LogFAQs > #950507476

#22 - Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (3DS, 2012 and Vita, 2012)

Yes, I played both versions of this visual novel - I played it on the 3DS originally and when it came out on PS+ for the Vita I played it there too. The Vita version is objectively the better version due to the upgraded graphics, music, and no save data loss bug, but the 3DS version is still great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFJ1r6_4mW4

Given this is another one of Uchikoshi's best visual novels (though not the best one on this list!) I really enjoyed my time with this game, and feel it's the best of the Zero Escape trilogy easily. The flowchart in this one makes it very easy to swap paths and change certain decisions easily. Somehow it all manages to come together in the end and make sense when all the plot twists are revealed. Of course, the true conclusion isn't in this game as this is the 2nd game in the trilogy, but the characters and plot are top-notch and it's not to be missed if you played 999 to the end.

Also, there are puzzles. Not any particularly challenging ones, but it's a nice break from the many plot twists the game gets into, especially in the final act!

Phi > Luna > K > Sigma > Dio > Tenmyouji > Quark > Clover > Alice

#21 - Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (PS2, 2006; version played - PSP, 2009)

If you can't tell by the above console listing, I never played the original or FES version of Persona 3 - only the portable version on the PSP. So a lot of the complaints that people had with Persona 3 are just no longer present here; many of the terrible social links are removed and replaced with better characters (except for one). You can also control your party members so there's no problem there either - no Mitsuru spamming Marin Karin all the time. In the end, I really like the story of Persona 3 and its darker atmosphere with the Dark Hour more than the murder mystery of Persona 4, and I find a lot of the party members in 3, especially the initial ones are better than 4's characters (though the trio of first-years in 4 are some of the best characters in the series, obviously). The female protagonist also unlocks social links with all of the male party members, which expands on their background and fleshes them out more - and yes, this includes Shinjiro as well. It's something a lot of them actually needed and I'm not sure why they didn't have them in the first place.

The portable version also uses a visual novel-like point and click to move around areas, which is a huge time saver and I like it more than having to run around everywhere. It's also no surprise that Tartarus is basically what I look for in a dungeon - a ton of randomly generated floors with mini-bosses all over the place as you head up. Persona 4 also does the random dungeons but there are much less mini-bosses heading through each of them, and the game seems much easier as a result. One thing that really annoyed me though was when Yukari getting charmed in the final boss battle and casting Diarahan on the final boss at 25% health left, but I still managed to win that one.

Anyway if you do play Persona 3, the portable version is definitely the way to go. It also has the male route if you really want to play it, or if you just want to here BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY at the beginning of every battle!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR803M2W7RY

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azuarc may not know the strength of songs in VGMC, but he conquered the guru in Game of the Decade 2! Congrats!