The 50 Best Nintendo Games Right Now (Wii U / 3DS)

Best Nintendo Games List – #21 Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward

Developer: Chunsoft

Publisher: Aksys Games

Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Release Date: October 23, 2012

A direct follow-up to 999, Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward offers a unique storytelling convention through the visual novel adventure genre. Where games like those in the Ace Attorney series present examples of cooky investigation and solving crimes, playing as protagonist Sigma, you are captured along with eight other characters to escape out of a life-and-death situation. The twist comes in Novel sections of gameplay, where you are often asked to ally or betray a fellow NPC.

It results in a storyline that adapts to your decisions, with up to twenty-four (!) different endings depending on how you choose to play. Even more intriguing is the idea that you can jump between alternate plotlines to achieve the “main” ultimate ending, which includes learning new information and escaping several trap rooms with the knowledge from said alternate realities. It’s a neat way to break up the visual novel genre, and it’s clear why the announcement of a sequel has fans excited.

Next: #20 Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call