Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls

I was very excited when I got the chance to play Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls. This is a spin-off game and it is set in-between the events of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. It ditches the visual novel approach that the series is well known for in favor of a more action-packed kind of gameplay. It was a risky move, but one I feel worked very well.

The Warriors Of Hope

I thought that the story being told here in Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls was excellent. The game stars, Komaru Naegi who is the sister of the protagonist from the first game. She has lived for the last year trapped in this apartment but all hell breaks loose when she is attacked by Monokuma Robots. She meets, Byakuya Togami who gives her a special hacking gun and tells her to get out of the city.

Well, things go wrong, very wrong and before long she is fighting for her life and teaming up with Genocide Jill in order to survive and put a stop to the Warrior of Hope who are kids that want all adults killed. It is pretty cool stuff and I liked how it was its own thing, but had some very clever nods to the other games.

Two Become One

I found the gameplay of Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls to be a ton of fun. For the most part, you take control of Komaru and the game is in the 3rd person. She uses her hacking gun for pretty much everything. You can attack enemies, take over an enemy, use it on machines and use it to solve puzzles too. You can also take control of Genocide Jill with her razor-sharp scissors, the game does this in a very cool way and it is a lot of fun.

As you progress through the game you will obtain Monocoins and these are what you will be using to purchase upgrades and new abilities to help you get through the game. It is a fun 3rd person game and one that may be a tad clunky in places, but once you get the hang of it, it all becomes second nature.

Being In The Game!

I love the presentation of Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls. I played this recently and it has a very Persona 5 kind of style to it and I mean that in the most complimentary way imaginable. The characters all have a very unique look to them and there are some that are truly scary and sent shivers down my spine. It is one game that I would love to see brought to this new console generation in 4K with things tidied up a bit.

As well as looking great another way that they get you invested in what is going on is with the sound design. It is upbeat and kick-ass when it needs to be, but it can also be somber and scary. There is also some excellent voice acting here and it is in English which is always nice to see.

Pros:

• It is a very smart spin-off
• It has some great character development
• I enjoyed the 3rd personal gameplay
• The voice acting is great
• It looks like an anime movie that you are inside of!

Cons:

• Some of the controls can be a little on the clunky side
• You may not get as invested if you did not play the other games