I want to get off Mr. Monokuma's wild ride.

While the first game had its fair share of problems, I ended the game thinking it was a good time overall. I really can't say the same thing about Danganronpa 2, where it feels like despite exceeding in some of what it does compared to the first, it also ends up doubling down on just how annoying DR1 was at times.

This game ditches the trapped-in and oppressive atmosphere of Hope's Peak Academy for the tropical island setting of the Jabberwock Islands. While I can dig the new atmosphere, it just doesn't manage to hit quite like hopeless scene the first game provided. There is something hiding under the paradise that gets revealed during the final case though, and it is SUPER cool where they take it. The soundtrack is still good, and I do like this game's UI although I'm not too fond of the pixel aesthetic this game sometimes goes for.

However, I really can't stand this game's humor. Nearly every time this game attempts to be funny I want to shove a knife through my abdomen. Sometimes a couple of jokes manage to land, but DR2 loooooves being self-aware or more referential than the first game and it almost never got a chuckle out of me. I also wasn't laughing when characters either act like the biggest idiots ever or can't keep their dick in their pants half of the time; I am talking to YOU, Kazuichi. There are more characters that I like than in the first game, but they make sure to counteract that by having more bad characters, and to make them even more insufferable, as well. I am talking to you TOO, Mikan and Hiyoko.

I'm feeling mixed on the trials. There are some cool things added like consent and the sword duels, but then they made the Hangman's Gambit worse ("improved", my ass) and both it and Logic Dive are inexplicably placed into quite a number of moments where they could just ask a question and lose nothing of value. They also still don't fully get rid of the "Trial Point Getters" issue although it's somewhat better here, I guess.

Cases 3 and 4 are very bad, the Despair Disease is an absolutely trash motive, and the trial is just.. oh, god. DR2 has a really big problem with droning on, and on, and on that's at its worst in Case 4, leading to a pre-trial that made me about as sick of the game as Hajime was at that point. The trial was whatever but I liked the ending. Cases 2 and 6 rock, though. I'm glad they managed to have a good final case this time, considering the underwhelming final trial the last game ended on.

To sum it up, though, DR2 is plagued with bad pacing, the loss of DR1's oppressive atmosphere, insufferable characters, bad humor, and unnecessary additions. I'm not a fan, and I hope V3 manages to do better.

By the way.. check out this spreadsheet I did. We counted both the hopes AND despairs that are either spoken or read (and then some) this time. And most of the former is that stupid white-haired twink's fault.