May 14, 2016
I watched this Prologue to see if it would be okay to show to my friend who has not yet played the game. I am a big fan of the series so I also wanted to see it for myself. I love the game series (10/10, would recommend) but this ONA doesn't offer much for anyone.
[For people who have played VLR]
If you've beat the game, you will notice all the discrepancies between it and this ONA. It makes watching it way less enjoyable. There isn't much animation either - a lot of this short is scrolling stills or just lip movement, so seeing the events
...
in anime form isn't that exciting. The characters don't show much personality, and most of their dialogue is just to explain the plot, so no fun banter. One thing I did enjoy was that they used the same voice actors and music as the game (I watched the English dub). I'd only watch this if I was seeking out more Zero Escape content, or as a refresher for the start of the game (if you are part way through) or the third game.
[For people planning to play VLR]
If you are watching this without having played VLR and knowing nothing about it, not even the characters, it spoils a few elements that you could encounter hours into the game. It takes the surprise out of a few other moments too. Since it's so fast paced, you don't really have time to analyze the information it gives you.
If you know the characters then there isn't much that's actually a spoiler and it could be enjoyable, but be warned that you have to take everything with a grain of salt, as many events or facts are different than in the game. Also, don't watch this if you are about to start the game, since it's the same plot and you will be bored for a few hours because you will already know the main information and it's more drawn out in the game. Watch it and wait a bit, is my advice.
[For people new to the Zero Escape series]
This is probably the group who would get the most out of this ONA. It's a nice introduction to how many rules of the game work, and can let you get a feel for if you are interested or not. You would probably not latch on and retain the spoiler moments as much as a person who has played 999, so they would still be exciting when you see them in the game. Again, remember that this prologue isn't very accurate, and they even get a game rule wrong (at least in the English dub).
Overall, my rating is 4/10, but again this is only for this ONA. It served it's purpose in advertizing VLR when it was coming out, and now it doesn't really need to be seen. Play the games instead, they are way better!
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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