# Virtue's Last Reward



## Libra (Aug 29, 2014)

So, I downloaded the demo for this game and played it yesterday. I enjoyed it a lot (more than I had thought), but I'm still undecided on whether to actually buy this game or not.

I've read nothing than good things about it (except something about a save bug, but that can be avoided from what I've understood), but the demo doesn't show what the game is really about (it does briefly explain what's going on but you don't get to a point where you actually have to make a choice).

I'm trying to avoid spoilers in the sense that I'm not looking at any videos about the game, but I would like to know just how dark and graphic this game is. I like the idea of having to solve puzzles to advance and escape from rooms but it's the whole choice-thing I'm not too sure about (I guess I'm not too sure about the psychological aspect of this game, if that makes sense).

So, if anyone has played this game, I'd love to hear what you think about it and why I should buy it (or spend my money on something else). Thanks! ^_^


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## Chris (Aug 29, 2014)

_Virtue's Last Reward _was the first game I bought for my 3DS. It's fun, but it's short. Even with unlocking all the different endings it feels too short - and I find that it lacks replay value. Probably due to the monotony of trying to get all of the endings the first time around. 

Other than that I'd say it's a good game. The puzzles are fun, and I found for the short time I was playing it that I did really get sucked in. The concept is brilliant, it has a really interesting story,  and I loved the characters (especially Dio, Phi, and Quark). If you can get it cheap or secondhand I'd recommend it.


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## Cudon (Aug 29, 2014)

I'd say it's a really good game. It's one of those visual novels that will keep you interested both puzzle and story-wise. The puzzles are rather interesting and I only remember a few that I couldn't just use a guide on. Since it is a short game I'd recommend you to savor it by doing the puzzles yourself to make it last. I used a guide and it took 20ish hours. Since this is a visual novel the cutscenes can go for 30+ minutes each so I hope you're prepared for that. 

It's a pleasant experience however if you want to enjoy it to the fullest I'd recommend playing 999: 9 hours 9 persons 9 doors first since VLR is it's sequel. The difference between not playing 999 and playing it isn't too big, since the game only hints at it occasionally, but even then I really recommend the game !

VLR like games are the only games I can't stand being spoiled about so for the love of god don't look up stuff. The plot is amazing if you dont

They delayed/cancelled a third sequel :c


OH and about the gameplay and such.

Basically the game has multiple endings and in order to get them you must choose to go with different teams and such. You see, everytime you get to the colored doors you can choose which one of them you go to and which puzzle you do and the story is based on these choices. Since the door choices are based on the bracelets you'll also be choosing the teams. There's also a prisoners dilemma themed minigame in there that's about betraying and allying which is tied to the bracelets and points. If you fail at getting an ending you either get a dead end, or the ending is locked since you don't have the info needed from another ending. However you can go to any point in the game so these things aren't too serious. 

Also about gore. It can get kinda bad. For the most part the horror is hinting at things happening but some endings are a bit gory and dark. However for the most part you don't see the gore too much. The only gore you see is basically corpses which the game doesn't show too often.

The game likes to hint at things like sch?dinger's cat, prisoner dilemma, chinese room and such so it has some interesting themes. I really like the world they're in aswell. It's really intriguing.


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## Libra (Aug 31, 2014)

Thank you both for replying. 

I'm still a bit undecided, though. I understand that since this is a visual novel, there is a lot of reading to do, but I'd like to know how much time of the game is spent on puzzles? I really liked the puzzle in the demo (that's actually what has me most interested, but that might not be the best reason to get this game, haha), but I'm not sure how many puzzles there are and how much time they take.

[EDIT]

*facepalm* I had seen a video of the game with English voices and was under the impression that the full game would have said voices as well in Europe (the demo has Japanese voices). Turns out that's not the case; the European version doesn't have English voices, which suddenly makes me a whole lot less interested in this game. *sighs* Too bad, because I like how the English voices sound (whereas the Japanese ones just sound weird to me, my brain keeps going "wait, what?!" x_x).


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## Cudon (Aug 31, 2014)

Libra said:


> Thank you both for replying.
> 
> I'm still a bit undecided, though. I understand that since this is a visual novel, there is a lot of reading to do, but I'd like to know how much time of the game is spent on puzzles? I really liked the puzzle in the demo (that's actually what has me most interested, but that might not be the best reason to get this game, haha), but I'm not sure how many puzzles there are and how much time they take.
> 
> ...


I kinda wanted english voices too but you get used to it. There's like umm 15-16 puzzle rooms? And you solved one of them in the demo :u


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## n64king (Aug 31, 2014)

Just FYI in case it matters to you, Virtues Last Reward has a physical copy too, which is probably not too easy to come by since I only see it at this one game store I go to. But I doubt you're a nerd like me where you've got to have the retail copy if there is one x_x


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## Libra (Sep 1, 2014)

n64king said:


> Just FYI in case it matters to you, Virtues Last Reward has a physical copy too, which is probably not too easy to come by since I only see it at this one game store I go to. But I doubt you're a nerd like me where you've got to have the retail copy if there is one x_x



Both Amazon UK and Amazon France have the physical copy; it's slightly more expensive than the digital version (only two or three EUR, though). I might download the game, but I'm not sure how many blocks it is and I plan on getting the Ace Attorney trilogy and I don't know how many blocks that one is _either_, so to be safe, I might get a physical copy of Virtue's Last Reward (assuming I do decide to buy it, that is). ^_^


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## ThePayne22 (Sep 1, 2014)

Since it doesn't seem you are fully convinced in buying the game, let me just say that I absolutely adore this game. While there _is _barely any replay value, the story and characters are so riveting and everything progresses so well that this game is definitely worth the money. That really stinks if you can't get the English voices, cause (while the Japanese voices are good) they make are surprisingly good.

Overall, I suggest both VLR and it's predecessor 999. 
(Here's to hoping for the 3rd game...)


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## n64king (Sep 2, 2014)

A third game has been postponed/canceled as of yet.


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## Cudon (Sep 2, 2014)

n64king said:


> A third game has been postponed/canceled as of yet.


Yeah it's such a bummer too... Woulda loved to know more about Phi :L


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## Imitation (Sep 2, 2014)

I still havnt got around to playing virtues last reward but 999 is a great game!
I always see it on the shop but then I see Dual destinies and then my life becomes so hard that I end up getting fire emblem dlc instead x(


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## Libra (Sep 3, 2014)

Wow, someone must like me or it must be like a sign or something: 

_Yesterday we mentioned that Rising Star Games will be discounting a variety of games on the 3DS eShop in celebration of the company?s tenth anniversary. The publisher has now revealed which games will be going on sale ? including some titles for North America.

Here?s the full lineup:

Europe

BIT TRIP SAGA (-60%) ? ?7.20 / ?7.99
 Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi (-60%) ? ?11.99 / ?11.99
 Hometown Story (-50%) ? ?14.99 / ?14.99
*Virtue?s Last Reward (-50%) ? ?9.99 / ?12.49*
 Girls? Fashion Shoot (-60%) ? ?7.99 / ?7.99
 Beyblade: Evolution (-50%) ? ?9.99 / ?9.99
 Shifting World (-60%) ? ?7.20 / ?7.99
 Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns (-50%) ? ?8.99 / ?9.99
 Jewel Master: Cradle of Rome 2 (-75%) ? ?4.49 / ?4.99
 Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2 (-75%) ? ?4.49 / ?4.99
 Super Black Bass 3D (-75%) ? ?4.49 / ?4.99

North America

North American Nintendo eShop Prices to be confirmed (up to 75%).

Nintendo 3DS/2DS

Girls? Fashion Shoot
 Beyblade: Evolution
 Jewel Master: Cradle of Rome 2
 Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2
 Super Black Bass 3D

The Rising Star Games sale will go live on September 11._

Source here.

I'm definitely buying this now!


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## Cudon (Sep 3, 2014)

Haha That's great. I bought my digital copy at 40€ just before it was decreased to 20-30€ or some ****


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## Imitation (Sep 8, 2014)

Virtues last reward is on sale on the eshop at the cost of virtues last reward ?12.49 or ?9.99!


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## Libra (Sep 8, 2014)

Voltz09 said:


> Virtues last reward is on sale on the eshop at the cost of virtues last reward €12.49 or ?9.99!



Doesn't the sale start on September 11? I was looking at the game this morning and it was still full price.


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## Imitation (Sep 8, 2014)

Sorry I forgot to put that! >_>
I need to get this while I have the chance as I missed it last time!


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## RayOfHope (Sep 8, 2014)

The Zero Escape series is fantastic. Be sure to play 999 first, or at least try it sometime later! Honestly most of the gorey, bad stuff is just going to be implied. In 999 it's described in...pretty nauseating detail, but that's mostly just at two points which will be immediately obvious because they're about dead bodies.


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## Libra (Sep 10, 2014)

Did anyone see the OVA for this game? It's rather cool!


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## Cudon (Sep 10, 2014)

Libra said:


> Did anyone see the OVA for this game? It's rather cool!


But that's not how he got captured. 


Spoiler: spoilers



He was getting some school assignment done in the parking lot of the school he was in since his pc wouldn't work. And while leaving he fails to start his car...

Early Christmas morning in 2028, while heading back from the research building, Sigma finds himself unable to start his car, and after numerous failed attempts, he hears a weird noise coming from the engine. 

Also QUARK IS NOT SMART.



The artstyle choices of this ova annoy the **** out of me ;n;


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## Imitation (Sep 10, 2014)

Libra said:


> Wow, someone must like me or it must be like a sign or something:
> 
> _Yesterday we mentioned that Rising Star Games will be discounting a variety of games on the 3DS eShop in celebration of the company’s tenth anniversary. The publisher has now revealed which games will be going on sale – including some titles for North America.
> 
> ...



Ah im so sorry!
I didn't realize that you posted this before me >_>


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## Libra (Sep 11, 2014)

In case anyone is wondering how many blocks this game is; it's 3.747 blocks. I just downloaded it.


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## Libra (Sep 11, 2014)

So I began playing the game and played a little over two hours (didn't feel that long, though). I really like the option that you can set text to automatic so that you don't have to spam the A-button, though it sometimes moves a bit _too_ fast for me. If I get distracted for whatever reason (because someone asks something or because I look up to check the time) and then look back at my screen again, I'm always like "argh, what did I miss now?!" Fortunately the game has a log function, which is quite useful (but still, it seems - for me - to be a game that I should play when I'm alone in the room... no pun intended, haha). And I also love how you can check your passwords because I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to write them down or not.

So far I've solved two puzzles (obviously I'm not _that_ far into the game yet). The first one was on Easy (which seems to be an European thing or something? the game did explain about the default setting being Hard, but I was actually on Easy on the first puzzle), so I'll have to get back at some point and solve them on Hard because otherwise I'll miss "something special" (I know what said "something special" is, I'm just not sure if it's every clearly stated in the game that unless you solve everything on Hard, you miss out on it).

I'll have to get back to the second puzzle, anyway, because I missed the second password (I was thinking about what's inside that room and I just went "oops" when I remembered something, haha). But since I quit after exiting the room it shouldn't be too hard to go back, I think? Will find that out soon enough, I suppose.

Anyway, I'm enjoying the game so far and I'll probably be playing it this weekend. Even though I told myself to only play ONE game at the time and finish that first before playing another one. So much for Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy. *facepalm*


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## Cudon (Sep 12, 2014)

Libra said:


> So I began playing the game and played a little over two hours (didn't feel that long, though). I really like the option that you can set text to automatic so that you don't have to spam the A-button, though it sometimes moves a bit _too_ fast for me. If I get distracted for whatever reason (because someone asks something or because I look up to check the time) and then look back at my screen again, I'm always like "argh, what did I miss now?!" Fortunately the game has a log function, which is quite useful (but still, it seems - for me - to be a game that I should play when I'm alone in the room... no pun intended, haha). And I also love how you can check your passwords because I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to write them down or not.
> 
> So far I've solved two puzzles (obviously I'm not _that_ far into the game yet). The first one was on Easy (which seems to be an European thing or something? the game did explain about the default setting being Hard, but I was actually on Easy on the first puzzle), so I'll have to get back at some point and solve them on Hard because otherwise I'll miss "something special" (I know what said "something special" is, I'm just not sure if it's every clearly stated in the game that unless you solve everything on Hard, you miss out on it).
> 
> ...


The only real difference between hard/normal/easy or whatever is the fact that your companion won't help you as much. Also in order to 100% the game you must beat every puzzle on hard to get all the items out of the secret solution. The secret solution stuff is mainly just files that explain things / give some random info on things which is pretty neat. You can always just jump into a puzzle at any time using the branch system and as far as I'm aware you don't have to redo the whole thing and can just solve the secret solution, I might be remembering things wrong.. 100%'d the game over a year ago


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## Libra (Sep 12, 2014)

A little over five hours into the game so far. Still think the text is a bit too fast, but yay for not having to spam the A-button! 

Went back to get what I had missed in the Lounge and then redid the first puzzle on Hard. Also finished the Crew Quarters today, but had to use a guide because I'm an idiot who can't recognize colors *facepalm*. 

For the time being I haven't written down any of the choices I've made (like choosing to go with which other characters). Should I do that or will - when the moment comes - it be clear for me what I chose last time (like "I chose option A when I first did this, so now I should choose either options B or C")?


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## kokoronpa (Sep 12, 2014)

Libra said:


> For the time being I haven't written down any of the choices I've made (like [e: white text doesn't hide spoilers well in quotes]). Should I do that or will - when the moment comes - it be clear for me what I chose last time (like "I chose option A when I first did this, so now I should choose either options B or C")?



Choices that you've already made before will be set in a darker text, so I wouldn't worry too much about keeping track of your choices.
The Flow button/branch system also helps.//


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## Libra (Sep 13, 2014)

kokoronpa said:


> Choices that you've already made before will be set in a darker text, so I wouldn't worry too much about keeping track of your choices.
> The Flow button/branch system also helps.//



Awesome! Thanks for letting me know! So now the only thing I have to do is pay attention as to where I save because I can't find confirmation anywhere that the digital version does not have the save bug which makes your game completely crash and lose everything.


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## Manzanas (Sep 13, 2014)

Libra said:


> Awesome! Thanks for letting me know! So now the only thing I have to do is pay attention as to where I save because I can't find confirmation anywhere that the digital version does not have the save bug which makes your game completely crash and lose everything.



Try to save during novel sections. I think the bug occurs when you save while you're in a puzzle section.

Also, are you getting the Golden Files? If possible, do not read them until you finish the game. Sometimes they contain early-spoilers.

You're playing the EU version, right? Japanese voice acting is good, but it's a shame you're missing glorious *SIGGYYYYYYY! PHIDOOOOOOO!*


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## Libra (Sep 13, 2014)

Manzanas said:


> Try to save during novel sections. I think the bug occurs when you save while you're in a puzzle section.
> 
> Also, are you getting the Golden Files? If possible, do not read them until you finish the game. Sometimes they contain early-spoilers.
> 
> You're playing the EU version, right? Japanese voice acting is good, but it's a shame you're missing glorious *SIGGYYYYYYY! PHIDOOOOOOO!*



I'm getting the Golden Files, yes, because I want the "special something", but I haven't read any of them yet, no. Will do that after I've completed the game. 

And yeah, Japanese voices for me. I'm getting used to them, but I saw some videos with the English voices and I found them absolutely brilliant. Zero Jr in Japanese simply isn't the same as in English. 

Love your avatar, by the way.


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## Libra (Sep 13, 2014)

Over seven hours into the game and I'm beginning to wonder when I'll get an end. I thought I'd have gotten one much sooner (actually, I'm quite sure I would have gotten one when I had to make a certain choice, but I had seen a video of it and I knew what would happen, so I chose something else). It's interesting, to say the least. A lot of reading (yeah, duh, it's a visual novel ) but a good thing the text can be set to auto.


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## RayOfHope (Sep 13, 2014)

It took me forever to find an actual ending. After that it's a lot of jumping around and if you're anything like me, you'll get everything all confused. There are certain events that only happen in some timelines, sometimes they happen in different orders, sometimes not at all, and after jumping from place to place it's hard to remember what happened in what specific timeline, even with the flowchart.


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## Libra (Sep 17, 2014)

Hurray! I found the Skip button! Go me! I'm so proud of myself! No, seriously. So yeah, now I can skip text I've already seen/read, though I do have a question. I've skipped the text a few times and it seemed to stop automatically each time at some point that was "new". Is that correct or do I risk skipping too much text if I use it?

So, sixteen hours into the game so far and I've had... let's see... two "Game Over" and two "Story Lock". It's been quite interesting so far, especially the fact that you _have_ to make certain choices because if you don't, well, you can't continue and man, is that game good at making me feel bad. I really look forward to getting all the endings, as well as solving all the puzzles.

As for the puzzles, I admit that for some I need a guide. Often I'm very close, though, just that it's something I'm overlooking or not getting. But they're fun, even if they can be frustrating and I seriously laughed out loud when Sigma said the same thing I did; "Ha! Take that, puzzle!" The humor in this game is great and it's quite welcome too.

What I like less? Well, I'd say the only thing is the blinking dot on the map that shows where you're going. I've seen the map dozens of times now and I still can't figure out what is where and I'm quite sure it's irrelevant, anyway. Also, like I've said before; the text sometimes moves way too quickly, especially if it's a few lines that's being said. Good thing the game has a log, though!

Passed through the PEC room, by the way (story mode, not the puzzle). Seems interesting. Hopefully my game won't crash or freeze when I try to solve the puzzle. But to be on the safe side, I've been making back ups of my save data.


Spoiler: And Clover is too cute



Panties? Boxers? Totally made my day that, haha!


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## kokoronpa (Sep 17, 2014)

Libra said:


> Hurray! I found the Skip button! Go me! I'm so proud of myself! No, seriously. So yeah, now I can skip text I've already seen/read, though I do have a question. I've skipped the text a few times and it seemed to stop automatically each time at some point that was "new". Is that correct or do I risk skipping too much text if I use it?



Game'll stop at new dialogue points, yeah. Skip away!



Libra said:


> Passed through the PEC room, by the way (story mode, not the puzzle). Seems interesting. Hopefully my game won't crash or freeze when I try to solve the puzzle. But to be on the safe side, I've been making back ups of my save data.



IIRC the bug had something to do with saving in the PEC, which Aksys fixed circumvented by making it impossible to save in. Backup's a smart idea though--better safe than sorry.


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## Manzanas (Sep 17, 2014)

So, tell us, what was your first game over?

And yes, that blinking map is completely unnecessary, annoying and doesn't help at all.
Clover is cute... but she used to be more adorable in 999.



Spoiler: The pantry has one of the best quotes of the whole game



I solved the **** out of this puzzle!



By the way, have you seen the Virtue's Last Reward animated OVA, Libra?


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## Libra (Sep 18, 2014)

I got an ending! Yay yay yay! It was Dio's, so now I have his little icon on my save file, haha!

I actually thought my game was crashing when suddenly my screen turned black, _stayed_ black and then a few moments later music began playing but _nothing_ happened on my screen. But then suddenly the credits began and I was "_okayyyyy_". I figured I'd wait because at some point I'd be able to start again and then there it was: "Dio - END". Kinda took me by surprise, haha.



kokoronpa said:


> Game'll stop at new dialogue points, yeah. Skip away!



Awesome, thanks! I guess that also explains why I hadn't found that option earlier; it's only available when there is something that actually _can_ be skipped.



kokoronpa said:


> IIRC the bug had something to do with saving in the PEC, which Aksys fixed circumvented by making it impossible to save in. Backup's a smart idea though--better safe than sorry.



I've also read something about the Crew Quarters (I _think_...) or that saving when solving a puzzle (didn't matter which one) was a bad idea. So I've only been saving during the novel sections and if possible, not inside a room.



Manzanas said:


> So, tell us, what was your first game over?



It was K's. I've actually been thinking that, if you want, you can avoid the "bad" endings (i.e. Game Over), or am I wrong about that? I mean, looking at the flowchart it seems obvious what choices lead to a dead end, so to speak. Do you need all the "bad" endings as well, or only the "good" ones?



Manzanas said:


> Spoiler: The pantry has one of the best quotes of the whole game
> 
> 
> 
> I solved the **** out of this puzzle!



Haha, that was excellent!



Manzanas said:


> By the way, have you seen the Virtue's Last Reward animated OVA, Libra?



I have! I like it, even if - as someone said here - it's not entirely accurate. But it gives a good idea of what the game is like. I also like the English voices. Sadly I'm stuck with the Japanese ones. Not that they're not good, just that I like _understanding_ what I'm hearing, that's all.


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## Manzanas (Sep 18, 2014)

Libra said:


> It was K's. I've actually been thinking that, if you want, you can avoid the "bad" endings (i.e. Game Over), or am I wrong about that? I mean, looking at the flowchart it seems obvious what choices lead to a dead end, so to speak. Do you need all the "bad" endings as well, or only the "good" ones?



Hahaha! That's what I thought. K's game over is the first game over for most gamers. I felt so silly when I trusted him during the second AB game. And yes, that is one of the flaws of the game. The flowchart spoils which choices lead to a Bad Ending and which continue the game. Congratulations on getting your first ending! Enjoy the game and get the rest of the endings! And remember to not look at any guide in order to avoid spoilers. The Internet is full of them!

Yeah, the OVA has one or two screw ups, but it's nothing important. It's a good introduction to VLR.


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## Libra (Sep 18, 2014)

Manzanas said:


> That's what I thought. K's game over is the first game over for most gamers.



Haha, yeah, some part of me was going "_I just know this is a baaaaad idea_", but I figured I might as well go for all the endings.

And I'm _utterly_ fascinated by your avatar, haha.


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## Libra (Sep 19, 2014)

Huh, I just had Sigma remember things that he hasn't experienced yet. Spooky!


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## Imitation (Sep 19, 2014)

I just got a ?25 eshop card!
I'm gonna get VLR and AA: Dual destinies


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## Libra (Sep 19, 2014)

Voltz09 said:


> I just got a ?25 eshop card!
> I'm gonna get VLR and AA: Dual destinies



Great choice!


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## Libra (Sep 21, 2014)

Spoiler: Creepy Sigma



What the heck was the part in the hallway with Clover and Luna before the Archives puzzle? It's a good thing I had actually read about this, so I knew what was going to happen, but even so; that was kinda totally unnecessary, no? I don't mind the jokes that have been made so far in the game, but this was a bit _too_ much and it also didn't make a lot of sense; because why all of a sudden start now being so... well... creepy?





Spoiler: So I should have chosen Betray first, huh?



There's a moment where you're up against Phi and you have to choose either Ally or Betray. I chose Ally and got a Story Lock. Then I chose Betray and got a Game Over. Then I chose Ally again and this time the Story Lock was... well... unlocked. Here's the thing, though; it doesn't make any sense to choose Betray at that point (well, not to me, at least), but it's kinda clear the game _expects_ you to hence why you have to choose Ally after having chosen Betray first. It's a minor detail, but I was a bit "wait, what?!" about it.


I'm a little over 25 hours into the game and looking at the flowchart I'm not even halfway yet. More like... 40% or so? I'm curious as to how much time it'll take me to complete this game (it'll obviously depend on whether or not I try to get all the Game Overs as well or not). Hm...


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## Manzanas (Sep 21, 2014)

Libra said:


> Spoiler: Creepy Sigma
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Spoiler



Well, Sigma's in his twenties, and you know how crazy hormones can get during that age. It's normal for him to make naughty comments. Anyways, yeah, I didn't find that scene very funny, either.

About Phi... Ha, ha. I chosed betray first because I always like to see the bad endings before moving on with the story. This game loves to mess with your mind.



Go for the game overs, most of them don't even last more than 5 minutes.

Did you get any new endings? Also, I just remembered... 


Spoiler: If you got Dio's ending...



that means you betrayed Luna. Shame on you.


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## Libra (Sep 21, 2014)

Manzanas said:


> Did you get any new endings? Also, I just remembered...
> 
> 
> Spoiler: If you got Dio's ending...
> ...



No, only Dio's so far. I've been kinda going only one level up if I got stuck somewhere. So something like this:
1) choose a door
2) choose ally
3) get stuck (Game Over or To Be Continued)
4) go back to 2 and chose betray this time

So yeah, I did that, but only because I was stuck somewhere.  Looking at the flowchart, the middle of it is nothing but "?" So I have to go back all the way to the first time you have to choose a door and then choose the one I haven't yet so far. I'm not sure if that is the "right" way to play this game, because it can be rather confusing. But a good thing you can skip text, hurray!


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## Libra (Sep 21, 2014)

Got another Story Lock. Ack! 

26 hours into the game and so far I have:


Spoiler: From left to right on the flowchart



Director's Office - Solve the mystery of the two-headed lion! (Stuck because I don't have the password that's needed.)
Luna - Game Over 1
K - Game Over
Warehouse B - How can Phi and K be saved? Lock No. 01
Dio - Game Over
Dio - End
Infirmary - There isn't enough anti-viral medication! Lock No. 04
Lounge - Where did Alice go? Lock No. 06
Infirmary - Who planted the bomb? Lock No. 09
Phi - Game Over

So I have to go back to the first time you have to choose a door (given that I'm stuck on all the rest) and this time choose the yellow door.


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## Imitation (Sep 22, 2014)

UGHHHHH I was playing VLR and made it to the escape puzzle with the hazmat suits only for the damn game to freeze and the last time I saved was literally the moment you escape from the ambidex room


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## Manzanas (Sep 22, 2014)

Libra said:


> Got another Story Lock. Ack!
> 
> 26 hours into the game and so far I have:
> 
> ...



Ahh, you're making some solid progress, keep it up. Hope you're enjoying the game!

By the way, I should probably tell you, in case that you get stuck........


Spoiler



Lock 6 is already unlocked for you





Voltz09 said:


> UGHHHHH I was playing VLR and made it to the escape puzzle with the hazmat suits only for the damn game to freeze and the last time I saved was literally the moment you escape from the ambidex room



Ouch, sorry to hear that. Lot of people got their data corrupted thanks to that room. It's a shame how a good game like this has an idiotic and terrific bug like that.


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## Libra (Sep 22, 2014)

Voltz09 said:


> UGHHHHH I was playing VLR and made it to the escape puzzle with the hazmat suits only for the damn game to freeze and the last time I saved was literally the moment you escape from the ambidex room



Is that in the PEC room? That's one of the bugs in this game, unfortunately. 

I haven't gotten to that room yet, but I plan on using a guide and getting in and out as quickly as I can. I've been making save data back ups every time I've stopped playing the game. Might be a bit too much but I don't want to lose all the progress I've made so far (because in all honesty; if my game were to completely crash, then I really don't see myself playing it all the way from the beginning again).

How long had you been playing?


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## Imitation (Sep 22, 2014)

Manzanas said:


> Ouch, sorry to hear that. Lot of people got their data corrupted thanks to that room. It's a shame how a good game like this has an idiotic and terrific bug like that.



It's a bug? :O
I thought it was a random thing that happened!
It's my first play through of the game so it probably doesn't matter as much to me if it got corrupted as I practically start from the beggining..
I've been spamming a to get back..
Just made it back to the infirmary 

- - - Post Merge - - -



Libra said:


> Is that in the PEC room? That's one of the bugs in this game, unfortunately.
> 
> I haven't gotten to that room yet, but I plan on using a guide and getting in and out as quickly as I can. I've been making save data back ups every time I've stopped playing the game. Might be a bit too much but I don't want to lose all the progress I've made so far (because in all honesty; if my game were to completely crash, then I really don't see myself playing it all the way from the beginning again).
> 
> How long had you been playing?



I don't even remember >_>
I can say that I started today though and my favourites so far are Tenmyouji, Dio and Phi


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## Libra (Sep 22, 2014)

Manzanas said:


> By the way, I should probably tell you, in case that you get stuck........
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> ...



Huh, I should have known that. *facepalm* Thanks for telling me! <3

[EDIT]
Here is what I've found about the bugs/glitches:

_Never save in an Escape section (i.e. a puzzle), and definitely never save in the PEC (neither in the Novel nor Escape sections).

Be careful when playing certain mini-games, specifically the dice mini-games (which appear in two difference puzzle rooms) and the mini-game in the PEC. With the dice mini-games, don't move the dice too quickly and you should be fine. With the other one, just hope it doesn't freeze._

I've had a dice mini-game in the Archives (I think) but I was using a guide because I was stuck and the guide pretty much said "move the dice slowly!" So yeah, I did as told and didn't have any problems.


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## RayOfHope (Sep 23, 2014)

Libra said:


> Spoiler: Creepy Sigma
> 
> 
> 
> What the heck was the part in the hallway with Clover and Luna before the Archives puzzle? It's a good thing I had actually read about this, so I knew what was going to happen, but even so; that was kinda totally unnecessary, no? I don't mind the jokes that have been made so far in the game, but this was a bit _too_ much and it also didn't make a lot of sense; because why all of a sudden start now being so... well... creepy?



Hahaha I think I know what you're referring to. It's creepy now, but without spoiling anything, it's probably ten times creepier if you understand it from Clover and Luna's perspective. I'm pretty convinced that the developers made him a pervert on purpose because it's hilarious when you fully understand the situation.


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## Cudon (Sep 23, 2014)

Wyndfyre said:


> Hahaha I think I know what you're referring to. It's creepy now, but without spoiling anything, it's probably ten times creepier if you understand it from Clover and Luna's perspective. I'm pretty convinced that the developers made him a pervert on purpose because it's hilarious when you fully understand the situation.


I'm pretty sure he was made pervert just for that too. I love it. The way Luna and Clover kinda just deal with it is pretty kind of them. The thing that weirds me out though, is the mention of him being 



Spoiler: document spoiler



a man who speaks cat in the documents. It's kinda weird. He just... speaks cat.


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## Imitation (Sep 24, 2014)

I just got my first ending of the game  c,:
Has anybody else got the Tenmyouji end?
If so you opinion on it?
It made e feel quite happy and sad at the same time :0


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## RayOfHope (Sep 24, 2014)

Dinomates said:


> I'm pretty sure he was made pervert just for that too. I love it. The way Luna and Clover kinda just deal with it is pretty kind of them. The thing that weirds me out though, is the mention of him being
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Spoiler



It's pretty impressive that they didn't call him out on it! Nobody even mentions his appearance, at all. Which is necessary for the story of course, but still a little odd. I think Clover might've called him an old man once. And she or someone else was surprised to hear him say he was "still in college", haha. But you'd think _someone_, like big-mouthed Dio, might point it out like he did to insult Tenmyouji.

I had almost forgotten about the cat thing... I... have no idea what was going on there. I was honestly expecting something to actually come out of that, or at least wondering, but I guess it never did. Why Sigma needed a magical cat curse in his backstory I don't know.


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## Libra (Sep 25, 2014)

Libra said:


> Huh, I should have known that.



Got another To Be Continued, so now I've gone all the way back to the first choice you have to make and I'm now through the yellow door with Tenmyoldy Tenmyouji. I'm in the Infirmary now but I'll do the puzzle later this week, because my battery began flashing red, haha.


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## Libra (Sep 26, 2014)

Libra said:


> I'll do the puzzle later this week



Except I have Fantasy Life now, so I'll be taking a break from VLR. ~_~


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## Libra (Oct 5, 2014)

Libra said:


> Except I have Fantasy Life now, so I'll be taking a break from VLR. ~_~



Yes, like I thought; I haven't played VLR since my last post, because Fantasy Life has been stealing my time so much fun.  However, I do plan on continuing VLR soon because there is still a lot to do and discover! 

So out of curiosity; for those who were playing this game as well; how far are you? Did you complete the game yet?


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## Libra (Oct 6, 2014)

I've begun playing this game again and seriously LOL'd in the Infirmary when I got the "A clipboard with nothing to clip. It must be board."

It seems I've made a good choice this time because Clover has been telling me some interesting stuff. I know it's related to _999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors_ which I haven't played, but so far I'm not having any problems because of that. Yeah, some things might make more sense (Clover at some point really made me go "Wait, _what_?") but it's not stopping me from enjoying the game.

I'm almost 29 hours into the game and it seems there's still a lot to do. At the same time, however, given how much text can be skipped, it's difficult for me to have an idea of where I am exactly (like say "15 more hours to go" or something). But seen as I still have only one ending so far, I'm guessing it'll be several more hours before I reach the true ending. Let's see if I can complete this game before the end of this month!


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## RayOfHope (Oct 6, 2014)

I beat it in 33 hours, and I wasn't rushing at all. You're probably almost done.

Have you even tried 999 yet? You really should, I personally like it better than VLR. The 999-related plot twists would have been at least ten times more impactful, but I guess there's no reversing that now.


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## Libra (Oct 7, 2014)

Wyndfyre said:


> I beat it in 33 hours, and I wasn't rushing at all. You're probably almost done.



Maybe.  I know I have a few more puzzles to solve and I guess it'll depend on how much time those take. I'm not sure how much more text I'll be able to skip, but looking at the flowchart I still have a lot to do (I also have a few story locks), given that I plan on getting all the endings, including the bad ones. 



Wyndfyre said:


> Have you even tried 999 yet? You really should, I personally like it better than VLR. The 999-related plot twists would have been at least ten times more impactful, but I guess there's no reversing that now.



I considered getting 999 but the main reason I didn't do so was that apparently you have to play the game several times to get the real ending and that you need to use a guide most likely because there are some dialogue options which aren't really obvious (whereas in VLR it's more clear what needs to be done).


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## Manzanas (Oct 7, 2014)

Libra said:


> I considered getting 999 but the main reason I didn't do so was that apparently you have to play the game several times to get the real ending and that you need to use a guide most likely because there are some dialogue options which aren't really obvious (whereas in VLR it's more clear what needs to be done).



Well, without spoiling anything, you only need to play it twice in order to get the true ending. Many find the plot-twists, music and atmosphere of "999" superior to the ones of Virtue's Last Reward. And yes, there is one ending in "999" that you probably won't know how to get unless you read a guide. After you finish VLR, you should give "999" a chance, it's a good game.  

Enjoying Fantasy Life? How are you doing, by the way? Where are you right now in VLR?


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## Libra (Oct 9, 2014)

Got another story lock though I had been expecting it (at some point you just _know_ you're going to have one). Still, kinda made me go "argh, I wanna know what happens next!!!"

So another jump on the flowchart it was and this time I found myself with the PEC puzzle. Because I didn't want to take any risks, I followed a walkthrough and did only the things I had to and I didn't have any problems. But whether that is because I was lucky, or because my game doesn't have this glitch, or because I just did the minimum; I have no idea.

I'm curious which ending I'll get next. So far I only have Dio's and I'd love to get another one. Looking at the story locks I have, I'm going to assume that the choices I'm making now are going to unlock those (well, I hope so, anyway), so I guess it shouldn't be much longer before I get the next ending.


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## Libra (Oct 11, 2014)

I just got the Tenmyouji ending and it was beautiful. <3

I'm 34 hours into the game now and I think I have two more puzzles to solve, so I'm guessing it shouldn't take that long to get all the other endings (so far I only have two; Dio and Tenmyouji).


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## RayOfHope (Oct 11, 2014)

You didn't get the Dio ending yet? I thought that was the first one you're required to get, to start unlocking the others! Or is there another way? Or am I thinking of another ending?

That's the first one I got, anyway. It really sheds a lot of light on things IIRC. Although it probably raises more questions than the few it might answer.


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## Manzanas (Oct 11, 2014)

Libra said:


> I just got the Tenmyouji ending and it was beautiful. <3
> 
> I'm 34 hours into the game now and I think I have two more puzzles to solve, so I'm guessing it shouldn't take that long to get all the other endings (so far I only have two; Dio and Tenmyouji).



I hope you enjoyed the music that played during the final part of Tenmyouji's ending, many consider it the best and most beautiful piece of the game. Just remember to not look for the OST on Youtube or something like that yet, not only the comments section are full of spoilers, but the related videos may spoil a few surprises.


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## Libra (Oct 11, 2014)

Wyndfyre said:


> You didn't get the Dio ending yet?



Well, I said: "I'm 34 hours into the game now and I think I have two more puzzles to solve, so I'm guessing it shouldn't take that long to get all the other endings (so far I only have two; *Dio* and Tenmyouji)."

So yes, I did get the Dio ending; it was the first one, actually. 
---
What the... I'm trying to solve a puzzle in the Treatment Center but I accidentally switched to Easy and now this puzzle is telling me that if I don't succeed, then "you are a failure and we are very disappointed in you". Ah ah ah, that is brilliant!!!


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## Manzanas (Oct 11, 2014)

Libra said:


> What the... I'm trying to solve a puzzle in the Treatment Center but I accidentally switched to Easy and now this puzzle is telling me that if I don't succeed, then "you are a failure and we are very disappointed in you". Ah ah ah, that is brilliant!!!



Actually, the game tells you that even if you're playing on normal. If you play on Easy, there will be a few extra bits of dialogue in which the characters mock or get angry at Siggy. But it's better to save that for later and complete the puzzles on normal during your first playthrough. You're in the room with Tenmyoldi and one of the girl, right? Can't remember which one was


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## RayOfHope (Oct 11, 2014)

xD Apologies for misreading your post. I feel blind now.


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## Libra (Oct 11, 2014)

Manzanas said:


> Actually, the game tells you that even if you're playing on normal. If you play on Easy, there will be a few extra bits of dialogue in which the characters mock or get angry at Siggy. But it's better to save that for later and complete the puzzles on normal during your first playthrough. You're in the room with Tenmyoldi and one of the girl, right? Can't remember which one was



Clover. And ah, I wasn't sure if it was because I was on Easy but I'm quite sure it's the first time a puzzle has told me I'm a failure, haha. I'll probably replay the puzzles on Easy later for the extra dialogue.


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## Libra (Oct 18, 2014)

I'm currently on my way to the Alice Ending (well, from what I've seen, I'm assuming it's that one). I'm 39 hours and 30 minutes into the game and have unlocked four endings so far; K, Dio, Tenmyouji and Clover. The Clover one was rather weird. I was expecting what happened, so it's not that I was surprised. More that it seemed... well... weird, compared to the other endings so far. But it was interesting to find out more about her. (Side note; I now understand better why people keep saying one should play 999 first. But it's not something you _have_ to do, because the game explains things rather well.)


Spoiler: Anyway, my updated flow chart so far



Only listing the ones I haven't completed yet:

Director's Office (mystery of the two-headed lion)
Whatever is to the right of Tenmyouji's End (need to go back and vote differently there)
Warehouse A (five minutes of life)
Whatever will be to the right of the result of the above lock (also need to go back and vote differently there)
Clover - Game Over (not entirely sure, but looking at the flowchart it makes sense)
B. Garden (currently doing that one)
Infirmary (who planted the bomb)


So I think I'm rather close to completely finishing the game. However I'm going to have to check if I got all the puzzles on Hard and that I got all the secret files. There was at least one room (can't remember which one) which wouldn't let me open the safe a second time (because the story advanced) so I couldn't get the secret file there.


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## Libra (Oct 18, 2014)

Manzanas said:


> After you finish VLR, you should give "999" a chance, it's a good game.



I might do this if I find the game for a price that's not too expensive. I was lucky that there was a sale for Virtue's Last Reward a while ago, so I only paid 12.49 EUR. I've been looking for a used copy of 999 but the prices are at least 25 EUR or more and I don't think I want to spend that much even though I'm sure it's a great game.



Manzanas said:


> I hope you enjoyed the music that played during the final part of Tenmyouji's ending, many consider it the best and most beautiful piece of the game.



Yeah, it was absolutely beautiful. The music in this game is well done; I really enjoy listening to it. It's one of the few games that I actually play with the volume on. Most other games I play without any sound.


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## Manzanas (Oct 18, 2014)

Libra said:


> ...



Ahh, you got Potassium's ending? A lot of people consider it one of the most shocking and confusing endings, by the way, I hope you wrote down *that* code. Yeah, I didn't really enjoy Clover ending... it was more weird than spooky. Besides, I don't know if you noticed but Clover's ending is spoiled by the introductory video that play every time you start the game (The one that play before the Main Menu screen). That's one of this things I disliked about the game (and 999 too, if you ever get it, skip and don't watch those videos because they only spoil important segments of the game).

Indeed, music is good, but in my opinion, the soundtrack of 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors was superior to Virtue's Last Reward's. By the way, many of the tracks you're listening while playing are borrowed from 999.

Anyway, keep playing and have fun. 
Remember to stay away from spoilers, Alice is worst character and Dio is your friend.


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## Libra (Oct 18, 2014)

I seriously LOL'd at your gif. 

I wrote down all codes, yes. So far I haven't needed any yet, though. But I should be able to continue now with the Director's Office. The credits are currently rolling and I think I just got the Luna End. Before that I got the Alice one. I don't think it'll take more than a few hours to finish the game. I thought the parts after the locks would be longer, but it's a lot of reading and not doing anything (by which I mean; it's not like you're solving a puzzle), so that might explain it.

Clover's Ending was indeed spoiled by the introductory video (and it's the same thing as the trailer, so yeah, I'd seen it). So I had been expecting it because one) I knew it would come up at some point, and two) it was also (partially) explained in other timelines. But still, compared to the other endings it was just weird. There was also one thing I wondered about in this ending, namely; what happened to K? He is not shown. We can assume that Quark will sleep for all eternity in the pod (poor kid), but what about K?

Other than that, while I understand the locks and such, I also find it to be confusing at times because I go back to a timeline and can't remember what has happened or has been said. Must be an age thing, ha ha.

[EDIT]
And I was wrong; it's not Luna's Ending I just got, it's Sigma's. See; that's what I mean with getting confused and not knowing what has been said and done and such.


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## Manzanas (Oct 18, 2014)

Libra said:


> ...



I too was wondering where he was during Clover's ending. Don't worry, most of your questions and doubts will be answered as you continue.

Oh, you're not the only one, every piece of fiction that involves time-traveling or something like that can be very confusing.

If you got Siggy's ending, that means you can access the Director's Room computer now, I envy you, I remember going through that ending for the first time... it's definitely one of the highlights of the game. Grab yourself your favorite snack and drink and enjoy it, cause it's a lengthy one.


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## Libra (Oct 18, 2014)

I got Quark's Ending and was surprised because seriously, a large part of this game is "Where is Waldo Quark?" and it had kinda slipped my mind that yes, he'd have an Ending as well.

Got Luna's Ending and it was so sad! Also long, yes, but definitely worth it! She's probably my favorite character in this game.

Also got Alice's Ending and had a "you're kidding, right?" moment there. Not what I had been expecting. This game just keeps surprising me.

Anyway, I've got eight endings, but I have a lock on the path to the ninth ending (because oops, where the heck is bomb number zero?), so I think it's going to be a bit longer than I had originally thought.

Too bad the third game got canceled; I'd definitely would have bought it.


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## Manzanas (Oct 18, 2014)

Libra said:


> ...


The Quark ending got me by surprise, too. The little guy is barely with you, so it's easy to forget about him.

Luna's ending is easily one of the most beautiful endings in the whole game. And one the greatest Mind Screwdriver, too.

What surprised you about Alice's ending? Was it Dio being the one who planted the bombs?

Lock 10 is unlocked for you now, by the way.

Yeah, it truly is a shame the game flopped in the east. Thanks, Japan!


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## Libra (Oct 19, 2014)

Manzanas said:


> What surprised you about Alice's ending?





Spoiler



Well, Dio killing himself is one thing. I guess it makes sense but even so, when it happened, I was surprised for a few moments. Then the ending itself, with the whole place blowing up. I guess I should have known that was coming as well, because Sigma sees it sometimes when remembering images from other storylines, but still...

The problem I'm having is the jumping I mentioned. Quark's Ending surprised me because - oh hey, right, he has an ending as well - but also because - hey, Quark is alive! - followed by Alice killing herself and then _wham_; end!

This game messes with your mind; it's absolutely brilliant. <3

The only thing that sometimes makes me roll my eyes, though, is that nine seconds isn't _that_ long. Yeah, I know that they can't use nine "real" seconds because they wouldn't have enough time, but seriously, some of the things that happen (talking or trying to stop someone from leaving through the Number Nine Door) take so long that I expect the door to close before someone can go through. Except nope; they somehow are able to make it. I can only guess that the actual opening and closing of the door itself takes far longer than nine seconds and that that explains the window of time.

Yeah, I know; details, but when it's Dio, I want the door to close already and preferably _on_ him, you know?


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## FriendlyVillager (Oct 19, 2014)

I just finished the game today and i'm really upset cuz i don't think they'll make a sequel, so  i'll never know what happens in you-know-what during you-know-what


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## Ayaya (Oct 19, 2014)

I've beaten this game months ago so I can't TL;DR about it anymore even if I want to... There's so many to discuss!
For now I'll just say that my favorite character is Luna  and I'm a bit disappointed that this has less suspense than 999, but the story makes up for it.


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## Libra (Oct 19, 2014)

I just went through all the puzzle rooms again and made sure to input all the passwords on Hard. As it turns out, I'm missing three passwords for the secret files (the Infirmary, the B. Garden and the Laboratory), so I'll have to do those puzzles again. What's interesting is that the game at times stops you from leaving the room if you've just input the passwords, but haven't done anything else. I got stopped in a.o. the Treatment Center because I hadn't put Quark in the pod. But the game pretty much does what you should have done and after a lot of pressing the A button, you can leave the room.

Anyway, I'll be doing those three puzzles later today and then I should be good to finish the game (I know there's one final puzzle (the Q one, whatever that'll be), but that should be it).


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## Libra (Oct 19, 2014)

Finished the game and I think my brain just exploded...


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## Manzanas (Oct 19, 2014)

Libra said:


> Finished the game and I think my brain just exploded...



I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as almost every player who completed Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward did. It's a pity we will never find out how the story continues... we'll never see Phi in a swimsuit, either.

Here's some interesting trivial facts you might not know...


Spoiler



-In the original script, Dio was supposed to do "something very messed up" to Clover according to Uchikoshi during Luna's Path. But executive meddling demanded that scene to be rewritten. 

-Most people, me included, were actually surprised to find out Dio was the Big Bad of the game. During my first play-through, before The Reveal, the only thing I could think was "This guy is so OBVIOUSLY evil that it's OBVIOUS that he's not the villain". He was such an jerk during the whole game that you'll expect that he'll eventually redeem himself sooner or later...but nope, turns out he's a total ass.

-Remember when Dio picked "Ally" when playing against Luna in the first round? I think the creator confirmed that he did it because he thought she was beautiful. There's also the fact that, during that time-line, his assassination attempt on Akane failed and he KNEW there were at least two persons who were aware that he was a intruder, so he had to keep a low profile and play it easy until he could plant the bombs.

-You asked what happened to K during Clover's ending. It's never explained, but many people just assumed that, because it was impossible for him to commit suicide with the small scalpel thanks to his armor, he just went to another room searching for an object to off himself with.

-In some endings, Quark is doomed to spend the rest of his life, which isn't very long to begin thanks to Radical 9, inside the pod.

-Have you deciphered what "MILKELOVI?", the password used in the Director's Office in Luna's Path, means?

-The golden files give an answer to one of your earlier concerns: "How can the characters talk SO much during the 9 seconds the Number 9 Door is open?". The files say that the 9 seconds begin the instant the door is completely open, that means that the characters have some some additional seconds for dialog while the door is slowly opening and closing.


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## Libra (Oct 20, 2014)

There were a few bad endings I was missing, so I went back and did those. And thus I completed the game in 49 hours. And 1 minute and 23 seconds, to be precise. The least I can say is that it's been one hell of a ride and a roller-coaster of emotions. I am so very glad I have played this game; it's been an absolutely brilliant experience. There are a few things I am a bit... annoyed with, to be honest, but those have mostly to do with the third game having been canceled. I'll come back on those later.

I've been thinking of getting 999 now (even though the game does come before Virtue's Last Reward) but I've read that you have to solve puzzles more than once (you can't skip them like you can in VLR), so I'm going to pass on that game, I think (even though you can skip text you've already read, which is something). It's probably silly but I'm quite sure this would quickly annoy me. I also don't think there's an auto-text function in 999 (I can't find any mention of it, at least) and that's something I absolutely loved in VLR.

Are there any similar games for the 3DS? I've found several ones for the DS, but those tend to be rather expensive (and have mixed reviews), so I'm hoping there are games for the 3DS as well. I really enjoyed playing Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies and will be getting the remake of the original trilogy. I'd love some more games with a good story.


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