The long awaited final game in the Zero Escape trilogy was briefly teased last night by Aksys Games, during its panel in Los Angeles. The title was introduced by series creator Kotaro Uchikoshi and it is confirmed to be in development by Spike Chunsoft.
All that has been shared so far are a short teaser trailer and this rather unusual press release:
ATTENTION PEOPLE OF THE WORLD: Japanese Adventure Game Strain Zero Escape Unavoidable
Undisclosed Location – July 3, 2015
Many government organizations have dismissed our urgent warnings regarding the upcoming game event called Zero Time Dilemma. Recent intelligence has escalated our plans and we have come to the decision to contact gamers about the dangers directly. Our ultimate goal has always been to protect the public from the horrific consequences we have foreseen, but it appears our mission to prevent it from occurring may have failed. It is imperative that you make every effort to prepare yourselves for the oncoming deadly game, so that you may survive the coming apocalypse.
An antidote for the game is predicted to be created, but much further down this timeline, and as such there is no defense from its effects. It will be most easily identifiable on Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita handheld entertainment system, though it is transmittable through the air so the spread may increase even more rapidly through the PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop.
Do not be tempted by familiar faces, fully voiced cinematics, multiple endings, or voices in both Japanese and English, as those are signs that the apocalypse is nigh. We suggest that you put extensive effort into improving your puzzle solving skills, as they will be vital to your survival.
We at Crash Keys beg for your assistance in notifying everyone you can so that no one is left in the dark about this dangerous game. The world will end up in a tumultuous uproar, and ultimate consequences will be unavoidable unless word gets out. Use all the time available to you before the summer of next year to contact your loved ones and prepare; our intelligence hasn’t been able to focus in on an exact date at this time. Do not fear – we are here to protect you and prepare you to our utmost ability so that you may survive. You will survive. We will use all channels available to contact you with updates as soon as we uncover them. You must be ready.
There are currently two games in the Zero Escape series: 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors for the DS and Virtue’s Last Reward for the 3DS and PlayStation Vita. The titles are visual novels in the same vein as Ace Attorney and Professor Layton, where the story is broken up by logic puzzles and point-and-click adventure segments. A major feature of the series that tends to set it apart from other visual novels, other than its relatively mature content, is the use of branching paths and multiple endings, all of which must be experienced to unlock a final, true ending.
The games are also infamous for delving into the realms of pseudoscience and conspiracy, and they’ve both featured casts of colorful characters thrown into life-or-death situations. It’s a safe bet the third title will continue these traditions, and we’ll have more on Zero Escape 3 as we approach its release in Summer 2016.
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Written by Tom Brown
Whether it’s an exciting new entry in a series long established or a weird experiment meant only for the dedicated, Tom is eager to report on it. Rest assured, if Nintendo ever announces Elite Beat Agents 2, he’ll be there.
