The Zero Escape: The Nonary Games series is the perfect trilogy of games for anyone that is a fan of escape rooms or puzzle games in general. The Zero Escape series tells an amazing story with great game mechanics and gameplay but can be a bit overwhelming for anyone just dipping their toes in for the first time.
Although there are only three games in the series, there are hours among hours of lore that discuss heavy sci-fi-oriented topics with puzzles that involve math, chemistry, and a dash of Latin. Although the games do a rather good job of slowly easing the player into the environment step by step, here are some useful tips for any newbies to the Zero Escape games.
8 Avoid Looking Up Guides Or Reading Threads Online
The overarching story of the Zero Escape series is by far its absolute best selling point and is the best thing it has to offer. The intricate ways each and every character is related to one another and how their stories all intertwine or clash truly complements each game's events that occur in the background, and it would be a shame if all the suspense was spoiled right from the beginning!
The Zero Escape series is very complicated if a beginner were to try to ingest all the present information all at once; the story, details, and relationships were all meant to be taken in slowly, one at a time. Avoid looking anything up when starting any of the games. Only after completing an ending (or better yet, every ending) is it somewhat safe to look online for some answers.
For those that want the absolute full experience, avoid looking anything up or reading any threads until the completion of all three Zero Escape games as they all intertwine in the end.
7 Commit To Whatever Ending On The First Playthrough
The Zero Escape series is all about the concept of alternate universes and timelines where the events of reality are either slightly altered or entirely different. While the game does give the player the option to jump around from timeline to timeline to try a new path or change their choices, it may not be the best way to go in the earlier stages.
No matter how tempting it may be, don't backtrack just yet! On the first-ever playthrough, it's best to keep things going and commit to whatever ending may be on its way; even if it's a bad one. The truth is in Zero Escape games, bad endings aren't simply a way to punish the player for making the wrong decisions, they are essential to the overarching plot and true ending.
6 Don't Second Guess Too Much
Often time, the game will seemingly trick the player into thinking that there was a missing piece of a puzzle that has simply slipped their mind; leaving players feeling as if they had carelessly forgotten a piece of information that they should know but are for some reason, drawing a blank. However, don't second guess too much!
There will be situations that which the game will try to gaslight players into thinking they possibly forgot an important clue or code that had come up earlier in the game. In these situations, the game is actually hinting that the answer/clue/missing piece of information lies in another timeline. Don't feel pressured into going back to go through all dialogue and cutscenes, searching for the answer as it may not even be there yet. Keep things going until the end and the missing part of the puzzle will come up eventually.
The characters often break the fourth wall and mention their consciousness that exists in other timelines; if they can't seem to remember the answer, then perhaps the player hasn't come across the answer (yet) either.
5 Take Notes
In more than one case, the game will ask (or hint) the player to take note of something; literally. Every now and then, there will be a very key piece of information that will come up and most of the time, this information will not appear again. At that point, the player is forced to open up the game's flowchart and rewatch a certain cutscene or solve a certain puzzle just for a refresher on what they missed the first time around.
One of the best tips for any beginner that wishes to step into the Zero Escape series is to make use of the game's notepad feature or, even better, play the game with a piece of paper and pen nearby. If there isn't any paper around, make use of a phone instead; taking photos of certain codes or patterns when solving a puzzle or taking note of a certain password for the plot later is absolutely key to a smooth playthrough.
4 Don't Get Discouraged
For many gamers that play a game that can result in multiple endings, the first ending they reach is considered to be their "true" ending; as it usually consists of their raw instincts and isn't assisted by a guide or influenced by hindsight. Although Zero Escape also features multiple endings, it is very different.
Do not be discouraged when/if the first ending reached is a bad or even downright horrific one. Bad endings are essential to Zero Escape and are even necessary in order to reach the true end. There isn't a quick way to get to the "good" or "true" end on the first (or even second) time around. The games in their nature are made and meant to be played multiple times.
Each and every ending must exist and intertwine with one another, and only when all other routes are taken, then the true end can finally be unveiled.
3 When In Doubt, Button Mash
In the flurry of all the intricate and decorated rooms that Zero Escape traps its players in, it can be easy to find oneself stuck. Curiosity is (almost) always rewarded in the puzzle rooms and more often the answer lies in a clue that simply hasn't been found yet.
Always make sure to properly check the surroundings (including panning the camera, checking every different area of each room) before starting any puzzle. If there's ever a case where it seems like a key item is missing, move the cursor all around and button mash! Who knows, in the time of desperation, it may just land on a clue that may hold the answer.
2 Inspect All Items Carefully
It can be easy to make a quick sweep over a puzzle room; inspect every clue and grab every key item. However, make sure to always check in on what's been added to the player's inventory. More often than not, the items will have extra information that goes along with them that can only be seen when inspected closely on the inventory screen.
Not only will these extra descriptions lead to clues, but it is sometimes essential to solving a puzzle as some items need to be combined in order to solve a room. In other cases, the items in the inventory must be fully rotated to find clues/codes or be taken apart to find other key items that may be hidden in them.
1 Be Prepared To Exhaust All Possibilities
The Zero Escape cast is very colorful and while some of them can be suspicious or flat-out detestable, others may be the kind of characters players wish to protect. In the event in which the player is given a particular choice, it's only natural that they choose the one that favors (or perhaps spares) their favorite characters over their least favorites
However, given the nature of the Zero Escape series, if players wish to achieve the true ending, they must be prepared to make decisions they may not be happy with. Every ending must be reached in order to find the game's true end and reveal the game's lore in its entirety, and unfortunately, that means forcing the player to bring harm to their beloved favorites.
Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is available on PlayStation 4, PC, and PlayStation Vita.