Plot twists and things
HE REALLY WAS A SUPERDICK!
Man, Dio is a fucking asshole! I kind of expected it, because he came off like he'd be jerk enough to do it, but at the same time, I logically concluded that maybe he wouldn't simply because the story path was longer. I certainly didn't anticipate a longer story arc to come out of trying to avoid the death penalty, and THEN I GOT CUT OFF WITH A CLIFFHANGER AUGH
So I guess he was the total liar and was enough of a douchebag to pass blame off onto a little kid.
Since I had to start over anyway, I went back to that AB Game and betrayed him since it leads to some kind of ending. The results were chilling.
And I guess there are two types of endings in this game, because I didn't get any revealed icons on the save screen. In 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors, each unique ending (bad or good) revealed an icon on the save file, but in this case, my "Game Over" ending didn't. So I guess there are "Game Over" bad endings, and a set of 9 "real" endings that are tracked on the save screen. I wonder if the real endings are all good, or if some of them are also bad endings.
I then realized that the previous lock in the Alice storyline was lifted, so I resumed there. HOLY SHIT PLOT TWISTS. I was so excited to get to betray Alice after the superbitch attitude in the first AB Game, and get free points, even if it made Sigma look like a dick...but it turned out to be necessary because DAMN.
I also like that we're finally getting connections to the previous game to see how it ties together. I got through another novel section, but then encountered a second story lock. Could this be the true ending, then? Did I seriously happen to pick the true ending path on the first try?
I went back to the first branching point at the beginning, and this time picked the magenta door with Luna. I've now completed all possibilities of the first story branch, pushing the earliest incomplete split down to the first AB Game.
Anyway, there is now more information on this Zero's possible identity...and now I'm not sure anymore who it is. Clover insisted that it was NOT Akane and Santa this time, that it was someone different. And if it's not Akane, then there goes my assumption that Zero is Luna. But the Myrmidon revelations imply that Akane IS one of them, so "Zero" could just be a guise taken up by whoever runs the game within the organization. (It sounds like the Japanese name for the organization is "Clay Doll"? I wonder why the localization called them "Myrmidons"...)
So now I'm back to wondering about this Zero's true identity. It's obviously not Clover, and now it's safe to assume that it's not Alice, either. It's highly unlikely to be Quark because (1) little kid, and (2) he got the virus...and I doubt it would be Tenmyouji, because why would be subject his own grandson to the game if he was behind it? So that leaves Luna, K, Dio, and Phi. I'm really leaning against Luna being a secret mastermind now, because she seems too nice and supportive. The other three are still mysteries.
I think it's Dio. He really comes across as an anarchist personality, and I don't think he's as dumb as some characters would like to imply. Also, why the hell would a circus ringmaster who apparently grew up as a carnie know so much about DNA and bioengineering?? He seemed WAY too knowledgeable in the biolab. I think the circus story is a lie and the belligerent attitude is an act.
I'm still not sure what to make of Phi and K. I don't dislike Phi nearly as much as I used to, though. Her mannerisms are starting to make a bit more sense. I still have no clue who K might turn out to be, but I definitely don't think he's anyone from 999 anymore. I kinda wonder if it'll turn out to be Alice's father, and the beaten body found in her flashback was a dead clone.