Ever17 features the single greatest instance of the "Uchikoshi plot twist" I've encountered (of course the others are neat as well).
Aksys is teasing something
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Tricky I Shadow
Banned
Huh? The timer didn't change? Hmmm....
Someone posted a link to the teaser asking if it's his next project of his FaceBook page. He's usually pretty good with answering people's questions on FaceBook, but this time he has given no response. He's not denying it. I feel like that is a pretty promising sign. If this isn't Zero Escape 3, he or Aksys should at least deny it since the whole internet thinks it is.
Hey,
Does anyone know if Uchikoshi is still on FB? When I searched it came up with "public figure", not his original page
Someone posted a link to the teaser asking if it's his next project of his FaceBook page. He's usually pretty good with answering people's questions on FaceBook, but this time he has given no response. He's not denying it. I feel like that is a pretty promising sign. If this isn't Zero Escape 3, he or Aksys should at least deny it since the whole internet thinks it is.
KharmaPolice
Member
I think the final route of Ever17 was pretty good up until the big plot twist (which is sadly heavily hinted at in the localized version) but looses all its momentum after that point and at times even seems like self parody. That kind of soured my experience with the game.
Tricky I Shadow
Banned
Ever17 goes like this.
Pretty good on the normal routes (bar one annoying one)
Amazing on the true ending route.
Decisive on the final twist.
I was in the middle on the end. I thought it worked well, but I wasn't a huge fan of the concept.
The Hermit
Member
Why did you expected it change?
Tricky I Shadow
Banned
Because it first went down a number in 48 hours since the site went up...
I was expecting a pattern to form...but nope. I have no clue how it works.
KharmaPolice
Member
I didn't actually mind the twist (I thought it was pretty clever and reasonably well foreshadowed). It's just all the stuff after it that I didn't like. Maybe I elaborate a bit:
MASSIVE Ever17 spoiler
After it is established how and why Blick Winkel is summoned the tone and believability of the story is all over the place. First we have Takeshi who magically reawakens and dashes back into the facility. Really? Even with the recent injection of Tsugumi's antibodies he should by all accounts be dead. But way worse is the way the characters behave from that point on. Hokuto acts like an idiot and screams "dad" like an 5-year old all the time. Even worse, Takeshi isn't really fazed by all the revelations (having lost 17 years and having two almost adult kids) and the whole rescue mission and reunion at the end is mostly played for laughs. All the previous mostly compelling characterization is thrown out of the window for some silly comedy and this really soured my impression of the game.
That's the best level of believe! xD
cj_iwakura
Member
So since ZE2 was the bigger success here, and everyone wildly agrees that 999-1 had he best tone, will ZE3 go back to it?
Lee Chaolan
Member
Uchikoshi seems like the type of guy that would take user feedback more seriously. Although it depends on who's funding the game, they may want to see more like VLR.
Best case scenario may be in the middle with more 2D, with 3D assets still used. Although my favorite was (Super Spoiler here -->)
Dat Akane face at the very end in the old style >_>
J
Jotamide
Unconfirmed Member
From the Uchikoshi Q&A on the official website:
Q71: While playing 999, I was constantly afraid the next room would lead to my death, or someone else’s death. In that regard, it felt very much like a horror game. In VLR, each room felt a little safer and more elaborate than in 999. Along with how the characters reacted to their circumstances, this made me feel a little more comfortable and less paranoid. Overall I felt VLR had more of a “puzzle” feel to it. What inspired the shift in tone between the two games, and which of those two moods do you enjoy writing more?
After the release of 999 we did marketing research in Japan for those who didn’t buy the game. Of the surveys that were taken there were people who stated that they refrained from purchasing because they felt like it would be too scary or gory. As a result, the higher ups had given me orders to make the next installment more light. So with that I made the penalty of the Nonary Game “death with poison injection” as opposed to being blown up. And overall I tried to make the vibe less gloomy. The Japanese version’s title is also made to be a bit of a pun. I also tried to make the conversation during the escape parts more light and witty. And just between you and me…for the Japanese title, I’m honestly not happy with the higher up’s instruction on making it “light”. But if I don’t comply, they won’t allow me to make the game, so what can I do, right? This is the downside for a creator.
I heard in the movie industry there are cases where the production company will give orders and would even change an ending of a movie. (For example, “I Am Legend”. Please go ahead and think something of that sort happened with VLR. So with that said, I’m sure you guys can conclude which mood I’d enjoy writing for more.
So probably not because the higher ups at Spike Chunsoft said so. :/
Not necessarily. Obviously, that change in direction for the series from 999 to VLR didn't help sales at all and, in fact, might have negatively impacted them instead. If there was a ZE3, going back to 999's atmosphere might be fine with the higher ups, considering VLR's performance.
Its been quite some time since I played it, so the details on my side are a bit hazy.
What I do remember is this.
Ever17 major plot spoilers
I won't say I disagree with any of your assessments. I don't think much of it soured my experience. Most of it was stuff I just went with and didn't think a lot about at the time, at least. The whole ending sequence once everyone was saved definitely felt a bit out of place. I attributed that more to Blick Winkel's incorporation into all of that. It was a notch cringeworthy, but it didn't sour me on the rest of it. When I say I wasn't a big fan of the concept, it was more the idea behind how the concept was put into the world. The whole tone of Blick Winkel as a thing once he became a thing instead of a plot twist that was great threw me off.
Dragonslayer_023
Banned
A teaser site has gone up for the video game adaptation of Uchikoshi's upcoming anime Punchline, so at the very least we know that has nothing to do with this.
yes
Not required but recommended, since it's a good game.
That teaser site for the Punchline game really couldn't be more appropriate.
At least this has nothing to do with that, though it wasn't really expected to.
Looks like I'll pick that up first then. Thanks
CrimsonFist
Member
Might be the one mentioned earlier, but I was just skimming through the Punchline famitsu interview, and it talks a lot about the expanding overseas audience. Interestingly, it mentions how niche Ever 17's English localisation was, and then goes on to say something about wanting to move to a larger scale.
I'm just going through google translate, so I might be mistaken though. Interview here: http://www.famitsu.com/news/201503/22074413.html
Nakazawa, who he worked with on the Infinity games is also apparently working on the Punchline game.
I'm just going through google translate, so I might be mistaken though. Interview here: http://www.famitsu.com/news/201503/22074413.html
Nakazawa, who he worked with on the Infinity games is also apparently working on the Punchline game.
To note, they can be played separately, but VLR has more impact with knowledge of 999's plot and characters.
What's this? The translation Twitter provides isn't very good but it says "Please expect even better game version!" and it's about Ever17.
CrimsonFist
Member
Something about him teaming up with Nakazawa, whom he also worked with on Ever 17, but I'm pretty sure he's talking about them working on the Punchline game.
Oh okay, not much then. Thought it could have been an enhanced port or something. Cheers.
pinkurocket
Member
Ohh I didn't know Uchikoshi was writing an anime series. I just looked up the teaser and wow those are a lot of girls in tiny bikinis and panty shots. Not exactly the mystery plotline I was expecting, but hey who knows where he'll take it considering some characters in the 999/VLR cast.
CrimsonFist
Member
I'm actually getting kind of tempted to watch it, I'd at least expect some sort of major twist from it.
Its stuck trying to load for me now, too.
Interesting... Very interesting... Maybe... They're updating it?
Same here
Basileus777
Member
Everyone was so far off base that they decided to take it down altogether.
ladyluthien
Member
Haha, I think we would all go nuts in here if that happened.
Tricky I Shadow
Banned
My heart can't take much more of this.
IchigoSharingan
Member
No longer allowed to browse their folders....
Their older images have been deleted, too.
Their older images have been deleted, too.
Astral Dog
Member
oh i didnt noticed it was a counter.
lol, so it seems we got a peak beyond what we were supposed to see.
Shame what we saw seems to tell us nothing of substance.
IchigoSharingan
Member
Ran all the images we've looked at so far through fotoforensics, nothing to report on that.
IchigoSharingan
Member
I would assume so. At the very least they are actively on their FTP.
Barrylocke
Member
Anyone else been listening to their favorite 999/VLR tracks to maintain maximum hype levels?
Septenary Game will always be godlike.
Septenary Game will always be godlike.
Better keep it on loop. Gonna be a while.
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