Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

 PlayStation Vita
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
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  1. Gaming Age
    Dec 13, 2017
    67
    Just about the only new thing this time around is the ending, which arguably recontextualizes the entire series in a way that’s sure to leave some people infuriated. Personally, though? I don’t think that a controversial, divisive ending changes the fact that everything that comes before it is basically just 35+ hours of more of the same. If you’re a PS4 owner, of course, all of this will seem new and kind of scandalous, so I can see why it may appeal to some people, but for Vita owners hoping that the previous Danganronpa game marked a new direction for the series, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony will represent a bit of a step back to the safe and familiar (to the extent, obviously, that Danganronpa could ever be described as safe).

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PS Vita Game of 2017
1
#1 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2017
11
#11 Most Shared PS Vita Game of 2017

User Reviews

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User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 84 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 84
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 84
  3. Negative: 21 out of 84
  1. bloodless08
    Oct 25, 2017
    5
    This game was set up to be fantastic. The mechanics and setting are a bit worn by now, and the secrets unlocked throughout the story weren'tThis game was set up to be fantastic. The mechanics and setting are a bit worn by now, and the secrets unlocked throughout the story weren't as 'blood-pumping' as the first two games, but it was still fun! I really liked a few of the characters and I couldn't wait to see how the story would resolve itself in the final chapter, and how it would tie in with the first two games + the anime.
    That was the problem. The final chapter. The final chapter ruined all the time I had spent with the game and I felt no closure in completing it. Some may claim it was 'clever', but to me, who invested in this game to see a continuation of the story built in the first two games, the game was just one giant middle finger to me. I now understand why so many people were saying they were glad they just watched playthroughs of it online instead of spending dough on it. This backwards 'cleverness' is not the type of developement I want to financially encourage.    … Full Review »
  2. ExLight
    Jul 15, 2018
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. This game is pretty much a 40 hours long version of case 2-3 (Turnabout Big Top) from the Ace Attorney series but with a terrible tryhard meta ending. Sharing the same problems as the infamous case: the lack of a coherent story, and characters that feel bland and stupid amidst mistimed nonsense comic relief. Let's break it down.

    A futuristic setting with a fresh theme of Lies vs. Truth. With all the hype built through the years that preceded the release, the expectations were high for this game. After two incredible main games, with interesting twists and (some) memorable characters, the start of a new saga unrelated to the Hope's Peak Arc fills everybody with hope and despair.

    Firstly, the new mechanics. The new minigames are not an improvement, they still feel somewhat the same from the previous games, not appealing but kinda nice to break the monotony of a tiring class trial. Perjury is an interesting concept, but it was poorly worked: the back routes could be interesting but are way too short to the point of feeling more like an easter egg than a feature; I also don't like the fact it isn't optional at some points. Debate Scrums are stupid, require no thinking and the fact you're always on the correct side is annoying. Panic Debates despite being more realistic are just chaotic in this game, most of the characters are just spouting gibberish while you're the one panicking trying to end it asap.

    Secondly, the common points. Some cases are fantastic, V3 has some of the best murders mysteries of the series; on the other hand, some are pretty streched, forced, and/or predictable (i.e. cases 2 and 3). Executions are decent, the usual weirdness is there. Monokuma feels off without the Despair vs. Hope fight being the focus. "Junko" is bad. Side character (Maki) is pretty good despite being somewhat generic and lackluster after Kirigiri and Chiaki. Rival (Kokichi) is way duller than appears, with a conflicting character development that results in him being outshined by Komaeda and even Togami.

    The game starts pretty strong, with a solid and surprising first case (if you finished the game you know that this case loses all its shine due to the deus ex machina randomly thrown in it). It's still early in the game, and it introduces new potentially interesting characters. The twist is exciting and shocking. The new theme is introduced coherently and somewhat well developed. Monokubs are downright annoying and unnecessary.

    On the Chapter 2 it starts to feel uneasy. At this point it's made clear that Gonta, Himiko, Kaito, Miu and Tenko are irrelevant, instead they'll be repetitive comic relief characters with annoying catchphrases and/or lack of real personality for the rest of the game. The "How" is predictable, and the case is able to ruin and kill the characters with the most potential.

    Chapter 3 is about an incestuous creepy crazy serial killer with dissociative identity disorder murdering two people outta nowhere for his dead sister that is actually himself. Sounds ludicrous, right? Yeah. "How" and "Who" are obvious. Case is annoying, tries to have this mythical and eerie vibe. Just ends up being stupid.

    Chapter 4 is pretty good. The "How" is somewhat predictable, but the way the case progresses is really interesting. Here we get to see some real antagonism by Kokichi, which is way better than him just lying to stall the trial "for fun".

    Chapter 5 has an awesome trial, to me one of the best from all 3 main games. it has twists enough to make the player question their own sanity. "Who", "How" and "Why" are completely unpredictable and masterfully done. Kokichi's character development from the previous chapters is thrown outta the window. Here we see the effort that should've been put into the whole game.

    Chapter 6 is what we all know. In a rushed attempt to tie all the loose ends it ruins the first case, sh*ts over the already bad story to replace it with a bad 4th wall breaking ""plot"" twist. No decent internal conflict, terrible mastermind, discards all development the game had built, etc.

    The "story" progression has no effort, it's just about collecting the vague Flashback Lights and comical events; the characters are just apathetic after the trials; the comic relief ends up being vulgar and mechanical. In the end, it does deliver what it intends: a bunch of uninteresting characters without any real talent, a washed-up charmless shallow reality show, a Bollywoodesque absurd story that gets a little too self-conscious, and Monokuma(s).

    Intentionally or not, this game is clearly an unpleasant satire of the own Danganronpa franchise. The fact people just seem to ignore this and love it blindly to feel better about wasting their money is one of the most uncomfortable aspects of this game to me. It mocks every player and every meta game, pointing out how oblivious this fanbase has grown.
    I'd say this game deserves a 53/100 to match its title, but that would be a lie    … Full Review »
  3. Kenmei
    Oct 8, 2017
    10
    The third (and final?) entry into the Danganronpa Visual Novel series for the Sony platforms, D3 not only has shown the type of growth thatThe third (and final?) entry into the Danganronpa Visual Novel series for the Sony platforms, D3 not only has shown the type of growth that i've come to expect from this series, but arguably sets the standard for all other Visual mystery novels going forward. From the amazing opening case, to the wonderfully written and performed cast of characters, to the CRAZY ending that definitely caught me off guard, but in a good way, D3 really shines in all aspects of the story mode. While I definitely would have liked to have seen a number of the mini games that were invovled in the story removed entirely. Some of which just seemed to have been there to artificially extend the cases (most notably the supremely boring taxi mini game....), it's easily done considering how supremely amazing the individual cases were. I seriously cant recommend it enough for people to go out and play this series. It's a MUST that you play the first 2 games in the series before playing this one. The ending loses a ton of impact if you haven't played those. But, for those looking to give the Vita a proper send off here, I'd highly recommend going through even if you only sorta kinda care about stories in video games. This is probably one of the most well written stories I've ever seen and it immediately became one of my favorite games of all time.… Full Review »
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