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So I should play 999 before VLR, right?

Z3M0G said:
And don't you also need to play 999 multiple times to get a proper ending?? So even that should be done before playing VLR? ...
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Yes. The true ending is so mindblowing precisely because you've experienced the other endings.
 
If you have to, you can watch Youtube videos of the gameplay of 999 and get all the endings and storyline that way. I did it because I didn't have my 3DS at the time and didn't want to play Zero Escape without knowing the back story. I would recommend that 100x more than just playing Zero Escape going in blind.
 
Z3M0G said:
lol... for its time, nothing even held a candle to it. Not even close. The game just didn't age well in some respects.
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I played FF7 when it launched and beat it like 5 times and got everything. But it's truly overrated.
 
ezekielpacman said:
Pretty unfortunate that they never released 999 on Vita. Or at least added something like in the ps3 version of Mass Effect 2 to inform newcomers.
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A pretty big part of 999 would be diminished significantly by not being on the DS hardware. It isn't something that can be simply ported over to something like the Vita.
 
timetokill said:
A pretty big part of 999 would be diminished significantly by not being on the DS hardware. It isn't something that can be simply ported over to something like the Vita.
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Another hyperbolic falseness spread among Zero Escape topics :/ (Which just lead to slight disappointment when I've played it)
The ,,prominent'' use of the DS hardware is nothing but an okay gag, the story is gonna work exactly the same without it on phones and will have the same effects.

shit, the iOS version getting a flowchart is a much more significant element compared to what is lost (excluding the scratched puzzle rooms, which is the true bummer)
 
Play 999 first, and do so with the DS version.
Spieler Eins said:
I don't see how. The biggest mystery is ,,Who is Zero/Why are they trapped'' and the revelations barely have any connection to 999 and are completely standing on their own. You could change a couple of names that relate to 999 and the story would still work exactly the same. The build up for each climax happens solely in the realm of this game, if anything the only returning character that's part of the whole game is also the only one that feels completely out of place.
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Since when is there only one returning character in VLR?
Another hyperbolic falseness spread among Zero Escape topics :/ (Which just lead to slight disappointment when I've played it)
The ,,prominent'' use of the DS hardware is nothing but an okay gag, the story is gonna work exactly the same without it on phones and will have the same effects.
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If you ignore the why behind it, what it represents. One screen that's not even divided as a concession =/= the same. It's more than a disservice to say adding a flowchart makes up for losing it.

Either way, I believe people have responded to you enough times for every single thread you see to complaining anytime someone even thinks of recommending people start with the first game in the series, let alone if they ever say they like it better within earshot of you (I know I have at this point).
 
Either way, I believe people have responded to you enough times for every single thread you see to complaining anytime someone even thinks of recommending people start with the first game in the series, let alone if they ever say they like it better within earshot of you (I know I have at this point).
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Like somone said above, 999 is a good game you should play, however I think it's unnecessary to force people into buying it because of a false premise.

What the ,,importance'' of the connections boil down to is this: (end spoiler)
The two old people are actually characters from the past game
. A neat surprise for anyone that has played 999 for sure. Ultimately though, it's nothing but a small detail in the overall context of the story in VLR. All the ,,mechanics'' both games' stories feature are heavily detailed and explained in VLR too. Saying that you must play 999 first to even understand VLR is hence simply a lie.
It's perfectly fine if you have VLR and don't want to get 999. Especially if you're in EU and would have to get an imported copy. People should only be aware that the ending of 999 will be spoiled and then decide if they want to risk that, but the experience of VLR itself is barely lessened and it remains an amazing game on it's own.

If you ignore the why behind it, what it represents. One screen that's not even divided as a concession =/= the same. It's more than a disservice to say adding a flowchart makes up for losing it.
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End spoiler
You can still have a narrator that's separate from the main events that will eventually turn into Zero in the phone version. A flow chart like in VLR demonstrates the whole ,,traveling alternate universes'' aspect much better and improves the gameplay significantly, while splitting narrator and gameplay view (plus the ,,switching'') just makes it slightly more natural, however not nearly as much as the flowchart, nor will the story turn absurd or anything if it's missing
.
Equally, I hope no one will eventually miss out on an opportunity to get 999 when it comes to ios, because false implications make people feel they are obliged to only get the DS version...
 
Spieler Eins said:
Equally, I hope no one will eventually miss out on an opportunity to get 999 when it comes to ios, because false implications make people feel they are obliged to only get the DS version...
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Yes, missing out on the puzzles sections are totally false implications.
 
I'll put it this way: If you have no intention of ever playing 999 then sure, go ahead and play VLR. But if you want the whole Zero Escape experience, the way it was intended to be, and you have access or are able to get a copy of 999, then yes, you should play 999 first. There's literally zero reason to start with VLR if you have access to both. And hopefully play 999 on the DS. It's honestly impossible to explain it without spoilers, but the dual screens do have an impact.
 
I'm playing 999 right now in anticipation of VLR (getting a Vita after E3 and EU PS+ got VLR some time ago). I love the game, story is so good. I'm just getting a third ending, two to go.

However I'm not big on puzzles, so I definitely see the point of a puzzle-less version like the iOS one.

Anyway, I say play it for its own merits, OP.
 
If you like VLR, you'll want to play 999 after beating it anyway, so you may as well do it preemptively.

And if you don't like VLR, that's okay.
 
This has me worried too. I've been wanting to play VLR but I really don't feel like playing another game lolol. Will my experience with VLR be crappy without 999? :\
 
Schobeleth said:
This has me worried too. I've been wanting to play VLR but I really don't feel like playing another game lolol. Will my experience with VLR be crappy without 999? :\
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No, but it won't be as full either. It's optimal to play 999 first. It also helps that it's a better story than VLR.
 
Hmm I have no 3DS but the 999 wiki says its comming to US iOS appstore sometime this year.

I think I'll wait for that.
 
Paddington Bear said:
Hey so I was gonna get it on amazon but there are 2 of them... Are they the same?
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Yeah, same game. The first one is the reprint with the Zero Escape brand added on. The original cover was before there were plans on making it a series, so it lacks that. Go for the cheaper one unless you're a collector and don't mind triple the price.
 
I also got it VLR free with EU+, but I live in Japan so my only option for 999 is to pay $20 for a version that I will barely understand... If only I could get cheap DS games on the 3DS store, like how you can buy PSP games as downloads for Vita.
 
cosmicblizzard said:
Yeah, same game. The first one is the reprint with the Zero Escape brand added on. The original cover was before there were plans on making it a series, so it lacks that. Go for the cheaper one unless you're a collector and don't mind triple the price.
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Wow are they seriously selling for more with the original cover? I bought my copy like a week before they announced the cover change.
 
You should play a lot of things before playing VLR but yes it's generally advised that you play 999 prior to VLR. lol.
 
cosmicblizzard said:
Well the one selling it on Amazon is a third party and they generally jack the price up a bit, but I imagine it's somewhat rare now.
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Eh, I guess its just preference then. I don't really see why since one can just print out the cover which I believe Aksys provided at one point. I have mine still sealed right next to my Red and Blue VLR watches.
 
birthbysleep said:
How long would a play through take?
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Depends on how good you are at escape the room type puzzles.

But as there are multiple endings, and the fact that you will want to get them all, it varies.

Tool me about 5-6 hours for my first play through and maybe 4-5 for each other ending. Multiply that by 6 and that'll give you a decent ballpark.
 
Schobeleth said:
This has me worried too. I've been wanting to play VLR but I really don't feel like playing another game lolol. Will my experience with VLR be crappy without 999? :\
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No. VLR is a very good game.
It's just that it's merely "very good". 999, meanwhile, is IMO unmatched as a gaming experience. There's nothing else like it. And playing the latter has the unfortunate side-effect of somewhat ruining the former.
 
Ask yourself - Do you want to miss out on one of the best games of all time?!

If one gaming franchise deserves your full attention to the story, it’s this one!
 
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