Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

 PlayStation Vita
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 340 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 293 out of 340
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 340
  3. Negative: 14 out of 340
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  1. deadman2456
    Feb 19, 2014
    8
    Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a fun point and click game with a murder mystery plot that is very similar the Zero Escape games Nine hours Nine Persons Nine doors and Virtues Last Reward. Although the game is not for everyone, If you enjoy games like Professor Layton, Phoenix wright or the earlier mentioned Zero Escape Series, I'm sure you will find something to like In Danganronpa:Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a fun point and click game with a murder mystery plot that is very similar the Zero Escape games Nine hours Nine Persons Nine doors and Virtues Last Reward. Although the game is not for everyone, If you enjoy games like Professor Layton, Phoenix wright or the earlier mentioned Zero Escape Series, I'm sure you will find something to like In Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc.… Expand
  2. Gwyndolin
    Nov 2, 2015
    8
    Not quite at 999 or VLR's level, but it is good and different enough from Zero Escape series that can hold its own as a visual novel. I enjoyed the story and characters a lot, the game play is quite simple but entertaining. The premise however felt quite cheesy?
  3. Vault1o1
    Feb 25, 2014
    9
    While Danganronpa barely qualifies as a "game" in the traditional sense, that clearly isn't what the developers were going for. It is an interactive graphic novel in the vein of Zero Escape or Ace Attorney. For those not familiar with these titles, the basic gist involves a crime taking place, and with the help of those around them, the protagonist solves each crime, no matter howWhile Danganronpa barely qualifies as a "game" in the traditional sense, that clearly isn't what the developers were going for. It is an interactive graphic novel in the vein of Zero Escape or Ace Attorney. For those not familiar with these titles, the basic gist involves a crime taking place, and with the help of those around them, the protagonist solves each crime, no matter how convoluted the clues may be. The narrative is impressive, especially for a localized title. In fact, the localization itself is what makes the story so intriguing, even when the answer to your supposedly nagging questions is so clearly obvious.

    The investigations that the main character performs range from obtuse to blatant. The resolutions to some cases will be so conspicuous that you might find yourself almost frustrated by pacing of the story, and at other times, your mind will literally be blown away by what you just discovered. This mixed bag keeps you guessing up until the very end, at which point the expert storytelling of veteran graphic novel developer Spike Chunsoft will mystify you, probably more than thought possible in a video game.

    I only have a couple of issues with this title. First and foremost, the protagonist is literally treated like a moron during the entire game, even after solving every murder during its course. Multiple characters talk down to you as though you were a complete idiot, and you have no other option but to just take it on the chin.

    Which brings me to my other issue. While there are periods of time labeled as "free", which allow you to interact with other characters and gain abilities based on your relationships with them, the entire game is linear. This is the reason your character has to look stupid during the entire affair. You are never given the choice to point out key pieces of evidence during each case, even if you realize their significance at the moment they are introduced. This prolongs the feeling that the main character is an idiot, although he does redeem himself while presenting evidence during "class trials", the only game-like element in this exceptional graphic novel.

    Overall, the narrative is why you will want to pick up this title. The voice acting, though not prevalent, is well done, the characters are over the top, but still believable, and the plot is twisted and convoluted, making for a tale that is honestly hard to find in this era of half-baked shooters and cliched action games. If you believe that the journey is just as important as the destination and you own a Vita, you would be doing yourself a disservice in not picking up this zany and dark game of murder and betrayal.    … Expand
  4. javiermandrilo
    Feb 13, 2014
    9
    A graphic novel with innovative interactive touches and light rgp elements. More than a game: Daganropa is an artistitic interactive experience. If you re into these sort of stuff you must try out
  5. abraham_b
    May 4, 2015
    10
    If you're a fan of the Ace Attorney games or visual novels in general, then you'll love this game. The music and characters are great, as are the cases and seeing as this game was developed by Chunsoft, makers of Zero Escape series, prepare for the twists and turns the story will take. Only issue with this game is that it is pretty easy at times. Other than that, one of the best Vita gamesIf you're a fan of the Ace Attorney games or visual novels in general, then you'll love this game. The music and characters are great, as are the cases and seeing as this game was developed by Chunsoft, makers of Zero Escape series, prepare for the twists and turns the story will take. Only issue with this game is that it is pretty easy at times. Other than that, one of the best Vita games to date.… Expand
  6. Rox22
    May 16, 2015
    9
    If anything, I was pleasantly surprised by this game. More accurately, interactive novel. I was surprised mostly because I usually find these games a bit tedious and limp. But not this game. It had me on the edge of my seat most of the time. Allot of the mysteries are pretty straight forward, but there one or two genuine WTF moments that left me shocked. This is rare for me. But like IIf anything, I was pleasantly surprised by this game. More accurately, interactive novel. I was surprised mostly because I usually find these games a bit tedious and limp. But not this game. It had me on the edge of my seat most of the time. Allot of the mysteries are pretty straight forward, but there one or two genuine WTF moments that left me shocked. This is rare for me. But like I said before most of the mysteries were straight forward, even so, they were still fun.

    Visually it's alright, but using the colour pink to replace blood felt mostly needless as there is enough other disturbing imagery that the colour red wouldn't have changed much of the shock factor. If it is for artistic purposes, that I get, and is rather cool, but red would have been better. If it was to make it less graphic, then yeah, pointless. The only people it would offend would be those too immature to understand the game anyway. Aside from that some nice visuals, has the look and feel of a graphic novel.

    The trials were OK but got a tad repetitive, also felt like they took far to long to reach their conclusion. But even so, they were still allot of fun and had me guessing at a few points. A bit more variety would have been nice though.

    My biggest gripe is that the game follows a fixed story arc (the bad ending route doesn't count.) While the mystery is fun the first time round, it loses that intrigue upon subsequent play throughs. Don't get me wrong it's still fun, just not as fun as the first time.

    Overall:
    Dangan Ronpa is a deeply enjoyable game with a strong story and rich cast. However there is still room for improvement and it is a shame that the story is fixed as it could have been divine with multiple branching story arcs.    … Expand
  7. demonred0
    Feb 13, 2014
    9
    so what do you get when you mix the classic novel story "and then there were none" mix it with ace attorney investigating and prosecuting, plus a rhythm game, followed by firing words at people. you get this game danganronpa. it has both translations of japanese and english. voice acting for the english translation is not bad but it could have been better. the graphics look slightly betterso what do you get when you mix the classic novel story "and then there were none" mix it with ace attorney investigating and prosecuting, plus a rhythm game, followed by firing words at people. you get this game danganronpa. it has both translations of japanese and english. voice acting for the english translation is not bad but it could have been better. the graphics look slightly better from the original on psp in japan. soundtrack fits the mood of the game but nothing I would listen to during my work hours. so overall this game is a must buy for ps vita owners or if you want an interesting mystery story.… Expand
  8. spectorelite
    Jun 17, 2014
    9
    The only reason this game didn't get a perfect 10/10 is because i personally found some of the class trails (the portion of the game that isnt visual novelly) to be slightly clunky. There are many different challenges in the class trails and 3/5 of them are really fun the other are just a little frustrating because the hit boxes etc etc are wonky. HOWEVER that is literally the only thingThe only reason this game didn't get a perfect 10/10 is because i personally found some of the class trails (the portion of the game that isnt visual novelly) to be slightly clunky. There are many different challenges in the class trails and 3/5 of them are really fun the other are just a little frustrating because the hit boxes etc etc are wonky. HOWEVER that is literally the only thing that is a downside to the game and can be completely overlooked and will be once the SHARP fangs that DAnganropa bares digs into your curiosity on the mystery of Hopes Peak Academy. Story is spot on, dont watch the anime to anyone reading this do it after you play the game. All the characters are great and some of them are breaths of fresh air and the many twist will leave to reeling by the end of and sad to put it down just a good book or any captivating story should be.

    TL;DR : Great game suffer from some slightly frustrating elements during the action portion of the game but everything is smooth and buttery with a handfull of s(laughter) and despair that will keep you playing until you get to the bottom of the mystery.    … Expand
  9. evli
    Aug 22, 2014
    8
    Being stuck in high school does not seem like a good idea. However, lets say if you kill one of your classmates you can leave. Still interested? This is precisely the premise of this game. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a visual novel for the PS Vita with some additional elements. Namely, this visual novel has 'investigation' and 'trials' gameplay. This is similar to other popularBeing stuck in high school does not seem like a good idea. However, lets say if you kill one of your classmates you can leave. Still interested? This is precisely the premise of this game. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a visual novel for the PS Vita with some additional elements. Namely, this visual novel has 'investigation' and 'trials' gameplay. This is similar to other popular games of this genre such as Phoenix Wright and Zero Escape. With a well written story and diverse cast of characters, Danganronpa is a wonderful introduction to visual novel games and a great addition to any PS Vita library.

    While the subject matter is serious, killing classmates in order to survive or punishing those have killed them, the game is often humorous in a over the top way. The game starts with the main character receiving an acceptance letter to a high school only to find out the high school has been taken over by a bear-like robot which sets out to tell all incoming students that, if they wish to leave, they must kill a classmate and get away with it! This over the top premise is followed with a suiting art style that serves only to intensify the situation the protagonist is put into.

    As it is often true with visual novels, they are only as good as the characters in them. In this regard Danganronpa does not disappoint. It presents a diverse cast of characters, each with their unique feature. However, the characters in this game are hardly believable, there is little development done in the story as no character seems to mature or chance from their starting persona. This is true with a few exceptions. This however does not affect the game too much as it keeps well with the story being as over the top as the characters in it.

    In conclusion, this game holds itself well against other titles of this genre. However, if you are long time player of visual novels you will find the elements here are not new. You can find similar elements in different games but if you are looking for a over the top story with excellent writing you will find Danganronpa to be exactly what you are looking for.

    GRAPHICHS/ART 9
    MUSIC/SOUND 8
    STORY 9
    GAMEPLAY 7
    FINAL SCORE: 8

    Play this game if:
    + You enjoy good writing.
    + You enjoy visual novels

    Avoid if:
    - Reading a lot turns you off to a game.
    - Choices that actually affect the story sounds better to you.

    If you have any question about this game or would like to talk about games follow me on twitter!
    @evjsli    … Expand
  10. vahn
    Mar 6, 2014
    9
    Along with Virtue's Last Reward, Danganronpa is yet another great game for the vita and, most importantly, a sort of new franchise, despite being several years old (it came on psp first). The game is simply amazing on many levels: it has style, it has an identity on its own, it's weird, it's sad, it's intriguing, it's surprising, and it's also very long to beat (the main game is about 20Along with Virtue's Last Reward, Danganronpa is yet another great game for the vita and, most importantly, a sort of new franchise, despite being several years old (it came on psp first). The game is simply amazing on many levels: it has style, it has an identity on its own, it's weird, it's sad, it's intriguing, it's surprising, and it's also very long to beat (the main game is about 20 hours, and after the end you can do some more stuff with the school mode).

    Danganronpa is basically a sort of mix between Ace Attorney (the trials), Virtue's Last Reward (the twists, the character development, etc), and a bit also of Saw if I have to say (the fact that it's a death game). The game is also VERY stylish and very reminiscent of Persona 4 (I seriously thought it was a Persona spin off, from the colors and animation), and very anime-like as well (there's even anime, although I heard it's not as good as the game). In other words, despite taking inspiration from other games, Danganronpa is its own game, and another great game for the vita console.

    However, If I have to be brutally honest, I didn't enjoy this game as much as I anticipated, because of few flaws that really bothered me and made the game a bit of a disappointment: this does NOT mean it's a bad game, but I want to say why It seems flawed.

    For one, there are too many characters...and you have no time to develop them properly. The game will give you free times where you can spend to increase relationships with your classmates AND eventually unlock skills for trials and etc. The problem here is simple: you don't have enough time during the main game to develop all of them (heck, not even one) and when the game decides to kill them off...I really felt nothing. No sadness for the most times or regret: I barely knew them, the game wouldn't let me, and when one character was killed off or was found guilty, I just had no idea what to feel; infact I felt more attached to the characters that survived, because they had actual development to the end and I'd feel sad if they died. But only because they had development. I know it's hard to develop 15 characters all together...but VLR had 9 and I felt attached to all of them. I think it required some more attention on this department.

    Second, some cases are "meh" (mostly referring to the first, the second and the fourth): this once again suffers because of the lack of development of the characters AND because some are far too simple, but still the reason is simple: if one character died, I wouldn't care, and while the fourth case was ok, it was pretty disappointing. Maybe it's me, but I just had no real ripercussions when someone died...because I didn't care enough for feel sad for them.

    And for last, the trials are good...but some parts are pretty weird and unnecessary (the rhythm game and few other things were so stupid), but it's probably the best part of the game. Just too bad it wasn't all that hard, but mostly confusing at some points.

    However I have to say, even if the game is flawed, the story is amazing and has one nasty twist at the end that, while I still didn't care much for the deaths, it made me feel a little grim inside....perhaps that was the idea from the start of? To not give us enough time to care, but to care at the end when the twist revealed?
    Still, It's an amazing twist and very depressing, making this game, once again, a must if you loved VLR (even though it's much less puzzle based and more like a visual novel).

    Definitely a good game to check: flawed in some points (IN MY OPINION), but still good enough to try it!    … Expand
  11. SwitSwat
    Sep 11, 2015
    10
    OMFG, THE THEME SONG IS SO CATCHY ~~~~

    On a more serious note, this game is a fine example of innovation in visual novels. It's really hard to explain how the whole game works. I like to think of it as a mix between Persona's social interactions and Ace Attorney's investigations and trials. The characters are *MOSTLY* likeable, and the plot twists keep the story interesting. As you    OMFG, THE THEME SONG IS SO CATCHY ~~~~

    On a more serious note, this game is a fine example of innovation in visual novels. It's really hard to explain how the whole game works. I like to think of it as a mix between Persona's social interactions and Ace Attorney's investigations and trials. The characters are *MOSTLY* likeable, and the plot twists keep the story interesting. As you could probably already tell, I think the music is great... so that's always a plus. One thing I will point out though, is that the 'class trials' are all pretty lengthy, which after a while, if you aren't too focused, will start to drag a bit. I for one, though, thought they were really well put together and didn't mind too much. This is a great game to try if you enjoy Ace Attorney, enjoy visual novels, and/or are looking for a great game on Vita. 10/10    … Expand
  12. Xelion
    Feb 8, 2019
    9
    Excellent visual novel with interactive elements.
    I read some people complaining about difficulty but it's not hard at all as you even have difficulty options for logic and action parts. I admit there are some resolutions that are hard to understand as they seem to make no sense at first so you may struggle in higher difficulties but on the lowest ones you can just win by trial and error    Excellent visual novel with interactive elements.
    I read some people complaining about difficulty but it's not hard at all as you even have difficulty options for logic and action parts. I admit there are some resolutions that are hard to understand as they seem to make no sense at first so you may struggle in higher difficulties but on the lowest ones you can just win by trial and error as long as you keep an eye on your health.    … Expand
  13. Kai82
    Sep 18, 2022
    10
    A visual novel videogame which is a mixture of detective game aka murder mystery investigation and daily school life. Its strength are the well written story and characters atop the interesting cases that are intense. Some describe this as mixture of “Ace Attorney” and “Zero Escape”. The game is set in the famous (fictional) Hopes Peak Academy school. It is the most prestige school thatA visual novel videogame which is a mixture of detective game aka murder mystery investigation and daily school life. Its strength are the well written story and characters atop the interesting cases that are intense. Some describe this as mixture of “Ace Attorney” and “Zero Escape”. The game is set in the famous (fictional) Hopes Peak Academy school. It is the most prestige school that exists and studying there grants you great recognition and opens all doors. But there is a catch. They do not take anyone and the only way to get invited is to have an ultimate talent and get scouted. Be it sports, science, writing or something else you need to be a prodigy. There is one exception as there is a lottery for one Ultimate Lucky student which is randomly chosen out of normal students. Our protagonist Makoto Naegi is the lucky one and the game starts on his first day when he enters the school where he faints. When he awakened he and the other 14 members of his class are trapped in a real nightmare. The headmaster in form of a seemingly robotic bear Monokuma explains to them that they are trapped and the only way to escape is killing a fellow student. But this is not battle royal as you have to get away with the murder undetected and there are rules that are enforced. After a dead body is found all students investigate the crime scene and after some time passes there is a class trial where the evidence is analysed and the culprit is decided by mayor vote. If they get the right person the culprit is executed. If the majority is wrong everyone except the culprit is executed. This is the setting of the game. I especially like the writing. Everyone is caught between hope and despair while you do not know who you can trust. The story has great twists and uses the characters excellent. Everyone is unique has their own motivations and values. I could understand everyone and they avoided the traps of making anyone one dimensional. Also the voice actors are great and near perfectly chosen. The gameplay is like I said a visual novel and less a true videogame. You wander the halls of Hope Academy spending time with fellow students and investigate murder cases when those happen. For the cases you collect evidence called truth bullets you use in class trials to fire at arguments (Visual system for discussions), present them and have some mini games. Those trials are intense and a highlight as the truth comes slowly out. Also Monokuma is a sadist that enjoys making your life more miserable. Maybe you will find out the truth behind everything. The graphics are dividing. I find them nice but they are 2,5 dimensional and look like the scenery books for children that unfold by opening it. The soundtrack is fantastic and enhances the atmosphere. Like I said the voice actors are fantastic. Overall this is one of the best Vita games and I fully recommend it. It succeeds in creating emotional moments, has strong characters I care for and intense class trials. An easy 10/10.… Expand
  14. DanHazy
    Feb 29, 2016
    9
    So you will know what type of gamer is writing this review, I'll list three of my favorite games.

    Danganronpa Fire Emblem  Atelier Totori  THE GOOD: GRAPHICS: Graphics and illustrations are great. CHARACTER CAST: Great character cast and character interaction. Every character is unique.   MUSIC: The music is great. Very unique music that gives an odd vibe. VOICE ACTING:    So you will know what type of gamer is writing this review, I'll list three of my favorite games.

    Danganronpa
    Fire Emblem 
    Atelier Totori 

    THE GOOD:

    GRAPHICS: Graphics and illustrations are great.

    CHARACTER CAST: Great character cast and character interaction. Every character is unique.
     
    MUSIC: The music is great. Very unique music that gives an odd vibe.

    VOICE ACTING: Great voice acting and it's voiced most of the time. 

    GAMEPLAY: You explore for clues and then use your evidence at a trial. A trial consist of listening to your fellow classmates to determine the culprit. You will also play some minigames during these trials. The class trials eventually get stale and there are some other hangups I'll list in THE BAD section of this review below.

    THE BAD:

    The class trials are a part of this game that consist of mini games and trying to figure out how to prove someone wrong by using a statement against another statement that reveals the truth. Danganronpa kept throwing new things at you every class trial. An attempt to keep things fresh. It still got stale though after the first few trials.
    You also have to assemble a magna showing how the events unfolded in order. This was probably the most difficult part because the pictures could be miscomprehended. This was my biggest gripe about this game.

    Also, pink blood. Didn't care for it for myself. Definently took out some of the edge and creepiness that I was expecting from this game. Danganronpa 2 has pink blood as well but you can get past this. Just disappointing at first.This is nonetheless a great game and I would recommend it. Also, it has girls in underwear and a bath scene for those that are interested in that aspect of that game.

    That wraps this review up, hope it helps.    … Expand
  15. Candidus
    Nov 24, 2015
    8
    Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a visual novels that brings many other genres into it, such as RPG, mystery, puzzle, and so much more. THH is definitely a game that you probably won't regret buying.

    Gameplay: Besides the 80 percent of the game that is just text, the core of Danganronpa is split into two parts, School Life and Class Trial. School Life is more of when the visual    Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a visual novels that brings many other genres into it, such as RPG, mystery, puzzle, and so much more. THH is definitely a game that you probably won't regret buying.

    Gameplay:
    Besides the 80 percent of the game that is just text, the core of Danganronpa is split into two parts, School Life and Class Trial. School Life is more of when the visual novel aspect of the game really shines. The School Life is thus split into two more parts, Daily Life. Most of the story progression occurs during School Life. You are given some Free Time, which is some leisurely time you can spend conversing with your classmates or just taking a nap. Deadly life takes place after a -certain incident- takes place and you are forced to collect evidence and solve some mysteries, much like the Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton. In the Class Trial, you and your classmates must take part in a heated debate, solving the mysteries of the -incident-. Other than what I mentioned above, all you're doing is going to different parts of the school, doing the randomest things.

    Characters:
    The cast of Danganronpa is probably the first thing you will take note of. The characters are very colorful and eccentric, bursting with life and personality. Most of the characters get their own fair share of development, which can turn out to be really satisfying. The characters never bored me and were really entertaining to watch.

    Visuals:
    The character models look surprisingly crisp and fresh. The paper-esque designs are really fun to observe. The lack of animation on the character models was such a pain in the ass. They made the long cutscenes so boring and lacking in specialty. However, there are some very detailed and good-looking pictures and video cutscenes that appear from time to time.

    Soundtrack:
    The soundtrack of Danganronpa ranges from tear-inducing melodies to very upbeat investigating themes. The tracks match the mood of the sutscenes very nicely.

    Plot:
    I'm not going to much in detail with the plot, but the weight of the situation and the drastic mood change that occurs really sets a good environment for the whole game. The only problem is that the plot is very linear, and the game cycles over and over again from School Life to Deadly Life to School Life to Deadly Life over and over again. It gets very predictable after a while. And the fact that you can't even do much really bums some people, like me, out a lot.

    Verdict:
    Danganronpa is a game that should be in your PS Vita library. Although it is not for everybody, most people can work their way around this game's tiny flaws and enjoy the game nonetheless.    … Expand
  16. Frenish
    Feb 6, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Game is pretty fun to play. You will want to save everyone but won’t be able to.… Expand
  17. Grease
    May 6, 2018
    8
    Danganronpa is the imaginative and creative Ace Attorney that will leave you heartbroken after finishing the climatic and traumatic story of Hopes Peak. Danganronpa is a visual novel/ interactive video game hybrid and puts a fresh spin on the murder mystery genre, stepping into areas that similar games such as ace attorney could only dream of entering.

    Plot: Danganronpa Trigger Happy    Danganronpa is the imaginative and creative Ace Attorney that will leave you heartbroken after finishing the climatic and traumatic story of Hopes Peak. Danganronpa is a visual novel/ interactive video game hybrid and puts a fresh spin on the murder mystery genre, stepping into areas that similar games such as ace attorney could only dream of entering.

    Plot:
    Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc takes place in a dystopian society, and the main events take form in a school named Hopes Peak Academy. Hopes Peak is a school that recruits students of extraordinary talent such as the ultimate gambler and ultimate clairvoyant. Makoto Naegi our "hopelessly normal" protagonist enrolls in the academy via a lucky draw. Unfortunately, on the first day of school, Makoto and his 15 classmates find out their situation was far more dangerous than they thought when they realize the school is abandoned apart from them and they are forced to participate in a killing game. The school mascot, Monokuma, a black and white bear, announces that they are trapped in the school for the rest of their lives, the only escape... kill a classmate and get away with it.

    The plot seems generic, a typical killing game simulator, but no, the way the game advances becomes anything but predictable.

    Gameplay:
    The game is separated into chapters, each one following 3 steps.

    Daily life - Daily life accounts for half of the total chapter, it focuses on visual novel elements where you will interact with your fellow students, receive killing motives and watch the plot and characters develop, you get small amounts of gameplay where you are able to freely traverse the school but your given directions on where to go so your options are limited, your also allowed free time where you can bond with your favourite characters and learn about them but considering this will last a good hour or two in total it can become tedious and you may find yourself fast forwarding the text and missing key information.

    investigation - After the plot has unfolded more and character development has increased, a victim of murder will emerge, one or more of your classmates will be found dead. To find the murderer you must investigate the scene, this element is half interactive and half visual. You will be able to pick out objects that seem suspicious and analyze them, analyzing key items give you truth bullets which will become useful in the final element which is a class trial. Truth bullets are effectively just your evidence. However once again your very limited to where you can and cant go and what you can do, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but the investigation feels forced and controlled like the game is a narrative rather than an experience, although this is semi-true the purpose of an investigation is to get you involved. However the murders are very fun and innovative, it's not boring at all I assure you.

    Class trials- the main appeal of Danganronpa is the wonderous and outstandingly smart class trials. How do you turn a class trial into a game? Danganronpa shows you perfectly, the whole remaining class will start arguing their evidence as to who committed the murder, the rules are if you find the correct killer, they will be executed, if you can't the killer will be allowed to leave while everyone else is executed. There are many elements to the class trial with the infamous primary section being the non-stop debates. Characters will present their evidence and theories on how the murder occurred and who did it, you must use your own evidence to locate the contradiction in their statements and uncover the truth. Other sections include hangman's gambit where you have to uncover a hidden word, multiple choice questions, argument augment where you go into an argument battle with another character and the final climax where you sum up the whole murder case and expose the murderer. The culprit will be executed in the most absurd and thrilling ways. The appeal of uncovering the killer and finding out which fan-favorite participants survive and which don't is full of anticipation and potential distraught if your favorite gets executed.

    Characters:
    Each character has their own appeal, their own backstory, and their own unique design. There is no generic character, they all have a personality that makes them lovable or hateable depending on preference. But none of them are robotic or melt into the background, every single character has a groundbraking development which will surely attach you to most of the cast.

    Cons:
    Danganronpa murders ARE extreme, that's a good thing, but due to the downright complicatedness of the murders, there are slightly noticeable plot holes which makes you re-consider the validity of the whole case. Some executions were so absurd to the point they became more funny or ridiculed rather than a plot advancement

    pros:
    perfect writing
    atmospheric bgm    … Expand
  18. greninjaX
    Jan 24, 2022
    9
    thrilling mystery/survival game/dating sim thing. danganronpa is one of the most unique games out there. it's filled with loveable characters and some truly memorable moments.
  19. Redphone
    Mar 23, 2020
    8
    An ambitious game with a great story, unique art style, and excellent music. While it is a little unbalanced with here being much more visual novel than video game and some of the puzzles are not great, it is still a must have for any vita owners. If you enjoy visual novels or ace attorney style puzzle this is what you want.
  20. JimPickens
    Dec 21, 2021
    8
    Danganronpa is a certainly a difficult series to talk about, not least of all because of its rabid fanbase who doxx people over their opinions on fictional characters, but also because the games themselves rely heavily on your emotional connection to those characters, the game relies on your ability to care when they die, betray you, and to care about the ones who survive enough to keepDanganronpa is a certainly a difficult series to talk about, not least of all because of its rabid fanbase who doxx people over their opinions on fictional characters, but also because the games themselves rely heavily on your emotional connection to those characters, the game relies on your ability to care when they die, betray you, and to care about the ones who survive enough to keep playing. Unlike something like Ace Attorney which hardly ever kills off named characters who aren't designated Victims, DR likes to kill off the main cast after developing them, which risks the players investment if too many characters are killed off too fast. Luckily I think Trigger Happy Havoc manages to keep the player invested for the most part, it does start to drop off by the end because the games basic formula starts getting pretty tired by then, but by that point you're basically at the end anyway.

    Danganronpa follows a large cast of high school students all trapped inside a rundown school building and are tasked with killing each other for their freedom. An interesting premise that's largely done justice, the game is engaging, it's sad when the characters you like are killed and it can be heartbreaking when the "Blackened" The killer, is somebody you liked, though like I said the game can fall flat when somebody too many likeable characters get killed, but I think that's a much bigger issue in the second game, here most of the cast are likeable so you're never out of characters you like.

    This is a Visual Novel so it's gameplay is pretty limited. The game is cut up into two halves, Daily Life, where you walk around the school exploring newly accessible areas and talk to the other characters, but given their habit of dying, it's not really worth investing time into characters unless you know they're going to live because just as you're learning about them they can get killed, which you could argue helps add to the tragedy of their death, but all I see it as it wasted time I could have spent getting to know somebody else. Free Time also gets progressively worse unless you like a character who makes it to the end because all of a sudden you have to spend time with characters you're not invested in because the ones you were are dead. The other half of the gameplay is the Deadly Life, where you discover the next corpse and have to explore for clues all culminating in a Class Trial, this is what will make or break this entire series for you. Unlike Ace Attorney which has you slowly press through text boxes to find contradictions and discover the truth, here in DR, everything is constantly moving, during conversations certain key words or phrases will be highlighted, you must "shoot" these with a Truth Bullet, think of them like Evidence in Ace Attorney, the catch is you don't get time to stop and think about it, the scene is always moving and there's a timer, you can stop and read over your Truth Bullets, but you can't stop on any one persons sentence and read it over, the character will say it, and then it'll be gone, if you need to hear it again you'll have to let the conversation replay. These sections are also include mini-games, they're awful. Included is Hangman's Gambit, a mini-game in which you'll need to form words letter by letter, this is never fun but enjoy it while it lasts because it's way worse in DR2. Then there's the Closing Argument, where you make a comic to piece together the timeline of events after you've discovered what happened, these are... fine, they're not as bad as Hangman's Gambit but they're not very engaging either, it's just fine. Finally is the Bullet Time Battle, a rhythm game where you... argue... back? I guess... it doesn't really make any sense, like the Hangman's Gambit is you thinking of words and Closing Argument is you piecing the timeline together but BTB is just arguing back I guess, it's also fine. Once you clear these "fun" games the killer is outed and executed in an entertaining and uniquely animated scene before you start the next chapter and the process repeats until the very end. If these mini-games or the non-stop pace doesn't sound fun to you, you probably won't like Danganronpa because that's a good 50% of the gameplay here, but if they sound bearable or even fun to you, by all means go right ahead and play.

    The cast of "Ultimate Students" here are pretty good, standouts are best girl Kyoko, Sakura, Asahina, and Byakuya, they have the most character and get annoying the least. But there's also the main character, Makoto, he is unremarkable, which is the point, but nevertheless he's pretty damn boring for a Protagonist, something the next game fixes with its protag. Other characters are fairly one note and don't really stand out outside of their dedicated chapters.

    Danganronpa is a mixed bag but mostly pretty good, I'd still take Ace Attorney as my Hybrid VN of choice, but DR's charm and quality can't be understated at all.    … Expand
  21. Shadowsky101
    Jan 24, 2021
    10
    It‘s a very good game. The story is amazing and the twists are really cool.
  22. Kenmei
    Feb 14, 2014
    10
    This automatically became one of my top 3 Vita games after completion. It's very reminiscent of Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, released last year. This is a visual novel type game, like VLR, where you assume the role of Makoto Naegi, a very unassuming boy in a high school meant for the best children in the world. The story is the real draw here but it's highly backed by alot of thingsThis automatically became one of my top 3 Vita games after completion. It's very reminiscent of Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, released last year. This is a visual novel type game, like VLR, where you assume the role of Makoto Naegi, a very unassuming boy in a high school meant for the best children in the world. The story is the real draw here but it's highly backed by alot of things that just make it one of the most memorable gaming experiences I've had in a long time.
    The game is split into three main parts: A school life portion where you build relationships with the people in the game, the investigation portion to find clues to the identity of the killer, and the trial portion where you take those things and use them to find the killer. The combination of all 3 really is wonderful, even if what you do during the school life portion of the game is not really represented very well elsewhere.
    The main draw of the game though are the other two parts, the investigation and trial parts. Taking alot of cues from Phoenix Wright, the trail portions are the best part of the game, where everything comes together. And, together with a wonderful soundtrack, you really get into what happens during the trials. Now not all trials are great. In fact, I'd definitely they all tend to fall on the easy side for anyone with any experience with these types of games in the past. But the final outcome is always satisfying to see, especially the well done cutscenes signalling the end of the trial. It's a shame some of these characters don't last very long as they all were memorable in their own way and the game does a very good job at giving them life and really making you care about them, especially when some of them end up murdered later on. You really feel like you need to find out who did it, especially when certain characters turn up dead.
    The exploration of the game's world feels a bit stiff and the controls for alot of the game can be frustrating, especially during the trials when you can use the back touchpad for a certain action later on in the game. For someone who rests their fingers on that back pad while holding the system, it can make things frustrating and take up precious time you need to make use of the mechanics the game gives you.
    My final conclusion though is that this is one of the best games for the Vita to date. You obviously have to like Visual Novels to like this game but everything else here is beyond stellar. The ending is also really good and the game did a very good job setting up for the finale. I personally didn't see the end coming till very late in the process, which is great for me. I don't like finding out the true object of the game too early, spoiling the fun later on. I would highly recommend this game to anyone with a Vita. Especially if you like the Zero Escape series, which this game takes a few queues from. Wonderful game and I can't say enough good things about it.    … Expand
  23. Nepkat
    Feb 12, 2014
    10
    The most unique adventure you'll probably experience, a battle between Hope and Despair like no other, once you start playing it'll be tough to stop. Definitely. one of the Vita's best games!
  24. C3realkillah
    Feb 13, 2014
    10
    I'll admit I wasn't as hyped for this when it got announced I just didn't get it or know what the hell the game was like. I watched the anime which I found out was rushed and after finally playing this game for 4 hours straight I really wish I never watched the anime. This game is just that good and the anime kinda spoiled it. This game is unlike any game you've played before. It's similarI'll admit I wasn't as hyped for this when it got announced I just didn't get it or know what the hell the game was like. I watched the anime which I found out was rushed and after finally playing this game for 4 hours straight I really wish I never watched the anime. This game is just that good and the anime kinda spoiled it. This game is unlike any game you've played before. It's similar to ace attorney and virtues las reward and even has some persona elements such as social links. The game is a mystery psychological horror with so many twists and turns and characters you will come to care about. The story is fantastic as well. The plot revolves around 15 kids all who get accepted into this strange school where the student has to "graduate" by killing someone without being caught. It's a wildly emotional and depressing and even downright sad ride at some points. The gameplay is unique and similar to ace attorney in a way. It's hard to describe and better if you are it for yourself. Now I want to cut this review short because I NEED to get back to the game continue the story just know that this game is well worth your time and is one of the best games for vita....period… Expand
  25. xDaudex
    May 25, 2015
    10
    Pros:
    Story
    Characters
    Music

    Cons:
    Difficulty can sometimes be a bit high, having to check online for the correct selection is kind of lame
    Having to look online to figure out how to optimize free time is also lame, I would suggest playing without checking online first for a more immersive experience
    Playing the end game mini game many times for achievements can be a bit tedious
  26. chayshirin
    Jun 25, 2016
    8
    Good:
    story
    characters
    graphics
    Attention to detail

    Bad:
    Underwhelming ending

    A worthwhile game on the whole. If you like a good crime story, get it.
  27. crazymurdock
    Dec 9, 2016
    10
    LOVE this game. The only thing better is Danganronpa 2, and you need to play this first to appreciate that. Great characters, brilliant story. Just get it, and avoid spoilers at all costs.
  28. Kanazawa
    Mar 14, 2014
    9
    I absolutely loved this game. It feels VERY similar to Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, and that's my all time favorite game so I'm happy. Issue is I wish they didn't have such awfully generic characters. I mean good god are they generic. But still, solid story. The trial is fun to go through, but many times annoying. A rhythm game to shut someone up? Really? Purple text you have toI absolutely loved this game. It feels VERY similar to Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, and that's my all time favorite game so I'm happy. Issue is I wish they didn't have such awfully generic characters. I mean good god are they generic. But still, solid story. The trial is fun to go through, but many times annoying. A rhythm game to shut someone up? Really? Purple text you have to shoot down to memorize something then replay it again to shoot that memorized phrase at an earlier statement? Oh those were frustrating.… Expand
  29. Lovetails
    Feb 27, 2014
    10
    It's basically a mix between ace attorney, zero escape(999 and VLR) and persona-ish. It's really good, probably the best Vita game around so far. So hyped for the sequel coming in September !

Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Best PS Vita Game of 2014
4
#4 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2014
13
#13 Most Shared PS Vita Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 55 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 55
  3. Negative: 1 out of 55
  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    May 23, 2014
    80
    This is a very dark story, but it's told with colourful verve and a keen wit. [June 2014, p.85]
  2. Everyeye.it
    Apr 15, 2014
    85
    Danganronpa is not a proper game: is an interactive novel. Still, its captivating atmosphere won't let you go until you'll reach the end.
    Read full review
  3. Hyper Magazine
    Apr 9, 2014
    80
    It has enough depth and twisted charisma to make it worth your time. [May 2014, p.70]
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