Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp

Danganronpa S Ultimate Summer Camp is a modest spin-off for fans. While it makes sense as a collection addition, it is far less appealing as a stand-alone purchase.

Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp is a good game for two distinct groups of people: those who went for 100% completion of the adventure game trilogy and those who want an incredibly brief RPG. If you’re in either one of those camps, then it’s worth signing up. Otherwise, stick to the adventure games.

As part of the collection for Danganronpa Decadence, Ultimate Summer Camp is a nice bonus in addition to three solid titles. On its own as a digital title it may not necessarily be worth picking up unless players don’t mind the long grind that awaits them along their journey. The biggest single addition this spin-off could have used would be adding some sort of multiplayer support so at least players wouldn’t feel burdened by going at it alone and could instead take it on with a few more friends. It’s still a fine enough experience, but it’s just a shame there’s not a lot here outside of the board and continual fights. The unique little story scenarios are kind of interesting at first, but it’s quickly apparent that they don’t have a ton of actual substance to them either. Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp has a lot of charm at first, but it falls flat when it comes to the actual lack of interesting gameplay it offers.

Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp is an odd experience to recommend because its inclusion within Danganronpa Decadence makes it approachable to all purchasers of the package. Further, its base standalone $19.99 price point is fair, if only for hardcore fans of the genre to spend a little more time with these characters. Those who found enjoyment in the Ultimate Talent Development Plan minigame will find a familiar experience, but there’s nothing really here to keep you engaged outside of a sub-par board game with gacha systems.

Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp is a welcome game for those who'd like to see how characters from the franchise would get along if they were trapped together on a tropical island. However, the gameplay is a bit too simplistic so unless you're really into grinding and collecting, you probably won't play it for long before wanting to play something more substantial from the main series.

While it's a fun time for fans, Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp is a total grindfest and plays almost the exact same way every time. With gameplay that's both luck-based and uninspiring, it's an incredibly tough recommendation to anyone but devoted series obsessives. This writer found it compelling — games don't take that long — but it is repetitive to a fault, and by design. Bizarrely, there are some ways in which it's less interesting and compelling than the equivalent unlockable feature in V3 and that was a free post-game bonus. Ask yourself if you really need to spend money to see the characters in swimsuits and make your decision from there.

The thing about Danganronpa S is that as I play, I can think of how it could be better. Giving a player all N-rank cards at the start would have been nice. Especially since there are four variants of each character and nine Hype Card upgrades for each of them. Not to mention 30 presents are there. It’d mean you’d be able to build people you like immediately. Even if they wouldn’t be great. Also, given that people are paying $20 for this, the gacha rates shouldn’t be so terrible. Rather than play Danganronpa S, I’d suggest people get Danganronpa V3 and play through its minigames (and review its story) again. Given it’s $29.99, compared to Danganronpa S’s $19.99, it is worth it. As is, I can’t help but feel like this should have been a free-to-play game.