Current Events > I have no motivation to go back and finish Zero Time Dilemma

(+) Yeah! (+)

I know it's not as good as 999 and VLR but loved those enough that I thought it would power me through ZTD. But it just ain't it, chief.

I've been staring at AI The Somnium Files for a while, so maybe I'll just start that instead.

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I had the same problem, though I did push through it. The animation is bad, the puzzles are pretty weak, and the non-linear story didn't really do it any favors.

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It really is an enormous step down. I still liked it, however.

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Where are you and do you want me to spoil it for you.

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You're not missing too much, it's easily the worst of the three. I thought the puzzles were fine, but the Telltale presentation wasn't well executed at all, and the story is "eh".

I really need to give AI a try at some point though.

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AI: The Somnium Files is a complete story, so no real need to worry about sequel hooks.

Some of the characters seem very shallow to begin with (which is to say after about 20-30% through the game) but they're all actually fully fleshed out and resolved by the end. Like just about all of them.

The only caveat I'd offer on it is that the actual gameplay loop is less about logic and more about trial and error, but failure isn't all that punishing, and even choosing incorrect things in investigations can be rewarding for the humor.

I was super satisfied at the end of it and probably should go through again this year.

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CyricZ posted...

Where are you and do you want me to spoil it for you.

I've done most of the escape rooms is the succinct way of putting it.

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I couldn't get into AI at all. The puzzles are definitely not my thing. The plot itself seemed interesting enough though.

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hockeybub89 posted...

I've done most of the escape rooms is the succinct way of putting it.

So I guess the answer to the latter question is "no"?

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I liked it well enough to finish it, but I think I had to look up one of the puzzles some light mirror angle puzzle I think.

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CyricZ posted...

So I guess the answer to the latter question is "no"?

Oh. Go for it, brochacho

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Sounds like you got your own zero time dilemma

I played VLR for the first time literally just a few months ago. Very surreal to play during this pandemic.

Overall I enjoyed it with its surprisingly stellar voice acting and good puzzles.

But I kind of dislike how it not only didn't answer some questions from 999, it ends on a cliffhanger and sets up other plot points a la Lost that I won't really see resolved since I took one look at ZTD and went "yuck" (seriously what happened to the budget and production values, why does it look worse than VLR and why is the voice acting so bad?) and while playing it just didn't seem all that enjoyable.

@CyricZ I for one, wouldn't mind you spoiling the whole thing since I don't plan on playing ZTD.

What ever happened with 999's whole esper thing, are psychic links still important? In VLR they went all out with time travel/multiverse theory, how do they resolve this? Are Sigma and co in the game? What happens to Junpei, Akane, and maybe Santa if he's even mentioned again? Junpei was an old man who already lived his life and had a relationship with a surrogate son, is that the end of his arc that's it?

How did ZTD resolve the whole pandemic virus thing and whatnot?

And was All Ice-9 really just a red herring? All those coffins and mummy references in 999 and the ending with Alice in a mummy outfit for whatever reason only for her to just be a regular person? Was there any significance to any of that rambling Lotus and etc do in 999 with Ice-9 and whatnot?

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I'll DM you both. Give me a minute.

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