Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 151 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 129 out of 151
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 151
  3. Negative: 21 out of 151
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  1. setuis
    Dec 20, 2017
    10
    Master piece

    Only things that could make it better Cut Scenes with more anime movement? Better lip Sync? A camera that doesn't snap when your trying to look at the sky. A 3d enviroment you walk around in rather than rotate in. ----------------- This game is a Masterpeace for story telling. Its 2 games with a total of 22 endings in one and 8?? in the other?. Get the third    Master piece

    Only things that could make it better

    Cut Scenes with more anime movement?
    Better lip Sync?
    A camera that doesn't snap when your trying to look at the sky.
    A 3d enviroment you walk around in rather than rotate in.

    -----------------

    This game is a Masterpeace for story telling. Its 2 games with a total of 22 endings in one and 8?? in the other?. Get the third game later this year too.!!    … Expand
  2. K30twitch
    Jan 1, 2018
    9
    To find games like this on the PS4 is a bit of rarity, apart from some indie titles, visual novels or graphic adventures aren't easy to come across.

    Whilst i have yet to play the 2nd game ( virtues last reward i think ) the first game has so far left a really good impression. despite it being voiced in Japanese. The style and energy from the start are instant hit, yes there are a few    To find games like this on the PS4 is a bit of rarity, apart from some indie titles, visual novels or graphic adventures aren't easy to come across.

    Whilst i have yet to play the 2nd game ( virtues last reward i think ) the first game has so far left a really good impression. despite it being voiced in Japanese.

    The style and energy from the start are instant hit, yes there are a few issues as you do have to drag the cursor from time to time and movement is not that fluid,the game is also very short if you are doing just one or 2 run-throughs.

    But where this game really excels are is in its replay ability and character design and creation, you are lumped in with 9 random people at the start, who are all vaguely connected to each other, as the game progresses and people start to drop like flies, the story develops suitable twists and turns to keep you edge. Its worth noting as well the story is also particularly good and with multiple endings working out who is the real killer can be leave you on a knife edge

    The game also has a story tree which you can reference, and you will begin to see multiple playthroughs will be required, this could be a chore but given each playthrough would need you to make different choices and often play different puzzles, repetition is kept at bay.

    The puzzles themselves can be a bit tough and slightly un-logical, but game has a gentle way of giving you hints so getting truly stuck on a puzzle that will make you want to bin the game is not really likely happen, oh btw a little hint, learn what a digital route is!

    On the whole its really hard not to recommend this, its a sharp port ( Nintendo DS original ) with nice added features and a decent soundtrack, and from the small part i have already played at the time of writing of the 2nd one, its without a doubt this game is going to leave me with a desire of wanting more.

    Brilliant!!!    … Expand
  3. Diegochocho
    Jul 3, 2018
    10
    Una gran remasterización de los dos grandes juegos, 999 y VLR, para los que no lo jugaron comprenlo inmediatamente!!!
  4. Snance44
    Sep 2, 2019
    10
    Amazing visual novel. Lots of reading but story is amazing. The second game is my favorite of the trilogy. I think fans of psychological horror will like this game.
  5. Giggity
    Dec 2, 2018
    10
    Fantastic story on both games
    The puzzles are really well done, especially on the second title

    Being a visual novel may not be for everyone, though, but if you want to try one, this game is a great choice
  6. tomvs123
    Nov 2, 2018
    8
    This is an amazing game for people looking for good storytelling, but don't mind limited game mechanics and graphics.

    This is a bundle of the first two games in the series. The mechanics are similar in each, so I'll cover that first. I was initially under the impression that it would be a point-and-click adventure, like the numerous PC games that I played from the 90's: the ones were    This is an amazing game for people looking for good storytelling, but don't mind limited game mechanics and graphics.

    This is a bundle of the first two games in the series. The mechanics are similar in each, so I'll cover that first.

    I was initially under the impression that it would be a point-and-click adventure, like the numerous PC games that I played from the 90's: the ones were you arbitrarily rub items together until something happens. There wasn't much logic in those games; there was normally no way to know that two items did something together until you put them together.

    This game is much different: Almost all of the item interactions make sense, and can be deduced though reason and logic. The same can be said for the puzzles: There's clear hints for what needs to be done, but require some thought and analysis.

    The puzzles in the first game are easy because the other characters frequently give you hints about them. In the second game, you have to switch to Easy mode for them to do this, which makes puzzles more challenging. You can switch from Hard to Easy mode at any time if you get stuck. And there's a bonus to completing puzzles in Hard mode: You'll get a gold file with additional game background information if you find the second, and normally harder, solution to the room.

    During my playthough of the second game, I switched to Easy mode a few times. Once was because a puzzle was a little arbitrary, although I found later that there was a similar puzzle in a different timeline that I could have done first to make the first one easier to figure out. Another time was when I thought I had clicked on everything in the room, but had missed a filing cabinet, that I didn't know was clickable. One downside of the second game over the first is that interactive objects are much harder to differentiate from everything else.

    Also, many of the puzzles are math based, so having a calculator and notepad handy helps. There's a built-in calculator for the first game, and both games have built-in notepads, but having your own makes things easier.

    The stories and branches within each story are where things get better. These are stories for people who like mysteries, murders, conspiracies, sci-fi concepts, and solid plots. And the numerous choices (branches) in the game makes most other games with story-based choices seem amateurish. Each branch in the story tree can potentially be wildly different based on your choices. But there is only one true ending and you'll inevitably reach it as you work through each branch.

    Each story is heavy on fictional scientific ideas. This is normally a bad thing in most stories since the science heavily conflicts with real science. Thankfully, the creators did their homework and the science is believable with no major conflicts.

    The initial plot for each game is the same: You've been abducted and are trapped with a group of people, who you need to work with (or against) to make it out alive. And each game gets much more complex as things are revealed to you.

    The story in the first game starts out okay, but gets much better as you progress. Some parts seem a little forced and the amount of complexity is a bit unrealistic, but it manages to hold itself together quite well. Near the end, a villain gives a speech about why and how he did it, which I'm not a fan of, but at least it makes the plot points clear in case you missed something. The ending is also a bit of a cliff hanger, but thankfully the second game is included in this bundle.

    Shortly after starting the second game, you might think to yourself that this isn't anywhere near as interesting as the first story. Well, you'd be wrong. The story complexity ramps up from being a bit unrealistic to insanity. Experiencing story twist after twist while the plot manages to stay solid is quite the experience. I've seen less complex stories fall apart from plot holes. The writers did an amazing job with this one.

    The second game also ends with a cliff hanger, so you'll want the third game in the series (Zero Time Dilemma) ready to go.

    So there you go. I can't go into any specific story details since that might ruin your experience. These games contain some of the best complex stories I've ever experienced. They're a must-play for anyone who likes good storytelling.    … Expand
  7. Darthtux
    Mar 29, 2017
    10
    To those who love mystery/puzzle games I think this is the main attraction for Zero Escape
    It's kinda like Danganronpa but it tells more of a mature, and dark story with lots of plot twists :D
    This bundles two games from the three volumes and you're getting a really great deal out of this. There is VA for the two of them so you wont need to worry yourself reading too much of the VN    To those who love mystery/puzzle games I think this is the main attraction for Zero Escape
    It's kinda like Danganronpa but it tells more of a mature, and dark story with lots of plot twists :D

    This bundles two games from the three volumes and you're getting a really great deal out of this.
    There is VA for the two of them so you wont need to worry yourself reading too much of the VN

    The stories told from these two games are a masterpiece and you probably wont be forgetting it for a while.... The characters too each have their own unique side stories to them as well

    Look I'm probably not giving this game justice but all I want to say is if you want a REALLY good VN, this is a must buy for the reasons stated above; You wont regret it :D

    Get the third game if you liked these two! Hopefully there might be a bundle sale for all three in the future?    … Expand
  8. Letiste-Gaming
    Mar 28, 2017
    9
    En conclusión, estamos ante un grandísimo recopilatorio.

    Grandes personajes, tramas interesantes, puzzles ingeniosos, misterio y una banda sonora sublime se unen por partida doble en este juego. Esta es una oportunidad perfecta para iniciarse en la saga para los que no tuvieran portátiles o para que los fans puedan disfrutar de nuevo de estas dos joyitas. A cualquiera que le    En conclusión, estamos ante un grandísimo recopilatorio.

    Grandes personajes, tramas interesantes, puzzles ingeniosos, misterio y una banda sonora sublime se unen por partida doble en este juego.

    Esta es una oportunidad perfecta para iniciarse en la saga para los que no tuvieran portátiles o para que los fans puedan disfrutar de nuevo de estas dos joyitas.

    A cualquiera que le gusten las aventuras, novelas visuales, puzzles o el misterio no debería dejar de probarlas.    … Expand
  9. ace1325
    Dec 12, 2017
    10
    i did really not care for V.novel games before i tried this one and damn i got me hooked on the genre
    after i beet the trilogy i moved over to danganronpa
  10. DrFriendless
    Dec 26, 2018
    4
    I tried Danganropa Reload before this, and was completely appalled by the lack of interactivity. It just seemed like I was hitting X to no good end. I was assured that the Nonary Games were better, and indeed they were. However there was still an awful lot of hitting X to be done.

    So I played the game for a while and solved some of the puzzles. Every now and then there seemed to be a    I tried Danganropa Reload before this, and was completely appalled by the lack of interactivity. It just seemed like I was hitting X to no good end. I was assured that the Nonary Games were better, and indeed they were. However there was still an awful lot of hitting X to be done.

    So I played the game for a while and solved some of the puzzles. Every now and then there seemed to be a choice to be made, but it wasn't clear to me what I was trying to achieve by those choices. And then all of a sudden the game ended, badly. Whut?

    So it seems that the choices were meaningful, and had I understood the consequences of them, I might have done better. However every other thing I had to do had been explained in such excruciating detail that I figured that these choices were of no great consequence.

    Now, I could go back and make different choices and achieve a different ending. But that would involve a whole lot more tapping X to get through the really boring stuff I've already seen. Sure, I could do some different puzzles, but the puzzles really weren't very good. So I have no motivation to return to this game. In fact I think I'll avoid anime games altogether, I am not seeing the value in them at all.    … Expand
  11. AceAscendus
    Mar 22, 2020
    10
    Fun and entertaining games, but make sure to NEVER EVER play the third game "Zero Time Dilemma", it is extremely bad, so bad that it can ruin the memories and experience of these first two awesome games. Jut play Zero Escape: The Nonary Games and pretend the third game doesn't exist.
  12. yBazara
    Jun 17, 2021
    0
    Planejo jogar! este incrivel joguinho :D
    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
  13. DaeGurth
    Mar 24, 2023
    0
    I love the first story, the second for reasons I cannot explain made me rolly my eyes. Still, its well worth the money.
  14. KahnArtizt07
    Sep 6, 2022
    9
    Crazy mind bending stories! Basically just 2 visual novels with a dozen or so escape rooms per game but the story is absolutely nuts and will hook you. The second game is better.
  15. Reed618
    Aug 5, 2020
    9
    I think 999 is a much stronger entry but I enjoyed both games.
    The escape rooms are a lot of fun with some great puzzles to break up the story moments. It's fun figuring out how to get all the endings and piecing together the narrative as well.
    I think vlr has too many escape rooms, too many endings and the story gets a little convoluted towards the end. However the characters in both    I think 999 is a much stronger entry but I enjoyed both games.
    The escape rooms are a lot of fun with some great puzzles to break up the story moments. It's fun figuring out how to get all the endings and piecing together the narrative as well.

    I think vlr has too many escape rooms, too many endings and the story gets a little convoluted towards the end. However the characters in both games are excellent and the story is certainly worth experiencing.
    I also wish you could skip sections in vlr more easily. I think I watched sigma's abduction 9 times for example. I also much preferred the art style of 999. The 3d models in vlr were ugly. It's unfortunate when a nintendo ds game looks far superior to a nintendo 3ds games.

    That said this these are some of the most enjoyable visual novels around :).
    The only downside is that vlr sets things up for a final entry so I didn't come away feeling satisfied. Rather I'm just curious to know what happens next. Luckily the third game has already been released :).    … Expand
  16. Chores
    Jan 6, 2022
    10
    One of the best video game stories of all time, perfect escape room puzzles, 10/10
  17. willozsy
    Jul 5, 2020
    10
    In my 30+ years of playing games, 999 (the 1st half included in this game) is simply the best game I've ever played, none can match this. VLR (2nd half) has some minor plot holes, but vast majority of the game is still masterfully done. VLR's story might be weaker than 999, but the puzzles are simply the best.
  18. Solara
    Jan 2, 2023
    10
    If you like puzzle and story games, you should get this game. I've played all of 999 and some of vlr and i think this is one of my favorite games of all time. The story is truly a masterpiece and should be more recognized.

Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Best PS4 Game of 2017
77
#77 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. GameCritics
    Jun 5, 2017
    85
    This is a fantastic presentation of two top-notch virtual novels. My only major quibble is that player is never made aware of how important it is to play the two games in the correct order. It’s not enough to see a couple of endings in 999 – if players don’t make it to the true ending before moving on to VLR, it will be casually spoiled in the most off-handed way imaginable. Beyond that, very little goes wrong here, and I’d say that this one of the best visual novel experiences I’ve had.
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  2. Wccftech
    Apr 8, 2017
    83
    The Nonary Games contains two of the best-known escape room games (except for perhaps Crimson Room) together in a timeless package. The updates to 999 make it the most definitive version to date, although Virtue's Last Reward feels just the same as it did the first time around.
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  3. PlayStation Universe
    Apr 2, 2017
    90
    Developer Spike Chunsoft knocks it out of the park with The Nonary Games. The puzzles in both 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward are challenging and rewarding, but it’s their stories that really make you stop and think while trying to figure it all out.
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