Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
Genres: Puzzle, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Story Rich, Adventure
Play modes: singleplayer
Release Date: 29-6-2016
Developer: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Our verdict
7.5/10
- Difficulty: Medium
- Players: 1
- Playtime: 20–25 h
Zero Time Dilemma is the third and final Zero Escape game. Nine people wake in an underground facility with bracelets on their wrists and are forced into the Decision Game. Split into three teams, you play story fragments in any order, solve escape rooms and make life-or-death choices that branch the timeline. It suits solo players who have finished 999 and Virtue's Last Reward.
Steam reviews are mostly positive (about 81% of 2,752). Nearly every review warns to play the first two games first, because the story leans on them from the opening minutes. Series fans say it wraps up a trilogy with some of the best storytelling in games, and enjoy its cinematic, fully animated scenes.
Many also call it the weakest of the three. Escape rooms repeat puzzle types and the fragment structure can feel disjointed. Expect around 20 to 25 hours. If you love the series, buy it to finish the story; if you are new, start with Zero Escape: The Nonary Games.
Pros
- Concludes the Zero Escape trilogy's story
- Escape rooms between branching life-or-death decisions
- Play story fragments for three teams in any order
Cons
- Makes little sense without the first two games
- Escape rooms repeat puzzle types
- Fragment structure can feel disjointed
About
The experiment wasn’t supposed to be like this.
Nine participants awaken in an underground facility, imprisoned with a strange black bracelet on their wrists. To escape, they must play a game with deadly consequences. The rules are simple--after six people are killed, the escape hatch will open. Who will live, and who will die? The choice is yours. Let the Decision Game begin…
Game Features
- Think Your Way Out
Explore 3-D environments for clues to solve mind-bending puzzles and escape your prison.- Decision Game
Question your morality in a series of life-or-death decisions where even the best option carries horrifying implications.- Cinematic Gameplay
Fully voiced and animated story sections push the boundaries of interactive fiction.- Non-linear Narrative
Jump freely between events and characters to piece together the fractured narrative and unlock multiple endings.- Old Faces, New Mysteries
Characters from the award-winning Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Virtue’s Last Reward are joined by a new cast of participants to bring first-time players up to speed and conclude the series for longtime fans.
