<s>
Zero	B-Application
Time	I-Application
Dilemma	I-Application
,	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
Zero	B-Application
Escape	I-Application
:	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
Time	I-Application
Dilemma	I-Application
,	O
is	O
an	O
adventure	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Chime	O
,	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Spike	O
Chunsoft	O
and	O
Aksys	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
third	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
Zero	B-Application
Escape	I-Application
series	I-Application
,	O
following	O
Nine	B-Application
Hours	I-Application
,	I-Application
Nine	I-Application
Persons	I-Application
,	I-Application
Nine	I-Application
Doors	I-Application
(	O
2009	O
)	O
and	O
Virtue	B-Application
's	I-Application
Last	I-Application
Reward	I-Application
(	O
2012	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
in	O
2016	O
,	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
in	O
2017	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
in	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
December	O
2021	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
no	O
longer	O
available	O
for	O
purchase	O
on	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
and	O
European	O
Nintendo	B-Application
eShop	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
takes	O
the	O
roles	O
of	O
three	O
of	O
the	O
characters	O
,	O
and	O
plays	O
through	O
the	O
chapters	O
the	O
story	O
is	O
made	O
up	O
of	O
:	O
these	O
consist	O
of	O
animated	O
cinematics	O
,	O
escape-the-room	B-Application
puzzles	I-Application
,	O
and	O
moral	O
decisions	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
make	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zero	B-Application
Time	I-Application
Dilemma	I-Application
is	O
an	O
adventure	O
game	O
consisting	O
of	O
multiple	O
chapters	O
,	O
representing	O
90-minute	O
periods	O
;	O
chapters	O
consist	O
of	O
narrative	O
sections	O
and	O
escape-the-room	B-Application
puzzle	I-Application
sections	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zero	B-Application
Time	I-Application
Dilemma	I-Application
is	O
set	O
between	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Nine	B-Application
Hours	I-Application
,	I-Application
Nine	I-Application
Persons	I-Application
,	I-Application
Nine	I-Application
Doors	I-Application
and	O
Virtue	B-Application
's	I-Application
Last	I-Application
Reward	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Armed	O
with	O
a	O
shotgun	O
,	O
Eric	O
demands	O
to	O
know	O
who	O
killed	O
Mira	O
;	O
Carlos	O
says	O
that	O
he	O
must	O
be	O
innocent	O
as	O
he	O
was	O
in	O
the	O
C	O
Ward	O
,	O
but	O
Diana	O
realizes	O
that	O
the	O
wards	O
are	O
not	O
separate	O
:	O
there	O
is	O
only	O
one	O
lounge	O
,	O
which	O
changes	O
its	O
appearance	O
using	O
projection	B-General_Concept
mapping	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
timeline	O
leading	O
to	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Virtue	B-Application
's	I-Application
Last	I-Application
Reward	I-Application
,	O
Phi	O
is	O
infected	O
with	O
Radical-6	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
a	O
75%	O
possibility	O
of	O
causing	O
suicidal	O
intention	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zero	B-Application
Time	I-Application
Dilemma	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Chime	O
,	O
and	O
directed	O
and	O
written	O
by	O
Kotaro	O
Uchikoshi	O
,	O
with	O
music	O
composed	O
by	O
Shinji	O
Hosoe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uchikoshi	O
first	O
mentioned	O
details	O
of	O
a	O
third	O
Zero	B-Application
Escape	I-Application
game	O
in	O
2012	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
the	O
last	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
;	O
by	O
2013	O
,	O
he	O
said	O
that	O
he	O
had	O
finished	O
planning	O
the	O
story	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
development	O
had	O
not	O
yet	O
begun	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
porting	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
was	O
handled	O
by	O
Chime	O
,	O
with	O
consultation	O
from	O
Abstraction	O
Games	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
previously	O
worked	O
on	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
ports	O
for	O
the	O
Danganronpa	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
the	O
Nine	B-Application
Hours	I-Application
,	I-Application
Nine	I-Application
Persons	I-Application
,	I-Application
Nine	I-Application
Doors	I-Application
characters	O
Junpei	O
and	O
Akane	O
and	O
the	O
Virtue	B-Application
's	I-Application
Last	I-Application
Reward	I-Application
characters	O
Sigma	O
and	O
Phi	O
appear	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Uchikoshi	O
decided	O
to	O
have	O
arrangements	O
of	O
songs	O
from	O
those	O
two	O
games	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
also	O
had	O
the	O
songs	O
"	O
Digital	O
Root	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Trepidation	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
used	O
in	O
both	O
previous	O
games	O
,	O
be	O
included	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
saw	O
them	O
as	O
a	O
sort	O
of	O
theme	O
songs	O
that	O
tie	O
the	O
games	O
together	O
as	O
a	O
series	O
,	O
similarly	O
to	O
"	O
The	O
Imperial	O
March	O
"	O
from	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
films	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
puzzle	O
creators	O
were	O
enlisted	O
with	O
designing	O
the	O
escape-the-room	B-Application
scenarios	O
;	O
Uchikoshi	O
described	O
one	O
of	O
them	O
as	O
creating	O
"	O
orthodox	O
"	O
puzzles	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
other	O
,	O
Strider	B-Application
creator	O
Kouichi	O
Yotsui	O
,	O
as	O
creating	O
"	O
unique	O
and	O
out-of-the-box	O
"	O
types	O
of	O
puzzles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
originally	O
planned	O
to	O
be	O
developed	O
simultaneously	O
with	O
the	O
previous	O
Zero	B-Application
Escape	I-Application
game	O
,	O
Virtue	B-Application
's	I-Application
Last	I-Application
Reward	I-Application
,	O
with	O
the	O
two	O
games	O
being	O
"	O
paired	O
as	O
a	O
set	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
with	O
Virtue	B-Application
's	I-Application
Last	I-Application
Reward	I-Application
having	O
a	O
cliffhanger	B-Application
ending	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
Zero	B-Application
Time	I-Application
Dilemma	I-Application
,	O
Uchikoshi	O
intended	O
to	O
resolve	O
all	O
mysteries	O
left	O
from	O
the	O
previous	O
game	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
all	O
introduced	O
in	O
the	O
third	O
,	O
while	O
also	O
attempting	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
story	O
enjoyable	O
for	O
first-time	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
figuring	O
out	O
how	O
to	O
explain	O
the	O
mysteries	O
while	O
avoiding	O
contradictions	O
with	O
Virtue	B-Application
's	I-Application
Last	I-Application
Reward	I-Application
,	O
they	O
added	O
side	O
stories	O
to	O
the	O
narrative	O
to	O
give	O
it	O
"	O
a	O
little	O
extra	O
punch	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
took	O
the	O
time-travel	O
ability	O
some	O
characters	O
in	O
Virtue	B-Application
's	I-Application
Last	I-Application
Reward	I-Application
have	O
into	O
consideration	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
opened	O
up	O
for	O
more	O
narrative	O
possibilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Uchikoshi	O
had	O
already	O
had	O
an	O
idea	O
for	O
the	O
setting	O
and	O
events	O
of	O
Zero	B-Application
Time	I-Application
Dilemma	I-Application
when	O
writing	O
Virtue	B-Application
's	I-Application
Last	I-Application
Reward	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
structure	O
changed	O
when	O
the	O
time	O
came	O
to	O
implement	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
theme	O
of	O
no	O
absolute	O
good	O
or	O
evil	O
came	O
from	O
Buddhist	O
literature	O
Uchikoshi	O
had	O
read	O
,	O
particularly	O
the	O
Zen	B-Application
Buddhist	I-Application
idea	O
of	O
"	O
shiki	O
soku	O
zeku	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
he	O
described	O
as	O
"	O
matter	O
is	O
void	O
and	O
form	O
is	O
emptiness	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
previous	O
Zero	B-Application
Escape	I-Application
titles	O
tell	O
their	O
narratives	O
through	O
visual	O
novel	O
segments	O
,	O
Zero	B-Application
Time	I-Application
Dilemma	I-Application
replaces	O
them	O
with	O
cinema	O
scenes	O
,	O
intended	O
to	O
feel	O
familiar	O
for	O
Western	O
players	O
and	O
"	O
emulate	O
the	O
feel	O
of	O
a	O
big-budget	O
American	O
TV	O
show	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
this	O
more	O
cinematic	O
approach	O
,	O
Uchikoshi	O
was	O
able	O
to	O
make	O
use	O
of	O
his	O
experience	O
with	O
writing	O
the	O
anime	O
series	O
Punch	B-Application
Line	I-Application
(	O
2015	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
inspirations	O
for	O
the	O
change	O
in	O
format	O
were	O
Telltale	O
Games	O
 '	O
adventure	O
game	O
series	O
The	O
Walking	O
Dead	O
(	O
2012	O
–	O
2019	O
)	O
and	O
Level-5	O
'	O
s	O
adventure	O
game	O
Time	B-Application
Travelers	I-Application
(	O
2012	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
to	O
feedback	O
from	O
players	O
,	O
Zero	B-Application
Time	I-Application
Dilemma	I-Application
was	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
more	O
suspenseful	O
than	O
Virtue	B-Application
's	I-Application
Last	I-Application
Reward	I-Application
:	O
Uchikoshi	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
producer	O
decided	O
that	O
,	O
as	O
Zero	B-Application
Time	I-Application
Dilemma	I-Application
is	O
the	O
final	O
Zero	B-Application
Escape	I-Application
game	O
,	O
they	O
should	O
no	O
longer	O
hold	O
back	O
and	O
instead	O
do	O
what	O
they	O
had	O
always	O
wanted	O
to	O
do	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Junpei	O
was	O
redesigned	O
to	O
fit	O
his	O
jaded	O
personality	O
in	O
Zero	B-Application
Time	I-Application
Dilemma	I-Application
as	O
his	O
previous	O
design	O
in	O
Nine	B-Application
Hours	I-Application
,	I-Application
Nine	I-Application
Persons	I-Application
,	I-Application
Nine	I-Application
Doors	I-Application
felt	O
"	O
childish	O
"	O
and	O
clashing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Parts	O
of	O
Sigma	O
's	O
design	O
from	O
Virtue	B-Application
's	I-Application
Last	I-Application
Reward	I-Application
were	O
incorporated	O
into	O
his	O
new	O
one	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
embroidery	O
on	O
his	O
polo	O
shirt	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2015	O
,	O
Aksys	O
Games	O
launched	O
the	O
website	O
4infinity.co,	O
which	O
consisted	O
of	O
a	O
countdown	O
timer	O
;	O
the	O
countdown	O
ended	O
in	O
July	O
,	O
coinciding	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
announcement	O
at	O
Anime	O
Expo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
title	O
and	O
logo	O
were	O
revealed	O
in	O
October	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
December	O
,	O
a	O
teaser	O
Twitter	B-Application
account	I-Application
was	O
launched	O
,	O
revealing	O
artwork	O
of	O
characters	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Japanese	O
release	O
uses	O
the	O
English	O
series	O
title	O
,	O
Zero	B-Application
Escape	I-Application
,	O
instead	O
of	O
the	O
title	O
used	O
for	O
previous	O
Japanese	O
releases	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
developers	O
wanted	O
to	O
renew	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
image	O
and	O
bring	O
over	O
the	O
Western	O
title	O
to	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
previous	O
Zero	B-Application
Escape	I-Application
games	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
localized	O
alongside	O
the	O
production	O
of	O
the	O
Japanese	O
version	O
:	O
it	O
was	O
published	O
by	O
Aksys	O
Games	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
on	O
June	O
28	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
Japanese	O
release	O
following	O
on	O
June	O
30	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
version	O
was	O
released	O
worldwide	O
by	O
Spike	O
Chunsoft	O
on	O
June	O
30	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
digitally	O
and	O
physically	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
and	O
digitally	O
only	O
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
version	O
is	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
TV	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
version	O
does	O
not	O
support	O
the	O
system	O
's	O
stereoscopic	B-Algorithm
3D	I-Algorithm
effect	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
version	O
with	O
improved	O
lighting	O
and	O
shading	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
August	O
17	O
,	O
2017	O
and	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
the	O
following	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
version	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
August	O
30	O
,	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Japanese	O
pre-ordered	O
copies	O
came	O
bundled	O
with	O
the	O
48-page	O
Zero	B-Application
Escape	I-Application
:	O
Premium	O
Booklet	O
,	O
which	O
includes	O
production	O
material	O
,	O
illustrations	O
by	O
Tomono	O
,	O
summaries	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
two	O
Zero	B-Application
Escape	I-Application
games	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
prequel	O
written	O
by	O
Uchikoshi	O
;	O
a	O
digital	O
edition	O
of	O
the	O
booklet	O
was	O
bundled	O
with	O
the	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
release	O
,	O
together	O
with	O
a	O
portion	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
soundtrack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Hosoe	O
,	O
his	O
company	O
,	O
Supersweep	O
,	O
which	O
published	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
albums	O
for	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
,	O
is	O
considering	O
publishing	O
an	O
album	O
for	O
Zero	B-Application
Time	I-Application
Dilemma	I-Application
too	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zero	B-Application
Time	I-Application
Dilemma	I-Application
was	O
well	O
received	O
by	O
critics	O
on	O
all	O
platforms	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
second-best	O
reviewed	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
game	O
of	O
2016	O
on	O
Metacritic	O
,	O
after	O
Steins	B-Application
;	I-Application
Gate	I-Application
0	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
its	O
opening	O
week	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
it	O
sold	O
5,375	O
copies	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
and	O
3,916	O
copies	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
,	O
for	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
9,291	O
copies	O
sold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
third	O
best	O
selling	O
digital	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
game	O
of	O
June	O
2016	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
despite	O
being	O
released	O
three	O
days	O
before	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Steam	B-Application
release	O
had	O
an	O
estimated	O
total	O
of	O
38,000	O
players	O
by	O
July	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
appreciated	O
how	O
the	O
puzzle	O
rooms	O
,	O
unlike	O
many	O
other	O
escape-the-room	B-Application
games	O
,	O
do	O
not	O
feel	O
artificial	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
won	O
or	O
been	O
nominated	O
for	O
some	O
awards	O
:	O
it	O
won	O
Destructoid	O
's	O
award	O
for	O
the	O
best	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
game	O
of	O
2016	O
,	O
Game	O
Informer	O
award	O
for	O
the	O
best	O
ending	O
in	O
an	O
adventure	O
game	O
of	O
2016	O
,	O
and	O
RPGFan	O
's	O
Reader	O
's	O
Choice	O
award	O
in	O
the	O
adventure	O
games	O
and	O
visual	O
novels	O
category	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
a	O
runner-up	O
for	O
Hardcore	O
Gamer	O
Best	O
Story	O
,	O
Best	O
Voice	O
Acting	O
and	O
Best	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
Game	O
of	O
2016	O
awards	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
IGN	O
's	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
games	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
awards	O
.	O
</s>
