Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

 PlayStation Vita
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 304 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 269 out of 304
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 304
  3. Negative: 26 out of 304
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  1. Seraph116
    Oct 25, 2012
    10
    Fantastic experience! Lord knows the Vita needs more games like this, and I'm just thankful we got this one :) It was compelling, engaging, and had a great plot. What more could you want?
  2. AaronA
    Jul 13, 2013
    9
    I give this game ~9.5
    I heard great things about this game before, but I never would have thought it would be THIS fantastic!
    The story is so.. compex, brilliant, thoughtful, disturbing, creepy, and touching all at the same time. The "endings" structure of the game makes it one of the most complex games since Myst. The characters are unique and likeable. And nothing is predictable or    I give this game ~9.5
    I heard great things about this game before, but I never would have thought it would be THIS fantastic!
    The story is so.. compex, brilliant, thoughtful, disturbing, creepy, and touching all at the same time. The "endings" structure of the game makes it one of the most complex games since Myst. The characters are unique and likeable. And nothing is predictable or goes as planned.

    This game's story may be the biggest mind-f**ks in the history of gaming!!!!!
    Gonna buy its sequest day 1.    … Expand
  3. viccard
    Oct 25, 2012
    10
    Finally Vita is getting some fantastic titles. Playing Zero Escape is like reading a thriller/mystery book which is 1) fully voice acted, 2) has various mini-games, 3) has great plot. Puzzles alone would make a decent stand-alone game.
  4. Zeryiader
    Nov 15, 2012
    10
    A true triumph in gaming, an excellent sequel to the amazing 999, a great thought provoking story with true heartache if your actions cause a negative event. One of if not the best game on the vita.
  5. Maniacaca
    Aug 23, 2013
    9
    NT1, this is a "Visual Novel" not really a game, so go play CoD or something.
    This has one of the most complex, interesting and enjoyable stories of anything I've ever seen, And I highly recommend it to any people looking for a game with story. The graphics, although simple, look really nice on the Vita's screen.
    Each character has their own ending, and All are very fun to earn. The    NT1, this is a "Visual Novel" not really a game, so go play CoD or something.
    This has one of the most complex, interesting and enjoyable stories of anything I've ever seen, And I highly recommend it to any people looking for a game with story. The graphics, although simple, look really nice on the Vita's screen.
    Each character has their own ending, and All are very fun to earn. The choices are fairly simple, but the timeline is massive, and I loved unlocking everything on it. The puzzles can be hard, and I did get stuck on a few occasions, but I never got too frustrated at them.
    Overall, this game will last you quite a while to do everything, and is one of the best games I've ever played.    … Expand
  6. RadioactiveMoth
    May 31, 2014
    10
    I've never played a game with a more fleshed out, and realized story. All the characters are well written, and the voice acting is some of the best in video games. The gameplay is very well done, though some puzzles were a bit annoying. If you like adventure games, or more specifically visual novels that aren't just more slice of life, you will like this game.
  7. Kenmei
    Jan 14, 2013
    10
    Quickly becoming one of my favorite video game series of all time, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is the follow to the highly, HIGHLY underrated 999 visual novel/puzzle game released in 2010 in the US. While you can get away with playing this game on it's own, you're doing yourself a disservice by not playing that one first. It tells the story of Sigma and 8 other's who are trapped in aQuickly becoming one of my favorite video game series of all time, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is the follow to the highly, HIGHLY underrated 999 visual novel/puzzle game released in 2010 in the US. While you can get away with playing this game on it's own, you're doing yourself a disservice by not playing that one first. It tells the story of Sigma and 8 other's who are trapped in a life or death game. I won't give any other details beyond that as discovering what happens on your own is the best part of this game. The other part of the game is the puzzle portion, which is exceptionally well done. I personally played this game for the story and feel that is the main draw behind it, being a visual novel and all. But the puzzles will definitely make you think. I wouldn't suggest playing this if you like your puzzles simple and easy too. Some of these puzzles are not for the faint of heart as you will definitely need to write alot of stuff down to keep up. The main differences between the Vita and 3DS versions are basically graphics or an easier time to click on stuff during puzzles. While the Vita version looks beautiful, it can be a bit difficult when trying to click on small things here and there as the screen doesn't always go where you point your finger. The 3DS version however, does not look anywhere near as good as the Vita does. The 3D portraits of the characters are wonderful and the attention to detail is astounding. This is easily one of the best stories out there right now and, if the quality of the future games in the series stay the same as this, you'll might find that this could turn out to be one of the best visual novels of all time. I can't wait for the next in the series, because there will be another one. But in the meantime, I'll be spreading the word about this series to anyone I see.… Expand
  8. TrueArcadio
    Oct 30, 2012
    10
    This is the best experience I've had on a mobile device in my lifetime. I bought my Vita to play turned based strategy games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Disgaea, Jeanne D'Arc, as well as Little Big Planet and Super Crate Box.

    Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward blew everything I've ever played and experienced in story telling out of the water. This is the first time I've found myself    This is the best experience I've had on a mobile device in my lifetime. I bought my Vita to play turned based strategy games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Disgaea, Jeanne D'Arc, as well as Little Big Planet and Super Crate Box.

    Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward blew everything I've ever played and experienced in story telling out of the water. This is the first time I've found myself thinking about the game consistently outside playing the game, and really thinking about meanings and motifs. TO ANYONE WHO HAS A VITA OR 3DS. PLEASE BUY THIS GAME, YOU WILL BE SUPPORTING ONE OF THE LAST TRULY CREATIVE GAME DEVELOPERS, AND YOUR LIFE WILL BE ENRICHED AS A RESULT OF PLAYING THIS GAME.    … Expand
  9. vahn
    Jun 15, 2013
    10
    Before starting this review, one warning about this game: if you DO NOT LIKE reading much and WANT action, turn and leave immediately and never return. For those who actually do like, I only have to say one thing: this game is a masterpiece. This one of the best adventure games I've played on this generation of portable console. It has almost everything done right: the story is fantasticBefore starting this review, one warning about this game: if you DO NOT LIKE reading much and WANT action, turn and leave immediately and never return. For those who actually do like, I only have to say one thing: this game is a masterpiece. This one of the best adventure games I've played on this generation of portable console. It has almost everything done right: the story is fantastic and it will hook you right in once you start (it literally did hook me until I was done with it!) and has so many twists and so much background history that you'll just want to know how, when, why! The characters are great and you'll be either hating and loving them accordingly on you'll play the game, especially if some of you have played the previous game (999) since few characters come from there (how many, you have to find out yourself). The new characters are also interesting and you'll always want to know their backstories, without mentioning that you WILL hate them at a some point. Infact, this game is all based about trust and betrayal, and as much as being a small detail, this detail is the main factor of the game that will carry until the end. So the story is good, but what about the gameplay? Well the original game had a big flaw on that department, being extremely easy and just too short to finish, and that you had to repeat the same section over and over without being able to skip. VLR however strikes and wins also on the longevity by not only having over 9 endings (not counting the bad endings AND the true ending), but by also having some great puzzles that are actually pretty challenging...if you want to, since there's an easy option to put it in easy anytime (which will basically give you hints now and then) and the possibility to skip right away any dialogue that you've seen, with also a handy screen where you can jump scenes anytime, which will make following the paths so much easier in comparison to the previous game. However you'll have to finish the game in hard for unlocking most of the stuff, but in either easy or hard difficulty this will easily take your over 30 hours of gameplay to complete the game entirely (without mentioning that it's also a pretty easy platinum, for those who are trophy hunters). Although It DOES have some big flaws that even if they are big they do not really ruin the game. For starters, the VITA version do have better visuals and graphics, and while I'm no graphic maniac this is kind of a big winning point considering that this game is still a "Visual" Novel, and this version definitely wins on the "visual" part AND the also on being more stable than the 3DS version (my sister, who owns the 3DS version of this game, at least froze 3 times and there's also a bug that if you save during a puzzle section, it will freeze); also the character models while not being exciting or great, they are still better to look than the 3DS version, even though the characters have minimal animations and only during dialogues, and only few cutscenes are actually animated well, while the rest are basically still images which is rather disappointing considering that while 999 was entirely in 2D, this one has actually 3D enviroments and character models, but no barely any animation. Second, the game has lowered the dark tone of the game, from being extremely frightful in the first game (there was a time limit and the death penalty was rather gruesome), from being more calm and not always menacing (no actual time limit and the death penalty is also painless). I heard that the lowering in tone was due of the extremely dark tone of the first game and that was actually too scary for some people, and while I don't really mind this change I still loved the thrilling enviroment of the first game. Third, while the VITA version has almost no bugs and better visuals, the controls on the other hand are crippled to the extreme, making the use of the in-built basically impossible due to the laggy interface, while the 3DS version works great and you can easily make notes on it. Pen and paper still works best however. In any case the game is just great to see and fantastic to play. Like I said at the start, if you love visual novel style of adventures, this game is a must buy because of it's huge longevity and replay value (since that replaying in hard is kind of a must), with a great story to follow and so many twists that will just surprise you on so many levels. Also I want to say that, if you play the European version, you'll only get the Japanese dubbing, while the american version has both japanese and american dubbing: this is only personal choice, however the dubbings were pretty good and have some good voice acting and voice actors (although the bunny in english was hilarious!). Just remember that you cannot remove the voices and so you'll have to stick with it for the rest of the game. With that said, if you want a good adventure game, give it try and stay tuned for the next game!… Expand
  10. Kanazawa
    Jul 29, 2013
    10
    I have no words for how incredible this game was. YOU NEED TO PLAY THE PREQUEL 999 FIRST. It only had such an impact because of it. It connected so well, the story was just phenomenal. Puzzles were difficult and frustrating at times, but that's the point of the game I guess. Hard to name much games with a better story than this. Also the soundtrack was out of this world.
  11. StaticSpine
    Dec 9, 2013
    10
    My second game for PS Vita, my first entry to Visual Novel genre and my first platinum walkthrough.

    The game is a mixture of Visual Novel and a Puzzle/Point-and-Click Adventure. A lot of text, not many animations. The story is very catchy and multy-layered. The information is given in portions and sometimes the new portion gives some new questions along with new clues. You have to find    My second game for PS Vita, my first entry to Visual Novel genre and my first platinum walkthrough.

    The game is a mixture of Visual Novel and a Puzzle/Point-and-Click Adventure. A lot of text, not many animations. The story is very catchy and multy-layered. The information is given in portions and sometimes the new portion gives some new questions along with new clues. You have to find all the stuff and open all the branches of story to reveal all the details of the story. The characters are well written, have great models and voice acting (the voiceovers are in Japanese and the text is English). The gameplay is pretty comfortable, most of the time you won't need to completely walk through the previous puzzles if you forgot to take something, you can jump through rooms at any time.

    The atmosphere is pressing and full of tension. I'd call this game a Sci-Fi thriller. The concept is similar to the one in movies like "The House Of The Nine", "Cube" and "Saw". But not so gory.

    To be honest, I don't see any obvious disadvantages in this game. The only letdown can appear for the people that do not like to read because the game is heavily text-based. Anyone who loves story-oriented games should try this. The game is a masterpiece. Hopefully, I manage to play the first part of the series somehow though I do not own a DS console.    … Expand
  12. Doter
    Oct 31, 2012
    10
    This game is the bee's knees, truth be told. The puzzles (which most, if not all the gameplay revolves around) are solid, and very intuitive while still maintaining a difficulty that'll make you think more than most games. The story-line is also something to be praised, from the high-quality voice-acting to the astounding script and detailed personality of each character. Fans of the cultThis game is the bee's knees, truth be told. The puzzles (which most, if not all the gameplay revolves around) are solid, and very intuitive while still maintaining a difficulty that'll make you think more than most games. The story-line is also something to be praised, from the high-quality voice-acting to the astounding script and detailed personality of each character. Fans of the cult classic of 999, a surprise smash hit on Nintendo's DS a few years back should have no qualms about this game as it has everything 999 has done and then some and exceeds at it exceptionally. PSV and 3DS owners should look no further than this game for a truly marvelous handheld experience.… Expand
  13. Leracs
    Jan 4, 2013
    10
    If you played 999 and you loved it as much as I did, Virtue's Last Reward will repay your hype like no sequel ever did. Plot twists. puzzles, character design and gameplay are pretty flawless and the game will keep your eyes stuck on your Vita until you complete every available ending. Absolutely recommended!
  14. TheJoseph
    Jun 16, 2016
    10
    Pros:
    - Amazing Story
    - Great gameplay - Good bad graphics (this makes sense if you played this) - Complexity - Ability to blow your mind - Lovable and hatable characters - Epic plot twists - Has funny, sad, confusing, mysterious, scary, and shocking moments Cons: Has a few weird character animations - Annoying map that you can't skip - Could've explained To Be Continued    Pros:
    - Amazing Story
    - Great gameplay
    - Good bad graphics (this makes sense if you played this)
    - Complexity
    - Ability to blow your mind
    - Lovable and hatable characters
    - Epic plot twists
    - Has funny, sad, confusing, mysterious, scary, and shocking moments

    Cons:
    Has a few weird character animations
    - Annoying map that you can't skip
    - Could've explained To Be Continued moments better
    - Spelled DUNNO ... DONNO (Yeah, I ran out of bad things about the game :/)    … Expand
  15. Super_Cloud
    Jan 1, 2016
    10
    This game is absolutely crazy! The plot of the game will keep you hook until the very end. I wonder why the game get 84 on vita and 88 on 3DS, it does not make any sense to me. The OST isn't the best but some of them are amazing, the story is just too crazy, i'm incredibly hyped for Zero Escape 3!
  16. Agarwel
    Nov 29, 2012
    10
    Awesome experience. It is not a title for anybody. There is so few gameplay that I have a problems to call it a game. Most of the time you are just reading story and pressing "next" button. There are few puzzle parts (kind of like old school point and click adventure game) and decisions. But reading is the main part. You can spent 1,5 hour linear reading. Then perform one decisions toAwesome experience. It is not a title for anybody. There is so few gameplay that I have a problems to call it a game. Most of the time you are just reading story and pressing "next" button. There are few puzzle parts (kind of like old school point and click adventure game) and decisions. But reading is the main part. You can spent 1,5 hour linear reading. Then perform one decisions to branch the story and then read another 1 hour. Then have 20 minutes of puzzles and go back to reading. But the story is great. And I was not able to put it down. This game has most uniquely told story that I ever seen. And after finishing the game my save is showing 42 hours. Definitely worth the money.… Expand
  17. doragasu
    May 13, 2013
    10
    Don't allow the poor technical aspects of this game fool you. Setting them aside, this game is an absolute masterpiece. You might be surprised that it doesn't treat you like a brainless brat, like most of the games nowadays do. It treats you as an intelligent adult, and also demands you some reading and thinking.

    If you like quality Sci-Fi, once you start spotting a glimpse of the full    Don't allow the poor technical aspects of this game fool you. Setting them aside, this game is an absolute masterpiece. You might be surprised that it doesn't treat you like a brainless brat, like most of the games nowadays do. It treats you as an intelligent adult, and also demands you some reading and thinking.

    If you like quality Sci-Fi, once you start spotting a glimpse of the full plot, you will be inevitably trapped in the mysteries and twists happening in front of you.

    Plot is great, characters are deep, and surprisingly, the game succeeds at creating its own language. One that ties the plot to a videogame. It's impossible to export this story to a book or film. So you should run to buy and enjoy this game, because as Phi would say:

    "Elapsam semel occasionem non ipse potest Iuppiter reprehendere"    … Expand
  18. alexaxa
    Oct 2, 2016
    9
    This game is GREAT ! I had no idea i would like this type of game but the engaging story and atmosphere are top notch. There was a lot of great design decision (like the flow system) that makes the game really enjoyable to discover.

    A little warning however, this game is about 80% story and 20% "escape the room" (puzzle) so it may not be for everyone. I don't like visual novel usually    This game is GREAT ! I had no idea i would like this type of game but the engaging story and atmosphere are top notch. There was a lot of great design decision (like the flow system) that makes the game really enjoyable to discover.

    A little warning however, this game is about 80% story and 20% "escape the room" (puzzle) so it may not be for everyone. I don't like visual novel usually but this game got me addicted to finish every possible story path and find all the endings.    … Expand
  19. gamerguy20097
    Oct 30, 2012
    10
    After finishing the game, my mind has finally started settle down. The twists and turns the plot takes is wonderful. The game even takes the multiple timelines you create by picking ally or betray, or picking one door to go through over the other and wave it perfectly into the story in a way that makes complete sense. The puzzles are very hard but the sense of satisfaction you'll get onceAfter finishing the game, my mind has finally started settle down. The twists and turns the plot takes is wonderful. The game even takes the multiple timelines you create by picking ally or betray, or picking one door to go through over the other and wave it perfectly into the story in a way that makes complete sense. The puzzles are very hard but the sense of satisfaction you'll get once you solve them is wonderful. If you want a game where you can turn your brain off, go play some generic shooter. There are millions of them waiting for you. If you want something unique and utterly enrapturing, something that will grip you with its wonderful story and unforgettable cast. A game that will get you thinking about life even when the game is complete: Than turn that brain on,Put that gun and head set down and pop in one of the best games of this year.… Expand
  20. Kaniya
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    As a matter of fact these types of games are not very well known in West. Zero Escape is just simply awesome, It has a twisted and beautiful story which will drag you to the end till even u want to skip sleeping ! the puzzles are way too awesome. Characters n their personalities are very well written. a piece of true artwork. highly recommended to anyone who owns vita. I promise u willAs a matter of fact these types of games are not very well known in West. Zero Escape is just simply awesome, It has a twisted and beautiful story which will drag you to the end till even u want to skip sleeping ! the puzzles are way too awesome. Characters n their personalities are very well written. a piece of true artwork. highly recommended to anyone who owns vita. I promise u will have an unforgettable journey !… Expand
  21. Frombleasome
    Nov 5, 2012
    10
    OMG! This is a must get! like really!
  22. Klaw
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    Incredible story, great characters, great puzzles with 2 levels of reading... well everything is fantastic in this game in fact.
    Ah, maybe not everything : I want Zero Escape 3. Now !
  23. Thingula
    Apr 18, 2013
    10
    This game is VERY well done. It's not for everyone, though. This isn't like the Professor Layton games. It is a visual novel. Basically, it's a long book on your Vita with some pretty challenging puzzles. The graphics are a little bad, but that's now what this game is about. It is a very deep story that branches out and forces you to learn certain things about the characters beforeThis game is VERY well done. It's not for everyone, though. This isn't like the Professor Layton games. It is a visual novel. Basically, it's a long book on your Vita with some pretty challenging puzzles. The graphics are a little bad, but that's now what this game is about. It is a very deep story that branches out and forces you to learn certain things about the characters before progressing. It is amazingly well written, considering all of the branches this story takes. Although the characters have great voice acting, you will probably not enjoy this game if you don't like reading.… Expand
  24. khvivi
    Dec 26, 2013
    9
    An amazing experience of a game, I had done no research on what kind of game it is prior to getting it and was very surprised upon playing it. Easily one of the best story-driven plot twisty games I have played. ever.
  25. FollowKeagan
    Feb 17, 2013
    9
    Virtue's Last Reward is a game built on choices, will you ALLY or will you BETRAY? Player's will find themselves deeply immersed in the world, obsessed with the characters and an emotional wreck by the time the game is over. VLR is a phenomenal experience in every way and a must own title for any PS Vita owner. Full Review at:Virtue's Last Reward is a game built on choices, will you ALLY or will you BETRAY? Player's will find themselves deeply immersed in the world, obsessed with the characters and an emotional wreck by the time the game is over. VLR is a phenomenal experience in every way and a must own title for any PS Vita owner. Full Review at: http://geeklifeaus.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/zero-escape-virtues-last-reward-review.html… Expand
  26. shamash
    Sep 2, 2013
    9
    I don´t liked the demo, but when sony give this game with plus i give it another choice. This game have a really great history and characters, some of the puzzles are impossible without a guide.
  27. JBryant0619
    Mar 10, 2014
    9
    amazing story that keeps you on your edge of your seat. great series of rooms to solve. 3DS gets the edge as its much easier to write with a stylus rather than your fingers. with over 20 endings. there is a ton of replay value. might be a little lost if you didn't play the first game in the series (999) as it was DS only.
  28. Twilight_Drake
    Sep 10, 2013
    10
    Absolutely fantastic, and one of the best stories I've ever experienced in video games. I strongly recommend people to play this. Definitely worth it. Words cannot even describe how great and epic the story is; especially the ending. It was mind-blowing.
  29. SundanceKid17
    Dec 13, 2013
    10
    #1 Game for me for PS VITA, you simply can't put it down once you start playing. I downloaded this game for free as I'm a ps plus member but I will buy physical copy in the future because it's just awesome game and I want to have access on this game once my ps plus expires. Everything about it is brilliant: Storyline, Graphics Gameplay, Voice acting, etc... Puzzles are really challenging#1 Game for me for PS VITA, you simply can't put it down once you start playing. I downloaded this game for free as I'm a ps plus member but I will buy physical copy in the future because it's just awesome game and I want to have access on this game once my ps plus expires. Everything about it is brilliant: Storyline, Graphics Gameplay, Voice acting, etc... Puzzles are really challenging & fun. Once you start playing this game you can't stop playing afterwards until you finish it. Everybunny MUST buy this game … Expand
  30. tamercloud
    Mar 19, 2014
    10
    This game is why I bought a vita, and this game made it all worth it. This is a thinking man's game- so you have to be prepared to actually read and solve puzzles. That being said, the narrative style of this game is unlike any other game, unique to the Zero escape series. The puzzles are all very well thought out and original. I HATE puzzle games on the whole, but I am addicted to theThis game is why I bought a vita, and this game made it all worth it. This is a thinking man's game- so you have to be prepared to actually read and solve puzzles. That being said, the narrative style of this game is unlike any other game, unique to the Zero escape series. The puzzles are all very well thought out and original. I HATE puzzle games on the whole, but I am addicted to the puzzles in this series because they are simply so well thought out and interlaced with the narrative. This particular game was so thought provoking I was questioning my own existence by the end of it. Are you familiar with the phrase "mind = blown"? This game offers that feeling in spades all throughout.

    If you own a Vita and have not bought this game already, then you are missing out on (in my opinion) the best handheld game ever released for the platform.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best PS Vita Game of 2012
12
#12 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2012
10
#10 Most Shared PS Vita Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. LaPS4
    Apr 18, 2013
    80
    Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward comes with a good plot and many surprise twists, in a storyline influenced by our choices that will lead to 24 different endings. With puzzles that will be a challenge for any player, and belonging to a not-too-common genre, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward will constitute a unique experience.
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  2. Meristation
    Mar 13, 2013
    87
    Virtue's Last Reward delivers a great amount of fun. With improved gameplay mechanics and +30h of lifespan, you won't find anything better than Chunsoft's last effort.
    Read full review
  3. 3DJuegos
    Mar 12, 2013
    82
    An amazing storyline for an excellent visual novel that will keep you in suspense for hours.
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