I've wanted to play Zero Escape 999 for years, but the stars never aligned until now.
I've now 100%ed 999, and will start on VLR soon, but first I have to get my thoughts on 999 itself in order. So, let's do just that.
Presentation
I love puzzle VNs like Ace Attorney and Danganronpa, so it was no surprise 999 captured me the same way. The steam port feels good to play, menu screens, character art, and overall aesthetic have that mid-2000s VN charm without feeling outdated or in need of an overhaul, and I have to admit: I really enjoyed the EngDub, especially Junpeis VA.
The soundtrack did its job well for most of it, although there is one track with some weird buzzing noise in it that left me checking my phone over and over again.
Characters
The characters were overall charming, and I found myself unable to really dislike any of them (even if Akanes and Junpeis interactions made me cringe a LOT), and the structure of the game (of splitting up again and again in different formations) meant I ended up spending time with characters I hadn't thought interesting at first glance, who later turned into some of my favorites.
Interactions and dynamics were fun and believable, and I found myself clicking around a whole lot just to see if I couldn't squeeze a line or two more out of some of the characters.
Also RIP Science Boy, you were a real one 3
Story
Without saying too much - it was real fun to slowly piece the puzzle together by playing different routes and getting different endings, and the True End left me satisfied with 999 and hungry to see if/how VLR and the third game pick up on certain story threads.
Some parts are still a bit obtuse, but that might just be on me. Nothing too big in all honesty.
Gameplay
Enjoyable, but nothing mindblowing. The VN sections are just that, with barely any dialogue choices aside from "Which door do you want to go through" and a few Key conversations, but that's nothing negative imo, as the conversations always feel fun and alive without player participation. Although I Wish I Could Skip Repeat Text
The escape room sequences were fun, even if it was sometimes a bit hard to tell which parts are clickable and which aren't. The puzzles had me thinking along, with a few great EUREKA moments, and seldom left me entirely stumped (I looked up the solution to one puzzle overall, but it might as well be that I missed a piece of information beforehand, as I played that section at 5:30am).
The multiple endings had me hooked to return for more!
TL;DR:
A fun VN with a charming cast, a cool mystery, and good to great puzzles. I 100%ed it over 18 hours split on three days and have seven pages full of notes and scribbles to show for it!
I've now 100%ed 999, and will start on VLR soon, but first I have to get my thoughts on 999 itself in order. So, let's do just that.
Presentation
I love puzzle VNs like Ace Attorney and Danganronpa, so it was no surprise 999 captured me the same way. The steam port feels good to play, menu screens, character art, and overall aesthetic have that mid-2000s VN charm without feeling outdated or in need of an overhaul, and I have to admit: I really enjoyed the EngDub, especially Junpeis VA.
The soundtrack did its job well for most of it, although there is one track with some weird buzzing noise in it that left me checking my phone over and over again.
Characters
The characters were overall charming, and I found myself unable to really dislike any of them (even if Akanes and Junpeis interactions made me cringe a LOT), and the structure of the game (of splitting up again and again in different formations) meant I ended up spending time with characters I hadn't thought interesting at first glance, who later turned into some of my favorites.
Interactions and dynamics were fun and believable, and I found myself clicking around a whole lot just to see if I couldn't squeeze a line or two more out of some of the characters.
Also RIP Science Boy, you were a real one 3
Story
Without saying too much - it was real fun to slowly piece the puzzle together by playing different routes and getting different endings, and the True End left me satisfied with 999 and hungry to see if/how VLR and the third game pick up on certain story threads.
Some parts are still a bit obtuse, but that might just be on me. Nothing too big in all honesty.
Gameplay
Enjoyable, but nothing mindblowing. The VN sections are just that, with barely any dialogue choices aside from "Which door do you want to go through" and a few Key conversations, but that's nothing negative imo, as the conversations always feel fun and alive without player participation. Although I Wish I Could Skip Repeat Text
The escape room sequences were fun, even if it was sometimes a bit hard to tell which parts are clickable and which aren't. The puzzles had me thinking along, with a few great EUREKA moments, and seldom left me entirely stumped (I looked up the solution to one puzzle overall, but it might as well be that I missed a piece of information beforehand, as I played that section at 5:30am).
The multiple endings had me hooked to return for more!
TL;DR:
A fun VN with a charming cast, a cool mystery, and good to great puzzles. I 100%ed it over 18 hours split on three days and have seven pages full of notes and scribbles to show for it!