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[nowhat]

(First a few disclaimers: I've now only played the three "main" games in the franchise, so I've no idea about the spinoffs/anime/whatnot. And this should be obvious, but just in case, the will be SPOILERS, for all of the three games.)

After playing 1/2 Reload I've been really curious about V3. However, the general opinion on it seems to be rather mixed, so I was hesitant to get it at full price. But with the recent Japan sale at the PS Store, 60% off - sign me up!

First the non-essential stuff. I think this is mechanically the best Danganronpa on PS4, no question. The previous two had parts where it was obvious they were made for Vita, but didn't just work that well with a DS4. Here, it works very well all the way with the controller. That's not to say some of the minigames wouldn't be a bit "ehh" (looking at you Psyche Taxi and whatever that Minesweeper clone was called), but it's not because of the controls. Also, great music once again. I liked the remixes of the original tracks, and some very nice new additions as well (the Monokubs theme is great). I didn't particularly care for the "lie" option in the debates - partially because having to hold triangle for a while before firing makes it a bit cumbersome, partially because it just didn't feel thematically fitting. But as it wasn't used that much, no matter.

But then to the essential stuff that is the story. I really, really liked chapter 1. Not only the initial fake begin (or having the begin restart, rather), but also the fake protagonist. A good in-your-face reminder that this is Danganronpa you are playing. But after that, it kind of started to go downhill. It wasn't bad, and there were some bits I really enjoyed (Monokubs had some great moments), it was just starting to feel a bit too samey. The plot with the 16 participants being the last survivors of mankind just felt a bit too out there, even by Danganronpa standards - if that's really the situation, what's the point, hope or not. I also didn't care that much about the characters this time around, they seemed they were just made to fill a role of a particular wacky character...

...which brings me to chapter 6. Ho Lee Fuk. There are games that break the fourth wall, but this one nukes it from orbit. I really am conflicted how I feel about the end. On one hand, the whole premise of Hope's Peak Academy/Ultimate Despair/etc. seemed a bit ridiculous and implausible (even by anime standards). On the other, reducing the whole thing into just a killing game reality TV show seems just like a too convenient resolution (not to mention, they way reality TV is going, too realistic even - I wouldn't be surprised to see such a show nowadays, especially from Japan). But there are hints in the end that maybe everything isn't that simple - I sure hope this is the case.

All in all, still enjoyable (not as good as the first two though), and I will definitely check out a sequel if one arrives sometime. But I still feel the series would do better as a mid-price title. It doesn't quite justify full AAA price in my opinion, and with a reduced price it might attract more players.

 

[F0rneus]

Last poll on the Danganronpa Reddit, had it take the top spot with 46% of the votes. So yeah it isn't a mixed reception.

Danganronpa 2 and V3 are neck and neck as the most popular games in the series. Both of them smoke 1 easily.

Also V3 easily has the best cast and story, of the franchise. Not a single dud unlike 1 and 2. And the writing got much tighter.

 

[nowhat]

Last poll on the Danganronpa Reddit, had it take the top spot with 46% of the votes. So yeah it isn't a mixed reception.

Haven't looked at the polls, going just by commentary on my LTTP thread about the first two.

 

[Darak]

I didn't like most of the twists and I consider the third game the worst in the series, by far, to the point where I've just lost interest in Danganronpa and would probably not play a fourth installment.

For the first chapter, the unreliable narrator technique was a bad idea, IMHO. In a videogame you are supposed to have agency when you are in control. Having your POW character hide actions from you and act behind your back breaks the contract between the player and the game creator, specially when such character does things which are in direct opposition to the actions you ask her to do. I had the same issue with Heavy Rain, where you are unknowingly in direct control of the killer while he is doing his thing, except the camera is strategically showing you a wall clock instead. Sorry, but that's just bullshit.

If the culprit has the power to mangle my view of the game world, and has the explicit inclination to do so, the mystery has zero interest for me, since it is not a fair game. The weapon, the mechanism, the timing or whatever other detail could simple have been in plain view to everybody else, but hidden to me. The big revelation moment feels flat. This is not how you write a mystery tale. The early Sherlock Holmes stories had a similar issue where most of Holmes' deductions were based on information that was never presented to the reader, but we should know better nowadays. Sure, Danganronpa has always had this theme about being part of a rigged game, but it was a rigged game because the rules were unfair, yet they were always fully exposed, both directly and due to the game following common narrative conventions. Now all bets are off, I guess.

I had another issue with that first case, which is how the Goldberg killing machine as shown was totally implausible and could never work, even by Danganronpa standards. To the game's credit, it actually didn't work, as is revealed much later, but this isn't really recognized at that moment and everybody is shown there as being incompetent, including Monokuma, who in previous installments is presented as a weird but infallible judge with omniscient knowledge. That point is actually important in order for the premise to work, and it was brilliantly lampshaded in the second game.

I didn't mind the reality TV show reveal (it's not worse than the 'everything is a simulation' of the previous one) although the message was lost on me. It seems to want to turn the joke on the player by implying that liking mystery games is wrong because it glorifies killing and makes companies produce more games about murder. That's nonsense. There is nothing immoral about finding the truth and exposing a criminal. Danganronpa was a great series because it made you feel bad about doing the right thing, and that ending, which was all about making even the mere act of solving the crimes feel bad, didn't work for me at all.

 

[nowhat]

I didn't mind the reality TV show reveal (it's not worse than the 'everything is a simulation' of the previous one)

I agree that there are similarities in the ending twist of both games, but with the second one what was revealed to be behind the simulation had an actual payoff. Here's it just... is. It's all reality TV. I'm not sure I can really articulate what I'm after, but I felt the twist was more satisfying in the second game.

 

[Darak]

I agree that there are similarities in the ending twist of both games, but with the second one what was revealed to be behind the simulation had an actual payoff. Here's it just... is. It's all reality TV. I'm not sure I can really articulate what I'm after, but I felt the twist was more satisfying in the second game.

Actually, I agree with you.

Perhaps the big 'payoff moment' was intended to be the characters having different original personalities and motives... Something like the original Total Recall movie, were the hero was originally a villain and the hero personality you've come to love is revealed to be a fabrication. This didn't work well, since the characters were not as interesting in comparison.