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[timetokill]

Yea, Axe and Sub were brutal endings. My first ending was Knife and that was a real WTF ending cuz everything was going well and then bam!

Yeah, everything falls apart REALLY quickly in that one.

What I liked is that after getting some of the later endings (namely Safe), I was able to piece together who had probably done all of that (damn you Ace!)... soooo good.

 

[LiK]

Yeah, everything falls apart REALLY quickly in that one.

What I liked is that after getting some of the later endings (namely Safe), I was able to piece together who had probably done all of that (damn you Ace!)... soooo good.

Yea, I figured out Ace stabbed Lotus from going Knife to Axe endings. That really creeped me out after the Normal ending and during the True ending playthrough when he kept bugging Junpei and Clover in the Captain's room. Goddamn sneaky fella and you knew he was up to something.

Funny that Ace was the only real murderer out of everyone.

 

[timetokill]

Yea, I figured out Ace stabbed Lotus from going Knife to Axe endings. That really creeped me out after the Normal ending and during the True ending playthrough when he kept bugging Junpei and Clover in the Captain's room. Goddamn sneaky fella and you knew he was up to something.

Funny that Ace was the only real murderer out of everyone.

Yeah, since I went from Axe to Sub to Knife, I hadn't figured it was Ace (especially since he was apparently "dead" in one of the endings? If I recall anyway).

 

[LiK]

Yeah, since I went from Axe to Sub to Knife, I hadn't figured it was Ace (especially since he was apparently "dead" in one of the endings? If I recall anyway).

Yea, the Sub ending was a real red herring. Although I figured he was prolly playing dead while Junpei ran by. Doesn't make much sense but it kept us guessing if Sub was the first ending you got.

Loved how Junpei was taking his tape on and off in the jeep. It was really satisfying after all that shit, lol

 

[kaizoku]

One thing I want to add is the morphogenetic field theories which is really the key point behind the game and tbh I think that's our role. I dont think it's young akane transmitting answers or anything like that, it's us going through experiences and gaining knowledge which is then available to us on subsequent playthroughs.

Akane doesn't do any leading whatsoever and I don't think she knows the answers or see's the future or anything like that. it's all junpei somehow knowing information he shouldn't know.

 

[LiK]

One thing I want to add is the morphogenetic field theories which is really the key point behind the game and tbh I think that's our role. I dont think it's young akane transmitting answers or anything like that, it's us going through experiences and gaining knowledge which is then available to us on subsequent playthroughs.

Akane doesn't do any leading whatsoever and I don't think she knows the answers or see's the future or anything like that. it's all junpei somehow knowing information he shouldn't know.

I dunno, I think when Junpei learns about what was in the safe telepathetically in the true ending, he got the info from Akane who transmitted it to him somehow. I guess if the game had voice acting, that would clear things up. Morphogenetic Fields seems to be just one of the many theories discussed in the game but I agree that it was the main one. Whether Akane was passive or active transmiting the messages, that's one question that I'm still figuring out.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

So I'm not really understanding the ending. If Akane never died, then why does Junpei doing this matter since that would mean she solved it. If she did die then he altered the future and she didn't die? Or even though they said messages only go one way they finally found a way for them to backwards into the past?

 

[The Technomancer]

So I'm not really understanding the ending. If Akane never died, then why does Junpei doing this matter since that would mean she solved it. If she did die then he altered the future and she didn't die? Or even though they said messages only go one way they finally found a way for them to backwards into the past?

She didn't die. But her power is that rather then getting messages through space, she gets them through time.
Young Akane sees Junpei playing the game in the future, including solving the incinerator puzzle.
Young Akane survives.
Old Akane must recreate the game six years later, because if she doesn't then Junpei won't solve the puzzles and she'll die in the past.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

She didn't die. But her power is that rather then getting messages through space, she gets them through time.
Young Akane sees Junpei playing the game in the future, including solving the incinerator puzzle.
Young Akane survives.
Old Akane must recreate the game six years later, because if she doesn't then Junpei won't solve the puzzles and she'll die in the past.

But wouldn't that require to be able to pass messages backwards through time? So it would mean that they finally found a way to do that since they tell you they can only pass them fowards and not backwards so you can control the future but that's it?

 

[The Technomancer]

But wouldn't that require to be able to pass messages backwards through time? So it would mean that they finally found a way to do that since they tell you they can only pass them fowards and not backwards so you can control the future but that's it?

No, "they" didn't discover it. Akane was an anomaly, one none of the testers recognized. She can see parallel futures, see how things might play out. That's what the first four playthroughs represent, and that's why Junpei suddenly remembers the code for the bracelet in the true ending, because Akane "shorted" the two realities and planted it in his mind.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

No, "they" didn't discover it. Akane was an anomaly, one none of the testers recognized. She can see parallel futures, see how things might play out. That's what the first four playthroughs represent, and that's why Junpei suddenly remembers the code for the bracelet in the true ending, because Akane "shorted" the two realities and planted it in his mind.

So she can just see the future and it wasn't Junpei using the network to send a message to her backwards? Because they were talking so it seemed like he did what no one thought was possible which was to send messages with the network backwards through time.

 

[The Technomancer]

So she can just see the future and it wasn't Junpei using the network to send a message to her backwards? Because they were talking so it seemed like he did what no one thought was possible which was to send messages with the network backwards through time.

Hmm..yeah, I think you're right on that one. I think at the end they finally do get a two way connection, where the two of them are talking over that final puzzle.

 

[LiK]

So she can just see the future and it wasn't Junpei using the network to send a message to her backwards? Because they were talking so it seemed like he did what no one thought was possible which was to send messages with the network backwards through time.

If you're referring to the final puzzle in the True ending, young Akane managed to transmit to Junpei and he was able to return her call because she established a connection with him. Junpei was the receiver but also managed to transmit the info he got back to her. That's what I think.

So yea, Junpei broke the mold of what they thought was possible. The power of LOVE!

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Ok, that's what I figured was they were both special since Akane could see two thing and then Junpei could make the message flow backwards which wasn't supposed to happen.

 

[RocketDarkness]

Hmm..yeah, I think you're right on that one. I think at the end they finally do get a two way connection, where the two of them are talking over that final puzzle.

God damn, that avatar is fantastic, Technomancer. I like the little detail of the watch. :lol

 

[Roto13]

So I'm not really understanding the ending. If Akane never died, then why does Junpei doing this matter since that would mean she solved it. If she did die then he altered the future and she didn't die? Or even though they said messages only go one way they finally found a way for them to backwards into the past?

Well it goes both ways. Junpei and Akane were clearly having a conversation at that point. Akane and Santa had to make sure the present Nonary game went the right way so Junpei could send his thoughts back in time to solve a sudoku puzzle for Akane (... ugh) or something something paradox something.

And this has been answered for you already but I typed it up before I scrolled down so there it is.

No, "they" didn't discover it. Akane was an anomaly, one none of the testers recognized. She can see parallel futures, see how things might play out. That's what the first four playthroughs represent, and that's why Junpei suddenly remembers the code for the bracelet in the true ending, because Akane "shorted" the two realities and planted it in his mind.

By the way, this really annoyed me. It was much cooler when I thought he was accessing information he had put in the field in another ending.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

If you're referring to the final puzzle in the True ending, young Akane managed to transmit to Junpei and he was able to return her call because she established a connection with him. Junpei was the receiver but also managed to transmit the info he got back to her. That's what I think.

So yea, Junpei broke the mold of what they thought was possible. The power of LOVE!

Cue Peter Cetera.

 

[The Technomancer]

Cue Peter Cetera.

Dude...Huey Lewis

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Dude...Huey Lewis

Karate Kid soundtrack is superior for this situation. ;P

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

So are there any hints of what happend to ace to develop prosopanosia? Apparently it's only caused by brain trauma? I can't think of any hints of how he got it just that he has it. (I'm not saying there were hints, I'm just curious if anyone picked up on something I didn't?) I'm assuming it happened when he was younger since if he's telling the truth, he had it back during the first nonary game.

 

[LiK]

So are there any hints of what happend to ace to develop prosopanosia? Apparently it's only caused by brain trauma? I can't think of any hints of how he got it just that he has it. (I'm not saying there were hints, I'm just curious if anyone picked up on something I didn't?) I'm assuming it happened when he was younger since if he's telling the truth, he had it back during the first nonary game.

I don't think they explain how he got it at all.

 

[9BR]

Whee

Game is some mind blowing shit right here. There were so many moments where I was genuinely freaked out.
Take the sub ending for example.I thought everything was going great when I enter the hall and THEY'RE ALL DEAD (That little sound effect before every scary scene makes it a lot more creepier. DUNNUN)
Then all the remaining characters die one by one (well, except for the douche Ace). I couldn't help but feel that someone was just behind Junpei. I was like "oh holyshitholyshitholyshit someone's gonna appear out of nowhere holyshitholy- *STAB*" D:

I have to say that I couldn't sleep well that night. Great game though

 

[MechaX]

Hm.. I can't believe I'm still thinking about this game after I've finished it, but hey. That's the sign of a captivating story.

So I can see that the current Nonary Game has two purposes.
1. Make sure Junpei gets into the Incinerator room to save Young Akane
2. Revenge on the creators of the last Nonary game.

I'd imagine that Santa would definitely want revenge on Ace and what-not and Akane isn't really playing with a full deck to begin with, but I wonder something. Since I don't see Akane being the type to willingly go along with murder (specifically in Ace's part), it's a little bit strange to see Akane essentially okay with these murders regardless. However, I wonder if the Nonary game would have fallen apart if Ace actually did not murder any one. I mean, Akane/Santa must have taken note of this possibility when considering that they set-up the Confession Video in the Cap's quarters. Yeah, 9 times out of 10 Ace would probably end up murdering Cap with the Axe, but what if Ace and Cap actually did confess?

Hell, what if Ace didn't murder Not-Snake? Ace might not be able to recognize faces, but I'm fairly certain that everybody else would immediately be able to see that Snake was replaced with a completely different guy with a completely different hair-do, Clover especially. This is the one area where the Nonary game would have fallen apart entirely if Ace didn't act.

 

[AniHawk]

Well Akane knows Ace's actions because Junpei saw them. The events of the Nonary Game are a fulfillment of what she had seen in the Nonary Project.

Also, I don't think we can trust that Akane's personality toward Junpei (which is mostly what the player sees) is her real one.

 

[timetokill]

I think if you consider that Santa and Akane and Seven basically co-planned a bunch of this (and were in on it together) then you can figure that even if Priority 1 for Akane was to get saved, essentially, she was okay with Santa and Seven getting revenge/delivering justice.

And like AniHawk suggested, Akane is probably acting a very specific way toward Junpei. It seems clear she has feelings for him, but she is probably playing up certain things (and she is obviously keeping things from him, so she's not squeaky-clean.)

 

[LiK]

Wait a min, Seven was part of the plan? I forget.

 

[timetokill]

Wait a min, Seven was part of the plan? I forget.

He would have to have been. It's heavily implied that he was faking his amnesia at the end, and at any rate, he was there with all of them 9 years ago, so he saw everything that happened. Considering the way he acts at the end, I think it's safe to assume he was part of it.

 

[LiK]

He would have to have been. It's heavily implied that he was faking his amnesia at the end, and at any rate, he was there with all of them 9 years ago, so he saw everything that happened. Considering the way he acts at the end, I think it's safe to assume he was part of it.

Oh yea, I guess that's true. He had the connections to look for the Cradle guys too. I wish we knew his real name.

 

[AniHawk]

The whole thing about Seven's amnesia becomes clear when he says Akane died. If he really had amnesia and had just remembered the Nonary Project, he would have told the truth, especially since he wouldn't have known who Zero was.

 

[timetokill]

The whole thing about Seven's amnesia becomes clear when he says Akane died. If he really had amnesia and had just remembered the Nonary Project, he would have told the truth, especially since he wouldn't have known who Zero was.

Yep, good point.

 

[LiK]

Good points, did I say I love you guys?

 

[Sputnik Sweetheart]

If you're referring to the final puzzle in the True ending, young Akane managed to transmit to Junpei and he was able to return her call because she established a connection with him. Junpei was the receiver but also managed to transmit the info he got back to her. That's what I think.

So yea, Junpei broke the mold of what they thought was possible. The power of LOVE!

It's stated that Akane is a transmitter, but there's no reason Junpei would have had the Gantzfeld test to determine which category he fell into as he wasn't part of the first Nonary Game. The two characters don't communicate through the morphogentic field until the very end when Junpei is able to access it due to the course events. I don't suppose it particularly matters as neither character exhibited the expected use of the morphogenetic field in the way the Nonary Game was designed to prove.

They make pains to point out that Akane was a transmitter mixed in with all the receivers. I think it's to explain the premise of her controlling the bottom screen to find that answer rather than being imprinted with the solution as a receiver would have been expected to. I don't really see the point of this distinction if Junpei and Akane had achieved bidirectional communication by end anyway. Dammit, this would have made more sense if they didn't have that conversation!

I wonder if Akane's mixup means there was a receiver placed with the transmitters in building Q, or if that's even relevant.

Speaking of random thoughts taking you too far, you have to wonder why the final door actually let the children in the original game off the ship and onto a rowing boat. Surely Cradle would have wanted to examine and interview the subjects afterwards! When Akane solved the puzzle she was reunited with the others beyond the nine door leading off the ship, if not then she would have burned anyway.

I also wonder why Lotus knows about Sheldrake and Gantzfeld considering her children didn't tell her anything about the game. The children wouldn't have been privy to that information anyway. I don't think she knows about Cradle either. Maybe she just has a thing for pseudoscience...


I think I've gone around in my head with this stuff so many times now I think it's tied itself in a knot. I only had a little point to make when I clicked on the "Quote" button! Props to anyone who can make sense of my now insane ramblings.

 

[Korigama]

It's kinda funny how the very first puzzle pretty much tells you who's behind the current Nonary Game (Akane and Aoi being color-related names, red and blue respectively).

 

[Raxus]

2 big points I was confused on:
1) Was Seven's memories overwritten? He did have that huge headache toward the end.
2) Alice=June/Akane? What happened to Akane and Aoi at the end?

 

[Korigama]

2 big points I was confused on:
1) Was Seven's memories overwritten? He did have that huge headache toward the end.
2) Alice=June/Akane? What happened to Akane and Aoi at the end?

1./Seven was more or less implied to have been faking his amnesia.
2./No. Alice was the one hitchhiking on the side of the road at the very end. Junpei and crew were following the tracks left by a separate car taken by Akane and Aoi up ahead.

 

[Raxus]

Alice was the only part of the story that I couldn't fit in. Sure the coffin was empty so who found her body and melted it. Why end there? ARGHEHFGHEKAFH!

 

[timetokill]

Alice was the only part of the story that I couldn't fit in. Sure the coffin was empty so who found her body and melted it. Why end there? ARGHEHFGHEKAFH!

Don't focus on Alice. The ending bit was kind of a joke to end the game. Think of it as a mirage if you have to

 

[LiK]

Don't focus on Alice. The ending bit was kind of a joke to end the game. Think of it as a mirage if you have to

A sexy mirage...

 

[Roto13]

It's kinda funny how the very first puzzle pretty much tells you who's behind the current Nonary Game (Akane and Aoi being color-related names, red and blue respectively).

That really sounds more like a coincidence to me.

 

[Akselziys]

That really sounds more like a coincidence to me.

Actually, the funny thing about that is the original Japanese puzzle had the katakana for "Aka" and "Aoi" (instead of the colored shapes), but the text color for each was the opposite color (i.e. Aoi was written in red and Aka in blue)

 

[Hours Left]

My favorite(?) hint is Cap's bracelet.

"0"=6
Zero=Akane

I know it's supposed to be an O, but I think it works nonetheless.

 

[Korigama]

Actually, the funny thing about that is the original Japanese puzzle had the katakana for "Aka" and "Aoi" (instead of the colored shapes), but the text color for each was the opposite color (i.e. Aoi was written in red and Aka in blue)

The codename for Akane in the original Japanese version was also Murasaki (purple) rather than June, right? It would be amusing if there was a hint even there (red+blue) as well.

My favorite(?) hint is Cap's bracelet.

"0"=6
Zero=Akane

I know it's supposed to be an O, but I think it works nonetheless.

To be honest, I was more surprised that this wound up being the case (personally, I thought it was a bit too obvious, especially when there was still nothing to steer toward her rather than Santa until the very end). It was the numbering of the bracelets worn by the other three Cradle representatives that allowed me to determine who was whom before the game confirmed it, though.

2 = Nijisaki
6 = Musashidou
9 = Kubota

Still, there are a few other things I've been thinking about...

1./The easiest explanation for what happened to Akane nine years ago seems that she was essentially living on borrowed time. She may have been able to successfully make contact with Junpei nine years into the future, but there was no guarantee that that future would be the one to happen (just another possibility viewed through the morphogenetic field, much like all of the endings we viewed were alternate possibilities). Therefore, she had to see to it that the future she connected with was the one that actually happened in order to stabilize her continued existence, with her fevers representing the consequence of any event potentially compromising her achievement of that objective.

2./To be honest, I do wonder to what degree Akane's reactions were genuine. Considering the fact that the purpose of the Nonary Game was to allow for all participants to potentially survive, it doesn't seem like manipulating Ace to cause the deaths of the 9th Man, Nijisaki, or Musashidou was necessarily what she wanted so much as alterations to the plan by Aoi to insure that the game would conclude and she would be saved. I suppose the idea of her faking horror at the gruesome sights of what happened to the 9th Man and Nijisaki just bothers me (true identity as Zero or not, it just doesn't seem like her).

3./I'm still not sure as to why Snake would say that Akane died nine years ago when he already revealed to Junpei that the only reason he refused to discuss the events of the past was Zero's (ultimately idle) threat that Clover would die if he did. It's not like anyone other than Seven was in on Aoi and Akane's plans, hence why Snake was mistaken in believing that Santa specifically was Zero.

I'm not sure how much sense any of this makes (I've been considering playing through the true and safe endings again for the sake of clarification), but it's been on my mind for some time now, and makes me regret having missed the window for the developer Q&A.

 

[Akselziys]

The codename for Akane in the original Japanese version was also Murasaki (purple) rather than June, right? It would be amusing if there was a hint even there (red+blue) as well.



To be honest, I was more surprised that this wound up being the case (personally, I thought it was a bit too obvious, especially when there was still nothing to steer toward her rather than Santa until the very end). It was the numbering of the bracelets worn by the other three Cradle representatives that allowed me to determine who was whom before the game confirmed it, though.

2 = Nijisaki
6 = Musashidou
9 = Kubota

Still, there are a few other things I've been thinking about...

1./The easiest explanation for what happened to Akane nine years ago seems that she was essentially living on borrowed time. She may have been able to successfully make contact with Junpei nine years into the future, but there was no guarantee that that future would be the one to happen (just another possibility viewed through the morphogenetic field, much like all of the endings we viewed were alternate possibilities). Therefore, she had to see to it that the future she connected with was the one that actually happened in order to stabilize her continued existence, with her fevers representing the consequence of any event potentially compromising her achievement of that objective.

2./To be honest, I do wonder to what degree Akane's reactions were genuine. Considering the fact that the purpose of the Nonary Game was to allow for all participants to potentially survive, it doesn't seem like manipulating Ace to cause the deaths of the 9th Man, Nijisaki, or Musashidou was necessarily what she wanted so much as alterations to the plan by Aoi to insure that the game would conclude and she would be saved. I suppose the idea of her faking horror at the gruesome sights of what happened to the 9th Man and Nijisaki just bothers me (true identity as Zero or not, it just doesn't seem like her).

3./I'm still not sure as to why Snake would say that Akane died nine years ago when he already revealed to Junpei that the only reason he refused to discuss the events of the past was Zero's (ultimately idle) threat that Clover would die if he did. It's not like anyone other than Seven was in on Aoi and Akane's plans, hence why Snake was mistaken in believing that Santa specifically was Zero.

I'm not sure how much sense any of this makes (I've been considering playing through the true and safe endings again for the sake of clarification), but it's been on my mind for some time now, and makes me regret having missed the window for the developer Q&A.

Yup, June was Murasaki in the J version aka "purple" There were some puns regarding that in the game that obviously had to be changed for the localized version

Snake/Light had to have known that Akane survived, since he was there when she completed the puzzle and reunited with Aoi, not to mention escaping the ship. If he had told Junpei that she survived, it probably would have thrown a wrench into Akane/Aoi's plans to save past Akane, since the heightened sense of Danger would have been lowered, thus lowering the chances for an epiphany and/or weaking the connection between Junpei and past Akane.

 

[LiK]

My favorite(?) hint is Cap's bracelet.

"0"=6
Zero=Akane

I know it's supposed to be an O, but I think it works nonetheless.

Altho it turned out Akane was actually wearing 9 not 6. But I get what you're saying.

 

[AniHawk]

3./I'm still not sure as to why Snake would say that Akane died nine years ago when he already revealed to Junpei that the only reason he refused to discuss the events of the past was Zero's (ultimately idle) threat that Clover would die if he did. It's not like anyone other than Seven was in on Aoi and Akane's plans, hence why Snake was mistaken in believing that Santa specifically was Zero.

Snake knew she had survived, but he didn't know the identity of Zero. That's why Akane threatened to blow up Clover, and presumably also one of the reasons he was removed from the game for a while.

I didn't quite understand why he was chosen, but I guess it was because of his physical resemblance to what's-his-face. And then Clover would have been there to ensure his silence.

Lotus is the only mystery.

 

[LiK]

Lotus is the only mystery.

I guess her hacking skills and being a mother to the girls who went through the test had something to do with it. Maybe Zero thought Lotus' daughters' Nonary game experiences transmitted to their mother? Just guessing.

 

[Ferrio]

I guess her hacking skills and being a mother to the girls who went through the test had something to do with it. Maybe Zero thought Lotus' daughters' Nonary game experiences transmitted to their mother? Just guessing.

I'm still saying Lotus was originally suppose to be Al-ice, until proven otherwise!

 

[AniHawk]

I guess her hacking skills and being a mother to the girls who went through the test had something to do with it. Maybe Zero thought Lotus' daughters' Nonary game experiences transmitted to their mother? Just guessing.

I guess there's a total cop-out in the answer being "well, Akane saw her there in the future, so that's why."

 

[LiK]

^ my quote?

 

[Hours Left]

Altho it turned out Akane was actually wearing 9 not 6. But I get what you're saying.

I wish Snake never brought up that theory. There's no way of proving it or disproving it since it would always have the same effect.

Personally, I think everyone's bracelet was displaying the correct number (or letter), I don't see Akane as a cheater.