Full disclosure here: I know very little about the Zero Escape series beyond the fact that they are Narrative games with branching paths. I’ve had friends tell me for years that I should play them, but they’ve just somewhat made their way to the bottom of my to-do list over the years. When I saw the trailer for World’s End Club, however, I was intrigued. World’s End Club is made by several people involved with the Zero Escape series, as well as the (also popular) Danganronpa franchise.

World’s End Club is a strange Narrative-Adventure game that combines puzzle elements with a mystery narrative. You play as the members of the “Go-Getters Club” who find themselves involved in a “Game of Fate” after waking up in an underwater theme park. They had been on a bus headed on a school trip when an unknown disaster struck.

The Game of Fate pits them against one another until unique circumstances cause them to band together and question what has happened to their world. I am being intentionally vague here because frankly, this plot is difficult to describe properly without spoiling things. Regardless, the game takes place in effectively three phases. There are the “act” phases, the “story” phases, and the camp phases.

In the act phases, you take direct control of one (or more) of the Go-Getters Club members, using their unique abilities (gathered over time) to progress through the level. There are collectible stickers to find, puzzles to solve, and sometimes enemies to fight. More often you wind up having to stealth around enemies or run away from them, but there are a few combat sections.

In the story phases, the game plays mostly like a visual novel, with text sections and cutscenes. The game is fully voiced over though, which is a nice change from a lot of text-heavy games I’ve played recently. Story phases are often where you will need to make narrative choices as well. However, once you complete the initial ending of the game, you can go back and experience the branches you missed in order to pursue the true ending.

Camping phases are exactly what they sound like. You can talk to your friends at the camp, learn new things about the characters, and learn more about your situation. These camp sections are mostly just an interlude to give you a chance to collect your thoughts on what is going on and learn about your friends.

The problem is, most of the characters are unlikeable, at least during the first five hours of the game. That’s not a good sign, considering Narrative games like this require you to be engaged, either by the story or characters you find appealing. The story itself is interesting and has its share of twists, but it is such a slow burn that I found myself wondering if the game was going to pick up at any point, or just remain a lukewarm sizzle.

Perhaps if you’re a fan of similar works such as Zero Escape or Danganronpa, this could be up your alley. While I found myself more invested further into the game, I am unsure of whether it truly is worth the amount of time it took to get to that point. It may sound like I’m being hard on it, and I really don’t mean to be. If you’re willing to tolerate a slow burn, you probably won’t mind this one.

World’s End Club isn’t a bad game. The controls are simple, the voice acting is well done, and the premise itself is interesting. However, it almost feels as though some piece of the recipe was missing from the finished product. As it stands, I find the game mostly average, rather than being good or bad. I am sure there are a lot of people who will like it, but it isn’t quite enough to thrill me.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of World’s End Club was provided by NIS America for this review.

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World's End Club

$39.99 USD

6

Score

6.0/10

Pros

• Cool Puzzles
• Interesting Concept
• Great Voice Acting
• Smooth Controls

Cons

• Story is Very Slow
• Characters Aren't Likeable for the Beginning Hours