The story trickles onto the screen one letter at a time, then requires input to advance to the next line. Unfortunately, there is no real way to adjust the text speed. This pop-fic quality isn't a problem except in that I received no joy from it, and wanted to get through the words as quickly as I could. Descriptions are often trite and repetitive, and in general the text is the sort of overly-melodramatic stuff one expects to see out of low-grade pop fiction. In detail, however, things aren't particularly well-written. The story turns out to be pretty clever, and its twists are generally supported by well-thought-out characters. Several characters die no matter what choice is made, and suspicions abound between the strangers whom Zero has brought together. Outside of the puzzles, danger is occasionally evident. Chekhov's Gun must be onstage, of course, but it needn't be placed in a neon-lit box with a sign saying "Somebody's gonna get shot!" Aside from the injury these do to the sense of tension, these bizarre conversations act like flashing lights pointing out future plot twists. They even indulge in these expository detours during the rare moments of actual danger, as when a discussion of ice-9 breaks out between lightly-dressed characters facing death in a freezer.
The other participants in the Nonary Game constantly break off into extended digressions about the Titanic, glycerin, the ship of Theseus, or prosopagnosia. As a result, the tension must be maintained by the characters' behavior and dialogue, in which respect the game fails. Unfortunately, that limit only matters to the story the player is under no obligation to finish the game's puzzles quickly. As a result, the tension is derived from the time limit-after the game begins, the ship will sink in nine hours. The very first puzzle in the game is repeated every time.Īlthough the Nonary Game is meant to be threatening, the challenges that lie behind the numbered doors rarely pose any serious danger on their own.
Although each individual playthrough will only go through 3-4 of the doors, getting every ending (or, if you're unlucky, just getting to the good ending) requires quite a few repeat visits. I didn't feel any of the puzzles were interesting enough to deserve a second go-round, but as mentioned this is essentially required by the game's structure. A little lateral creativity is required to, say, use a frozen chicken leg as a hammer, but in general the parameters of the puzzles are clear enough that a little logic will get you through.Īt times I found myself feeling a little disappointed by the lack of difficulty, especially in the case of the final challenge, a fairly easy sudoku. These puzzles often have several steps and can be modestly challenging, but unlike the most odious problems of the classic adventure games, all of them can be solved by thinking like a normal person.
Behind each of the numbered doors lies a series of rooms the player (as Junpei) must explore to find keys that unlock the way out. The problem for 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors is that it can't support the multiple playthroughs that are required in order to "win."ĩ99 consists of a series of visual novel segments interspersed with puzzles. For a while, this idea sustains a decent game with a good story. Along with the nine other contestants, Junpei has nine hours to find a way through numbered doors that bar the way between him and freedom. Against his will he's been entered in something called the Nonary Game, masterminded by a psychopath named Zero. Junpei awakens in a ship's cabin that's rapidly filling with water. WTF Lady, we are about to die of hypothermia. LOW Completing the game for the third time and realizing I'd have to do the first puzzle again again. HIGH The game's climax, which does a magnificent job of tying its plot and its relationship arc together.