This review contains spoilers
hhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa where do I even start
The first couple of hours of this game are truly some of the most excruciating I think I've ever experienced in a piece of media. Most of the characters are loud, abrasive and immediately unlikeable, the rest are just sort of ... there. And aside from having to deal with the horrendous first impressions of the cast, you then also have to sit through lengthy, repetitive explanations of the Nonary Games and how they work that left me feeling like a 5 year old child who was being taught how to count to 10 for the first time. Like yes, I understand that snake is two and seven is seven and together that makes nine. I GET IT.
The sense of urgency that the time limit and the imminent danger of a sinking ship in the middle of the ocean presents is pretty much immediately disregarded as the characters enter into petty squabbles and it was frustrating to the point that I considered just giving up and refunding the game before I even stepped through my first numbered door BUT I STAYED STRONG.
The overarching story that begins to unfold as we get further in to the game is at least interesting enough that I wanted to learn more, though there was some truly bizarre choices that I can't seem to understand when it came to character backstories. like the Akane/Junpei sub plot that involved them facing off against a bunch of kids that kept murdering animals but was somehow framed as these sweet romantic moments between them and I just?????? I don't understand.
I think my favourite part of the entire game was the actual escape room sections, the puzzles were all fun and pretty satisfying to complete, even if I did think they were WAY too easy to figure out. I would have loved more of a challenge, but I suppose given that the original players of the Nonary Games were a group of kids, it at least works for the story that they're not insanely difficult.
Ultimately, this is a game that had some really cool and interesting ideas that were weighed down by a cast that I just couldn't connect with in any real meaningful way and a script that was filled with so much repetition and needless explanations about every little thing that I spent most of my play time begging everyone to stop talking.
I went into 999 expecting another Somnium Files and unfortunately what I got felt closer to a Danganronpa experience, especially when it came to the dialogue and characters and that just wasn't what I was hoping for. 😔
The final couple of hours of the true ending were by far the strongest part of the story, but even still the game ended up stumbling at the finish line for me when they finally revealed Ace's motive for setting up the original games in first place which was just so lackluster and nonsensical that all I could do was sigh and be glad that the game was finally over.
The first couple of hours of this game are truly some of the most excruciating I think I've ever experienced in a piece of media. Most of the characters are loud, abrasive and immediately unlikeable, the rest are just sort of ... there. And aside from having to deal with the horrendous first impressions of the cast, you then also have to sit through lengthy, repetitive explanations of the Nonary Games and how they work that left me feeling like a 5 year old child who was being taught how to count to 10 for the first time. Like yes, I understand that snake is two and seven is seven and together that makes nine. I GET IT.
The sense of urgency that the time limit and the imminent danger of a sinking ship in the middle of the ocean presents is pretty much immediately disregarded as the characters enter into petty squabbles and it was frustrating to the point that I considered just giving up and refunding the game before I even stepped through my first numbered door BUT I STAYED STRONG.
The overarching story that begins to unfold as we get further in to the game is at least interesting enough that I wanted to learn more, though there was some truly bizarre choices that I can't seem to understand when it came to character backstories. like the Akane/Junpei sub plot that involved them facing off against a bunch of kids that kept murdering animals but was somehow framed as these sweet romantic moments between them and I just?????? I don't understand.
I think my favourite part of the entire game was the actual escape room sections, the puzzles were all fun and pretty satisfying to complete, even if I did think they were WAY too easy to figure out. I would have loved more of a challenge, but I suppose given that the original players of the Nonary Games were a group of kids, it at least works for the story that they're not insanely difficult.
Ultimately, this is a game that had some really cool and interesting ideas that were weighed down by a cast that I just couldn't connect with in any real meaningful way and a script that was filled with so much repetition and needless explanations about every little thing that I spent most of my play time begging everyone to stop talking.
I went into 999 expecting another Somnium Files and unfortunately what I got felt closer to a Danganronpa experience, especially when it came to the dialogue and characters and that just wasn't what I was hoping for. 😔
The final couple of hours of the true ending were by far the strongest part of the story, but even still the game ended up stumbling at the finish line for me when they finally revealed Ace's motive for setting up the original games in first place which was just so lackluster and nonsensical that all I could do was sigh and be glad that the game was finally over.