Seek a way out
I generally have a love/hate relationship with pure adventure games. My enjoyment of them is highly dependent on how well their narrative is able to carry limited gameplay mechanics, which is a hard row for video games to hoe. 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors answers the call marvelously, however, proving to be a mature, well thought out adventure game that will occupy your thoughts for days after completion, and is a must play for any fan of the genre.
Being a story driven adventure game, the vast majority of your time spent “playing” 999 revolves around reading lots and lots of text. Fortunately, this is also where the game shines brightest, as the writing, characters, and plot are incredibly well done. The sharp writing delivers everything in a smart, mature manner- it’s never too melodramatic, and handles heavy topics with an appropriate amount of care. The dialogue is also great at developing the many characters, and there are a wide range of dynamic personalities among them. They all seem to have their own motives, and getting to know them over the course of the game is one of the best things about it. Everything is tied together by a pretty ambitious plot that spreads its many secrets across multiple endings, and piecing it all together paints a satisfying picture. That it manages to provide a compelling story explanation for this structure is an unexpected treat, and shows that the developers put a lot of thought into the game’s narrative.
For as much as the idea of multiple endings benefits the mystery itself, it makes actually playing 999 a bit of a chore. You’re only going to get the full experience by playing multiple times, and anything less than the full experience isn’t worth it. The game does let you skip text you’ve already seen on successive playthroughs, but you still have to do the puzzles even if you’ve solved them before, which is a shame. Otherwise, the puzzles themselves are serviceable enough, and most of the game’s many paths offer completely different ones to try. They get you thinking without being frustratingly obscure, and even if they aren’t always the most interesting puzzles you’ve ever seen they can still be fun at times. Last but not least, and what may prove to be the biggest stumbling block for a lot of people, is that 999 moves at a speed barely above glacial. It takes its sweet time doing absolutely everything, and there is no option at all to make the text scroll any faster, which seems like an obvious oversight. The game as a whole isn't that long, but it would have still been better to be able to move through it more comfortably.
999 can be a hit or miss kind of game, but when it does hit, it hits hard. If you can handle its slow pacing and are willing to play through it multiple times to see everything it has to offer, this will prove to be a gripping, all-consuming adventure that will stick with you for for quite some time. Anyone with an appreciation for the genre would be doing themselves a clear disservice by passing on 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors.
For additional information on my review style and scoring system, click here.
