Parascientific Escape

**Parascientific Escape,** known in Japan as  超科学脱出 (Chou Kagaku Dasshutsu, lit. "**Super Science Escape**")is a series of adventure games, all of which were developed and published by Intense in Japan. The first of these titles was translated and published in both North America and Europe by CIRCLE Entertainment, in collaboration with Flyhigh Works. The subsequent titles were published exclusively by CIRCLE Entertainment.

The games are visual novels, which mix in escape-the-room point-and-click gameplay, puzzles, in a similar vein to the popular *Zero Escape* series. Story wise, they're mystery games, which include sci-fi and fantasy elements, existing in a world where paranormal, extrasensory powers exist in certain individuals born as psychics. The stories also incorporate comedic elements, as well as romantic storylines.

## Games

### **Overview**

The series consists of a trilogy of three games, all released exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS via it's eShop service as downloadable titles. Originally released in Japan under the name ***Chou Kagaku Dasshutsu*** (Super Science Escape), by Intense, all three were localized to the West and released by CIRCLE Entertainment under the title "***Parascientific Escape***". The trilogy consists of:

* *Parascientific Escape: Cruise in the Distant Seas*
* *Parascientific Escape: Gear Detective*
* *Parascientific Escape - Crossing at the Farthest Horizon*

### **Cruise in the Distant Seas**

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     *Main article: Parascientific Escape: Cruise in the Distant Seas*

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The first installment originally released in Japan as ***Chou Kagaku Dasshutsu Story: Zekkai Gouka Kyakusen** (Super Science Escape Story),* on July 9th, 2014, by Intense. CIRCLE entertainment would later release the game as "**Parascientific Escape: Cruise in the Distant Seas**" in both North America and Europe simultaneously, on March 3rd, 2016.

The story follows the high school girl Hitomi Akeneno who is not only a psychic, but possibly the world's first "double psychic" who can use two abilities instead of just one. She boards the luxury cruise ship the Idinaloq upon receiving an anonmyous invitation to meet with it's sender in a certain suite. However after an explosion rocks the ship, she becomes stuck in the room. Upon meeting a pretty sleeping girl called Merja Amabishi, she learns that someone called "Ghost of W" has strapped a bomb around Merja's neck, which will detonate in less then four hours. With the ship sinking, and no way to get help from the authorities, Hitomi must use her telekinesis and clairvoyance to find a way to save Merja from the bomb, escape the ship alive, and uncover who the mastermind is.

### **Gear Detective**

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     *Main article: Parascientific Escape: Gear Detective*

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The second installment released as ***Chou Kagaku Dasshutsu: Gear Detective** (Super Science Escape: Gear Detective)* on December 2nd, 2015, in Japan. It was localized as ***Parascientific Escape: Gear Detective***, and released on February 9th, 2017, and March 2nd, 2017, in North America and Europe, respectively.

*Gear Detective* takes place after the first game, but follows the story of a new protagonist, Kyosuke Ayana. Kyosuke is a private detective and the head of the Ayana Detective Agency, where he works with his assistant, and open admirer, Mari Sasamine. Kyosuke has an artificial arm which allows him to replicate the effects of chronokinesis, an ability that allows someone to go back into a locations last 5 days worth of history, and manipulate the past. A young woman called Tsukiko Nagise arrives at the agency, claiming she's being targeted by the culprit of the Camellia Hills serial killing, and requesting Kyosuke to catch the serial killer. However as him and Mari begin their investigations into the killings he begins to realize that the case runs much deeper then it first seemed.

### **Crossing at the Farthest Horizon**

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     *Main article: Parascientific Escape - Crossing at the Farthest Horizon*

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The third installment was released in Japan as ***Chou Kagaku Dasshutsu: Saihate no Cross Eyes** (Super Science Escape: Farthest Cross Eyes), on February 22nd, 2017.* It was released later the same year on July 27th, in North America, and August 31st, in Europe, as ***Parascientific Escape - Crossing at the Farthest Horizon***.

Taking place after *Gear Detective,* the game interconnects the previous two narratives, and concludes the trilogy's overarching story. Following the events of *Cruise in the Distant Seas,* Hitomi Akeneno has been working at ZENA. She receives a letter from someone claiming to be "The Ghost", prompting her to travel to the country of Witsarock with Yukiya Ousaka. At the same time, Kyosuke Ayana and Mari Sasamine travel to Witsarock on behalf of the renowned Witsarockian Detective Olek when Ritsu Kamiji, a powerful psychic connected to the Camellia Hills serial killing case, seems like she's causing trouble. In the country's city of Laboua, the two protagonists's paths cross.