The last time I encountered a video game series that had a story and cast as original and mind-blowing as Zero Escape was probably Metal Gear Solid. I still occasionally argue with myself over which series delivered the most chills down my spine, the most unpredictable plot twists, the most original ideas on how to deliver an interactive plot. The Nonary Games’ release on PC, PS4 and PS Vita will finally allow more people to go through what I did on my DS years ago.
So, what exactly are The Nonary Games?
The word “nonary” is derived from “nona,” meaning anything relating to the number 9. Despite that there are only 2 games in this bundle, both titles have a lot, and I mean a lot to do with 9. You’ll literally be learning how to calculate digital roots and solving puzzles encoded in hexadecimal as you play through. Sounds complicated, but don’t worry, it’s not that hard.
The first title in the Nonary Games bundle is 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors (originally released for Nintendo DS in 2010), though it is always referred to simply as 999 by its fanbase. 999 is about precisely what the title says. 9 people are abducted and are given 9 hours to escape a sinking ship. Their sole objective? Their only means of escape? Seek a door that carries a number 9. Its sequel is Virtue’s Last Reward (originally released for 3DS and PS Vita in 2012), commonly abbreviated as VLR. It’s setting and premise are very similar to its sister-game, but with various changes I won’t get into. Both of these games are best enjoyed with knowing as little as possible beforehand.
999 and VLR are classified as visual novels – think along the lines of voiced comic books – but include puzzle sections. Roughly 80% of in-game time involves reading/listening, while the other 20% is actual gameplay. The interaction is inspired by “escape-the-room” style puzzles, which have you exploring each location and figuring out how to unlock the door and progress through your environment and the story. The puzzles themselves have a lot of variety to them, in terms of style and difficulty. Many of them are also integrally linked to the plot at hand, though how precisely that connection works is best left to one’s own discovery.
And yes, these are very story heavy games. Complex stories, too.
The Nonary Games’ plot is so dense and spoiler-sensitive, I don’t want to bother describing the premise in any more detail. Since I have to describe these games somehow without ruining the magic, I’ll say that these games have utterly redefined non-linear story telling, in a way that obliterates just about anything else out there. These games have taken “multiple endings” to an entirely different level. The combination of science, sci-fi, theoretical physics, philosophy and mathematics in The Nonary Games is rivaled by no other game series. All of these things are combined with a dreadful sense of psychological horror and thriller mystery, which makes you question everything you’re told, and to be suspicious of everyone involved. Not to mention the endings of each game are so unpredictable and dumbfounding, they set an incredibly high bar for plot twists.
I will go as far to say that The Nonary Games contains 2 of the greatest mindf**k endings of any other video game ever made.
The Nonary Games itself is more of an updated re-release than a proper remaster, most especially for 999. VLR remains essentially the same compared to its 3DS/PS Vita version. 999 now, however, has multiple new features. The biggest of which is full voice acting for all story segments (puzzle sections are still voiceless, like VLR). The acting quality is solid overall, but some characters sound a little stale and lack real emphatic tones in their voices, especially Ace and Clover. The characters Santa, Lotus and Seven are the most believable sounding ones out of all of them. They speak with a sense of urgency and danger that helps sell the threatening game of life and death, which are exactly what the Nonary Games are.
VLR’s audio remains unchanged, but its voice acting was always stellar. Aksys Games has a reputation for having top notch localisations and VLR is a shining example of their craft, at least as far as voice directing and casting goes.
Being their first time grouped together, The Nonary Games gave its original title a major face lift in several departments.
999 received several technical updates such as higher resolution sprites, and a “flowchart” to aid navigation through the labyrinth of a story, a feature first introduced in VLR. It also has the option to switch between two different kinds of screens to emulate the experience of playing on the Nintendo DS. The “novel” screen displays the narration as well as dialogue, and the “adventure” screen displays only dialogue but has less clutter over the visuals. Trust me, you only want to be playing in novel screen mode. Missing out on most of the writing in the game is simply unacceptable and will dampen anyone’s experience. Imagine reading your favorite novel, but without any of the narration. See? Doesn’t sound too good.
I do have problems with this port, despite being overall very impressed with how it was handled. While VLR is essentially the same game from its portable iterations, certain aspects of the ending of 999 went through some major alterations. I can’t say precisely what was changed, but I can say that the ending was better handled on DS, mainly due to the fact that the dual-screened platform was a big part of how the game presented itself. It’s still handled in a better-than-adequate fashion, and new players will still be speechless upon reaching the final hours of the game.
Check out more information and the trailer on the Steam page. The bundle is priced at $44.99 US, which is a phenomenal deal considering what’s being offered here. The fact that you’ll be getting roughly 60 hours of some of the best storytelling ever produced in gaming makes purchasing The Nonary Games a no-brainer.
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