Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors

[Steven]

It is a visual novel, though - so it's part of the package, really. My criticisms would be based on later playthroughs to get the six different endings. I spent a few hours, choosing entirely different scenarios and playing through different rooms and managed to get exactly the same ending as I had previously. You begin to realise that subtle combinations of responses/interactions throughout the game can also completely affect the outcome.

For my tastes, this was a little too random and using a F.A.Q would render the process pointless in my book. I thankfully managed to get the true ending, not realising that had I not got the specific ending I had previous to that (3rd time), it would have been impossible.

Once again, it depends on your tolerance for such things - but I found it became a bit cavalier with the player's time after all of the good things I'd written about the UI, fast-text, etc.

[Rudderless]

Time Hollow. Very much like this, and nobody's played it.

I really liked Time Hollow. Very linear given that the concept seemed to lend itself well to a non-linear structure, but once you get over that it's a cracking tale, really well told. By the Shadow of Memories dude, IIRC.

EDIT: Did anyone else play Lux-Pain?

[shynra]

EDIT: Did anyone else play Lux-Pain?

Yes please anyone? Ive played all of the games mentioned in this thread (999 on the way) Lux-Pain is one im watching but didnt get good critic reveiws, any real person out there interested in the genre like to comment? Any rllmuk forum comment always handy

[Rudderless]

I reviewed it for the Telegraph and gave it 7/10. It also got a decent review from NGamer. It's a weird game in that there's a lot wrong with it, but that it doesn't really seem to matter too much. It's another visual novel, so interactions are obviously limited - hence a lot of the low scores, as you get a lot of 'but it's not a proper game' sniffiness - but it didn't help itself with a lazy translation, full of spelling and grammatical errors and weird stuff which doesn't really make any sense - as if it was translated by someone who doesn't know English particularly well. But it's got a fascinating story, some really likeable characters and it really is pretty dark in places (teen suicides, brutal murders and so on).

[Willei]

I played Lux-Pain and didn't think much to it. When I played it and searched to find a thread to vent my disappointment after the difficulty of finding the game on release, I think the only hit was the link to his review that Rudderless had in his signature. I did not deem it threadworthy!

If you want to play more visual novel style games, the bulk of them are on the PC and play on pretty much anything from the last ten years. Perfect for netbooks really.

[shynra]

Lux-Pain added to my to-get list... also

999 back in stick at VG+... mine just shipped

[Laine]

Tronix are out of stock, still so it wont be here in time for my holiday

[therearerules]

Completed it. One of the most atmospheric games I've played for a long time.

everything spoilers:

Started with the axe ending, then the submarine ending, then the knife ending. By this stage I was confused about how to actually get the true ending so looked up a room order faq. Loved the preview from each ending showing how you need to procede. Dissapointed by the vague time travel stuff though, I loved it until that bit. But otherwise unsettlingly fantastic.

[robdood]

Just started this, it's pretty neat! My only compaint is the visuals are a bit drab, I didn't see the wardrobe thing in the very first room for ages and had to resort to a FAQ.

The digital root thing is a bit of an odd concept, too. But I'm enjoyng it as a whole nonetheless

[therearerules]

You wouldn't be saying that if you were in my Yr 7 class. Digital root patterns is a staple lesson of mine as they're so interesting.

[robdood]

...

Played a bit more, enjoying it lots! My new gripe, however, is that the text speed is far too slow. I read a lot faster than it draws the text, highly annoying. I honestly don't understand why it can't be faster, or the reason for making it draw the way it does. It doesn't add tension, or anything. It makes me angry. At least let me hold a button to make it instant-appear!

[deerokus]

This game is pretty great. I'm not too far in, having only just beaten the first room after the initial hour or so of story and prologue, but I've already been drawn right into the world. Lots of intrigue already, and a couple of clever puzzles. Great concept which so far seems to have been executed well.

[jon_cybernet]

I really liked Time Hollow. Very linear given that the concept seemed to lend itself well to a non-linear structure, but once you get over that it's a cracking tale, really well told. By the Shadow of Memories dude, IIRC.

Chris, unless Junko Kawano has recently undergone a drastic gender reassignment, she's a dudette!

[Willei]

Just finished the final route now (yep, gotta be up for work in three and a half hours...), all I've got to say is it was absolutely incredible. After spending so many hours setting up question after question through the other routes I think they did a great job of answering pretty much all of them.

It definitely took me a while to get in to, pretty much the first playthrough. While all the characters and proceedings were engaging enough it seemed to be missing a certain spark. The first (bad) ending I got pretty much sucked me in and I had to find out what was happening on the boat from that point on.

Bad points have already been covered in the thread. The multiple playthroughs required to discover new paths are long winded after you've got the three common ones. No-one likes getting a repeated ending, I had four in a row before I decided to sod it and look at a FAQ. The other thing (though it's really the same thing) is doing puzzles again on repeat playthroughs really sucks. Sometimes you can go straight there with the solution (which fits nicely with the underlying theme, ohoho), sometimes you have to do the legwork. I would really have appreciated a "skip to next junction" option along with the text skipping, it's not uncommon in the genre by any means. I will say it's frequently very well written with almost no typos (I spotted two through the game) or awkward direct translations, and that's something you really can't say often about this genre. The localisation job is fantastic.

I can't really talk much more about why I liked it without spoiling, so I won't seeing how only two other people in the thread posted about finishing it. The flaws I list above really didn't dampen my enjoyment or drive to continue with the game. For me the game of 2010 is a toss up between this and Shattered Memories. If you're at all predisposed to the genre or are interested in checking out a visual novel, I can't recommend it highly enough.

[shynra]

This is great only completed one route and eager to try others... but it looks like a 3ds sequel or just a new story is in the works

Gyokugen Dasshutsu Adv: Zennin Shiboudes

- the mechanic is the main character, Sigma

- Sigma is an ordinary college student who will frequently make sexual comments to annoy girls

- girl in the center of the character art is Phi

- Phi is cool and intelligent, but will sometimes say stupid jokes

- Phi says she's a C cup when she's actually an A cup

- Sigma is kidnapped and awakens in an elevator next to Phi

- Phi seems to know Sigma, but Sigma has no idea who Phi is

- A bunny appears on the elevator monitor, causing them to flee the elevator

- they end up in a warehouse alongside seven others

- must escape from the warehouse

- this is a "game of betrayal."

- features visual novel parts and escape parts

- escape parts involve exploring rooms and solving puzzles.

[crisy]

Shame though as if that sequel released in America(which is more likely then it coming out over here) we'll never get to play it, thanks to Ninty region blocking our 3DS....

[mushashi]

It's coming to Vita aswell, so assuming that isn't region-locked, there should be that option (assuming the game even gets localised for either platform outside of Japan).

[crisy]

Ah, well at least theres some hope then.

[Dandy_Sephy]

The sequel has been picked up by Aksys for US release, both on 3ds and Vita (retail and digital)

http://www.aksysgame...d-announcement/

Interestingly they are keeping the japanese text as an option*, afaik the only other games to do this are FFI,II and IV on psp (which was only because the games were released as multilingual in Japan anyway, they just changed the default language to english). As someone who considered importing the Japanese version, this pleases me immensely to have the option of playing in either language. As much as the idea of using adventure games to improve my japanese is, it's a bit of a slog at my level.

*unless this was done in 999, i've not played it

[Laine]

I finally finished my first play tyhrough of this after buying it shortly after release. Typically I got BAD BAD BAD end on my first go. Am obsessively replaying it now for all the endings.

The sequel is yet another reason to add to list of reasons to buy a Vita.

[Doc NI]

you have to play all endings and then play again to actually understand the game, and its a total mind bender. Anyone who has played it, did you get the "proper" ending? You need all play throughs and then a extra play through on top. Very hardcore, but the is extra game if you do this and amazing plot twists not included in any other ending.

The plot twist is just ..... biggest surprise in gaming, but so few will have actually seen it

Loved this game, it will stay with me always, exceptional writing (the twist bit anyway, amazing! )

[Mr.Jeff]

Great news about the sequel, especially with it being a confirmed Vita release for NA. Means no hassle about the region locking for the 3DS at least and another reason for me to pick up a Vita since I'm not expecting this to hit Europe after they couldn't be bothered with the first one.

Then again, the first game did pick a very good impression when it was released...

999 was fantastic though, especially when you work through to the true ending and finally see the results of all the twists and turns.

[Blobcat]

Just finished the true ending (got all endings appart from Knife before)

Really got sucked in. First hour I was expecting a game rather than an interactive novel type game so the text was really getting on my nerves but I grew to love it.

Ending was really gripping but I'm still stumped about something

I *get* the whole contacting little Akane in the past thing connection...so who/ what was Akane they were in the game with? A solid ghost? Obviously everyone could see her and I know the whole point of the game was to save her in the past but why was she there? Was it a whole Bill and Ted thing "But it DID already happen!"...We must remember to do this for us in the past sort of thing...?

[Mr.Jeff]

So after recently finishing the sequel today, I was wondering if anyone else has picked it up/finished it?

I've just had my mind blown by the epilogue so I'm kinda craving more thoughts on the whole thing...

Fantastically done though even if I do think the first one is just slightly superior.

[therearerules]

sequel?

[BeeJay]

Virtue's last reward

[Garwoofoo]

I'm enjoying this a lot right now but replaying it over and over does get a bit tedious. I've finished it three times so far and got two different endings. I like the way each playthrough adds to your understanding of the situation but having to redo the puzzles becomes a chore. I hear the sequel improves this aspect. But it's definitely got something going for it, I'm still playing it!

[Doc NI]

stick with it man, the twist is better than ghost trick's one. Definitely get a spoiler free guide though after a few different endings it gets very complicated (the sequel has removed this problem entirely, no FAQ required)

It has a cool 4th wall type trick near the end too

also lockes socks! and Schroedinger cat! actual physics and philosophy stuff! :wub:

[Mr.Jeff]

The sequel removes the need to redo puzzles unless you want to voluntarily do them. You have an option for "Flow" which breaks down all the branching points of the game into various stages. Once you finish a puzzle or particular event, you can then skip to it whenever you want.

[therearerules]

Got the sequel today for £20 in game. That seemed like a bargain, so I hope it is one.My only problem is now, too many games.