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Zero Time Dilemma (Zero Escape 3) review thread

H

Hibiki Kurosawa

Member
T

takoyaki

Member
operationrainfall 4/5
Ladies and gentlemen…here we are! We are finally at the point where we can play the third chapter in the Zero Escape series, Zero Time Dilemma. This long awaited installment nearly did not happen. Unfortunately in Japan, this series is not nearly as popular as it is in the West and as a result some of the people at Spike Chunsoft were a bit reluctant to green-light and work on this project. Thankfully, it is now upon us and can spread like Radical-6. I’m sure some will say you don’t need to play the previous two entries to get into this one, but I am saying otherwise. Playing the previous two is ESSENTIAL in order to properly understand what is going on in this game or even the game’s mechanics. It also does not help that many characters from previous games are returning in this one. Heck, even if you have played the previous two, it is wise to re-familiarize yourself with some of the story before tackling this entry. With that out the way, let’s get into what our main characters are up against.

[...]Despite some of its flaws, for $40 Zero Time Dilemma is a hell of a ride. The game is rated M for a reason. Its gory, messed up, unsettling and disturbing, but I like it! I think fans of the series will enjoy how it ties together some of the plot points from before.
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PurpleMaster said:
Ok, summary. The game will be released on the EU Eshop tomorrow Tuesday 28th June at 3pm CEST.
The game will cost 39.99€/32.00£

I'm going with Vita and I'll be home tomorrow around 7pm, so I seriously hope it will be ready to download!
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awesome, and the EU store really is pretty good with releasing on time as well.


Yasumi said:
Spoiler thread up. No more black bars in this thread please.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1239603
Click to expand...

thanks! Back to reviews and the age old discussion if a 6 is still good or bad and if that should or shouldn't be the case :p


PranooY said:
Zero Time Dilemma Review by Twinfinite
Add this to the OP, OP.
Click to expand...

added to the OP, thanks for the link
 
G

GaimeGuy

Volunteer Deputy Campaign Director, Obama for America '16
Its gory, messed up, unsettling and disturbing, but I like it!
Click to expand...
Its gory, messed up, unsettling and disturbing, but I like it!
Click to expand...
Its gory, messed up, unsettling and disturbing, but I like it!
Click to expand...
Its gory, messed up, unsettling and disturbing, but I like it!
Click to expand...
Its gory, messed up, unsettling and disturbing, but I like it!
Click to expand...
Its gory, messed up, unsettling and disturbing, but I like it!
Click to expand...
Its gory, messed up, unsettling and disturbing, but I like it!
Click to expand...
Its gory, messed up, unsettling and disturbing, but I like it!
Click to expand...


Yesssss
 
P

pariah164

Member
Just called my GameStop. Game is in and ready to be picked up tomorrow at 10 AM.

mbwUERm.gif
 
L

Lexad

Member
YEEESSS

Call your gamestops, they are releasing the 3DS version at least tonight alongside Lego Star Wars at 9pm at my store!!!!

tumblr_inline_o844ygNtfK1rf2cxb_500.gif
 
A

AllEchse

Member
I was scared I would get my game late, but Play-Asia shipped my game and I'll get it soon, most likely on time, so yay!

So for people from europe that want the vita physical version, both VideoGamesPlus.ca and Play-Asia are good.
 
K

KingDirk

Member
Jumpslash said:
It's frustrating when getting the same "we have no delivery date, check our site for when it becomes available" response every time contacting Amazon even though they apparently have the games at their warehouse. I'm tempted to buy the Steam version or Vita digital tomorrow.
Click to expand...

I complained to customer service and they upgraded to 1-day shipping for free. Still am checking my orders tab religiously though
 
T

takoyaki

Member
kotaku review
“No other game can fuck with your head quite this much”

Pros: A gripping story that could only really be told in a video game. Unsettling, gruesome… will keep you up all night.

Cons: The animations are janky; the dubbing isn’t great.
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T

takoyaki

Member
operation bluebird review [on Facebook]
All in all though, ZTD continues to excel and advance the Zero Escape series. and it delivers on a lot of the hype and anticipation that the fans have been building for years. This game is a great sendoff to the series, and the fact that it's coming out is a triumph in itself! Thank you, Uchikoshi! Thank you Spike Chunsoft and Aksys! Most of all though, thank you, fellow fans, as you've made this moment a reality!
Click to expand...
 
T

Tricky I Shadow

Banned
Acquiescence said:
Thank goodness for dual audio then.
Click to expand...

A post I made earlier in this thread:

Tricky I Shadow said:
That's not the only review that has praised the English voice acting. Literally everyone who brings up the voice acting has said it's fantastic:

nintendoworldreport
"Fully voiced with excellent VA"


gamespew
"Both the Japanese and English voice casts also deserve proper recognition. Each actor brings their character to life. The emotions they convey are complex and multi-faceted, so their success cannot be understated. Personally, I left the English cast on for the majority of my playthrough. Their voices seemed to match the bodies just a little bit better. However, you have the option to change them on the fly, so if you like one team’s Japanese VAs more than their English VAs (or vice versa) it’s just a button press away."


ztgd
"Both the English and Japanese voice acting deserves special mention as the performances are all around quite stellar. It always puts a smile on my face to hear D.C. Douglas doing his Albert Wesker like voice in another game!"


iplaypsvita
"+ Voice acting is done well"


Honestly? I think it's safe to just ignore Gaming Bolt's comment regarding the voice acting.
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T

takoyaki

Member
gamingunion 9/10
+The story will keep you guessing until the very end.
+Those who disliked the lack of 999-style deaths will be happy with this game.
+The new fragments mechanic expands on VLR's timeline mechanic nicely.

-Some of the puzzles are too obtuse for their own good.
-While full-motion in cutscenes is a nice touch, there's occasional issues with the new graphical style.
-The 3DS version has frame rate drop issues in specific key instances.
Click to expand...


technobuffalo Buy/Wait
The rest of the story carries the 15-20 hour experience thanks to solid writing, good characters, excellent music and use of “cinema,” and it even inspired me to finally go back and check out the older ones.

However, I don’t recommend you play this first. It’s a complicated system, and from what it sounds like, the previous games are much more simple. Play them in order! Each builds upon the previous one, both in progression and the actual story itself. You’ll get a lot more of the eye-winking moments with Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward under your belt.
Click to expand...



My own impressions so far a very positive. ZTD has a strong opening. The art-style looks great on Vita, but the framerate definitely isn't stable. I was planning on playing it in Japanese, but I'm surprised by the quality of the English VA so far and think I'll stick with it (you can switch between JP/US voices at any time during the game). The control interface is clean and more refined than in previous games. Oh, and Zero's voice sounds too muffled on Vita as well (reminds me of Bane's voice in early TDKR trailers), turning up the voices/turning down SFX&music like people suggested for the 3DS version helps.
 
V

Valkyri von Thanatos

Member
Can someone please point me to the thread where the ZTD avatar addons were being made and distributed? I was thinking of maybe donning the zero mask on my avatar to celebrate ZTD, but I can't find the thread where the transparent mask assets are.
 
T

takoyaki

Member
Valkyri von Thanatos said:
Can someone please point me to the thread where the ZTD avatar addons were being made and distributed? I was thinking of maybe donning the zero mask on my avatar to celebrate ZTD, but I can't find the thread where the transparent mask assets are.
Click to expand...

you’ve come to the right place :)

We made them in anticipation of the first trailer in March, here’s the assets as png files:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=198306022&postcount=1066


edit:

relyonhorror 9.0 / 10
For those afraid to face the end of Zero Escape, don’t worry, as this series couldn’t have asked for a more fitting end. Zero Time Dilemma continues to be a pinnacle in games storytelling that I cite when talking about why this medium is so extraordinary.
Click to expand...
 
B

blacksark

Member
I want to know something, does someone have the standard edition in amazon(without watch)? Have amazon charged and sent it already?
It's for knowing if they have the game or not.
 
T

Tricky I Shadow

Banned
takoyaki said:
My own impressions so far a very positive. ZTD has a strong opening. The art-style looks great on Vita, but the framerate definitely isn't stable. I was planning on playing it in Japanese, but I'm surprised by the quality of the English VA so far and think I'll stick with it (you can switch between JP/US voices at any time during the game). The control interface is clean and more refined than in previous games. Oh, and Zero's voice sounds too muffled on Vita as well (reminds me of Bane's voice in early TDKR trailers), turning up the voices/turning down SFX&music like people suggested for the 3DS version helps.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the impressions. I'm glad you're liking it. : )
 
T

takoyaki

Member
koi-nya.net 88/100 [Spanish review]

edit:

gamesradar 4/5
Professor Layton for people who watch Hannibal
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CGR 9.25 / 10
Sometimes a game is so good, so gripping, that you simply do not want to put it down. Zero Time Dilemma is a fantastic conclusion to a series of great games that works perfectly on a handheld system. Why? Because I was holding it in my hands, nose close to the screen almost like I was carefully cradling a good book while I anxiously waited for the next scene to unfold much as I would turn a page in anticipation.
Click to expand...
 
S

SilentRob

Member
Tricky I Shadow said:
A post I made earlier in this thread:
Click to expand...

I, too, would argue that the english VA is pretty bad. Not terrible, but I was very happy about the option to use the original VA. Kotaku review also said the same.

There just isn't a definitive answer to this. Some people seemingly like it, some don't. Everyone should just give both versions a listen and then decide what version they like more. It's certainly silly to just "ignore" people who dislike the english VA.
 
T

Tricky I Shadow

Banned
SilentRob said:
I, too, would argue that the english VA is pretty bad. Not terrible, but I was very happy about the option to use the original VA. Kotaku review also said the same.

There just isn't a definitive answer to this. Some people seemingly like it, some don't. Everyone should just give both versions a listen and then decide what version they like more. It's certainly silly to just "ignore" people who dislike the english VA.
Click to expand...

Fair enough.

It's just that when I posted that post I'm pretty sure that review was the only one that criticised the English voice acting so harshly, so it seemed a bit odd and out of place.

I don't have the game yet, so I can't really give my option yet. I guess time will tell if I like the English voice acting or not.
 
L

Leezard

Member
Have we gotten any PC version reviews/impressions yet? Any apparent issues that aren't in the other versions?

I checked metacritic but it appeared to have no PC reviews.
 
A

Adam Prime

hates soccer, is Mexican
I've played an hour into the 3DS version and I think it looks, plays, sounds fantastic. Maybe I'm just not running into issues yet, because its still early on, but the game runs great.

Granted I can't compare it to the Vita or PC version, I'm more than happy with it. Not really a game where graphical issues are going to matter.
 
T

takoyaki

Member
arstechnica
The good

A gripping thriller with plenty of twists and turns left in the tank
Plenty of interesting characters you'll want to see succeed—and fail—in the game's twisting plot
Puzzles are well-designed and satisfying when they don't rely on chance

The bad

Compared to the last two games, Zero Time Dilemma is downright ugly at times
Our latest Zero isn't quite the villain his predecessor was—not even close, in fact
Randomized puzzles mean replaying certain sections more than you already have to

The ugly

Staying up till 5am, trying to unlock the next sequence, only to realize random chance was holding you back
Click to expand...


gaminggamma 9/10
+Uchikoshi proves yet again what the medium is capable of in writing

+Great directing in the cutscenes
+Fun puzzles to solve
+True fanservice for long time fans

– Animation quality is deplorable
Click to expand...
 
T

takoyaki

Member
Polygon 8/10
[...]But I've loved following these characters the most over the past six years, and this concluding chapter serves them well. Zero Time Dilemma, above all else, is a finale that should please anyone looking for a great story — even if the gameplay gets lost in the background as a result.
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IGN 9.2/10
Despite minor technical issues, Zero Time Dilemma is the dark, enthralling conclusion the Zero Escape trilogy deserves.

+Stellar story
+Darker tone
+Engaging puzzles
+Decisions have consequences
Click to expand...
 
T

Tricky I Shadow

Banned
FINALLY! The IGN review! I've been waiting for that one. I'm glad they liked it! This is how they reviewed the whole trilogy:

IGN 999 - 9.0
IGN VLR - 9.5
IGN ZTD - 9.2

Now I'm just waiting for the Gamespot review.
 
T

takoyaki

Member
Tricky I Shadow said:
FINALLY! The IGN review! I've been waiting for that one.
Click to expand...

Yeah, same here. Now we're just missing Gamespot, Eurogamer and the full USgamer review and then we can wrap this thread up.

Vita average in the high 80s, 3DS average in the mid 80s. That's pretty good imo.

Oh, and say what you will about Famitsu and Dengeki, but I still think they often serve a purpose as an int'l review indicator (their 8 and 8.4 were pretty accurate).


edit:

metro.co.uk 8/10
In Short: A successful conclusion to one of the most underrated storytelling franchises in gaming, even if some of the presentational changes are too ambitious for their own good.

Pros: An excellent script that marries bizarre but interesting characters with a plot that tackles serious issues in unusual ways. The timeline structure and decision games work great.

Cons: The voice-acting can be of variable quality and the animation is very low tech. Some puzzles repeat too often. It works as a standalone game but it’s still better if you’ve played the others.
Click to expand...
 
B

blacksark

Member
Tricky I Shadow said:
FINALLY! The IGN review! I've been waiting for that one. I'm glad they liked it! This is how they reviewed the whole trilogy:

IGN 999 - 9.0
IGN VLR - 9.5
IGN ZTD - 9.2

Now I'm just waiting for the Gamespot review.
Click to expand...

I was waiting for that one too, by far it's the site I like the zero escape reviews more.
What I want to know for those playing it, is VA so bad or is just lips sync? It happens with both english and japanese dub? Because I've read very different opinions. And does the puzzles repeat too much?
Because the only problem everyone says are the quality of animations.
 
M

Marmaladefire

Member
blacksark said:
I was waiting for that one too, by far it's the site I like the zero escape reviews more.
What I want to know for those playing it, is VA so bad or is just lips sync? It happens with both english and japanese dub? Because I've read very different opinions. And does the puzzles repeat too much?
Because the only problem everyone says are the quality of animations.
Click to expand...

The English VA is fantastic imo. The JP has a cast of People Everybody Loves, so that might also be part of the issue for some, but it's nowhere near the level of a hastily dubbed idea factory game or some such. It's not a very high budget game, but you can tell a lot of work was put into the english release

Costia said:
Since I have a 3ds, should i get the pc version or the 3ds one?
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PC
 
B

blacksark

Member
Marmaladefire said:
The English VA is fantastic imo. The JP has a cast of People Everybody Loves, so that might also be part of the issue for some, but it's nowhere near the level of a hastily dubbed idea factory game or some such. It's not a very high budget game, but you can tell a lot of work was put into the english release


PC
Click to expand...

Then I don't get the bad va comments.
 
T

Tricky I Shadow

Banned
Marmaladefire said:
The English VA is fantastic imo. The JP has a cast of People Everybody Loves, so that might also be part of the issue for some, but it's nowhere near the level of a hastily dubbed idea factory game or some such. It's not a very high budget game, but you can tell a lot of work was put into the english release
Click to expand...

Good to hear!
 
T

takoyaki

Member
gamophilia 85/100
My time with Zero Time Dilemma was one of great pleasure and anguish, mainly because I knew I was saying goodbye to one of my favorite series. This final chapter brings the beloved Zero Escape trilogy to a gratifying end, featuring beautiful character moments, elaborate puzzles, and a mind-bending plot. Not many games will keep me glued to the screen like Zero Time Dilemma did, and despite its minor graphical flaws, it will remain a gem in the 3DS and Vita libraries.
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gamona.de 9/10 [German review]


gameindustry.it 9/10 [Italian review]
 
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