Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward 3DS
Metascore
88 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
view
per page
  1. 4Players.de
    Mar 14, 2013
    88
    If you want a suspenseful crime story with sci-fi flair, dramatic conflicts and puzzles that are as varied as they are challenging, look no further. This is a grand adventure.
  2. Cubed3
    Dec 26, 2012
    90
    Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward may lack the initial punch delivered by its predecessor, but still brings an engrossing tale to the table, with a story that players will have to explore completely before finally putting the game back on the shelf. With a smattering of smart puzzles tying everything together, it will take something truly special to trump this superb visual novel experience.
  3. DarkStation
    Mar 6, 2013
    90
    It’s a near flawless narrative experience wrapped in a bog-standard but necessary adventure game.
  4. DarkZero
    Dec 13, 2012
    90
    Virtue's Last Reward is a quality game that will surprise you. It will make you want to speak about it to people months after you have finished it. They aren't many game stories that make you do that, but the ones that do are normally exceptionally well-written with stimulating plots and shocking twists.
  5. Destructoid
    Nov 12, 2012
    95
    Virtue's Last Reward is a worthy follow-up in the Zero Escape series. You need to play it. Just, you know, play 999 first.
  6. Eurogamer Italy
    Apr 12, 2013
    90
    If written words don't scare you, Virtue's Last Reward is one of the best interactive books to date. Chunsoft's game mixes a great narrative with the hardest moral choices you can find in a game. Will you be a traitor or a betrayed?
  7. Games Master UK
    Nov 25, 2012
    88
    This is smart, powerful storytelling and one of 2012's shiniest hidden gems. [Christmas 2012, p.91]
    All this publication's reviews
  8. Machinima
    Nov 15, 2012
    90
    The excellent story hooked me in from the opening minutes and I didn't want to let go. With branching paths, multiple endings, and truly mysterious characters to interact with, Virtue's Last Reward will keep you thrilled for hours on end.
  9. Nintendo Life
    Nov 21, 2012
    100
    Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is nothing short of a masterpiece. Riveting from beginning to end, it sets a new standard for interactive storytelling, and demands an emotional investment from the player that ultimately pays off with one of the most satisfying endings in recent video gaming memory. Unless you have yet to experience its prequel 999, there is simply no excuse for you not to play this game.
  10. Official Nintendo Magazine UK
    Nov 22, 2012
    88
    In an industry embarrassed by brains, this is a shining beacon of measured character work, deep-rooted ideas and whip-smart dialogue.
  11. Wii Brasil
    Jan 3, 2013
    100
    VLR builds on a pre-existing universe a new layer with new characters and sets the stage for the probably last volume of a series that messes with the heads of all who are involved.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 63 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 2 out of 18
  1. MrsDraenog
    10
    I don't think I could love this game more if I tried. This game is the visual novel/puzzle sequel to the DS game '999: 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors', and after loving the first game, this one completely surpassed my expectations. This one included increasing text speed and also being able to go to different points in the game, which were very frustrating in the original. This means you won't have to play a room twice if you don't want. It's heavily text based, but there are lots of good puzzles and escape the room type scenarios to enjoy. As far as the storyline goes, it's confusing at times, requires some thinking, but it's completely captivating. I enjoyed all the characters, and it managed to be funny and touching. There's only one save slot, but I can understand why, so it wasn't an issue for me at all. There's also a noted bug in the 3DS version where if you save in certain rooms the game becomes corrupted, this did not happen to me, as I followed advice to not save while in an active puzzle room. I totaled about 45 hours with the game and all paths completed. This is THE 3DS game for me.… Full Review »
  2. Tatsuhiko
    10
    Obviously one of the best 3DS games out there. Words cannot even describe how great, but mind-boggling the story is. Finishing this game makes me want the sequel even more now.… Full Review »
  3. Darrisbob1
    9
    After playing through five of the over twenty different endings, here is my review. "Virtue's Last Reward" is the second game in Zero Escape series (with the first game being "999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors"). If you haven't played that game, it is HIGHLY recommended that you go back and get the final ending to "999". Like the game before it, "VLR" uses a mixture of heavy character and story involvement, multiple paths that lead to various endings, and challenging and sometimes punishing puzzles. The move up to the 3DS does little to change the formula of "999" and instead looks to improve upon them. The game has tons of full-voiced dialog (in both English and Japanese) and many more endings than in the previous game. The new characters you interact with are a varied group, each with different backgrounds and secrets to be revealed. The best way to describe this type of game to a newcomer would be to call it a mixture of Visual Novel (ala School Days or Corpse Party) and Puzzle game (like the Professor Layton series). I don't want to give too much away story-wise, as it's best to go into this game not knowing too much about what is going to happen. People who have played "999" knows where it's going, but the added twists and turns along the way will keep you playing til the very end.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »