The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu has the first Japanese preview and screenshots of Zero Time Dilemma, the latest entry in the Zero Escape series due out for PS Vita and 3DS in North America and Europe this summer (the Japanese release window is still to be announced).

The adventure game sees nine characters locked up in a basement nuclear bomb shelter, who must take part in a death game in order to escape. Character design is being handled by Rui Tomono.

The nine participants include:

Carlos (voiced by Tomokazu Sugita)

Akane (voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro)

Junpei (voiced by Tatsuhisa Suzuki)

Q (voiced by Aki Toyosaki)

Eric (voiced by Akira Ishida)

Mira (voiced by Maaya Sakamoto)

Diana (voiced by Mamiko Noto)

Phi (voiced by Chiaki Omigawa)

Sigma (voiced by Daisuke Ono)

Furhter information has yet to leak. Famitsu has eight pages of coverage, including details on each character, the story, system introductions, and an interview with series director Kotaro Uchikoshi.

Thanks, Famitsu.

Update 9:25 a.m.: New tidbits from Famitsu’s interview with director Kotaro Uchikoshi have come out.

Why has “Extreme Escape” disappeared from the title? “One reason is that we want to renew the image [of the series]. We want to bring the overseas name Zero Escape over without changing it.” What’s the meaning of the subtitle? (In Japan, the game is called Zero Escape: Time Dilemma.) “What is the right thing? The content of this game poses a problem like this to the player. “In the game, there is an ‘Ultimate Choice’ that appears, which is not to be declared as the right choice. “There are game-like elements where your choices affect the progress of the story, and the ending changes and such, but since the player will question what is right, we want you to think about which one is good and which one is evil, so we put ‘Dilemma‘ in the sub-title.” As the final chapter, will all mysteries be resolved? “All of the mysteries from the previous games will be solved. We’re making sure that the people who play it for the first time will also enjoy it.” Are there any extreme scenes? “The ‘Ultimate Choice’ is a thing where one’s life is put at risk. I want the player to be well-worried. Since we don’t want to soften up the presentation for the sake of age regulations, we’re putting out the presentation how I want it without changes. So the possibility that this is the first Z-rated game for 3DS is high. (Laughs.)” What’s the reason for changing the character designer? “I thought about asking Kinu Nishimura this time, but I wanted to give the impression that [this game] has changed significantly from the previous game. Also, since the production method went from backgrounds and characters drawn in standing poses to 3D cinematics, I wanted a more impressive design. I asked Rui Tomono this time, whose [work] was likely to be accepted without any resistance overseas while still having a typically Japan-like touch.”

Thanks, Hachima Kikou.

Update 3:45 p.m.: Here is some more information, via [email protected]: