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Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward |OT| -- More Hours, More Persons, More Doors
- Thread starter Volcynika
- Start date
SolarKnight
Member
2 will ALWAYS give you the sub ending, the other two doors have two possible endings depending on your actions.
Thank God VLR fixes this, you're gonna see every ending once in that game.
grim-tales
Member
I agree with this - the flow chart is a very handy tool. I dont think I could cope if I had to start from the beginning all the time...
grim-tales
Member
Ah ha... I knew it...
Ten is Junpei and the old lady is Akane - but what connection can she have to K? And why does she refer to "half a century ago" - did he travel back in time? And I did hear something about returning people for ZE3 - but how could that work?
R_thanatos
Member
You actually need the gold files to trully complete the game ( not just completing the puzzles )
grim-tales
Member
I didnt know that, thanks 
Oh, alright. Good thing I've been collecting those too then.
Going to finish
Quark's route in a minute and then it's forwards to Luna's route and the feels. :''''(
grim-tales
Member
Opened a new route...
It says AB Room: Past, I got To Be Continued at the end but now I'm starting over?!? I wonder what else will happen?
Well, Phi had her first really dumb moment there with Sigma.
That's my first legitimate complaint about the story though, and it was just a short moment so it doesn't really matter.
also
They weren't going to enter the white chromatic doors in Luna's route because three people were missing? What the fuck would that help, they'd pass out due to the anesthetic the moment the doors close and die 9 minutes later. I know it's hard to imagine how emotionally stressing a situation like that would be but they KNOW they would have died, yet they still decide to stay. Fuck I hate it when main characters do the dumbest goddamn decisions. Man am I glad K had some common sense left in him.
That's my first legitimate complaint about the story though, and it was just a short moment so it doesn't really matter.
I just hope K also made it, otherwise Sigma and Phi are probably going to blame themselves for it and ugh.
also
nothing else matters, luna is dead ;_______;
ScraftyDevil
Banned
K's alive; there's still hope. He is the alpha and the omega.
grim-tales
Member
I was crying at Luna, I really felt Sigma had a genuine bond with her - when I had to betray her, man that's cold
I was crying at Luna, I really felt Sigma had a genuine bond with her - when I had to betray her, man that's cold
Betraying anyone felt bad, first time you ally, they betray you and laugh at you for being stupid, then you betray them and it's the worst thing ever and they hate you for it. Gave you this "WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE" feeling lol
Anyway, I just found
Clover and Ten dead in Luna's route, either I didn't feel the feels you felt or they are still coming, but again, I'm REALLY liking the suspense and atmosphere here.
I'm going to have to find a murder mystery VN or something else suspenseful and atmospheric after VLR.
e: OH SNAP
K AND DIO TOO shieeeeeeet
Neoriceisgood
Member
Man this game.
My endings so far:
/edit
My endings so far:
1. Clover
2. Dio
3. Ten
4. K ..omg K!!!
2. Dio
3. Ten
4. K ..omg K!!!
/edit
Just started Blue door route, why no corpse?!
ScraftyDevil
Banned
SHYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
All will be revealed... in time.
In time.
All will be revealed... in time.
In time.
grim-tales
Member
I really want to try another good VN after VLR too!
ScraftyDevil
Banned
I really want to try another good VN after VLR too!
Try Katawa Shoujo and The Walking Dead (okay, maybe this is cheating) if you haven't already.
The former isn't for everyone but can be really compelling and heartrending at its best, and the latter was the second or third game to make me cry and is just dang good all around.
grim-tales
Member
What systems are those on?
Thinking I'm near the end (?)...
Thinking I'm near the end (?)...
Everyone is on the Moon?!?! Holy shit... I thought the landscape in Dio's ending looked like the Moon - maybe time has slowed for Ten and Akane and thats why theyre old...?
Everything on PC, grim.
Also
So that's where the feels were...
Also, I'm pretty sure I'm starting to piece this story together now. I don't have the time to write any of my theories, except that I'm pretty sure
And bunch more. Maybe I'll post them here later. Those are hunches, theories I came up in a hurry, and the fastest to write so I just.. Threw them there. DON'T tell me if I'm right or wrong, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW. I'll find out later.
Also
OH LUNAAAAAAAA!!!! That ending was... It was beautiful :'''(
Also, I'm pretty sure I'm starting to piece this story together now. I don't have the time to write any of my theories, except that I'm pretty sure
Ten is Zero. Possibly Santa from 999. Old woman is Akane 999 - doubtful, but I believe it wasn't said when 999 took place, so it could be possible. K is a prototype GAULEM, created by Tenmyoji, grandma is the mother figure from his story.
And bunch more. Maybe I'll post them here later. Those are hunches, theories I came up in a hurry, and the fastest to write so I just.. Threw them there. DON'T tell me if I'm right or wrong, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW. I'll find out later.
PurpleMaster
Member
dem theories!
Neoriceisgood
Member
My prediction:
Everyone is Zero in their heart.
grim-tales
Member
I predict that:
Muntu's theory:
BTW, I can't find The Walking Dead on PC over here (not on Amazon) was it only released in the US?
Ten is Junpei from 999 (but now you mention it Santa seems likely as well), I'm thinking K might be Zero?
Yeah, Ten is Junpei IMO, if it was Santa, why would he still have a picture of her as a young girl? Thats creepy.
Also I'm thinking there was no Radical 6.. I mean, why infect people with Radical-6, to make them travel through time to, um.. stop Radical-6?
Yeah, Ten is Junpei IMO, if it was Santa, why would he still have a picture of her as a young girl? Thats creepy.
Also I'm thinking there was no Radical 6.. I mean, why infect people with Radical-6, to make them travel through time to, um.. stop Radical-6?
Muntu's theory:
K, OMG.. K! You could be onto something there - that might be how his face looks like Sigma's, maybe it was modelled on Sigma's?
I also think Akane could be the mother figure from his story, and Luna is the first attempt at a mother that was made but K didnt like it?
I also think Akane could be the mother figure from his story, and Luna is the first attempt at a mother that was made but K didnt like it?
BTW, I can't find The Walking Dead on PC over here (not on Amazon) was it only released in the US?
I'm sorry, but
I have no idea how idea how you can be so thick about some plot points when you're so close to the end, it's killing me. D:
grim-tales
Member
HOLY FUCKING SHIT
K is Akane?!?!!!!
YOU are Zero?!? What... that's just nuts. Tenmyouji sprayed me with luminol and said I wasnt Zero.
YOU are Zero?!? What... that's just nuts. Tenmyouji sprayed me with luminol and said I wasnt Zero.
*needs lie down, must piece this together*
Sorry for posting so much then with my reactions as I go D:
grim-tales
Member
Sorry if I post too much on here but I was having fun posting my theories too
R_thanatos
Member
That is Always the same freaking amazing reaction ..
Reading those impressions get me smiling EVERY TIME.
Reading those impressions get me smiling EVERY TIME.
ScraftyDevil
Banned
I've said it before and I'll say it again.
Electrical engineering: pretty smart.
General relativity: pretty friggin' smart.
The ending of VLR:
Electrical engineering: pretty smart.
General relativity: pretty friggin' smart.
The ending of VLR:
grim-tales
Member
That was absolutely stunning.
I lost it when Akane started talking about Point A, B etc... so Sigma's old self (67) had jumped back in time and was in the body of 22 year old Sigma? But if you're Zero I guess someone dressed up as him. So I guess Sigma must have swapped places with Kyle at some point?
Long explanation time!
Let's have two Sigma's here, young and old. Young Sigma gets kidnapped by Akane (shes in the costume) on Dec 22, 2028. He is sent into the future in January, 2074. He experiences the AB game and jumps back to several months after he was kidnapped right at the moment when the bombs go off that nearly decimate humanity. He spends the next 40 years developing technology to create the AB game.This is where Young Sigma changes into the character Old Sigma. At the point right when the AB game starts, he jumps once more back to Dec 22, 2028. Now this is OS in YS's body. OS will go and participate at the Nevada Mars Test Site, where he will ultimately fail his goal (in the VLR timeline that the game takes place in) and then jump back to right after the AB game in 2074.
I say he ultimately fails his goal, because that is what happens within the timeline where the AB game is created. Without him failing, there would be a paradox. Instead, it's sort of like a second go around for the prevention where the Sigma you play as will create a branch in the timeline, E, where Radical-6 isn't spread.
Kyle will go into the past on Dec 22, 2028 as well to aid OS. By the point of the epilogue he already has left and is off somewhere in the past in some person's body (we don't know yet). The person in Kyle's body, or should I say, Blink Winkel (it's a concept, not an actual character) is also going to go to the past to help out with the events at the test site in some way. He could do so directly, or indirectly, we don't know. Phi is yet another character that goes back to change the past and has already returned to the future in the epilogue. After she was struck with the knife, she essentially spent several months in the past and then returned before the Radical 6 outbreak. Phi can't tell him what she saw at the test site, as it would confirm the past. As of the time of the conversation, its more of a Schrodinger Cat for Blink.
I say he ultimately fails his goal, because that is what happens within the timeline where the AB game is created. Without him failing, there would be a paradox. Instead, it's sort of like a second go around for the prevention where the Sigma you play as will create a branch in the timeline, E, where Radical-6 isn't spread.
Kyle will go into the past on Dec 22, 2028 as well to aid OS. By the point of the epilogue he already has left and is off somewhere in the past in some person's body (we don't know yet). The person in Kyle's body, or should I say, Blink Winkel (it's a concept, not an actual character) is also going to go to the past to help out with the events at the test site in some way. He could do so directly, or indirectly, we don't know. Phi is yet another character that goes back to change the past and has already returned to the future in the epilogue. After she was struck with the knife, she essentially spent several months in the past and then returned before the Radical 6 outbreak. Phi can't tell him what she saw at the test site, as it would confirm the past. As of the time of the conversation, its more of a Schrodinger Cat for Blink.
grim-tales
Member
I think I get it....
There was another coda with YS and Young Akane - I guess its a bit like the 999 ending where Akane (21) saw L'il Akane burning in the incinerator so HAD to create the Nonary Game to save herself and ask Junpei to help her. Its pretty confusing
Oh, so that is why Phi wouldn't tell us what happened.
grim-tales
Member
I can't believe that
some of my thoughts were correct - K is Sigma's clone (Kyle), Tenmyouji = Junpei, the old lady was Akane and even more bonkers - the person who you've been playing the game as, seeing through his eyes, is in fact Zero Sr, that was amazing. I just said that earlier as a silly guess The extra true ending is a bit confusing though - I thought Akane said Sigma didnt manage to stop Radical-6 but now theres another way?
The extra true ending is a bit confusing though - I thought Akane said Sigma didnt manage to stop Radical-6 but now theres another way?Since the spoiler thread is dead and a couple of people just finished up here, I thought I'd give my post-game impressions another go.
I realize I'm late to the party, but I finished VLR (true ending) a couple weeks ago and came away disappointed. It falls short of 999 across the board (except for being able to jump to points in the flowchart and "skip" some text).
Beyond all that, though, I didn't like the atmosphere of VLR nearly as much as I did that of 999. There's an immediate threat in 999 with the 9th man and the sinking ship. My first ending was Axe. In VLR, there's the threat of the watches but it is distant and it quickly becomes clear that you're supposed to explore all the branches, in a very gamey way, which greatly detracts from the tension.
Other stuff: I suppose the puzzles were better in VLR, but they were all still easy and boring -- the series would be better off without any gameplay outside of story choices, but I guess it wouldn't be Zero Escape then. I've already mentioned the terrible, clunky U/UXI in the OT. For the love of Jupiter, Aksys/Chunsoft, just dump the text on the screen instead of s....l.....o.....w....l....y placing it letter by letter. It is infuriating. The rest of the UI/UX problems are annoying, but bearable (and more involving to mitigate).
I realize I'm late to the party, but I finished VLR (true ending) a couple weeks ago and came away disappointed. It falls short of 999 across the board (except for being able to jump to points in the flowchart and "skip" some text).
I think what bugs me most is how arbitrary everything is. Apparently Akane can send Clover and Alice, bodies and consciousness both, back through time. So why have this whole AB project BS anyway? Just send back some Axelaiver (sp?) and be done with it. Or just let 999-era Akane know about it -- she's supposed to be exceedingly rich and powerful, so why does she need Sigma to infiltrate the testing site? Akane's explanation for why characters like Alice were selected is also extremely weak (because that's what Akane foresaw; oh, and also because she can prime factorize well).
As for the characters, I can almost accept Dio being as incompetent and stupid as he is, but it turns out that he's supposed to be the leader of the Myrmidons? Really? Has the organization been reduced to just him and one even dumber clone? Alice isn't All-Ice after all, but just a massive coincidence. Okay. Junpei and Akane were obvious as such by the time the time lapse became clear (finding the newspaper clipping). I'm glad future Junpei finally saw Akane for what she is, though. Clover was boring and not at all likable. K was suitably mysterious. Luna had a great ending, but it is unclear why she didn't die in the others (or did she just die offscreen?). Was the whole artificial conciousness plot just to make the player more sympathetic to her? How does she have red blood when Sigma's is white? Zero Jr. was annoying as a character and as a plot device (How did so and so go through a locked door? Because Zero Jr.). Quark was a plot device for Junpei. Sigma didn't touch his face for the entire game? Apparently he can also ignore the effects of anesthesia, but not muscle relaxants? Whatever.
The Radical 6 being used to counteract the moon's gravity was also a weak explanation. Besides Quark's brain slowing down even more than everyone else's, there's the issue of heart rate and breathing. And Dio. And Dio's bomb timers. And K's armor. And Junpei and Quark. But I suppose it's okay that every character apart from the protagonist (and Alice and Clover) is a liar, trickster or a dunce, as long as the Radical 6 explanation works for Sigma's experience (mostly).
999 was centered on the premise that Akane looked at a number of possible futures and guided Junpei to the correct, best one. In VLR we learn that we're dealing with a multiverse of all possible choices, all of which are ongoing and valid and meaningless. That kind of spoils 999 in retrospect.
As for the characters, I can almost accept Dio being as incompetent and stupid as he is, but it turns out that he's supposed to be the leader of the Myrmidons? Really? Has the organization been reduced to just him and one even dumber clone? Alice isn't All-Ice after all, but just a massive coincidence. Okay. Junpei and Akane were obvious as such by the time the time lapse became clear (finding the newspaper clipping). I'm glad future Junpei finally saw Akane for what she is, though. Clover was boring and not at all likable. K was suitably mysterious. Luna had a great ending, but it is unclear why she didn't die in the others (or did she just die offscreen?). Was the whole artificial conciousness plot just to make the player more sympathetic to her? How does she have red blood when Sigma's is white? Zero Jr. was annoying as a character and as a plot device (How did so and so go through a locked door? Because Zero Jr.). Quark was a plot device for Junpei. Sigma didn't touch his face for the entire game? Apparently he can also ignore the effects of anesthesia, but not muscle relaxants? Whatever.
The Radical 6 being used to counteract the moon's gravity was also a weak explanation. Besides Quark's brain slowing down even more than everyone else's, there's the issue of heart rate and breathing. And Dio. And Dio's bomb timers. And K's armor. And Junpei and Quark. But I suppose it's okay that every character apart from the protagonist (and Alice and Clover) is a liar, trickster or a dunce, as long as the Radical 6 explanation works for Sigma's experience (mostly).
999 was centered on the premise that Akane looked at a number of possible futures and guided Junpei to the correct, best one. In VLR we learn that we're dealing with a multiverse of all possible choices, all of which are ongoing and valid and meaningless. That kind of spoils 999 in retrospect.
Beyond all that, though, I didn't like the atmosphere of VLR nearly as much as I did that of 999. There's an immediate threat in 999 with the 9th man and the sinking ship. My first ending was Axe. In VLR, there's the threat of the watches but it is distant and it quickly becomes clear that you're supposed to explore all the branches, in a very gamey way, which greatly detracts from the tension.
Other stuff: I suppose the puzzles were better in VLR, but they were all still easy and boring -- the series would be better off without any gameplay outside of story choices, but I guess it wouldn't be Zero Escape then. I've already mentioned the terrible, clunky U/UXI in the OT. For the love of Jupiter, Aksys/Chunsoft, just dump the text on the screen instead of s....l.....o.....w....l....y placing it letter by letter. It is infuriating. The rest of the UI/UX problems are annoying, but bearable (and more involving to mitigate).
grim-tales
Member
I agree about the lack of tension in VLR compared to 999 but
However, I really enjoyed the story (even though my questions may sound as if I didnt like it), I can't wait for the third game.
I thought the Ally/Betray thing really works - when someone betrays you, you do actually feel betrayed and its horrible if you have to betray THEM. The puzzles were much better in VLR than 999. Some of the mindfucks were brilliant, but sadly I still feel the ending left some unanswered questions.
I know what you mean - I think it was said they'd seen the disaster happen so had to prevent it - I didnt understand the bit where Akane said she had to infect everyone with Radical-6 to send Sigma (or was it Kyle?) back through time to stop Radical-6, as you say, couldnt they just make the andidote and send that back? What's the point?
I agree Quark was boring, I liked K, Luna had a great ending.
I think my favourite character was Luna - even though she was a GAULEM/robot, basically she had a human soul IMO - its like G-OLM said, Luna looks like a human, talks like one, and acts like one so she might as well be human. But if she's a robot, isnt it cruel to create a robot slave (to serve Akane and Old Sigma), and yet give it a human soul? I mean, its clear if Luna wanted to she could have ignored Akane's orders because of the 3 laws.
Overall there were things I enjoyed more than in 999 like the puzzles and added depth, but the lack of tension was disappointing, the setting itself wasnt as interesting, and watching a blinking map whenever you moved to another place takes you right out of the game. Some of the twists were great though.
I know what you mean - I think it was said they'd seen the disaster happen so had to prevent it - I didnt understand the bit where Akane said she had to infect everyone with Radical-6 to send Sigma (or was it Kyle?) back through time to stop Radical-6, as you say, couldnt they just make the andidote and send that back? What's the point?
I agree Quark was boring, I liked K, Luna had a great ending.
I think my favourite character was Luna - even though she was a GAULEM/robot, basically she had a human soul IMO - its like G-OLM said, Luna looks like a human, talks like one, and acts like one so she might as well be human. But if she's a robot, isnt it cruel to create a robot slave (to serve Akane and Old Sigma), and yet give it a human soul? I mean, its clear if Luna wanted to she could have ignored Akane's orders because of the 3 laws.
Overall there were things I enjoyed more than in 999 like the puzzles and added depth, but the lack of tension was disappointing, the setting itself wasnt as interesting, and watching a blinking map whenever you moved to another place takes you right out of the game. Some of the twists were great though.
In one of the endings when 'Sigma' talks to Zero (himself as an old man), how come he doesnt think "That sounds like me but older"? And Tenmyouji said he knew who Zero Sr. was but when you talk to Zero, he says you'll be penalised if you tell anyone about him. So how did Ten know that, because he didnt see Zero/Old Sigma.
However, I really enjoyed the story (even though my questions may sound as if I didnt like it), I can't wait for the third game.
The idea of his voice not sounding the same to himself when he hears it from a recorded device. Tenmyouji didn't say who Zero is though, and it is implied saw thehologram, so he does how he looks.
grim-tales
Member
I'm wondering if..
When
Also (ZE3 spoiler)
Also just thought of another explanation for
It was Kyle (a clone/GAULEM) who kind of fell in love with Luna, it wasnt Old Sigma in Young Sigma's body?
When
Sigma gets white stuff on his hand I thought, for just a brief second "Can you smell c*m? It's all over my hand" (!)
Also (ZE3 spoiler)
Junpei will be back for ZE3 apparently.. but I don't want to know who all the participants are - and is Junpei "old" (Tenmyouji) or College Junpei - in which case ZE3 must take place in 2029 or so.. in the other time highlighted at the end?
Also just thought of another explanation for
the grave message - It's talking about Zero. Akane is saying [to Old Sigma] "What you are (Zero), I was (too), and then to Young Sigma - "What I am (Zero) you will be...." Make sense?
I don't feel that's a fair assessment of that part of the story.
Firstly, recall that there's a zeroth law of robotics, which trumps the other three, concerning a robot's duty to save humanity -- according to the logic of VLR, all that happens during the nonary game, including Luna following Akane's instructions, is necessary to save humanity.
Secondly, well, the question is whether it's okay to "enslave" robots is a common one is science fiction. In short: On the one hand, sufficiently advanced robots are effectively humans according to every reasonable test (except some sort of medical one, perhaps). On the other hand, they're constructs without God-given souls, just fancy software. On the third hand, maybe humans are just bags of chemicals who also lack "souls", so what's the difference?
Secondly, well, the question is whether it's okay to "enslave" robots is a common one is science fiction. In short: On the one hand, sufficiently advanced robots are effectively humans according to every reasonable test (except some sort of medical one, perhaps). On the other hand, they're constructs without God-given souls, just fancy software. On the third hand, maybe humans are just bags of chemicals who also lack "souls", so what's the difference?
But speaking of mindfucks, the biggest one for me was when
Alice changed her AB vote across timelines, resulting in death. I don't quite see how that fits in with VLR's theme, even now. Phi's later shift was really good too, but everything was explained shortly thereafter.
War Peaceman
You're a big guy.
Right, a question for you lovely people, a memento mori related question to be precise. No spoilers in the answer, please.
Can the mystery of two headed lion be solved without having seen the necessary part of the story? Can I logically work it out? I don't want the answer I just want to know if I am wasting my time even considering it.
Sort out the massive spoiler in the text you quoted man. You are bad at this!
SolarKnight
Member
Yes, it can be solved without actually seeing that part of the story, but that's cheating since the only way you could do it is by reading a walkthrough.
War Peaceman
You're a big guy.
Oh I was not planning on using a guide - that would be silly - I just was wondering if it was something that can be figured out independently.
SolarKnight
Member
Well, not saying you were planning to, just saying that that's the only way to do so without actually playing through the necessary parts.