Zero Time Dilemma Reviews
Spike Chunsoft does it again, combining intuitive, puzzle-based gameplay with one of video gaming's best narratives in the wonderful Zero Time Dilemma.
My time with Zero Time Dilemma was one of great pleasure and anguish, mainly because I knew I was saying goodbye to one of my favorite series. This final chapter brings the beloved Zero Escape trilogy to a gratifying end, featuring beautiful character moments, elaborate puzzles, and a mind-bending plot. Not many games will keep me glued to the screen like Zero Time Dilemma did, and despite its minor graphical flaws, it will remain a gem in the 3DS and Vita libraries.
Professor Layton for people who watch Hannibal.
Difficult puzzles and a bold, non-linear story structure will challenge your mind, and difficult moral decisions will test your heart
Despite a slew of problems, Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma uses complex story techniques in a suspenseful tale about human nature.
Zero Time Dilemma is a fitting finale, even if the gameplay gets lost in the background
No other game can f*** with your head quite this much
While it ends up feeling a bit like the weakest game in the series so far, even a weak Zero Escape game is still an absolute delight, and Zero Time Dilemma is no exception.
It’s by no means the best Zero Escape game, but it’s a fitting end to the trilogy’s story arc and – animation aside – it’s an excellent way to spend a few evenings.
Zero Time Dilemma is an impressively polished, unsettling ride, but whether it's worth playing is entirely dependent on your previous experience with the series. If you've played and enjoyed the first two games in the trilogy you'll absolutely love Zero's last stand. You'll find the same twisting, twisted narrative, the same satisfyingly tricky puzzles, and plenty more of Uchikoshi's signature style, and watching the story's climax unfold after three games is a real rush. If you haven't played the first two games but you're interested in the series, this isn't the best place to start — to really enjoy it, you'll want to have both Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (on DS and iOS) and Virtue's Last Reward (on 3DS and Vita) under your belt before jumping in here.However you arrive at Zero Time Dilemma, if you're into the series' mix of horror and Hegel you're in for a treat — and you may never look at a snail the same way again.
Zero Time Dilemma is a great but flawed end to the Zero Escape trilogy with a very good PS4 port.
Zero Time Dilemma is an excellent follow-up and sequel/prequel, making great strides in widening the appeal of the game by overhauling the story progression with its inventive and effective “fragments systems,” while avoiding the pitfall of alienating the loyal fanbase that supported Dilemma‘s development. Despite its tricky position as an in between of two other well established titles, it neatly fills in the gaps and serves as a great lead in for Virtue’s Last Reward, which ended on a cliffhanger. Fans who have long-awaited the return of the series will not be disappointed in this swan’s song.
And that’s that. Zero Time Dilemma is an amazing game of equivalent overall caliber to its predecessors, and its ridiculous, complicated take on scientific theories and horror thrillers is a must-witness. Despite being quite accommodating newcomers, I recommend the deep dive into the previous entries first, if anything, to be a buffer for the science-fiction you’ve yet to imbibe. Regardless, you’ll get great, well-rounded characters and a memorable trip into one of gaming’s greatest works of fiction even if you’ll scream, “Oh, come on,” as often as “Holy shitsnacks!” That’s me being at my most objective.
A successful conclusion to one of the most underrated storytelling franchises in gaming, even if some of the presentational changes are too ambitious for their own good.
Zero Time Dilemma is a small masterpiece of storytelling and a strong warning about human nature. A truly, unmissable game.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Zero Time Dilemma is nothing short of a flawed masterpiece.
This closing chapter isn't perfect, and some low-quality textures can be distracting on PlayStation 4, but it does manage to put a bow on one of gaming's greatest stories.
Zero Time Dilemma is a masterpiece of storytelling.
Final chapter in intriguing narrative adventure series brings back favourite characters, but fails to go out with a bang