I’m sure that many, including Aksys Games themselves, were shocked at the extremely positive reaction to Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, a curious little DS game from back in 2009 that somehow made it to North America. It wasn’t a FPS, RPG, or side-scrolling beat-em-up. 999 was one part visual novel and one part room escape – two genres that weren’t exactly mainstream here in America. With such an unusual concept, it seemed like the game was doomed to be a forgettable DS game that only appealed to a niche audience.

Yet, the story of nine individuals trapped on a sinking boat and forced to play a deadly game for survival ended up being one of the best written games I’ve ever played, and possibly on the DS. Full of twists and turns, the game presented six different endings depending on choices that you make during the game. Thanks in part to the addictive room escape sequences and the excellent writing, the game was well worth playing through multiple times to get each ending. Each ending unlocked answers as well as raised new questions, keeping players on the edge of their seats right up to the very end. By the time I saw the true ending and was blown away by the shocking twist, I was already tearing up. This game kept me up at night for over a week after I finished playing.

Nearly three years later, we finally get Virtue’s Last Reward, the second game in the now so-called “Zero Escape” series. The deadly Nonary Game that took place in 999 was back again, this time with a brand new cast of characters. Released for the 3DS and the PS Vita, the game boasted full 3D graphics, English and Japanese voice acting, and 24 different outcomes. The anticipation for the game was high. It manages to improve on the first game in nearly every way, and is one of the best interactive stories ever told.

It’s highly recommended (read: necessary) that you finish 999 before even beginning to play VLR. Ignore all of the comments from websites saying that it is a loose sequel to the first game. VLR takes place a year and a half after 999, and features returning characters like Clover, who was a participant in the first game. There are many hints and allusions to events from the first game that are scattered throughout the plot of 999, and having that previous knowledge adds to the suspense as you try to make the right connections in your head. There are several character revelations near the end that had me on the floor, all because of what you know from 999. So, do yourself a favor and please play 999 before you go out and play VLR. And if you play VLR, play it on the 3DS rather than the Vita. This isn’t me bashing on Sony’s handheld, but let’s be real: this game was made for the 3DS system. And plus, the whole dual-screen setup worked really well for the first game, and even managed to weave it into the narrative. This game will do something similar in that sense, but it’s much more subtle if it is played on the Vita. Again, it’s much better to play it on the 3DS in my opinion.

Set after the events of the first game, Virtue’s Last Reward has you taking on the role of Sigma, another young college student. This time, he wakes up in an elevator with a mysterious girl named Phi. For some reason, she knows your name, but can’t explain why. After escaping the elevator, Sigma and Phi meet seven other individuals who all seem to be kidnapped just like you. Sound familiar? It gets worse, as an anthropomorphic bunny calling itself Zero III announces to everyone that they are playing a game called “the Nonary Game: Ambidex Edition”, and that they must play to survive. And so the Nonary Game takes hold on its latest victims.

The game introduces a new mechanic into the Nonary Game based on a theory called the “Prisoner’s Dilemma.” The idea is that two individuals acting in their own self-interest will usually lead to an overall bad outcome. In this game, rather than using the digital root of each bracelet to progress through the locked doors, the point of this game is to accumulate nine points in order to unlock the way out. At certain points in the game, you have to choose whether or not to Ally or Betray one of the characters. The outcome will either result in a gain or loss of points. If a player runs out of points by dropping to 0 or below, that person dies. It’s an interesting game that plays with your mind, as you’re never quite sure if the other person will choose to keep their word and Ally with you or flat out Betray you to gain more points. It can be pretty nerve-wracking not knowing what happens at first.

The interface is actually one of my favorite things in this game, since it is a vast improvement over interface of 999. In 999, you were given the option of examining items, read game tips, and use an in-game calculator. What frustrated me was the lack of a notepad to take notes during some of the game’s more difficult puzzles. In VLR, they actually included an in-game notepad, making it easy to take notes on important clues throughout the game’s many difficult puzzles. This comes in handy for a lot of the later puzzles, since those require a lot of problem solving and a bit of trial and error. The best addition to the interface has to be the map of all the different ways that the story can branch out. This lets you jump around to any section of the game at any time, allowing you to go after each ending with ease. My biggest gripe with 999 was having to fast forward through the entire game multiple times to try to get each ending, forcing me to replay several rooms in the process (I can probably complete the first room with my eyes closed at this point). Thanks to the new map, you can now skip ahead to any point at any time to make different choices. Granted, this takes away from the surprise of not knowing what ending you’ll get like in the first game, but it is still a welcome feature.

The escape rooms are some of the most challenging I’ve ever experienced. The difficulty has been ramped in in this game, and some of the puzzles you’ll encounter will be absolutely devious. You will be sliding blocks, mixing martinis, finding key codes, and more. The new note-taking feature comes extremely handy for jotting down passwords and working out problems. I personally hate the Pantry, with such a ridiculous puzzle involving counting calories that I forced myself to jump on Gamefaqs to slip to the solution (shame on me).

The difficulty comes in Easy and Hard flavors, with the game being set to Hard by default. Changing the difficulty doesn’t change the solutions, but characters give less hints on Hard. In addition, playing on Hard allows you the opportunity to unlock Secret Documents that delve deeper into the story. This provides an additional challenge within each room as they require their own separate password to unlock, which isn’t always easy to aquire. While not necessary for completing the game, they provide interesting tidbits about the world of Zero Escape that are worth unlocking for those truly invested in the story.

The characters in VLR are just as amusing as the cast of 999. We have a fidgety school teacher, a grumpy old man, a self-centered asshole with a top hat, a child with an even stranger hat, and a mysterious girl, and an amnesiac in a suit of armor. Rounding out the cast are two returning characters from 999, Clover and Alice (who was briefly seen in the True Ending). Everyone plays a crucial role, and as you progress through the story and play through multiple endings, you get to know more about each character as well as their motivations for winning the game. I’ll admit, some of the characters don’t exactly feel as memorable as the ones in the first game, but we still get to see each character of their own moment in this game, so I can’t really complain. It’s also great that there are some well known seiyuus in these roles, such as Mamiko Noto as Luna, Rie Kugimiya as Quark, Yukari Tamura as Clover, Atsuko Tanaka as Alice, and Daisuke Ono as K. I played the entire game with the original Japanese audio, and while the English dub isn’t too bad, I still prefer the original Japanese dub.

There is only one real issue I have with the game and it is based on the high expectations I had for it: it lacks the emotional impact that 999 had. Now don’t get me wrong, there is plenty to be emotional about in this game, such as the pain of betrayal, the sorrowful backstories, and the deaths that occur in some of the endings. But the sense of urgency that the first game had is what VLR seems to lack. The first game had you on the edge because A) they only had until 5am the next morning before the game ended, B) there was the ever present danger of having a bomb inside you, and C) when a character dies, it is tragic. In VLR, the rules allow for stalemates to occur, and because there was no time limit, the game could essentially go on forever. In addition, there are long waiting periods before each door opens up, meaning that the characters spend a lot of time just standing around waiting for the next big thing to happen. And while the penalty for breaking the rules results in a lethal injection, the idea of having a bomb inside of your body waiting to explode seems much more dire.

Virtue’s Last Reward improves on its predecessor in almost every way. The puzzles are incredibly fun, but the feeling you get when you find the password that leads to freedom is always rewarding in its own right. The characters are well-written, and having an experienced voice cast really helps strengthen the connection you have to each character. While the story will end up leaving you with questions that are supposed to lead into the next game, it was still terrific. Every twist and turn had me on the edge of my seat, and the journey towards the the True Ending and the truth behind the events in the game had my mind reeling. Filled with philosophical musings, heartbreaking moments, and nonstop suspense, the team behind VLR manages to create another great game for the 3DS that should not be missed.