It's hard to categorize a game like 999, especially in terms of accepted western genre classifications. The game is a visual novel with puzzle elements, but I'm sure most of America has no idea what a visual novel is. Luckily, a visual novel is one of the few genre names that actually defines itself quite well. It is a novel with visuals.
The description might sound like a children's book or a comic but it's not. It's specific to video games. The interactive nature of a visual novel gives the reader some level of influence in the story. This influence usually manifests itself in the form of multiple endings. As an introduction to such a niche genre, you can do no better than 999.
You play as a college student named Junpei, who gets home to his apartment only to be knocked unconscious by an ominous figure wearing a gas mask. Next thing you know, you wake up in a ship room with a broken window and seawater pouring in, forcing you to figure a way out. It's actually a rather exciting introduction to a warped scenario. You are part of a group of nine people who have been knocked out the same way and taken to this ship as part of the "nonary game." As you'll soon find out, the nonary game is not exactly a game you'd want to be playing.
Reminiscent of Battle Royale and Psyren, the story is a mix of suspense, mystery, and thrills. Rather than throw spectacular set-pieces to ratchet up that feeling of awe, the game's story accomplishes that through intense characterization and the plot. The story of 999 is something that can only be done through games and you won't get the full story unless you reach all of the endings. Rest assured, the game will blow your mind.
In terms of actual gameplay mechanics, the game is essentially a series of rote button presses to advance dialogue and description text, with the odd choice thrown in for good measure. The puzzle sequences are the only parts of the game that are truly interactive. Puzzles are complex enough to warrant the use of the DS' touch functions which require you to drag, switch on, and combine different items. The puzzles are very much in the vein of classic adventure games where direct interaction with items is done through an inventory screen.
Since the game necessitates repeat playthroughs in order to get to the true ending, there's a decent amount of replay value. My only complaint is that story sequences cannot be skipped entirely, only fast-forwarded. So if you want to get to the new stuff, you have to go through the old stuff again.
There are gamer's games, and then there these kinds of games. This is a special game that demonstrates the possibilities for interactive narrative. In a market flooded by shooters and rehashes, it's always nice to try something new for a change.
