zero Escape's story kept slapping me in the face. "Oh you knew about this event that took place before? That has nothing to do with what's happening now." *SLAP* "There's this secret from the first game, I shouldn't tell anybody but I'll tell you... It has nothing to do with this game!" *SLAP* It truly felt as if I was being punished for having played 999 before playing Zero Escape.
For those not in the know Zero Escape is a "Japanese adventure" game. You play in a first-person view reading the text - or in this case listening to spoken dialogue - until you are given options on where you want the story to go. Depending on what choice you take will depend on what ending you achieve, with some endings only viewable after you complete other endings. To break up the lengthy story bits, the game will throw you into a puzzle room that works a lot like CSI. You spin around the room, find hidden objects, combine objects to make new objects to solve diabolical math puzzles.
Good Notes, Bad Notes.
1. Very well written. Good
2. Voice acting was well performed. Good
3. Some puzzles require you to "REMEMBER EVERYTHING!!" or play story bits over again, and write down clues. Bad
4. 30-40 hours of game time. Good
5. Some character designs are... questionable. Neutral
6. Skip dialogue read before, auto advanced dialogue, and manual advance button are all the same button. BAD
7. Music is recycled from the first game. BAD
8. Final ending is a let down. BAD
9. More twists and turns then an M. Night Shyamalan movie. GOOD
10. Would still play a sequel. GOOD
5 Good remarks, 4 Bad remarks and 1 Neutral remark. Which gives a final score of 5.5 out of 10.
Final Notes: Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is not perfect, and there are things that I would want to fix if I was given the reins. With that being said I would still purchase a sequel, and for the PlayStation Vita (at time of writing) this is the only game worth playing. So even though it did not receive a high score from me, it's still worth picking up, or at the very least renting it for a weekend playthrough.
This game was reviewed on a copy purchased by the reviewer.