A new Visual Novel for the Nintendo DS, 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors offers not only a unique video game experience but also challenges players to think about moral and philosophical issues.
999 tells the story of Junpei, a college kid who was mysteriously kidnapped and trapped on a sinking ship. Now, Junpei only has the titular 9 hours in order to escape, and he must work with the other 8 people aboard the ship if he wants to stay alive. Oh, and if that weren’t enough, he and his comrades all have bombs placed within their stomachs, and they must play their kidnapper’s “Nonary Game” if they don’t want to be blown up from the inside-out.
The horror aspect of the game isn’t overwhelming; no dead bodies are directly shown in the images, but instead you see the blood spatter on the walls. The game will describe the bodies to you in detail, and these descriptions certainly earn the game its M-rating, but the gore is not overpowering. As long as you play the game in a well-lit area during the day, you should be able to keep your wits about you.
The puzzles themselves are well-done, as they are challenging without being ridiculous. Most of the solutions use common-sense, and no special knowledge is needed for any of them. For example, in some playthroughs you will run into a puzzle that requires you to play a song note-by-note, but the knowledge you need to solve it is contained within the game itself.
Part of the appeal of 999 is its multiple endings—as a Visual Novel, a style of game popular in Japan but not as prevalent in America, your actions and choices throughout the story impact how the game will end. Make poor decisions, and you may find yourself out of time. In fact, the creators use the multiple-ending feature within gameplay; for reasons explained in the “True” ending, you must unlock another ending first in order to gain the knowledge necessary to reach the “True” ending.
Arguably the best part of the game, however, is its richly-developed characters. All 9 of the characters have their own personalities and agendas, and as the story progresses, you learn more about the secrets they hold. All characters are flushed out and dynamic, which is what makes 999’s twists so fascinating. You also investigate the connections characters have to the mysterious events of 9 years ago as you try to piece together why you were kidnapped.
Well said, Junpei. Well said.
As the name Visual Novel implies, however, the game is text-heavy; oftentimes, you will either be solving a puzzle, choosing your next action, or reading. Over half of the game is written out in text form, so those who prefer speedier or more action-heavy games may want to look for something else to play. However, the novel aspect of the game is really used well.
The Breakdown:
Quality/Appearance— 8/10; the game is accompanied by illustrations of the characters’ surroundings on the top screen, which really bring the game to life. However, the images are static; you can click on objects during investigation sequences, but otherwise there isn’t much interaction with the scenery. The character sprites are nice, though, as they display a range of emotions and help build the connection between the player and their fellow kidnap victims.
Content—9.9/10; the only reason that the game hasn’t scored a full 10 is because there’s always room for improvement. From discussions of philosophical questions like the Locke’s Socks theory and the meaning of “self” to ladder puns, the game is entertaining, both challenging you to think and providing copious amounts of humor despite the grim setting. All the puzzles can be solved without too much difficulty, and the twist at the end is certainly worth the build-up.
Replay value – 9/10; the game has six different endings, so you’ll probably want to replay it a few times in order to understand the full story behind the events of 999. While each replay may take a while, due to the sheer amount of text to go through, there is a fast-forward option to speed through previously-read information. Additionally, you won’t be able to go through all the puzzle rooms in one playthrough, so you’ll have to start again if you want to figure out what’s behind another door.
Total score – 9/10
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