The ChunSoft Thread: Zero Escape Series & Banshee's Last Cry

[Raziek]

You know, I think you're right. I remember that coming up in one of the bad ends. It's never hit otherwise.

Completely slipped my mind.

Edit: You are indeed correct, just looked it up. It is

Spoiler

her daughter, Nona. Ennea would have been in building Q. I remember seeing Nona mentioned in the True End when they're running up the spiral staircase after the incinerator.

Edit 2:

Spoiler

"Should the Sub ending not be achieved before the true ending, the player is left to speculate about Lotus' participation in the second game. The images of Nona can reveal that, though."

And there it is.

 

[jamlosingthegame]

Started playing VLR about 2 days ago. Not saving during puzzle rooms is annoying (stupid bugs). I started with the first decision they gave me so I'm working on the left side of the flowchart. That is until I hit a dead end

Spoiler

where it says "TO BE CONTINUED". I assume it's something similar to when 999's true end had you remember the whole left-right sequence for the bracelet to find Snake in that coffin

. I haven't read any spoilers in this thread regarding VLR, and I intend to keep it that way.

 

[LivewiresXe]

Probably said it before, but even though it's just 2 pages, the Memo option can be quite handy.

 

[jamlosingthegame]

So I finished VLR last night and my mind is still pretty blown. Couldn't sleep with so many thoughts in my head. It does not disappoint me. My favorite ending is

Spoiler

Luna's ending. Even though she seemed too nice, I can see her being easily suspected. But I took it with a grain of salt, and then when I got her ending, it was pretty sad to me; reminds me of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"

And now for some of my thoughts.

Spoiler

1) After going through all the routes I could with the magenta and yellow doors, when the old lady/Akane was missing in the blue door route, I knew she had something to do with Zero. I was actually more surprised that it turned out to be Akane and that she ran another Nonary Game. What I find saddest about her is Tenmyouji/Junpei's comment. "But the Akane Kurashiki I know isn't here. She's not anywhere..." I feel bad for Junpei. He's been searching for her ever since the end of 999 and when he finally does, she is no longer the person he remembers, the one he is looking for. Also, anyone else notice the cloak she wore on April 13, 2029? It had the symbols that I believe were also on the banner of Free the Soul.

2)The whole jumping between 45 years is a pretty big step from 999's 10 years. For me, it's... not really giving me the vibe I was hoping for. What I mean is what happens to Clover and Alice, as explained in the Another Time branch. Even though there is a way for them to get back to their original time, I'm looking at the entire world as a whole. We never (at least I haven't) seen what happens at the Mars Mission test site, we never see Sigma and Phi prevent Radical-6 escaping and save the world. We know the world is ruined, but we never see the bright future that would branch from point E. I kinda wish I could see it.

3) One of my favorite parts about Another Time is the last bit after Phi's explanation of... herself and Akane's part. Akane's explanation was one of the most mind blowing things. Sure other games have done something similar, but this one just feels different. What I really like about it is when Akane says "You are an... uncontrolled variable that entered out closed system. As such, the rules of this world do not apply to you." What I got out of this is that we (the player) are obviously not restricted to the laws set in the games' settings. I say games' settings because we have not only seen VLR through Sigma's eyes, we have also seen 999 through Junpei's eyes. Not only that, but we are able to have both of them interact in the ways that bring about each and every story presented. I may be wrong here, but it's what I got out of Another Time. We are no longer Sigma and we are not Kyle. We are us. And to be honest, I feel tempted to call us Zero since we are restricted by 0 laws within the games, according to Akane.

And that's what I wanted to say about this game for now.

 

[Raziek]

I just got my first two.

Spoiler

First was K's betrayal ending. (Ally Luna, went with K through Blue, Ally K, Game Over)

Second was the locked ending that splits from that where you betray K, Dio dies, and Tenmyouji and Clover disappear.

Very much enjoying the game thus far.

 

[LivewiresXe]

I actually don't remember the 2nd thing. There are uh...2 endings most people recommend doing first in terms of understanding the story the best and I thoroughly enjoyed things going that way, but I'm respectively not going to say anything else on them or what ones they are unless outright asked (and even then it'll be in spoiler tags, lol).

 

[Raziek]

I don't want to know anything about it.

Taking things entirely based on my own choices.

Also, I can happily say I haven't had to use any help on any of the puzzles, and got the gold file on all of the puzzles I've solved so far.

 

[LivewiresXe]

I don't want to know anything about it.

Taking things entirely based on my own choices.

Also, I can happily say I haven't had to use any help on any of the puzzles, and got the gold file on all of the puzzles I've solved so far.

Oh snap, nice. I admittedly needed to use a FAQ to help with a bunch of rooms. And I totally respect that. I mean, what's the point of having all those endings and routes if we all viewed them in the same order?

 

[jamlosingthegame]

I just started from the left side of the chart and made my way right. I used Easy mode for about half the rooms because I was genuinely confused as to what they wanted me to do. That and because it was late and I was rushing myself, but there's that damn saving bug so I couldn't just stop in the middle. Either way, it was a good 40 hours, 49 minutes, and 1 second well spent for me.

 

[Lythium]

Finally getting around to playing this game, and it's awesome so far. I'm scared that I'll run into the save glitch, so I'm only saving in the novel portions. The puzzles are pretty awesome so far too, just challenging enough, but not super difficult or really odd like some of 999's. It's also pretty.

So many VAs that I'm recognizing, haha.

 

[LivewiresXe]

Finally getting around to playing this game, and it's awesome so far. I'm scared that I'll run into the save glitch, so I'm only saving in the novel portions. The puzzles are pretty awesome so far too, just challenging enough, but not super difficult or really odd like some of 999's. It's also pretty.

So many VAs that I'm recognizing, haha.

Yeah, you probably would recognize a bunch. Pretty much most of the cast is like some big Persona 4/Persona 4 Arena reunion of sorts, lol. Even Sigma's VA in the OA.

 

[jamlosingthegame]

I'm still kinda surprised Rie Kugimiya is a VA here.

 

[sakuraZaKi]

Even if I'd never played the game before I'd know who Kugimiya would voice, LOL

 

[Lythium]

I went with the English voices, haha.

Spoiler

G-OLM's Cockney accent was bit lol.

 

[Raziek]

Yet again, I was totally right to nag you, eh Katie?

We shall have much to discuss on the 5th, I shall have finished it by then.

 

[Lythium]

Haha, yes indeed. Though it was pretty hard to tear myself away from FTL. And I have to start practicing FGs again, aaah.

Welp, back to it to VLR for now. :3

 

[LivewiresXe]

Ah, so you're not power playing through it like I did when I finished the game in 3 days, huh Raziek? Probably a good idea.

 

[Raziek]

I've been on a steady pace of a few endings per day, up to 5 of the named ends.

Spacing em around work and Smash time chambers for Apex prep.

 

[LivewiresXe]

I've been on a steady pace of a few endings per day, up to 5 of the named ends.

Spacing em around work and Smash time chambers for Apex prep.

Ah yeah, that works. I forgot about Apex, actually. Though...not sure why since Screwattack was hyping it a bunch and is having some people go to it, lol.

 

[Lythium]

Sooo, my game just crashed during the PEC sequence. My save data is still there, thankfully, but because it is one of the known buggy places, I wasn't saving at all.

Just lost an hour's worth of progress. :I

 

[Rutger]

Good thing you still have everything, shouldn't take too long to run through the room again.


I should pick this game up again, with everyone playing through it right now it would be cool if I could finish it around the same time.

 

[Lythium]

Buh, just powered through that room as fast as humanly possible. :V

Yeah, Rutger, you should get it. It's really great so far!

 

[Rutger]

No, I already have it and I have already reached many to be continues/dead ends as well as Clover's ending, but I took a break and started playing so many other games.

I guess I worded that sentence poorly. :/

 

[Lythium]

Nah, my bad. I just lack reading comprehension, haha. :V

 

[Raziek]

UUUUUUUUGH I FROZE IN THE ARCHIVES.

Right after completing the annoying *** dice puzzle for both passwords, too. Fffffff.

Welp, there goes 3 hours of lazily off-and-on poking through dialogue. Not in the mood to mash back through that right now.

 

[jamlosingthegame]

Dice puzzle isn't that annoying. Just a teeny bit, and only the blue password. Wait till the best puzzle room ever.

And my game never froze on me. That's kinda weird. Who else finished VLR?

 

[Lythium]

I'm playing on hard exclusively, and I've only had a bit of trouble with maybe two puzzles?

In the pantry,

Spoiler

getting the correct lockers to finish the food puzzle

and in the PEC room,

Spoiler

unlocking the door from the inside, I just couldn't see the solution for ages, haha

.

 

[jamlosingthegame]

Don't you mean (answer-free)

Spoiler

the correct boxers

? And that PEC one was so annoying for me. When I said I used Easy mode for half the rooms, this was one of them and only to be like "What kind of hint is that?" so I started just tapping around and it happened. Funny because (999 spoilers)

Spoiler

it's the same as the laboratory (but I guess it's different since it's you who is stuck and not Clover this time)

.

 

[Hax]

i got 999 like a month ago and "beat" it in a couple days only to find out that there are 6 ****ing endings. this completely ruined the game for me. i'm not trying to replay levels in a VISUAL NOVEL to get the real ending. =/ ended up looking it up on wikipedia

someone please tell me Virtue's Last Reward doesn't work the same way? seriously this series could have been better than Phoenix Wright for me had there just been 1 story/1 ending.

 

[Lythium]

Well, you can skip text that you've already read in 999, same with VLR. And the endings in 999 are worth it, in my opinion. Most VNs have multiple endings anyway, so maybe they're not for you? Ace Attorney is more of a point-and-click game anyway.

VLR has 24 endings, I believe. But there's a story flowchart that makes it easy to go back to certain points in the game, rather than starting it over each time.

 

[jamlosingthegame]

Sounds like this is your first VN. You kinda ruined it for yourself there.

Don't worry about replaying the rooms, you go through the rooms once each for the true endings, and VLR makes that easier since you keep the passwords to escape. The only time you'd be playing through the rooms again in 999 is getting the other endings, and even then it's not like you'll be playing the same room more than 3 times (except the first room). The only bad thing I can see is when there's new text to read. But the games' plots are interesting enough to not skip any.

 

[asianaussie]

zero escape solved 999's problem with the flowchart jumpy thing

i finished it but felt that i hadn't finished it since, well, they left the door wide open for a sequel

i guess it was quite enjoyable though

 

[LivewiresXe]

Well to be fair, that bit didn't surprise me in the slightest really. I kinda thought things on stuff was confirmed before the game came out.

 

[Raziek]

SO THIS IS JUST AN IN-PROGRESS MIND-BLOWING. DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T CLEARED LOCK 6.

Spoiler

****ING JUST GOT TO THE PART WHERE SIGMA REALIZES HIS HAND IS CUT. HOLY ****. I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. I literally gasped and almost started hyperventilating. Holy****ing ****balls my mind is blown oh my god man I've already seen the K end so I don't know why I never put two and two together. HOLY ****.

WHAT.

WHAT?!!?!

I haven't even confirmed it yet, I just felt the need to put this into words, holy goddamn poop flinging monkeys cosplaying as Batman, jesus christ on a cracker MY MIND IS BLOWN BEYOND BELIEF.

BACK TO PLAYING NOW.

 

[jamlosingthegame]

Oh good. You're on your way to my favorite ending. Reminds me how stupid I felt when Zero's identity was revealed. Looking back, I should slap myself.

 

[Raziek]

Massive Non-True End spoilers (The entire rest of the game) within.

Spoiler

The suspicions I acquired during Tenmyouji's ending were, I'm almost certain, correct. In that the Old Woman was Akane, which makes Tenmyouji Junpei..... somehow? I don't yet have all the answers.

I just finished Luna's ending. All I have left is Phi's, the True Ending.

Not at all ashamed to admit that I shed some tears. Luna was and still is my absolute favorite character, and goddamnit, that was absolutely heart-wrenching. I can't remember the last time I've cried like this over a game. Even finding out her true nature, I didn't see it coming at all. And it didn't change a damn thing about how much her character meant to me. I've been brilliantly blindsided by so much of this game at every turn, and I am loving every second of it.

And yet I'm about to do something a lot of you may think I'm crazy for. I'm not playing the True Ending tonight. I'm not going to repeat the mistake I made playing through 999's True Ending. I did so very very late at night (like now), and didn't absorb nearly as much of the emotional impact and information as I did the second time around, because I was too damn tired.

So I'm going to bed. I'm going to sleep with everything that I've seen. All 8 of the main endings, on the doorstep of the truth. I am going to ruminate on it for quite some time, I'm sure. And then tomorrow, when I'm done with my haircut, I'm going to come home and finish the game.

And it's going to be the best story I've ever experienced.

 

[LivewiresXe]

I can agree with the last bit you said, but I have to admit, that

Spoiler

while it seems EVERYBODY gets emotional and cries about the Luna thing...I actually wasn't bothered too much by it and that's not the spot that got to me. Not gonna spoil what it was that did, when it was, or what route it was in though.

 

[jamlosingthegame]

I guess that means a lot of people liked that ending because of the emotions (I didn't cry, but it got me and I liked it). Though I think an equally sad part of the game is (True end spoilers)

Spoiler

the Another Time section when Tenmyouji/Junpei says that that's no longer Akane. Ifeel bad for him. (I've already said it, but it's for those who haven't read it)

.

 

[asianaussie]

yeah, i felt terrible since

Spoiler

junpei basically threw his life away to search for akane for forty-odd years, and she almost completely ignored him and went off the play house with some dude from the future and his clone

i mean, i get that

Spoiler

saving the world is important and stuff, but i thought junpei and akane were cute together

 

[Raziek]

Hands down best game I've ever played.

Time to go back and read the spoilers here in the thread, now that I'm done.