Zero Time Dilemma is the long-awaited finale to the Zero Escape series. it was released in 2016, largely due to the efforts of Operation Bluebird -- an extremely dedicated portion of the fanbase who wanted to prove that there was enough interest in the series to justify the release of a third game.
as with the previous two games in the series, Zero Time Dilemma revolves around a cast of characters who have become unwilling participants in a murder-death-game headed by a masked figure known only as 'Zero'. when the participants of the D-Com Mars mission experiment wake up in an underground nuclear bomb shelter, Zero informs them that the only way to escape is by playing the 'Decision Game' -- a series of Saw-like traps in which their decisions will determine who, if any of them, will survive. only once 6 of the trapped 9 have died will the door to the bomb shelter open, allowing the survivors to escape.
as with the 999 page, the rest of this page will contain spoilers for ZTD. continue at your own risk.
C-Team
C-Team said bisexual rights. Akane and Junpei have MAJOR divorced energy and Carlos is their unconsenting marriage counsellor. Junpei spends the game looking like an angsty teenager forced on a family outing by his parents.
D-Team
D-Team is probably the most well-adjusted team in the game, which is saying something when their members consist of a 68-year-old man trapped in his 22-year-old's body; the love of his life who hasn't met him yet; and their daughter from like 50 years in the future.
Q-Team
dear GOD what a trainwreck. i love their dynamic SO much. Eric spends approximately 50% of his time simping over Mira, and the other 50% of his time trying to murder a child. Eric is simultaneously the most normal person in this game and also completely unhinged. Eric's problem is that he thinks he's the protagonist of this story.
i unironically love ZTD soooo much. it's like if Saw was a comedy (but was never supposed to be one). it's a completely unhinged experience that has to be experienced to be experienced.
in slightly less meme-y territory, i genuinely think that Zero Time Dilemma is a good game. its puzzles are some of the most interesting in the entire series, striking the best balance between challenging without being frustrating. narratively, and gameplay-wise, ZTD invokes some really clever callbacks to the previous two games in the series in such a way that it rewards players for having played the previous games by subverting their expectations. while the plot can be an absolute hot mess fever dream, i also genuinely think that ZTD is an incredibly cleverly-written narrative. i have been gnawing on it ever since i first played it.
...i have... a LOT of thoughts about ZTD. at some point i intend to write a full-length essay in defence of Zero Time Dilemma. i'm chipping away at it while i replay the game for the purpose of putting together the puzzle guide. links to come; stay tuned!