How Scary Is The Zero Escape Franchise?

[Codex Necro]

I kinda want to play this game after hearing it`s similar to Danganronpa. However I`m curious about how scary the franchise is.

[Isa_Fuie]

It's not "jump out of your seat" scary. But it does have some "what the...?" moments. The story has more to do with time paradoxes and exploring the nature of parallel timelines.

I don't want to elaborate beyond that, for fear of spoilers, but the visual novel is really about moral ambiguity amidst taking advantage of being aware of parallel timelines, or something.

I suppose Zero Escape would be similar to Danganronpa, considering that they are both developed by Spike Chunsoft.

[ZIPPER MAN]

Not too scary but I find it scarier than Danganronpa. The atmosphere is more intense; in Danganronpa everyone is trying to work together to escape and not kill anyone, in Zero Escape there is alot of trust issues (especially in vlr) and the main goal is to escape so characters may betray others. Also the blood isn't pink

[Texus]

Is this some sort of sequel or a better version of the nonary game ?

I just looked at the developers page and saw these two games together in a list and I'm not sure anymore if this was a different game or a better version.

edit: Zero time dilemma was what I meant. Not sure if I should get both to understand the story or if I just can take the newer one.

[Isa_Fuie]

Originally posted by SegaSega2:

Is this some sort of sequel or a better version of the nonary game ?

I just looked at the developers page and saw these two games together in a list and I'm not sure anymore if this was a different game or a better version.

edit: Zero time dilemma was what I meant. Not sure if I should get both to understand the story or if I just can take the newer one.

The game (or the two games) for which the Discussion section you are in, are for the first two games in the trilogy; 999 Zero Escape The Nonary Games and Virtue's Last Reward.

In terms of length, the first one is okay. The second game has a much, much, much, bigger story to tell, using the story from the first game as a foundation to build on.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend playing the third game (Zero Time Dilemma) without having gone through the first two, because by then, you're expected to know who these characters are, and their backstory.

To be honest, I didn't play the third game simply because I was put off by the length of the second game (Virtue's Last Reward). The second one was soooo long I thought to myself "Yeah, I'm just going to read up on what happens in the third game". I did, so, I spoiled the story for the third game for myself, but that was the conscious decision I made. I glanced at the story of the third game and got the gist of it, but that was only because I had played the first two.

[Texus]

Originally posted by Isa_Fuie:

Originally posted by SegaSega2:

Is this some sort of sequel or a better version of the nonary game ?

I just looked at the developers page and saw these two games together in a list and I'm not sure anymore if this was a different game or a better version.

edit: Zero time dilemma was what I meant. Not sure if I should get both to understand the story or if I just can take the newer one.

The game (or the two games) for which the Discussion section you are in, are for the first two games in the trilogy; 999 Zero Escape The Nonary Games and Virtue's Last Reward.

In terms of length, the first one is okay. The second game has a much, much, much, bigger story to tell, using the story from the first game as a foundation to build on.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend playing the third game (Zero Time Dilemma) without having gone through the first two, because by then, you're expected to know who these characters are, and their backstory.

To be honest, I didn't play the third game simply because I was put off by the length of the second game (Virtue's Last Reward). The second one was soooo long I thought to myself "Yeah, I'm just going to read up on what happens in the third game". I did, so, I spoiled the story for the third game for myself, but that was the conscious decision I made. I glanced at the story of the third game and got the gist of it, but that was only because I had played the first two.

Thank you. I'm sure if could find it out myself but with which one do I need to start? I understood that I'm supposed to play both yes?

Uhhhmm okay I suppose I could just look at which game is older, I suppose they came out in order story wise.

[Cascade_Failure]

I'd say that apart from the mental imagination we concoct for ourselves regarding peoples fates, a tense atmosphere every now and then and a bit of blood, it's not too scary. I had more issue with the third game(Zero Time Dilema) in particular though because of the choices (and grisly consequences) you are required to make. Example: You are offered three times in a row to push a button. Push it, and two of the three groups are showered in sulfuric acid and you are treated to their pained screams as all you are shown in the aftermath is their meat chunks

[Knightess]

Originally posted by SegaSega2:

Originally posted by Isa_Fuie:

The game (or the two games) for which the Discussion section you are in, are for the first two games in the trilogy; 999 Zero Escape The Nonary Games and Virtue's Last Reward.

In terms of length, the first one is okay. The second game has a much, much, much, bigger story to tell, using the story from the first game as a foundation to build on.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend playing the third game (Zero Time Dilemma) without having gone through the first two, because by then, you're expected to know who these characters are, and their backstory.

To be honest, I didn't play the third game simply because I was put off by the length of the second game (Virtue's Last Reward). The second one was soooo long I thought to myself "Yeah, I'm just going to read up on what happens in the third game". I did, so, I spoiled the story for the third game for myself, but that was the conscious decision I made. I glanced at the story of the third game and got the gist of it, but that was only because I had played the first two.

Thank you. I'm sure if could find it out myself but with which one do I need to start? I understood that I'm supposed to play both yes?

Uhhhmm okay I suppose I could just look at which game is older, I suppose they came out in order story wise.

999 is the first game, and VLR is the second game. They are slightly connected, but it's better if you do play them in that order.

[Texus]

Thank you both

[pi31416chan]

the story is scary from some other perspective

[Runa Silvertongue]

Originally posted by The Cleaner:

Not too scary but I find it scarier than Danganronpa. The atmosphere is more intense; in Danganronpa everyone is trying to work together to escape and not kill anyone, in Zero Escape there is alot of trust issues (especially in vlr) and the main goal is to escape so characters may betray others. Also the blood isn't pink

Only thing I'd add to this is that the ZE series is more of a psychological thriller game series than the DR series. There's messed up stuff in both, but ZE has the added WTF moments due to the parallel timelines and time paradoxes previously mentioned.

[Mysti_Fogg]

I have a very low threshold for being scared/getting worked up by scary stuff.

I would say that this rates maybe a 6 out of 10. Maybe a 7 for me because the 999 game particularly preys on my fear of being stalked and killed from behind by someone I never saw coming in a dark creepy room. Had to lock myself in my bedroom last night since I was up 'til midnight playing. Haven't played the other games yet. It's kind of right at the edge of tolerable for me, but I think the story is worth it thus far.

999 is a game I have wanted to play since I first heard of it years ago and it was only released in Japanese, and it hasn't disappointed me yet.

ETA:

Finished 999 and I stand by my first rating.

With that in mind, I'm nearly through VLR, and I would rate that a 3 on the scariness scale. It's still got murders you have to figure out, but maybe it's just because of the first path I ended up on, but there were few fears for me in the "being stalked" category.

The game is still really enjoyable and I've had fun figuring out what is going on and why. It's just not scary.

Now, I have gotten the impression that Zero Time is the most intense and gory of the 3 games, but I haven't verified that impression.