Stupid fucking game devs insulting the fans
This review contains spoilers
A school made just for us.
This game left me feeling so conflicted after I first finished it years ago. When I was younger, I spent much of my time longing for some sort of fantastical adventure, an escape. I was lonely and sickly, so I threw myself into every book or video game wholeheartedly, eagerly imagining what it would be like to be in the protagonist's shoes, to live in a world different from my own. Daydreaming about something more exciting than the mundanities of my day to day life– To me, fiction was, in many ways, more real than the world around me. So, when I first reached the revelations at the end of this game, it felt like a mirror was being held up to me, it made me uncomfortable and hurt. Like a lot of people, I felt as if I was being attacked for daring to care. Well, I definitely don't feel that way anymore. My opinion on Danganronpa V3’s finale has (obviously, with my 5-star rating) done a complete 180. Upon replay, I’ve realized how well-structured and thoughtful this game is, and it’s become a personal favorite.
V3 is a gentle, poignant, and layered game, both in terms of its actual moment-to-moment story and what it is trying to say with its metanarrative. Firstly, this is the best Danganronpa game in terms of the actual meat of the product. The character writing is a notable step up from previous games, with every character being likable and fleshed out in their own right. Even larger-than-life characters such as Miu contain a depth that others of the same ilk from previous games, such as Hifumi, never had. V3’s main cast are easily some of the best characters of the franchise– Shuichi, Kaede, Maki, Kaito, and Kokichi are great, and the emotional core of the “training trio” is felt throughout the game, making the later chapters especially powerful. The cast deals with the loss of their friends in a deeper way as well, and their lingering grief makes V3 haunting even before the final truth comes out.
The class trials are great as well, with only Chapter 3’s being somewhat messy. They're all more complex than in previous games, and despite the longer length of the trials, they don’t drag to me. Each trial also ties in to the overarching themes of truth and lies, what is real and what is not. While it may seem obvious that a mystery game’s cases will deal with, well, the truth, I think V3 explores this in interesting ways. Of course, there's the obvious addition of lie bullets, allowing Shuichi to commit perjury when he needs to move the trial along, but it goes beyond that. Chapter 1 is a good example of this, with Kaede’s unreliable narration masking the fact that she had carried out the murder, with her true goal being to expose the mastermind. Oftentimes, the motives themselves tie directly into the theme of subjective truth. Kirumi is willing to sacrifice the few for the many, and to her, the truth is that this must be done to save her country, though she had been a loyal friend just days before. Gonta weighs the soul-crushing “truth” of the outside world with the already bleak environment his friends are in, and decides they’d be better off dead than pursuing the truth. On top of this, the mechanics of the trial are improved as well, with the minigames actually being consistently fun (a miracle). The new nonstop debates, Mind Mine, Psyche Taxi, and even Hangman’s Gambit are a vast improvement on previous games. Like, I love Hajime, but snowboarding in his mindscape is torture; meanwhile, Psyche Taxi is a blast.
As usual, Masafumi Takada does a phenomenal job with the soundtrack (I think V3 is his finest work with the series for sure). I really don’t think the game has a single bad track. Each song suits the atmosphere perfectly– “Nightmare in the Locker” and “Rise of the Ultimates” creates dread at eerie moments, “Heaven of Almost Hell” builds melancholy gorgeously, “Darkness Time” is the essence of night’s mystery. “Beautiful Lie” is a beautiful lie, with its nostalgic melody harkening back to school days that never were. It’s great.
It’s hard to talk about my favorite parts of V3 without discussing the ending and its implications. I used to think it came out of nowhere, but I can’t believe I ever used to think that because there’s literally heaps of foreshadowing towards it, and everything comes together wonderfully. Truth versus lies, reality versus fiction… The whole game, these concepts loom over the player. Kaede, knowing she is probably marching towards her execution, tells Shuichi to always pursue the truth. Kokichi, the embodiment of a lie, misleads the group incessantly. He wants to convince everyone, perhaps even himself, that he loves the killing game, but he wants to end it more than anyone. Kaito, trapped and gravely ill but wanting to make amends with his closest friend, believes Shuichi is capable of reaching something beyond the truth.
But what lies beyond the truth? For a while, Shuichi is convinced it is hope, a theme incredibly interwoven with the previous entries. However, what’s beyond the “truth” is something deeply horrifying. Fabricated lives. To be the victim of decisions made by the you that you no longer are. The you that, in your mind, you never were. Nothing about you is real, your existence is the ultimate lie. The person you viewed as a trusted friend now speaks to you coldly, regarding you as her creation. Narratively, I think this reveal is so chilling. A beautiful tragedy. The way it wraps up its exploration of truth and lies is incredibly touching. After all, if everything you know is a lie, isn’t that your truth? Yes, to the onlookers, your life may be fiction, but it is the truth to you. As Shuichi said, our pain is real. The group rejecting both hope and despair, refusing to participate in Tsumugi’s game, not giving the audience what they want, ending Danganronpa with their own hands… it’s insanely powerful. Going off script, defying the author one final time, is the ultimate liberation.
While I think V3 contains a lot of commentary on fan culture, I often see people claim that this game "hates" the previous entries and the series’ fans. No, I don't buy it. I think V3 fundamentally understands why fiction speaks to us, why we love it so much, why it's so powerful. Because of this, I think it cares deeply for the prior entries, which is why it needs to bring the series to an end. It's both a love letter to the series and a final goodbye– A way to end a series you put your heart into before it becomes meaningless muck, regurgitated over and over again like so many fictional endeavors eventually become (I mean, think of every TV show that drags itself out for years on end; you can feel the passion leaving as it drudges on). V3 doesn't want to suffer that fate.
I find it so fitting, then, that Shuichi tells Tsumugi once she’s lost that she never appreciated them or the power of fiction. Despite being the “author”, she had forgotten what makes fiction so capable of drawing in passion, so impactful. By ending it the way it does, it rejects "hope or despair" just as much as the characters themselves. It's choosing its own fate, ending on its own terms. So what if the characters and prior games were fictional? Fiction is beautiful. Fiction is compelling, thoughtful, capable of moving and inspiring, capable of changing your own perception of the world. And in its own way, fiction is truth. Does it matter whether Tsumugi was lying or telling the truth? The truth is up to you. It’s so heartbreaking to see, for example, Shuichi’s audition tape, but, well… so what? That Shuichi doesn’t define the Shuichi by the end of the game. Sometimes you must say goodbye, no matter how big or small: whether it be farewell to a fictional franchise that you love, farewell to the you you once were, farewell to everything you once knew as concrete truth. There’s beauty to be found even in the most twisted of scenarios– Maki, Shuichi, and Himiko preparing to step out of the dome, uncertain, but ready to mix their truth with the truth that lies beyond, the real and the fiction, is so perfect. I love this game so much. I don’t know what else to say. I could talk about it for hours, and there’s so much to read into and analyze. V3 is an unsolvable catbox of a mystery where truth and lies blend into one, and what truly matters is the emotion it brings forth. It’s, in of itself, another beautiful lie.
This game left me feeling so conflicted after I first finished it years ago. When I was younger, I spent much of my time longing for some sort of fantastical adventure, an escape. I was lonely and sickly, so I threw myself into every book or video game wholeheartedly, eagerly imagining what it would be like to be in the protagonist's shoes, to live in a world different from my own. Daydreaming about something more exciting than the mundanities of my day to day life– To me, fiction was, in many ways, more real than the world around me. So, when I first reached the revelations at the end of this game, it felt like a mirror was being held up to me, it made me uncomfortable and hurt. Like a lot of people, I felt as if I was being attacked for daring to care. Well, I definitely don't feel that way anymore. My opinion on Danganronpa V3’s finale has (obviously, with my 5-star rating) done a complete 180. Upon replay, I’ve realized how well-structured and thoughtful this game is, and it’s become a personal favorite.
V3 is a gentle, poignant, and layered game, both in terms of its actual moment-to-moment story and what it is trying to say with its metanarrative. Firstly, this is the best Danganronpa game in terms of the actual meat of the product. The character writing is a notable step up from previous games, with every character being likable and fleshed out in their own right. Even larger-than-life characters such as Miu contain a depth that others of the same ilk from previous games, such as Hifumi, never had. V3’s main cast are easily some of the best characters of the franchise– Shuichi, Kaede, Maki, Kaito, and Kokichi are great, and the emotional core of the “training trio” is felt throughout the game, making the later chapters especially powerful. The cast deals with the loss of their friends in a deeper way as well, and their lingering grief makes V3 haunting even before the final truth comes out.
The class trials are great as well, with only Chapter 3’s being somewhat messy. They're all more complex than in previous games, and despite the longer length of the trials, they don’t drag to me. Each trial also ties in to the overarching themes of truth and lies, what is real and what is not. While it may seem obvious that a mystery game’s cases will deal with, well, the truth, I think V3 explores this in interesting ways. Of course, there's the obvious addition of lie bullets, allowing Shuichi to commit perjury when he needs to move the trial along, but it goes beyond that. Chapter 1 is a good example of this, with Kaede’s unreliable narration masking the fact that she had carried out the murder, with her true goal being to expose the mastermind. Oftentimes, the motives themselves tie directly into the theme of subjective truth. Kirumi is willing to sacrifice the few for the many, and to her, the truth is that this must be done to save her country, though she had been a loyal friend just days before. Gonta weighs the soul-crushing “truth” of the outside world with the already bleak environment his friends are in, and decides they’d be better off dead than pursuing the truth. On top of this, the mechanics of the trial are improved as well, with the minigames actually being consistently fun (a miracle). The new nonstop debates, Mind Mine, Psyche Taxi, and even Hangman’s Gambit are a vast improvement on previous games. Like, I love Hajime, but snowboarding in his mindscape is torture; meanwhile, Psyche Taxi is a blast.
As usual, Masafumi Takada does a phenomenal job with the soundtrack (I think V3 is his finest work with the series for sure). I really don’t think the game has a single bad track. Each song suits the atmosphere perfectly– “Nightmare in the Locker” and “Rise of the Ultimates” creates dread at eerie moments, “Heaven of Almost Hell” builds melancholy gorgeously, “Darkness Time” is the essence of night’s mystery. “Beautiful Lie” is a beautiful lie, with its nostalgic melody harkening back to school days that never were. It’s great.
It’s hard to talk about my favorite parts of V3 without discussing the ending and its implications. I used to think it came out of nowhere, but I can’t believe I ever used to think that because there’s literally heaps of foreshadowing towards it, and everything comes together wonderfully. Truth versus lies, reality versus fiction… The whole game, these concepts loom over the player. Kaede, knowing she is probably marching towards her execution, tells Shuichi to always pursue the truth. Kokichi, the embodiment of a lie, misleads the group incessantly. He wants to convince everyone, perhaps even himself, that he loves the killing game, but he wants to end it more than anyone. Kaito, trapped and gravely ill but wanting to make amends with his closest friend, believes Shuichi is capable of reaching something beyond the truth.
But what lies beyond the truth? For a while, Shuichi is convinced it is hope, a theme incredibly interwoven with the previous entries. However, what’s beyond the “truth” is something deeply horrifying. Fabricated lives. To be the victim of decisions made by the you that you no longer are. The you that, in your mind, you never were. Nothing about you is real, your existence is the ultimate lie. The person you viewed as a trusted friend now speaks to you coldly, regarding you as her creation. Narratively, I think this reveal is so chilling. A beautiful tragedy. The way it wraps up its exploration of truth and lies is incredibly touching. After all, if everything you know is a lie, isn’t that your truth? Yes, to the onlookers, your life may be fiction, but it is the truth to you. As Shuichi said, our pain is real. The group rejecting both hope and despair, refusing to participate in Tsumugi’s game, not giving the audience what they want, ending Danganronpa with their own hands… it’s insanely powerful. Going off script, defying the author one final time, is the ultimate liberation.
While I think V3 contains a lot of commentary on fan culture, I often see people claim that this game "hates" the previous entries and the series’ fans. No, I don't buy it. I think V3 fundamentally understands why fiction speaks to us, why we love it so much, why it's so powerful. Because of this, I think it cares deeply for the prior entries, which is why it needs to bring the series to an end. It's both a love letter to the series and a final goodbye– A way to end a series you put your heart into before it becomes meaningless muck, regurgitated over and over again like so many fictional endeavors eventually become (I mean, think of every TV show that drags itself out for years on end; you can feel the passion leaving as it drudges on). V3 doesn't want to suffer that fate.
I find it so fitting, then, that Shuichi tells Tsumugi once she’s lost that she never appreciated them or the power of fiction. Despite being the “author”, she had forgotten what makes fiction so capable of drawing in passion, so impactful. By ending it the way it does, it rejects "hope or despair" just as much as the characters themselves. It's choosing its own fate, ending on its own terms. So what if the characters and prior games were fictional? Fiction is beautiful. Fiction is compelling, thoughtful, capable of moving and inspiring, capable of changing your own perception of the world. And in its own way, fiction is truth. Does it matter whether Tsumugi was lying or telling the truth? The truth is up to you. It’s so heartbreaking to see, for example, Shuichi’s audition tape, but, well… so what? That Shuichi doesn’t define the Shuichi by the end of the game. Sometimes you must say goodbye, no matter how big or small: whether it be farewell to a fictional franchise that you love, farewell to the you you once were, farewell to everything you once knew as concrete truth. There’s beauty to be found even in the most twisted of scenarios– Maki, Shuichi, and Himiko preparing to step out of the dome, uncertain, but ready to mix their truth with the truth that lies beyond, the real and the fiction, is so perfect. I love this game so much. I don’t know what else to say. I could talk about it for hours, and there’s so much to read into and analyze. V3 is an unsolvable catbox of a mystery where truth and lies blend into one, and what truly matters is the emotion it brings forth. It’s, in of itself, another beautiful lie.
Now, this is a proper series climax! And I climax too! Publix Instagram pool which one of us had the best climax? Nah it's me so let's get into this game. It goes from a pale copy to a parody of the series within the first 30 minutes. Now, there are officially more teddy bears than I have fingers. We don't need motives Monokuma, I have a decent one for every spawn of yours. Speaking off, deaths have become grittier, haven't they? I know it's like that gif of Spongebob and Patrick riding a rollercoaster, but still. Kodaka can't stray too far from the recipe if he wants the meal to be recognizable.
Thank the heavens Shuichi is likeable, else we would have a really big problem here! Luckily, he fulfills his role well in spite of the naysayers. He has more personality than he let on at the start, kinda like Chiaki? Regardless my two scrunklies are Himiko and Kaito. I cannot live without them, but can they live with me? Nop, they're fictional wink wink. Massive crush on Angie and Tsumugi, also I guess Keebo, but I wasn't interested in girls before V3, huh in Danganronpa universe atleast. That's a lie I'm not forgetting Mahiru, she's still here in fact... as Tenko (ignore this foolish statement lest you crave lack of media literacy).
These minigames be a little nutty. Scrum Debate and Psyche Taxi are iconic enough to vouch for the rest. Imagine like, pulling up to the function to argue with a mf like Kokichi Oma lmao I'd drive bitches in my head too. Look, Kokichi is a figment of our imagination that's why I won't say anything more concerning this sorry ass individual. I loved when he said "I am not in danger Skyler, I am the danger!!" though. Kokichi is what we all would be if our major milestone into the adult life was graduating elementary school and not highschool.
That's a great way to end the trilogy ngl. Dangan always has fire endings. Kodaka hasn't brought this heat outside of Akudama Drive lately. V3's UI is fantastic, so are sprites, but the CGs look sabotaged ahah, different artist, you did good work, but it's just not very Dangan with its offputting (compliment) and wacky visual identity. Look, I know these games like Dangan and OMORI choose to be edgy and that's a popular word for kids aged 12 to 17, but these two series deserve more. A romance between a toxic male and a strong independant woman being as poignant and deep as it is speaks volumes. Kaede, Shuichi, Kaito... ungodly amount of rizz.
Thank the heavens Shuichi is likeable, else we would have a really big problem here! Luckily, he fulfills his role well in spite of the naysayers. He has more personality than he let on at the start, kinda like Chiaki? Regardless my two scrunklies are Himiko and Kaito. I cannot live without them, but can they live with me? Nop, they're fictional wink wink. Massive crush on Angie and Tsumugi, also I guess Keebo, but I wasn't interested in girls before V3, huh in Danganronpa universe atleast. That's a lie I'm not forgetting Mahiru, she's still here in fact... as Tenko (ignore this foolish statement lest you crave lack of media literacy).
These minigames be a little nutty. Scrum Debate and Psyche Taxi are iconic enough to vouch for the rest. Imagine like, pulling up to the function to argue with a mf like Kokichi Oma lmao I'd drive bitches in my head too. Look, Kokichi is a figment of our imagination that's why I won't say anything more concerning this sorry ass individual. I loved when he said "I am not in danger Skyler, I am the danger!!" though. Kokichi is what we all would be if our major milestone into the adult life was graduating elementary school and not highschool.
That's a great way to end the trilogy ngl. Dangan always has fire endings. Kodaka hasn't brought this heat outside of Akudama Drive lately. V3's UI is fantastic, so are sprites, but the CGs look sabotaged ahah, different artist, you did good work, but it's just not very Dangan with its offputting (compliment) and wacky visual identity. Look, I know these games like Dangan and OMORI choose to be edgy and that's a popular word for kids aged 12 to 17, but these two series deserve more. A romance between a toxic male and a strong independant woman being as poignant and deep as it is speaks volumes. Kaede, Shuichi, Kaito... ungodly amount of rizz.
The ending is a litmus test for media comprehension.
The ending is the greatest media comprehension check of all time
best DR fan filter
basically no better way DR could have gone out
basically no better way DR could have gone out
One of the most metanarratively interesting and nuanced endings to any game ever with the two crippling flaws that one: none of the fanbase understand it's a criticism of them, and two: requires you to have played all the games in this terrible series to understand it.
I can't tell whether this was genius or extremely stupid
Deserves a shoutout for the ending harboring all my hatred since 2018.
Danganronpa fans media literacy was challenged with this one. Peak.
Finally got this finished up. I started the first Danganronpa a couple years ago and basically have gotten through the next each successive year, finishing here, on the 7th anniversary of Danganronpa v3: Killing Harmony’s release. As much as I do like them, the overwhelmingly samey gameplay would’ve made them a real trial to play back-to-back-to-back so I think it was the right decision to let each breathe a bit before continuing on. I had obviously heard about v3 through osmosis and @PolaroidJack is a big fan, so I was expecting a lot. While the first half of the game is still too slow for my liking, the final act is so well done that it really catapults it beyond the other games and makes for a memorable experience. Spoilers to follow?
The cast is fantastic, even if I did call a couple of the character twists ahead of time. Kokichi, Miu, Kaede, Shuichi, Korekiyo, Kaito, all very enjoyable characters. Maybe one or two duds in here but that's not too surprising. Pretty much everyone grows or changes in interesting ways throughout the narrative but Miu and Kokichi really stole the show. Aided perhaps by the more vulgar localization, but their unhinged antics really took every scene to new heights. I might prefer Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair as far as a “game” thanks to its cast and the overall tone and narrative path but the actual meat of the narrative of v3 goes beyond 2 for me. I will say though, the Monokubs (this entry's mascots) are such a waste of space. I have no idea what the team was thinking with them. Is it just a gag on the audience that they’re annoying? Because they never serve any narrative role and they almost exclusively make worthless commentary. Monomi in 2 was a fantastic foil to Monokuma, so I’m confused what they were intending with the Kubs. Them aside, every moment is punctuated by the strength of this cast, as is usually the case with this series.
Trial 6 / Final Act (Spoilers)
What makes the finale so special is what it does with the twist. The twist itself isn’t too absurdly shocking - Danganronpa 1 ends with the reveal of the death game being watched and Danganronpa 2 is about a virtual world, this is the next logical step - but where the narrative goes with reflecting on this twist and what it means is what makes it effective. There's a lot of reflection on what makes a piece of fiction, how fiction affects us, and what game development can mean from a business perspective. To this end, at some point in the latter minutes of the game I did genuinely experience the unnerving feeling that the characters were real. That playing the game was looking into another world. Their lives behind the screen and mine in front of it. That's a unique feeling. The added layer of Kodaka’s reflection on how Chunsoft pushed him into this third game rings so strongly in the final chapter that it feels like Kojima on how Konami treated him - lots of questions like “what makes Danganronpa? “Who decides where the story goes?”“Should you give the fans what they want and expect or switch it up?””Can I do that without getting fired?” It's a ballsy ending that feels like it does give closure to years worth of narrative and character work. The reveals hit really hard and do things that just feel pretty unique for the medium. I can see why it might not land for some people, but it blew me away.
Criticism
My main issues are the issues I have with EACH game in the main trilogy -
• They’re too slowly paced - The overarching narrative of Danganronpa is… ineffective. I kept waiting for v3 to tie everything up, make the stuff about the despairs and THE TRAGEDY make more sense and feel less like YA fiction stuff. Obviously, the twist makes this irrelevant. While I love the twist and think it makes the game work, it does cause me to reflect on the fact that the “outside” narrative never mattered. In 1, it was just set up to the death game; in 2, it was only to make the virtual world reveal make more sense; in v3, it’s completely eschewed for the sake of the metanarrative, to its betterment. So I’m a little conflicted in that, on one hand, it does away with any need to criticize Kodaka for delaying story content in each iteration - going “Arrgghh! When will this stuff get explained?!” is pointless when, in reality, the death game was really the focus all along, and I was hyping myself for something that didn’t exist. On the other hand, I did sort of want that explanation, and getting out of it is perhaps a little cowardly - I wanted to see how the hell he could make The Tragedy make sense.
• Relevant story content for the overarching narrative is relegated to the last 2 chapters - While this is partially explained by above, I do still think it’s a negative for the structure of each game that the flow is so identical. Outside of Kaede’s role, everything in v3 is layed out early with the expectation that it won’t be explained for 15-20 hours and, yeah, that’s still the case.
•Wonky action minigames in trials that feel more like hindrance than anything - I like some of them here, and overall, this is an improvement over everything in 2. “Swords Rebuttal” in particular was massively improved now that you can actually read the dialogue before interacting with it. Debate Scrum, while very easy, is probably the best minigame in the series. Really liked it a lot. Otherwise… eh. I don’t ever feel like the minigames add much in Danganronpa. Obviously the central Debate minigame is pretty important for the game’s structure, but I don’t particularly enjoy it or the others. Outside of some truly terrible hitboxes and hit detection on firing truth bullets, the minigames are mostly pretty inoffensive in v3.
• Little interesting content in the free time + extraneous content (like the skills in v3) aren’t easily accessible in a single playthrough - While Danganronpa is on the shorter side for a VN, I still dislike the free time moments for taking away from the narrative. Additionally, they hardly ever feel truly relevant. There are definitely going to be funny moments here and there, but the strength of v3 is in the storytelling and the character interactions, the 1 on 1 date moments aren’t ever anything to write home about. The skills are a really nice addition here, but if you’re mostly just playing for the story, you only end up with a couple of them, which feels like it limits the possible gameplay elements of the trials.
• Controls are still completely asinine, I do not understand why they stayed exactly the same in the transition from a handheld to console. Menus are, overall, incompetently crafted as well. I’m glad this was mostly not the case for Rain Code.
• Fucking insane that this game is still screenshot / recording locked on PlayStation - I’m writing this review on the 7th anniversary of Danganronpa v3’s release, Spike Chunsoft. I don't think spoilers are too worrying at this point.
I just wrote up a lot of criticism, huh? Well, take that and ignore it, because it’s basically completely irrelevant to my enjoyment of the story and the game as a whole.
Presentation
Best it’s ever been. The art, the cutscenes, the music, the voice performances (I played in Japanese). Absolutely knocked it out of the park. Kokichi’s VA makes some incredible things happen in the back half and I really noticed how much work they were putting in. Takada Masafumi’s music is incredible as ever. So many standout tracks in here that really run the gamut of genre. Always a pleasure to hear his work. The art team really solidified all the designs and major elements of the world into a cohesive whole - I looked back at 1 (as well as saw it referenced ingame) and noted how off model the early CGs looked by comparison to v3’s, which just goes to show how much they had improved with them. This is not a spectacularly impressive game but the new UI elements and whatnot feel nice, and the trial UI in particular feels markedly different from prior entries, befitting the end of the series.
I'm finishing Master Detective Archives: Rain Code next and have high expectations just for it escaping the mold of Danganronpa, which only feels natural given the end of this game. Kodaka took a somewhat lopsided death game narrative and wrapped it into an extraordinarily satisfying knot, bringing together all sorts of ideas about the nature of game development, the place of fiction in society, and the very nature of existence. I know this is a controversial ending for some, but for me it was the only logical place for Danganronpa to go, and sends the series out on the biggest bang possible. The story goes on.
The cast is fantastic, even if I did call a couple of the character twists ahead of time. Kokichi, Miu, Kaede, Shuichi, Korekiyo, Kaito, all very enjoyable characters. Maybe one or two duds in here but that's not too surprising. Pretty much everyone grows or changes in interesting ways throughout the narrative but Miu and Kokichi really stole the show. Aided perhaps by the more vulgar localization, but their unhinged antics really took every scene to new heights. I might prefer Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair as far as a “game” thanks to its cast and the overall tone and narrative path but the actual meat of the narrative of v3 goes beyond 2 for me. I will say though, the Monokubs (this entry's mascots) are such a waste of space. I have no idea what the team was thinking with them. Is it just a gag on the audience that they’re annoying? Because they never serve any narrative role and they almost exclusively make worthless commentary. Monomi in 2 was a fantastic foil to Monokuma, so I’m confused what they were intending with the Kubs. Them aside, every moment is punctuated by the strength of this cast, as is usually the case with this series.
Trial 6 / Final Act (Spoilers)
What makes the finale so special is what it does with the twist. The twist itself isn’t too absurdly shocking - Danganronpa 1 ends with the reveal of the death game being watched and Danganronpa 2 is about a virtual world, this is the next logical step - but where the narrative goes with reflecting on this twist and what it means is what makes it effective. There's a lot of reflection on what makes a piece of fiction, how fiction affects us, and what game development can mean from a business perspective. To this end, at some point in the latter minutes of the game I did genuinely experience the unnerving feeling that the characters were real. That playing the game was looking into another world. Their lives behind the screen and mine in front of it. That's a unique feeling. The added layer of Kodaka’s reflection on how Chunsoft pushed him into this third game rings so strongly in the final chapter that it feels like Kojima on how Konami treated him - lots of questions like “what makes Danganronpa? “Who decides where the story goes?”“Should you give the fans what they want and expect or switch it up?””Can I do that without getting fired?” It's a ballsy ending that feels like it does give closure to years worth of narrative and character work. The reveals hit really hard and do things that just feel pretty unique for the medium. I can see why it might not land for some people, but it blew me away.
Criticism
My main issues are the issues I have with EACH game in the main trilogy -
• They’re too slowly paced - The overarching narrative of Danganronpa is… ineffective. I kept waiting for v3 to tie everything up, make the stuff about the despairs and THE TRAGEDY make more sense and feel less like YA fiction stuff. Obviously, the twist makes this irrelevant. While I love the twist and think it makes the game work, it does cause me to reflect on the fact that the “outside” narrative never mattered. In 1, it was just set up to the death game; in 2, it was only to make the virtual world reveal make more sense; in v3, it’s completely eschewed for the sake of the metanarrative, to its betterment. So I’m a little conflicted in that, on one hand, it does away with any need to criticize Kodaka for delaying story content in each iteration - going “Arrgghh! When will this stuff get explained?!” is pointless when, in reality, the death game was really the focus all along, and I was hyping myself for something that didn’t exist. On the other hand, I did sort of want that explanation, and getting out of it is perhaps a little cowardly - I wanted to see how the hell he could make The Tragedy make sense.
• Relevant story content for the overarching narrative is relegated to the last 2 chapters - While this is partially explained by above, I do still think it’s a negative for the structure of each game that the flow is so identical. Outside of Kaede’s role, everything in v3 is layed out early with the expectation that it won’t be explained for 15-20 hours and, yeah, that’s still the case.
•Wonky action minigames in trials that feel more like hindrance than anything - I like some of them here, and overall, this is an improvement over everything in 2. “Swords Rebuttal” in particular was massively improved now that you can actually read the dialogue before interacting with it. Debate Scrum, while very easy, is probably the best minigame in the series. Really liked it a lot. Otherwise… eh. I don’t ever feel like the minigames add much in Danganronpa. Obviously the central Debate minigame is pretty important for the game’s structure, but I don’t particularly enjoy it or the others. Outside of some truly terrible hitboxes and hit detection on firing truth bullets, the minigames are mostly pretty inoffensive in v3.
• Little interesting content in the free time + extraneous content (like the skills in v3) aren’t easily accessible in a single playthrough - While Danganronpa is on the shorter side for a VN, I still dislike the free time moments for taking away from the narrative. Additionally, they hardly ever feel truly relevant. There are definitely going to be funny moments here and there, but the strength of v3 is in the storytelling and the character interactions, the 1 on 1 date moments aren’t ever anything to write home about. The skills are a really nice addition here, but if you’re mostly just playing for the story, you only end up with a couple of them, which feels like it limits the possible gameplay elements of the trials.
• Controls are still completely asinine, I do not understand why they stayed exactly the same in the transition from a handheld to console. Menus are, overall, incompetently crafted as well. I’m glad this was mostly not the case for Rain Code.
• Fucking insane that this game is still screenshot / recording locked on PlayStation - I’m writing this review on the 7th anniversary of Danganronpa v3’s release, Spike Chunsoft. I don't think spoilers are too worrying at this point.
I just wrote up a lot of criticism, huh? Well, take that and ignore it, because it’s basically completely irrelevant to my enjoyment of the story and the game as a whole.
Presentation
Best it’s ever been. The art, the cutscenes, the music, the voice performances (I played in Japanese). Absolutely knocked it out of the park. Kokichi’s VA makes some incredible things happen in the back half and I really noticed how much work they were putting in. Takada Masafumi’s music is incredible as ever. So many standout tracks in here that really run the gamut of genre. Always a pleasure to hear his work. The art team really solidified all the designs and major elements of the world into a cohesive whole - I looked back at 1 (as well as saw it referenced ingame) and noted how off model the early CGs looked by comparison to v3’s, which just goes to show how much they had improved with them. This is not a spectacularly impressive game but the new UI elements and whatnot feel nice, and the trial UI in particular feels markedly different from prior entries, befitting the end of the series.
I'm finishing Master Detective Archives: Rain Code next and have high expectations just for it escaping the mold of Danganronpa, which only feels natural given the end of this game. Kodaka took a somewhat lopsided death game narrative and wrapped it into an extraordinarily satisfying knot, bringing together all sorts of ideas about the nature of game development, the place of fiction in society, and the very nature of existence. I know this is a controversial ending for some, but for me it was the only logical place for Danganronpa to go, and sends the series out on the biggest bang possible. The story goes on.
This review contains spoilers
Anyone who doesn't like the ending to this game is crazy I'll say it.
I did not expect them to go FULL-ON metafiction on me at the end, but wow was it entertaining and fun. An amazing culmination of the series with so many twists I can't even count them all.
The mastermind reveal (BOTH OF THEM) but especially Tsumugi was so well done I'm still reeling. This was like "Akechi hearing Morgana say pancakes" level of mindfuck.
She went to the bathroom guys.
And don't even get me started on the TRUUUE mastermind.
Insanity.
Before V3, I honestly wasn't the biggest fan of Danganronpa. 1 was not bad, 2 was a LOT better, but this? It truly made me a fan of the series. Such an ambitious climax I can only respect Kodaka for ending his most popular franchise like this.
Not only that but the characters in V3 blow 1 and 2's out of the water. Maki and Kaito's relationship with Shuichi, Keebo's gradual evolution into an indispensable factor, Tsumugi's secret... Even lesser characters like Korekiyo are just so fun (like seriously the stuff he does in THAT chapter is just so ridiculous, it's amazing).
However, fuck Hangman's Gambit and Psyche Taxi.
I did not expect them to go FULL-ON metafiction on me at the end, but wow was it entertaining and fun. An amazing culmination of the series with so many twists I can't even count them all.
The mastermind reveal (BOTH OF THEM) but especially Tsumugi was so well done I'm still reeling. This was like "Akechi hearing Morgana say pancakes" level of mindfuck.
She went to the bathroom guys.
And don't even get me started on the TRUUUE mastermind.
Insanity.
Before V3, I honestly wasn't the biggest fan of Danganronpa. 1 was not bad, 2 was a LOT better, but this? It truly made me a fan of the series. Such an ambitious climax I can only respect Kodaka for ending his most popular franchise like this.
Not only that but the characters in V3 blow 1 and 2's out of the water. Maki and Kaito's relationship with Shuichi, Keebo's gradual evolution into an indispensable factor, Tsumugi's secret... Even lesser characters like Korekiyo are just so fun (like seriously the stuff he does in THAT chapter is just so ridiculous, it's amazing).
However, fuck Hangman's Gambit and Psyche Taxi.
It's excellent in every aspect but the ending REALLY does ruin it.
I found this game pretty boring, honestly, but I kept playing because I wanted to see how the story would end since the other two Danganronpa games had banger endings, and this one has one of the worst endings I've ever experienced in a video game.
fans who hate this game makes the plot even more realistic
it's honestly fitting how they perfectly predicted how people would react and everyone still lacks the self awareness to realize they are proving the devs right
i don't know what to say tbh. aside from it being the definitive peak of an already amazing series (probably my fav oat now) the themes in this game are incredible, it's a beautifully done work of art that i just..i just love it so much. thank you, danganronpa.
i don't know what to say tbh. aside from it being the definitive peak of an already amazing series (probably my fav oat now) the themes in this game are incredible, it's a beautifully done work of art that i just..i just love it so much. thank you, danganronpa.
Still the perfect example of a litmus test for people who can't parse a story all these years later
A product made with so much love,care and understanding,that it knew full when it was time to close the book on the series. You can see it everywhere,from the immaculate presentation and soundtrack,to the extremely well thought-out cast,whose interactions are still so goddamn entertaining and most of all,heartfelt.
There's really no other way to say it: there's no other game,outside Umineko,that truly loves stories as much as this one. Sometimes,those very lies are what keep you going through all the suffering. And that's exactly what will make me float on too.
Plus,this is the second game in which Kodaka just fellates Metal Gear Solid 2 to completion. How can you not love something so unabashedly celebratory of everything that inspired it?
A product made with so much love,care and understanding,that it knew full when it was time to close the book on the series. You can see it everywhere,from the immaculate presentation and soundtrack,to the extremely well thought-out cast,whose interactions are still so goddamn entertaining and most of all,heartfelt.
There's really no other way to say it: there's no other game,outside Umineko,that truly loves stories as much as this one. Sometimes,those very lies are what keep you going through all the suffering. And that's exactly what will make me float on too.
Plus,this is the second game in which Kodaka just fellates Metal Gear Solid 2 to completion. How can you not love something so unabashedly celebratory of everything that inspired it?
the ultimate media literacy test. complete morons will tell you this is the most amazing game ever. even bigger idiots will tell you the ending ruins the franchise.
KaiGod Monoma
GoatKichi Oma
Maki HaruCabra
ShuiKing Saihara
RantaGoat Amami
Kaede Akabratsu
K1-G047
GoatKichi Oma
Maki HaruCabra
ShuiKing Saihara
RantaGoat Amami
Kaede Akabratsu
K1-G047
O melhor da franquia, mas ainda é problemático.
Visualmente inconsistente, em uma hora lindo, criativo e ambicioso, em outra feio que dói, odiei boa parte das OSTs novas, mudaram a OST do Monokuma pra algo criminoso.
As investigações continuam horríveis e chatas, gameplay nulo fora os class trials, que no V3 atingiram seu ápice em gameplay, com mecânicas novas realmente válidas e boas, já os mini games estão terríveis de novo.
O roteiro melhorou bastante, tirando o caso 3 e o último caso, que é sem dúvidas, uma das coisas mais pretensiosas que já consumi, é literalmente o final do Dangaronpa 2, só que jogado na sua cara, reforçando tanto a mensagem que quer passar ao ponto de me deixar louco. Os personagens são 8/80 de novo, tem Kokichi e Kaito que são absurdos e também tem a Miu, A MIU, e o Korekiyo, mas no geral, o V3 é o que explora melhor as individualidades dos seus personagens/suas habilidades pra executar os assassinatos e abordar a temática.
Tava gostando muito, uma pena, acabou me decepcionando graças ao final que vomita pra você da forma mais óbvia possível sobre o que a VN se trata.
Visualmente inconsistente, em uma hora lindo, criativo e ambicioso, em outra feio que dói, odiei boa parte das OSTs novas, mudaram a OST do Monokuma pra algo criminoso.
As investigações continuam horríveis e chatas, gameplay nulo fora os class trials, que no V3 atingiram seu ápice em gameplay, com mecânicas novas realmente válidas e boas, já os mini games estão terríveis de novo.
O roteiro melhorou bastante, tirando o caso 3 e o último caso, que é sem dúvidas, uma das coisas mais pretensiosas que já consumi, é literalmente o final do Dangaronpa 2, só que jogado na sua cara, reforçando tanto a mensagem que quer passar ao ponto de me deixar louco. Os personagens são 8/80 de novo, tem Kokichi e Kaito que são absurdos e também tem a Miu, A MIU, e o Korekiyo, mas no geral, o V3 é o que explora melhor as individualidades dos seus personagens/suas habilidades pra executar os assassinatos e abordar a temática.
Tava gostando muito, uma pena, acabou me decepcionando graças ao final que vomita pra você da forma mais óbvia possível sobre o que a VN se trata.
Suffers a bit from predictable cases and annoying characters (especially Miu).
But makes up for it with a fantastic case 5 and a great ending. After their development the cast is also quite enjoyable.
Soundtrack is great, much like 2.
But makes up for it with a fantastic case 5 and a great ending. After their development the cast is also quite enjoyable.
Soundtrack is great, much like 2.
This review contains spoilers
this may be controversial but its my fav game of the three
it has some questionable things like the whole incest situation and like all of the dr games part of the writing is off but i LOVE kaitos trial and rantaro as a character + I really liked the final plot twist! I think its fun and gives a lot of room for theories which is great! I also really enjoy kokichis role in the story and I see him as one of the most complex characters in the franchise :)
The false protag thing was cool but I was kind of disappointed because I really wanted a female protag
it has some questionable things like the whole incest situation and like all of the dr games part of the writing is off but i LOVE kaitos trial and rantaro as a character + I really liked the final plot twist! I think its fun and gives a lot of room for theories which is great! I also really enjoy kokichis role in the story and I see him as one of the most complex characters in the franchise :)
The false protag thing was cool but I was kind of disappointed because I really wanted a female protag
kaito momota. i dont know what's going on besides him
When I tried to play this my game corrupted after I started trial 1 and i considered that a sign from God
this game isn't real, it can fuck off.
why should I get punished because the rest of the fanbase are a bunch of spergs.
why should I get punished because the rest of the fanbase are a bunch of spergs.
Finished this game against my will because it'd been on my steam account for a few years. I just never got to like it. Insufferable cast, boring dialogue... I'd say it had like 1 or 2 interesting moments. Anyways, I AM DONE
''Was this lie able to change something?
Was this lie able to change someone?
Was this lie... able to change the world?
If it was able to change even the smallest thing... Then the story isn't over.
Goodbye, Danganronpa."
Que plot incrível e genial esse final tem, a quebra da quarta parede mais mindblowing que já vi. Definitivamente o ápice de danganronpa e uma das melhores franquias que existem por aí com um dos melhores desfechos ever. Obrigado por essa masterpiece, Kodaka 🙏.
Was this lie able to change someone?
Was this lie... able to change the world?
If it was able to change even the smallest thing... Then the story isn't over.
Goodbye, Danganronpa."
Que plot incrível e genial esse final tem, a quebra da quarta parede mais mindblowing que já vi. Definitivamente o ápice de danganronpa e uma das melhores franquias que existem por aí com um dos melhores desfechos ever. Obrigado por essa masterpiece, Kodaka 🙏.
Kaito carried the fuck outta this game
I liked Danganronpa 1 and 2 well enough, but I didn’t really get why everyone else thought the series was amazing. Then V3 came along, patted me on the back and exclaimed, "its ok, we don't think its amazing either" and I went 😔🙏
Some of the best storytelling in a VN Ive ever read. Its the best in the Danganronpa series. The ending has always stuck with me as one of the biggest mindfucks I've ever experienced.
What a finale to this weird but lovable series.
What a finale to this weird but lovable series.