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Here's a #100 spot that's been a long time coming. The Zero Escape series has been very important to me from its beginning and it's so nice that we've finally received the conclusion. Now it can enjoy its rightful place in this list.

I played the original title, 999, back when it first released, based purely off of the interesting concept and glowing reviews. This was the game that introduced to me visual novels, a genre I've come to enjoy a lot, and I found myself absolutely on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. From the dark and suspenseful beginning to the incredibly thought-provoking sci-fi ending, it was hard to stop "turning the page," as it were.

The game was so niche I never expected we'd get a sequel, so Virtue's Last Reward was an incredibly welcome surprise. The game wasn't quite as "tight" or neatly-presented as its predecessor, but it made up for it with improvements in so many other areas, including the addition of voice acting. The story was once again gripping and got into sci-fi elements much quicker, diving into technological and metaphysical concepts that mesh perfectly with an engineer like myself. The cliffhanger ending was a confusing yet fascinating spiral into complex theories and phenomena that left me eager for the concluding title.

So, I wasn't the only one who was crushed to find there were no immediate plans to produce it. In fact, the overwhelming fan support, especially from Western fans, was one of the main reasons the game didn't fall out of existence completely. But after four long years, through the passion of creator Kotaro Uchikoshi and fans alike, the game finally came to fruition this past summer as Zero Time Dilemma. It was by no means perfect - the new cinematic cutscenes made the tighter budget evident and the story ended rather abruptly - but it was amazing to both revisit an old franchise I love and to finally be able to conclude this story I've followed for 7 years. When I saw the series' trademark "Seek a Way Out!" for the first time in this last title, it was definitely a bittersweet moment.

While I wouldn't say the games' soundtracks are particularly incredible on their own, they each have a few absolute standout tracks. "Morphogenetic Sorrow" doesn't play until the climax of the original title, but even before Zero Escape became a trilogy I knew it was the feature track. Since then it's became a motif used in all three games. Its name perfectly captures the essence of the series, juxtaposing a fascinating sci-fi concept with the dark tone and emotion of the games' stories. The simple piano is poignant after the non-stop suspense and turmoil of the rest of the games and reveals the heart at the center of the series, something I think elevates it above any other similar visual novels.

Thanks for sticking with me for another hundred! As always, see you at the next one!

0:00 - "Morphogenetic Sorrow" (999)
2:19 - "Virtue's Last Reward ~ Piano" (Virtue's Last Reward)
3:58 - "Virtue's Last Reward ~ Orchestra" (Virtue's Last Reward)
5:38 - "Morphogenetic Sorrow" (Zero Time Dilemma)

Systems: DS, iOS, 3DS, Vita, Windows
Games: 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, Virtue's Last Reward, Zero Time Dilemma
Music Titles: "Morphogenetic Sorrow," "Virtue's Last Reward ~ Piano," "Virtue's Last Reward ~ Orchestra," & "Morphogenetic Sorrow"
Composer: Shinji Hosoe

Also see Klagmar's Top VGM #543: https://youtu.be/ADd6-7uAU8s
Klagmar's Top VGM #634: https://youtu.be/QHd8zJRaxpk
Klagmar's Top VGM #776: https://youtu.be/RRY614IXwC8
Klagmar's Top VGM #914: https://youtu.be/hjRzxzc1hB4
Klagmar's Top VGM #999: https://youtu.be/LKYDZjVyTzs
Klagmar's Top VGM #1,069: https://youtu.be/CyauCM52p5s
Klagmar's Top VGM #1,140: https://youtu.be/XgW1REr3hB4
Klagmar's Top VGM #1,232: https://youtu.be/9v1EvGw4eQc
Klagmar's Top VGM #1,372: https://youtu.be/-JLbdLClhEY
Klagmar's Top VGM #1,627: https://youtu.be/ksTBgWWFgIE
Klagmar's Top VGM #1,885: https://youtu.be/IdiHAD8n-aw
Klagmar's Top VGM #2,201: https://youtu.be/UghB_UZmO1Y
Klagmar's Top VGM #2,320: https://youtu.be/TAmdrEC3kl0
and Klagmar's Top VGM #3,119: https://youtu.be/oS7AHex1ksw

A list of my favorite video game music. It's not in any order, and is intended purely for entertainment. Perhaps it will also introduce a few obscure titles or unknown songs. Enjoy!