Virtue's Last Reward is a puzzled-based visual novel, and the second game in the Zero Escape trilogy. After waking up in a strange elevator with no memory of how you got there, you meet a mysterious girl and a talking rabbit. If you want answers to the millions of questions you have, you'll need to escape the Elevator.
You first escape puzzle in Virtue's Last Reward is to escape the Elevator. This puzzle will teach you the basics of checking your surroundings, combining items, and thinking outside the box. Let's go through a step-by-step walkthrough of how to escape the Elevator and complete the first puzzle of the game.
Elevator Room Layout
Before we begin putting the puzzle pieces together, let's establish the layout of the room.
On the front wall of the Elevator is the elevator door. To the right of that, a floor selection panel with buttons numbered 0-9, with an image of a blue rabbit. Above the panel is the screen Zero III appears on and a locked panel door. Below the buttons is a grate with four bolts, each with a different shape and color.
The right wall of the Elevator has a series of buttons from 1-9 with an icon of an old person above them. Below that, you can find a handrail with green and yellow ends. Additionally, in the upper right corner of the wall, there is a poster with a number of people on it.
The left wall is similar to the right wall, another set of buttons numbered 1-9 appear, this time with an icon of a baby above them. On either ends of this wall's handrail are red and blue ends.
At the back wall of the Elevator you can find a large red machine; a screen and three key slots make up the front of this machine. Sitting just below the machine is the safe that you will use to escape. Additionally, you can find a fire extinguisher, fire extinguisher box, and instructions for using the fire extinguisher.
How To Escape The Elevator
Now that we've gotten our bearings, let's seek a way out.
First, move to the left and right walls and grab the red, blue, green, and yellow handles to add them to your inventory. While you're at the right wall, take the poster to add it to your archive; you'll need to reference it later.
Next, move to the fire extinguisher and examine it. Doing so will allow you remove the pin, which you can use to open the fire extinguisher box. Inside this box you can find four socket tips.
Combine each socket tip with one of the colored handles. There is only one correct combination, so keep trying until they all fit together. Once you have the four screwdrivers put together, you can open the grate on the front wall of the elevator, below the rabbit panel. Opening this grate will discover your first mini-game puzzle.
In this puzzle, you will move the green block in the top left corner to the blue square in the bottom right corner. This is done by turning the puzzle, which will also cause the pink blocks to move, which can block your way. To solve this puzzle, use the directions below.
- Right
- Up
- Right
- Down
- Left
- Down
- Right
- Down
- Right
- Up
- Right
- Up
- Left
- Up
- Right
Solving this mini-game will reward you with the Green Memory Card.
Next, open your archive and examine in the poster you obtained earlier. If you count the number of old people and babies, you will find seven old people and four babies. With that in mind, return to the right wall and press the seven button, then move to the left wall and press the four button. Now, head to the front wall and press the zero button (because there are no rabbits on the poster) on the rabbit panel. Doing this will reward you with the Blue Memory Card.
Take both of these to the machine in the back of the Elevator, slot them into the key slots to receive the Green Safe Password. Put this into the safe below the red machine, and you will receive a key. Bring this key back to the panel at the front of the elevator, and the puzzle will be complete.
How To Get The Gold File
To get the secret Gold File for the elevator, head back to the rabbit panel and press the three button instead, for Zero III. Doing this will give you the Red Memory Card. Put this into the machine, and you will receive the Blue Safe Password. Inputting this into the safe will reward you with the Gold File, which will add information to your archive.