999 is a terrific, story driven game that will interest those who love puzzles, mystery, and tension.
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (or 999 for short) is about nine people who are kidnapped and placed on a sinking ocean liner with nine hours to escape through nine numbered doors, the number nine door holding the key to their freedom. The concept of this game is well known to most people as the idea of being kidnapped and made to fight for your very life is a very popular scenario in media, but very few go even deeper into this type of situation. 999 explores the very fabric of each character and you'll get incredibly attached to almost every character, but there will always be a creeping suspicion about the other players participating in the Nonary game.
As a visual novel, you will spend very little of the game in comparison to the amount of reading you do actually playing the game. Instead, you will have very long dialogue sequences while animated renders of the characters appear on the top screen with dialogue appearing underneath them that can last anywhere to only a minute or two to sequences that last well over half an hour. But don't worry, as these conversations are fluid, interesting, and they feel very natural. And with a plot that encompasses six different endings, 999 is full of mystery and intrigue, and it'll become very difficult to escape its hold when you delve ever deeper into the secrets of this deadly game.
This is a game of choices, but it won't be forcing you to scroll through dozens of different options every few minutes that influence your fate. The choices in this game are few and playing the game naturally will allow you to guide Junpei along whichever path you choose, and the seemingly insignificant choices subtlety carving the ending based on how you viewed and acted in the game overall. At first, the fate you end up with will be one of your own decisions. Growing attached to your favorite characters will make advancing down a different path than them all the more difficult, but you'll end up realizing that the characters you weren't all that interested in beforehand have exploded with character development galore.
However, this all comes at a cost, which is one of the main problems with this game. Repetition! The story is fresh and unique the first time you go through it, with character development being seemingly endless. But after the first play-through, you'll have to start over from the very beginning of the story. This is not much of a problem at first, but can quickly become a nuisance when a player has played the game multiple times, with new content becoming much more rare. Skipping the discussion is easy enough with the ability to fast forward, but the puzzle sequences have to be done all over again. Nevertheless, the repetition is not too much of an annoyance, with new content almost always being introduced. So even if you have already seen and done most of the game already, you can look forward to more information being added to the storyline of 999.
The very long plot may push the gameplay to the side, but don't think it's nonexistent! You explore various rooms in first person view, clicking on the surroundings using your stylus. Exploring is very important in order to find clues that will help you advance further on. Various items are hidden in every day objects that will need to be used or combined with a certain object to create solutions. Fear not, as you're not alone, as your companions are always there, watching over your shoulders and giving some helpful dialogue hints to guide you along the right path. But the main gameplay comes when you're faced with puzzles. And that's what the majority of your play time will focus on. If you're one of those people who are horrible at puzzles, like me, then you are probably thinking that you will have a horrible time with this game. The good news is that while they are difficult, they are also very fair. While there may be one or two that prove to be formidable, most are able to be completed if you put your mind to it. While nothing is revolutionary in the gameplay of 999, it's an interesting form that blends in well with the storyline.
999 keeps its art simple, with static backgrounds and character renders. Each character has a certain amount of unique renders that depict their mood, and they switch through these renders often during cutscenes. While this type of technique is nothing special in its own right, these renders and backgrounds, combined with the plot, mix well with what is currently going on. Many of the backgrounds and art that displays on the screen during certain scenes are well made, and are capable of subtly effecting the atmosphere of the current event. My only issue with this is that they did not include a gallery feature; with the amount of art that is featured in this game, I would have liked to have gone back and took a look through them.
The soundtrack is also of exceptional quality, and 999 would not have been as good as it was if not for the amazing songs. It's truly amazing how most scenes fits the particular song being played; it is like you are experiencing whatever it is that the characters are currently going through. The incredible tension that is displayed in scenes, and even the lighthearted banter of the characters when they discuss their next course of action are increased in quality exponentially when given support by the amazing soundtrack.
Not everyone will like these types of games, but Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors is a game that will definitely be enjoyed by those who fancy a fantastic plot that does its best to get inside your head at every corner. There are a few problems, such as the amount of repetitiveness that you will have to endure, but it's worth overlooking, as the high quality plot and interesting puzzles will provide with you hours of entertainment.