Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

 3DS
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 292 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 251 out of 292
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 292
  3. Negative: 25 out of 292
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  1. GregLobstery
    Jul 22, 2022
    9
    Sequel to 999 and it's everything you could want in a sequel to that game. The path you take is pretty much determined by your choice in the AB game which is pretty cool. The animation of character models is a bit stiff but nowhere near as horrid as it is in the next game. And the transitions get a bit annoying but aside from that I have nothing bad at all to say about this game.
  2. Fabio199618
    Jun 11, 2022
    9
    They basically fixed everything that was not working so well with the original game.

    A great game, indeed, and possibly the best in the series.
  3. Bradaloop
    Jul 29, 2021
    9
    More of what made the first game great but ridiculously overcomplicated, in a good way - no other game could handle storytelling in such an absurd way and I loved every second of it. Benefits greatly from the flowchart feature that the first game so sorely needed.
  4. Sitheral
    Jun 23, 2020
    8
    VLR feels like a less personal story than 999 and really less impactful one, especially because characters are not drawn now and how they look/move is a bit of a mixed bag. Still, its a pretty worthy sequel with giant twists and overarching story, there is also one thing it does much better - it lets you navigate the story using flowchart, so you can jump right to the point you are interested in.
  5. HashtagDeep
    Mar 7, 2020
    10
    [Expand for easier reading]

    Story: This is the best story I've ever been exposed to in any medium. I can hardly say anything without spoiling it, so if you haven't played it yet, you're already treading on thin ice. It's a science fiction that makes it very easy to suspend, borderline eliminate, your disbelief. It's a first person game wherein a quality of life feature is implemented    [Expand for easier reading]

    Story: This is the best story I've ever been exposed to in any medium. I can hardly say anything without spoiling it, so if you haven't played it yet, you're already treading on thin ice. It's a science fiction that makes it very easy to suspend, borderline eliminate, your disbelief. It's a first person game wherein a quality of life feature is implemented into the story, much like how Dark Souls incorporates re-spawning into the lore (imagine if a movie incorporated your pausing of it into its story). You'll hardly get over the revelation of one plot twist before falling deeper into another. I'll have to digress before I say too much.

    Game-play: As the setting of the game is something akin to a Saw movie (I realize all the negative implications that I have just made by drawing that parallel and they're all so wrong), you're expected to escape from rooms by solving puzzles. You'll quickly learn to pocket whatever item isn't nailed to the floor, then start making sense of what you can use to progress by holding one item at a time and interacting with your environment to progress. Sometimes items must be combined before they are usable. There are also a lot of logic questions, riddles, math problems, etc. My only gripe with the escape rooms is that the memo page doesn't include a keyboard to help you save space, nor does it allow for many pages.

    Presentation: For the kind of game this is, the character models are very pleasing to look at (best played on 3DS), unless you play the TV versions, then you're going to be disappointed after scrutinizing the models at higher resolutions. Besides the character models, everything else is just passable. Voice acting ranges from great to industry's best (you know them).

    Do yourself a favor and play this game. I promise you that when you finish the game, you'll fantasize about running it for the first time again, which you won't be able to do.    … Expand
  6. Tremore
    Feb 7, 2020
    10
    The best game I have ever played.

    VLR truly is a masterpiece. It had me hooked from the demo to the after credits. The music is great, the story is amazing and the puzzles are fun and challenging. I honestly can't say anything bad about this game except its somewhat weird models but otherwise it is an expertly crafted game that I will cherish for the rest of my life. If you like science,    The best game I have ever played.

    VLR truly is a masterpiece. It had me hooked from the demo to the after credits. The music is great, the story is amazing and the puzzles are fun and challenging. I honestly can't say anything bad about this game except its somewhat weird models but otherwise it is an expertly crafted game that I will cherish for the rest of my life. If you like science, you will love this one    … Expand
  7. tukumalu
    Feb 1, 2020
    9
    The flawed graphics and rather repetitive mechanics are made up by intriguing and truly complex narrative. However, the characters themselves are not as memorable as its predecessor.
  8. Kaizo_Aleks
    Mar 8, 2019
    10
    This game is my favourite game of all time and you should definitely play it. I don't know what else to say without getting to spoiler territory so just play it.
  9. SrPepe
    Oct 22, 2018
    9
    Un juegazo increíble, la historia es excepcional, esta muy bien desarrollada, los puzzles divertidos otra vez, el AB game es divertido y atrapante también. Los personajes son memorables y todo lo que pasa en el juego y la conexión entre los timelines es algo que deja a uno con ganas de seguir y seguir hasta no parar. Disfrute muchísimo y me pareció ampliamente superior a la primer entrega.
  10. Romorais
    Sep 4, 2018
    9
    What a game!

    Great puzzles and even better story, but the truth is if you hate puzzles games but love great stories you should play it anyway, it's not that hard to find a walkthrough and even paying this way it would be totally worth it!
  11. Pinkpansylove
    Aug 30, 2018
    10
    An unparalled and increible accomplishment in gaming. This is a story which benefits highly from the fact it is told through a video game. The soundtrack is incredible, and the puzzles are fun. I will not say much more, this is something that simply needs to be played without much knowledge.
  12. Diegochocho
    Jul 3, 2018
    10
    Se supero en todo al 999, pero les aplaudo por la gran historia narrativa, y creo que es de los pocos juegos que me dejo sin palabras al terminarlo.
  13. Emrys89
    Feb 13, 2018
    9
    Ok so this is the best visual novel game. This was the first game i pkayed from the Zero escape series and it just pulled me in.
    The story is well written and awesome to play through. I love the characters and the twist endings. The fact i never liked playing over the same section over and over is solved here by letting you jump to important choice sections and letting you try a different    Ok so this is the best visual novel game. This was the first game i pkayed from the Zero escape series and it just pulled me in.
    The story is well written and awesome to play through. I love the characters and the twist endings. The fact i never liked playing over the same section over and over is solved here by letting you jump to important choice sections and letting you try a different path.
    Obviously there is a lot of reading and there is a lot of puzzle i had trouble with. It was a joy though so you need to give this game a chance.    … Expand
  14. TheJoseph
    Jun 16, 2016
    10
    Pros:
    - Amazing Story
    - Great Gameplay - Good Bad Graphics (this makes sense if you played it) - Complexity - Ability to blow your mind - Lovable and hatable characters - Has funny, sad, confusing, mysterious, scary, shocking moments Cons: - 3ds version has a game breaking glitch DON'T SAVE IN THE ESCAPE ROOMS - Has a few weird character animations - Annoying map you can't    Pros:
    - Amazing Story
    - Great Gameplay
    - Good Bad Graphics (this makes sense if you played it)
    - Complexity
    - Ability to blow your mind
    - Lovable and hatable characters
    - Has funny, sad, confusing, mysterious, scary, shocking moments

    Cons:
    - 3ds version has a game breaking glitch DON'T SAVE IN THE ESCAPE ROOMS
    - Has a few weird character animations
    - Annoying map you can't skip
    - Could've explained To Be Continued Better
    - Spelled "DUNNO" "DONNO" (Yeah, I ran out of things bad about this game    … Expand
  15. birdman3
    May 6, 2016
    8
    Having played 999, I knew what I was in for when I got started. I was not disappointed in the sense that I knew it would not be an action-packed game (despite the frantic trailer that is associated with the game). The new features of the game (more endings, being able to jump between points quickly, more "memory segments" whereas 999 only had 1) are fantastic improvements, but theHaving played 999, I knew what I was in for when I got started. I was not disappointed in the sense that I knew it would not be an action-packed game (despite the frantic trailer that is associated with the game). The new features of the game (more endings, being able to jump between points quickly, more "memory segments" whereas 999 only had 1) are fantastic improvements, but the outrageous story (yes, more outrageous than 999) was well written and structured, but frankly too outrageous to be believable. Additionally, there was no sense of closure whatsoever (I'm only pretty sure I got all the endings), so I feel like that was a flaw in finalizing the game. The story has more endings this time around, but you'll find that about half of them are pretty generic, similar to how many of the endings in 999 simply involved you dying. There are a handful of meaningful and shocking moments, but not enough to give the game a 10. If 999 would have had the same features that this game did, it would have been superior to this one.… Expand
  16. Leda21
    Jan 24, 2016
    10
    Virtues Last reward brings the puzzle genre with an outstanding background history, that makes you even more excited in finish the puzzle, to see what comes next in the history. It has a thriller history, with lots of plot twists and mysteries, that are revealed throughout the evolution of the game. The gameplay is simple, but the real challenge coming from the puzzles makes it extremelyVirtues Last reward brings the puzzle genre with an outstanding background history, that makes you even more excited in finish the puzzle, to see what comes next in the history. It has a thriller history, with lots of plot twists and mysteries, that are revealed throughout the evolution of the game. The gameplay is simple, but the real challenge coming from the puzzles makes it extremely fun.

    It is, though, a "history telling-puzzle" game. There are for each 30 minutes puzzle 1 hour cutscenes. The puzzles are really creative, as well as hard sometimes. The plot is amazing, the characters are charismatics, and the way the game "flows" is also extraordinary.

    Extraordinary history, awesome characters (that you must love...or hate) and challenging puzzles make Virtue's Last Reward a mandatory game in your library.    … Expand
  17. saxo27
    Nov 12, 2014
    9
    This is a very surprising, experimental and truely unique game.It is part video game and part graphic novel. The puzzle squences are quite challenging but add to the dark tone of the game--puzzles are not necessarily logical Professor Layton-like. However, what makes this game memorable is how it is constructed. You do not necessarily play it so as to engage in the puzzles--but to see howThis is a very surprising, experimental and truely unique game.It is part video game and part graphic novel. The puzzle squences are quite challenging but add to the dark tone of the game--puzzles are not necessarily logical Professor Layton-like. However, what makes this game memorable is how it is constructed. You do not necessarily play it so as to engage in the puzzles--but to see how the story progresses, to find out who the characters are, and what will (or has) happened to them. What adds to the enjoyable of this is that this game is not necessarily linear--this you will have to experience for yourself because I do not want to add spoilers. A note: I have not player the first game. However, not playing the first game did not take away the enjoyment, excitement, suspense and quite a few scary and emotionally sad moments of this game. A very unique game that should be played. Additionally, I would say the 3DS version is the prefered version, as opposed to the vita version, because the bottom screen of the 3DS allows for note taking during puzzles and various other imporant interface options. Again, unique game. Enjoy.… Expand
  18. Overanalytical
    Aug 6, 2014
    10
    This is quite simply one of the best games I've played ever and that is only for the story I've bought 3 copies for my friends and I don't regret a second of it if your thinking of getting this game well I can tell you you're doing yourself a big favor by getting it I promise you to the moon and back you are not making a mistake
  19. Bene_Gesserit
    Jul 12, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved this game. I had not played 999 before and I don't think it is necessary. I consider giving it a try now though.If someone had described the mechanics to me beforehand, I would have never thought I was going to like it. Lots of read couple of sentences+press 'a' button+repeat. But as the characters and the story were very interesting and compelling, it did not feel burdensome. I also liked a lot the contents of gold files. I find them very charm, . In my opinion, puzzles are too easy. I only looked the tangram up, because I suck at that and the response of the pieces in the touch screen was driving me nuts. Apart from that, I left only one puzzle unsolved. In general, I think they are too mechanical, you don't need to be imaginative or anything. I also felt a little bit disappointed about how easy getting some information was. Specifically the id and pass for the two computers you log in. I thought I was going to have to think a lot and review stories to find clues..... No, they are just given away at some point of the story. I guess the puzzles can't be hard, or the flow of the story would stall.
    Anyway, great game. Took me 60 hours to beat it (english is not my mother tonge).    … Expand
  20. messier
    Jul 2, 2014
    10
    One week was all it took for this franchise to get me hooked. I would expect no less from IGN's Best 3DS/DS Story of 2012 and Best Story by RPGFan. It has even won the Handheld Game of the Year 2012 award by Gamespot. This game has earned my Gold Star of approval and quality and will sit among my other superstar titles like Zelda Link Between Worlds and Pokemon Y.

    Virtue's Last Reward    One week was all it took for this franchise to get me hooked. I would expect no less from IGN's Best 3DS/DS Story of 2012 and Best Story by RPGFan. It has even won the Handheld Game of the Year 2012 award by Gamespot. This game has earned my Gold Star of approval and quality and will sit among my other superstar titles like Zelda Link Between Worlds and Pokemon Y.

    Virtue's Last Reward is the sequel of 999 : Nine Hours, Nine Person, Nine Doors. The key concept is still the same. There's the novel part where you just read the story and make decisions (to ally or to betray?) and there's the escape part where you get locked in a room, collect stuffs, combine stuffs, solve puzzles, get password and get out of the room).

    What I really, really like about this horror adventure novel sci-fi mystery puzzle game is it has consistently provided a strong storyline that really blows your mind times infinite. The concept of this game is so ingenious that I have never thought a game could be played in this manner. I also have never thought that a game could be so deep yet fun at the same time. I mean, how could a game with mathematical equations, philosophy, history and science and puzzles, topics that make you sleep, be a critical success?

    Virtue's Last Reward is much more fast paced than it's prequel and that's a good thing. I find that there's a lot more text to go through (heck, you have to play it 20 over times to get all the endings) but each timeline you play always provide you with new clues and interesting facts. I like how 999 touches on topics like urban legends, Ganzfield experiment, Morphic Resonance. Virtue's Last Reward brings back that same concept that touches on, the foundation of this game, Prisoner's Dilemma, Theseus' Paradox and Schrodinger's Cat, just to name a few. Oh, and there was one concept about the Chinese Room experiment by John Searle that got me emotional and thinking a hell lot. The whole game is just like a thought experiment.
    The game brings back a few familiar faces and new casts that the game develops all their storyline and make you feel the pain when you choose to 'betray' them. There's a lot of drama in this game and some parts can be quite...emotional. They added human speech to the characters so that they actually feel like they have some sort of persona. There's a lot of text but they're not boring text; they are filled with mystery, humor, trivia and rabbit puns.

    10/10, a Masterpiece.
    Anyone with a 3DS/Vita should buy it. Correction; MUST buy it.    … Expand
  21. TheUnholyBBQ
    Jun 15, 2014
    10
    This game is my favorite game of all time.

    This game is a "visual novel", a (mostly Japanese)niche game genre which is based on background music, character sprites(usually anime style), background CGs, minimal player interaction and choices to define which ending you get. Ironically, this game has more than the usual amount of gameplay visual novels have. It's the sequel to 9 Hours 9    This game is my favorite game of all time.

    This game is a "visual novel", a (mostly Japanese)niche game genre which is based on background music, character sprites(usually anime style), background CGs, minimal player interaction and choices to define which ending you get. Ironically, this game has more than the usual amount of gameplay visual novels have.

    It's the sequel to 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors, a surprise hit for the DS. If you want to enjoy this game to the fullest extent, PLAY 999 FIRST. If you are playing on a 3DS, you have no excuse not to.

    The game starts off in an intriguing way, as you solve a not too hard puzzle after waking up in an elevator, find a stranger woman and get a death threat from an ornately dressed rabbit. And things simply pick up from there. The first choice you see is the choose one of three doors to go through and each opens a lot of new possibilities- later on, you play the AB Game- a game based on Prisoner's Dilemma and trusting your life with strangers. The twists play with your mind, there are sad, funny and exhilarating scenes, and every character develops a lot throughout the story. Puzzles do not really match up to its flawless story, but they fit the atmosphere and are quite challenging.

    I cannot recommend this game enough. If story in a video game is important to you and if you are not bound by a blood oath to never play a puzzle game, you have to play this game. Definitely worth getting a Vita or a 3DS for.    … Expand
  22. CannonBlaster
    Mar 30, 2014
    9
    This is hands down, one of the best games of the decade. If you like a good mystery, you will like VLR, but be prepared for a confusing ending and overly complicated puzzles.
  23. IGNsus
    Mar 25, 2014
    10
    Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is the best visual novel/puzzle game I have ever played.

    VLR is actually the second of three planned games from Kōtarō Uchikoshi, following the critically acclaimed Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. It's a wonderful blend of puzzle solving and visual novel that requires the player to play through different routes in order to proceed and get to the    Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is the best visual novel/puzzle game I have ever played.

    VLR is actually the second of three planned games from Kōtarō Uchikoshi, following the critically acclaimed Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. It's a wonderful blend of puzzle solving and visual novel that requires the player to play through different routes in order to proceed and get to the true ending.

    VLR's primary strength is in its writing. The plot unfolds gradually, with the characters' intentions unclear through the greater part of the game. The subtlety of the clues, red herrings, and revelations ensures that players will keep playing once they begin. Then there's the good music, exceptional Japanese voice acting (good English VAs), and practical interface. It's a very well-designed game with excellent production values.

    The only gripe I have with VLR is the art: Hand-drawn illustrations of 999 are replaced with bland 3D models. That said, 3D is definitely the trend, and I guess Spike Chunsoft wanted to jump on board the 3D gimmick mode on the 3DS.

    With that said, there's really no reason not to buy this game at $29.99. It's an absolute shame that the game has not been commercially successful. But then again, quality doesn't exactly sell nowadays.    … Expand
  24. felixable
    Mar 7, 2014
    8
    I found it thrilling enough for me while playing at night. Long game play and story lines. Definitely for players who love story-line based game as well as solving puzzles. Recommend to play 999 first, though it is not mandatory.
  25. TheIrepan8
    Feb 16, 2014
    10
    What will you do, ally or betray? Ally or Betray? Those words still to this day give me goosebumps. Zero Escape: Virtues Last Reward is one hell of a game (or should I say visual novel). To those of you who don't get why this game is so damn good let me give you rough idea of what the story is like. Imagine the puzzles from the Professor Layton games and mix it with something like BattleWhat will you do, ally or betray? Ally or Betray? Those words still to this day give me goosebumps. Zero Escape: Virtues Last Reward is one hell of a game (or should I say visual novel). To those of you who don't get why this game is so damn good let me give you rough idea of what the story is like. Imagine the puzzles from the Professor Layton games and mix it with something like Battle Royale, add a whole lotta nines and throw in the classic game theory of the Prisoners Dilemma and you roughly get this game. This game aint for kids. The game is a hell of a ride through the roughly 30 hour story with more twists and turns than a theme park. This game has one amazing soundtrack, insanely clever puzzles, memorable characters and more knowledge than an encyclopedia. It makes me wonder why more people wont play games like this.… Expand
  26. TheKingdomKey
    Feb 11, 2014
    10
    This is by far the best game on the 3ds even succeeding Fire Emblem:Awakening and Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. It combines some of the hardest puzzles I've ever solved with a phenomenal story that has many unexpecting turns. By the way to get the true ending you have to complete each characters ending. By uncovering the characters endings plot twists will unfold and they areThis is by far the best game on the 3ds even succeeding Fire Emblem:Awakening and Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. It combines some of the hardest puzzles I've ever solved with a phenomenal story that has many unexpecting turns. By the way to get the true ending you have to complete each characters ending. By uncovering the characters endings plot twists will unfold and they are truly intense and can only be pulled together by the true ending. I did not play the first game "999", but VLR wrapped it up nicely and explained the contents of "999". It is one of my favorite games of all time and is a must play for anybody who owns a 3ds.… Expand
  27. progjunkie2112
    Jan 2, 2014
    8
    I want to love this game even more, because there is a lot to love. The characters are mostly well-designed and multidimensional, the story leaves you on the edge of your seat, the puzzles are challenging, and the morality system is so well executed. But the game does have a serious flaw: the main character is incredibly idiotic and just generally unlikable.

    I found myself hating Sigma    I want to love this game even more, because there is a lot to love. The characters are mostly well-designed and multidimensional, the story leaves you on the edge of your seat, the puzzles are challenging, and the morality system is so well executed. But the game does have a serious flaw: the main character is incredibly idiotic and just generally unlikable.

    I found myself hating Sigma by the second mission. Through the events of the first mission, I wound up betrayed by another of the characters. Sucks to be me. I made a decision that backfired and was knocked further back in the game. Whatever, I can move on. Sigma, on the other hand, spends the rest of the mission sniping at the partner who betrayed him.

    Aside from that, the character is not very bright; worse yet, his lack of intelligence is inconsistent, weakening him as a character. How am I supposed to believe that a guy who:

    (A) doesn't know about Schrodinger's Cat or the prisoner's dilemma thought experiment, and
    (B) thinks being constantly hung up on past betrayals will help him advance in the future,

    is a PhD candidate who can solve puzzles that stump everyone else in the room?

    Granted, playing as an unlikable character can be effective (see: Bioshock Infinite), but the problem is that this game is much more choice-based, which makes it all the more important to feel immersed. Being constantly at odds with the character as a person, I didn't feel like I was making choices. I felt like I was babysitting a toddler.

    In my opinion, this problem could have been fixed by giving the character more dialogue boxes for interaction. You could still have some of his dialogue be automatically generated, but anything that reflects his personality could be decided by the player. After all, the game is a fascinating enough character study with the other characters in the game. You don't even need to remove his backstory or anything: just give the player more control over his actions.

    Despite that critical flaw, the rest of the game is spectacular and genuinely groundbreaking, pushing the envelope of video games to new horizons. The game builds tension masterfully and is effective at invoking emotion, especially suspicion of other participants. The puzzles are brilliantly designed and push your brain to its absolute limit, especially if you're going for full completion. The environments are well designed and contribute to the haunting and uncertain atmosphere of the entire game. While VLR is text-heavy, it makes wonderful use of that element to convey story.

    I would definitely pick this game up because of all the things it does well; just be prepared for Sigma to distract from the immersion.    … Expand
  28. Luggs
    Oct 16, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved the game. The soundtrack was absolutely brilliant! As well, I (and many other fans of the game) absolutely love Luna's ending. Most players of the game must've cried while reading through the story. I also like the little gems where Sigma, the protagonist, has his moments, but also the foreshadowing moments that you don't notice until after the big twist. Chunsoft outdid themselves with the Zero Escape series.… Expand
  29. SonicUltimate20
    Oct 7, 2013
    10
    This game was amazing, all the characters were amazing and recognisable, the story was outstanding and really brought you into the game, when I first got this, I played it non-stop, same as project X Zone, the 3d models were great, as well as the characters backstories.
    If I had to pick a flaw, I didn't like that there was no English voice acting in the European 3ds game, so if you live    This game was amazing, all the characters were amazing and recognisable, the story was outstanding and really brought you into the game, when I first got this, I played it non-stop, same as project X Zone, the 3d models were great, as well as the characters backstories.
    If I had to pick a flaw, I didn't like that there was no English voice acting in the European 3ds game, so if you live in England and buy the game of e-shop like I did, you're stuck with that, I just found it lazy,
    But beside from that one little flaw, the game was absolutely amazing    … Expand
  30. K-Star
    Sep 26, 2013
    8
    Such an original game! I love the concept. The story is amazing but I had trouble understanding how to go back between branches of the story. Graphics are nice but a bit plain.
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best 3DS Game of 2012
6
#6 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2012
1
#1 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Eurogamer Italy
    Apr 12, 2013
    90
    If written words don't scare you, Virtue's Last Reward is one of the best interactive books to date. Chunsoft's game mixes a great narrative with the hardest moral choices you can find in a game. Will you be a traitor or a betrayed?
    Read full review
  2. 4P.de
    Mar 14, 2013
    88
    If you want a suspenseful crime story with sci-fi flair, dramatic conflicts and puzzles that are as varied as they are challenging, look no further. This is a grand adventure.
    Read full review
  3. DarkStation
    Mar 6, 2013
    90
    It’s a near flawless narrative experience wrapped in a bog-standard but necessary adventure game.
    Read full review
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