Announced last year for a 3DS and PS Vita summer 2016 release by Aksys Games and series producer Kotaro Uchikoshi via a month-long teaser website, Zero Time Dilemma is the third and final entry in the Zero Escape series that will reportedly solve all mysteries left from its predecessors, 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Virtue's Last Reward. The japanese Famitsu magazine is preparing a feature of the game to reveal it to the public and now a scan of the cast has surfaced online.

• Carlos (voiced by Tomokazu Sugita)
• Akane (voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro)
• Junpei (voiced by Tatsuhisa Suzuki)
• Q (voiced by Aki Toyosaki)
• Eric (voiced by Akira Ishida)
• Mira (voiced by Maaya Sakamoto)
• Diana (voiced by Mamiko Noto)
• Phi (voiced by Chiaki Omigawa)
• Sigma (voiced by Daisuke Ono)

Further, information from a Kotaro Uchikoshi interview suggests that Zero Time Dilemma will probably be the first 3DS game with a CERO Z rating (adults-only). Apparently this time Kotaru wasn't asked to tune down the game to get a lower age rating, instead he created the game exactly how he wanted it to be created.

As the final chapter, will all mysteries be resolved?

All of the mysteries from the previous games will be solved. We're making sure that the people who play it for the first time will also enjoy it.

Are there any extreme scenes?

The 'Ultimate Choice' is a thing where one's life is put at risk. I want the player to be well-worried. Since we don't want to soften up the presentation for the sake of age regulations, we're putting out the presentation how I want it without changes. So the possibility that this is the first Z-rated game for 3DS is high. (Laughs.)

Source

 

[Pedeadstrian]

Ha, too funny!

Was actually referring to the one in the screenshot for the third game, and imagining what the pre-order watch will look like. I wonder if everyone was like me and ordered both the Vita and 3DS versions...

They've already shown it off. It looks similar to the one you mentioned. More details here: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/01/the_zero_time_dilemma_watch_goes_for_a_metallic_style

 

[GrabitHot]

An adult rating? I doubt it will be adult rating here. Never heard of it on a Nintendo platform. It'll be rated "M" I bet.

 

[rehevkor]

Sweeet.. hopefully it'll make up for the Virtue's Last Reward's ending which was a bit of a swing and a miss (middle game syndrome I guess, it was just setting up for this).

 

[phalk]

I've bought my 3DS for VLR.

I'm totally hyped.

 

[Haloman800]

When VLR pre order was announced, I spent a few hours sitting in front of my computer, with a browser refresher going. I ended up buying around 20 copies of the 3DS and Vita with the special edition watch. I then turned around and sold them for about 80 bucks a pop on eBay.

Good times

 

[Kamui]

it's 28 June~ Hypee
http://gematsu.com/2016/03/zero-time-dilemma-launches-june-28-ps-vita-3ds-later-pc-first-trailer

 

[FireEmblemGuy]

Three months and an eventual PC release? My body was not ready.

I am slightly concerned in that it sounds like they're cutting the VN aspect completely in favor of a 'live' cinematic narrative, but as long as it doesn't interfere with the flow of the story (and as long as I can turn on subtitles regardless of language) I can live with it.

 

[Pedeadstrian]

Three months and an eventual PC release? My body was not ready.

I am slightly concerned in that it sounds like they're cutting the VN aspect completely in favor of a 'live' cinematic narrative, but as long as it doesn't interfere with the flow of the story (and as long as I can turn on subtitles regardless of language) I can live with it.

Hmm... I haven't been looking at screenshots or anything like that so I can go in as blind as possible (except the trailer, so much hype). You say it sounds like they're doing that, but how do you mean? If you're basing it off of the trailer, obviously they're not gonna fill a hype trailer with a bunch of dialogue.

 

[Lycan911]

According to Uchikoshi, there will be no 3D effect in the 3DS version of the game, which seriously makes me sad. VLR didn't have a really good 3D effect, so I hoped they would make it a bit better for ZTD, but to remove it completely was really unexpected.

You can read the whole interview here.

 

[WiiUBricker]

According to Uchikoshi, there will be no 3D effect in the 3DS version of the game, which seriously makes me sad. VLR didn't have a really good 3D effect, so I hoped they would make it a bit better for ZTD, but to remove it completely was really unexpected.

You can read the whole interview here.

I couldn't care less about 3D in a game like this.

 

[Lycan911]

Damn, this is seriously touching... Why aren't all game developers so awesome?
#UchiForPresident

 

[phalk]

Uchikoshi is the man.

 

[WiiUBricker]

Yes, Operation Bluebird was a success. I'm so hyped for this game

 

[FireEmblemGuy]

Hmm... I haven't been looking at screenshots or anything like that so I can go in as blind as possible (except the trailer, so much hype). You say it sounds like they're doing that, but how do you mean? If you're basing it off of the trailer, obviously they're not gonna fill a hype trailer with a bunch of dialogue.

A number of sites are reporting it, based on what was said at the event. Per Kotaku and USGamer respectively:

The developers say the story will be told through cinematics; there’s no more lengthy prose. All of the dialogue will be voiced. “You can play the game without reading,” they say. They’re also trying to make it as accessible as possible to people who haven’t played the first two games.

But this time around, Zero Escape won't communicate its story via reams upon reams of text; while much of the experience still involves a whole lot of watching the narrative unravel, this time, it plays out via cinema scenes.

Either way I can live with it, but it does hamper people like me who analyze and re-analyze everything looking for clues.


Also, this really seems like a hell of a year for Japanese handheld games making their way to Steam. Danganronpa and Disgaea (with the PSP version's content) last month, Mind Zero and Root Double Xtend Edition (which I guess was just as much a PS3 title) this month, Danganronpa 2 next month, and Zero Escape 3 sometime in the near future. Would be nice if more of them followed Danganronpa's example and added Steam OS/Linux versions, but given the questionable competence of Disgaea and Mind Zero's ports, and the fact that Root Double's programming is all being done overseas by the original development team, I wouldn't count on it.

 

[Pedeadstrian]

A number of sites are reporting it, based on what was said at the event. Per Kotaku and USGamer respectively:



Either way I can live with it, but it does hamper people like me who analyze and re-analyze everything looking for clues.


Also, this really seems like a hell of a year for Japanese handheld games making their way to Steam. Danganronpa and Disgaea (with the PSP version's content) last month, Mind Zero and Root Double Xtend Edition (which I guess was just as much a PS3 title) this month, Danganronpa 2 next month, and Zero Escape 3 sometime in the near future. Would be nice if more of them followed Danganronpa's example and added Steam OS/Linux versions, but given the questionable competence of Disgaea and Mind Zero's ports, and the fact that Root Double's programming is all being done overseas by the original development team, I wouldn't count on it.

Aww, that stinks. That's gonna make it harder for me to make notes like I plan to do for all three games. I sure hope there are rewind functions and "checkpoints" like in VLR that you can easily jump to.

And regarding Root Double, it's getting awfully late into March with no solid release date. Last week they said they were working hard on getting the programming done, so it sounds like they're on track, but I've been expecting the date to be pushed to April for a while (I think they even had the release window in April on their Kickstarter). I sure hope they finish it soon, though. Since I won't be getting my Visual Novel fix from ZTD, I need something to fill the hole in my soul.

 

[FireEmblemGuy]

Aww, that stinks. That's gonna make it harder for me to make notes like I plan to do for all three games. I sure hope there are rewind functions and "checkpoints" like in VLR that you can easily jump to.

And regarding Root Double, it's getting awfully late into March with no solid release date. Last week they said they were working hard on getting the programming done, so it sounds like they're on track, but I've been expecting the date to be pushed to April for a while (I think they even had the release window in April on their Kickstarter). I sure hope they finish it soon, though. Since I won't be getting my Visual Novel fix from ZTD, I need something to fill the hole in my soul.

I don't want to spoil too much in case you're trying to go in blind, but from what they've shown off the story will be segmented (although differently than how VLR did it), and after each segment's been completed it'll apparently be shown in a timeline view.

The Steam page for Root Double went up sometime last night, and although there's no preorder or date, it does still say it's releasing in March. I'd give a warning that one of the images might spoil a bad end (in fact, it's just a picture of a synopsis for a bad end), but one of the Lemnisca guys argued that since it was accessible early into the game and didn't give a lot of details it's not really a spoiler; I don't agree, but whatever. Seems like right from when the KS went up it said Expected Delivery was March 2016 (except for when they added Vita rewards scheduled for March 2017), but I'll admit I was skeptical about it too given Sekai Project's reputation.

 

[Pedeadstrian]

I don't want to spoil too much in case you're trying to go in blind, but from what they've shown off the story will be segmented (although differently than how VLR did it), and after each segment's been completed it'll apparently be shown in a timeline view.

It's rather difficult to go into ZTD blind (considering its general plot is revealed through VLR's gameplay), so I don't mind a bit here and there. But yeah, that's actually what a majority of my notes were gonna be: a timeline of when things happened and showing arrows going between "jumps." I guess that makes it easier on me.

I'd give a warning that one of the images might spoil a bad end (in fact, it's just a picture of a synopsis for a bad end), but one of the Lemnisca guys argued that since it was accessible early into the game and didn't give a lot of details it's not really a spoiler; I don't agree, but whatever.

It's a good thing I didn't look at any of the pictures. I agree with you that just because something happens early in the game it doesn't mean it's not a spoiler. I'm going into Root Double even blinder than ZTD. All I know is that it's Sci-Fi and I think there's a virus or something. That's it. People really need to stop putting spoilers in promotional videos and images.

 

[fischermasamune]

Hyped for it. I hope it delivers closures to the holes left by VLR.

 

[Pedeadstrian]

Hyped for it. I hope it delivers closures to the holes left by VLR.

Uchikoshi (the guy behind it) has already stated that it will wrap things up fairly nicely. No "Omg, another cliffhanger! it was a tetralogy all along! ZE4 in 2020!"

 

[Kamui]

recently Uchikoshi replied my comment and he said there will be no glitch like in VLR on 3ds version.. really looking forward to playing it!