Zero Escape
Zero Escape is a trilogy of visual novels with branching timelines, escape-the-room gameplay, and plenty of twists and surprises. It’s an unusually mature series, tackling dark themes of human nature as well as discussing complex topics in philosophy and mathematics. Game theory shows up a lot, usually in a way that has direct and sometimes lethal ramifications to the story and characters.
Each game’s cast endures a high-pressure situation together in which nearly every character is hiding something. Getting to know them and learning who can be trusted is a significant part of navigating each game’s story and making it out alive.
Waifu Tier- ⓘ
- The best of the best. Only one character may be in this tier for a given work or medium. This character... is Mai Waifu.
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Luna
from Zero EscapeLuna is one of the main characters in Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward. She’s a bit timid, but she’s an optimist who trusts easily. She’s a gentle and pacifistic nature lover who cares a great deal about the well-being of others, particularly children.
At least, that’s how she acts. The most memorable decision to me in all of Virtue’s Last Reward was being forced to choose whether to betray Luna after seeing evidence that she may have faked her own death and murdered two people and was now in a position to betray the player character as well.
While it does turn out Luna has been hiding a secret, it’s that she’s a Three Laws-compliant robot. Not only does she not betray you, not only has she not killed anyone, she’s actually incapable of doing either. She’s incorruptible, in stark contrast to the human characters. She’s one of the only characters in the entire series who never betrays or attacks any other character under any circumstances in any timeline.
I chose to trust her despite the questions, so it was a huge relief to find she was more worthy of trust than anyone. It also made it legitimately heart-wrenching to see her pained reaction to other betrayals from people she’d trusted and from whom she could never deserve betrayal. More than any other character I wanted her to survive, escape, fulfill her dreams, and never be lonely again.