Danganronpa is a weird game. It combines Battle Royale with Phoenix Wright and I really enjoyed it. Solving murder cases perpetrated by your classmates, using gifts to charm them into loving you, and defeating the evil schemes of a mechanical teddy bear, what more could you ask for? Well, Danganronpa 2 comes around and said, “Mhmm, yeah. Yeah that’s good, but let’s make it weirder!” And despite all odds they managed to do the impossible- Danganronpa 2 is even crazier than the first one.

Okay, so Danganronpa 2 is pretty similar to the first, having come out only 2 years later also on the PSP. However, the game is a visual novel and I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll be sure to keep things vague. The story stars Hajime Hinata, who wakes up inside a classroom on his first day at Hope’s Peak Academy, the illustrious school for the elites of society. The room is full of his fellow elite classmates, but Hajime doesn’t remember his talent. He is soon introduced to Monomi, their pink teddy bear teacher. She gives the students a task to befriend one another, but as that mission progresses it’s interrupted by everyone’s favorite mascot, Monokuma. 

He strips Monomi of her powers, takes control of the island and starts a mutual killing game in which a student must kill another and get away with it in order to leave the island alive. The core of the game has to do with the “getting away with it” part. As classmates around you are picked off, it’s your job to investigate the crime scenes, talk with witnesses, and eventually figure out who the killer is during an intense class trial. If the killer is correctly chosen by the class, they are executed as punishment and the game continues. However if the wrong student is selected, the rest of the class is taken away while the killer is set free.

The story is definitely crazier than the first game, but keeps within the realm of suspended disbelief. One of my favorite things about this franchise is its use of horror, comedy, drama, sci-fi, and other genres to nail the feeling of absurdity and confusion while still having a goal in mind. That, combined with the jarring juxtaposition of cute and horrifying tones clashing with each other makes the entire story a rollercoaster that’s well worth the time spent on it.

The characters this time around are much better too. They end up being more three dimensional and aren’t completely defined by the talents they possess. Hajime is a bit bland, but he does have a personality shine through, especially compared to Makoto. He questions himself and his values, making for a more entertaining protagonist. Lastly, one more important note: fuck Nagito and Chiaki is bae.

If I had one complaint to make about the game it would be the story’s pacing. While the individual cases are mixed in this regard, the overall plot and secrets behind what’s actually happening to the students are only trickled out at a frustratingly slow pace with a huge portion being dumped out at the end for the sake of a big twist reveal that would have had more impact had there been more hints earlier on. That being said, the story is still fun and ties into the first game in an awesome way. Though I highly recommend watching the Danganronpa 3 anime after playing to get a true conclusion to this epic story.

Visually, the game is largely unchanged from the first. The character art and animations are excellent, but the backdrops leave something to be desired at times. The animation is also lacking with even the executions being less fun and horrifying to watch, even to the point of being dull. The music is also strange. I love the soundtrack, really I do, but aside from a few additions, it’s almost entirely the same as the first game. This is acceptable for a second entry, but if they don’t change things up for the third game I’m afraid that the music will become far too repetitive to forgive.

The gameplay, as before is split into 3 sections. The first involves going around the island to hang out with certain classmates. This can include getting some information on them and their pasts as well as obtaining hope fragments to aid in the class trials. As I said before, the characters are great and learning more about them is fun. The only downside is that while talking to classmates is more beneficial and even more romantic than in the first game, the tropey gift-giving mechanic is still around, cheapening the impact of such well-written characters. The gifts can be purchased in a random lottery or from the store using monocoins which can be earned by finding hidden monokumas, doing well in the class trials, or by taking care of a tomagatchi-like pet in the main menu.

The second element of the game is investigating the murders committed on the island and the mysteries in this game are probably the weakest element. While the complexity is ramped up, the methods and the ways they’re unveiled leave much to be desired. The investigations are still very samey aside from one case, and nothing during the investigations felt truly interesting until the trials. It’s just walking around from location to location and clicking on everything until you’re told you’re allowed to leave. It may have been better if some optional items could be found by looking around key areas that would assist in the trial without being necessary, but in the end, the pacing and consistent three act structure take a big toll on the game.

The trials are the last part of the gameplay and they are a blast. While certain parts remain the same, others have been improved and new modes have been added that are a ton of fun. The standard trial actions of shooting down opposing arguments with truth bullets fashioned from evidence found during the investigation is still here and as entertaining as ever. Some new additions include having the option to agree with someone using key evidence as well as refuting. And when the argument gets heated, it can cause a slicing minigame in which Hajime has a one-on-one argument with the person to cut through their statements.

In addition to this, a new mode in which the player skates along a logic trail is definitely stretching how abstract the game can be, but it’s super fun so I’d call it justified. And the one on one rhythm game debates are still really fun, if a bit frustrating when the hit detection isn’t at 100%. The final summary in which a manga is filled with key points to conclude the case has also been improved with descriptions of each panel making it easier.

Not everything is improved though. The hangman’s gambits are just as frustrating as before, but with an increased difficulty and even stranger choices for specific words, it might be even worse. And the specificity required in the cyclical debates leads to a ton of frustration as well. There were lots of times a certain piece of evidence was a perfectly valid answer to the argument, but if it wasn’t exactly what the game wanted then you lose some health. I’m totally okay with being wrong, but having multiple pieces of evidence that can be applied to the same debate wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

Outside of the main story, there are a few other modes. You can go through the game as though Monokuma never took over the island to get the full story of each of your classmates, read a short novel about what would have happened if things had gone differently in the first game, and the WORLD’S WORST MINIGAME. Seriously, if you do play this game, skip the Magical Miracle Girl Monomi game for your own sake. It has terrible controls, terrible mechanics, and it may have been invented by Junko Enoshima herself to cause despair in anyone who plays it.

Is Danganronpa 2 as good as 1? That’s debatable. I like the additions to the trials, but the lazier animations and less structured narrative make it slightly weaker for me. That’s why it gets an 8 out of 10. It’s not incredible, but if you loved the first game I can guarantee you’ll love this one too and personally, I can’t wait to try out Danganronpa v3 very soon. 

That being said, you should most definitely play the first game before the second in order to have a grasp on the story. And again I have to suggest that you watch the Danganronpa 3 anime that came out last year. It wraps up the story lines in an interesting and captivating way, cleaning the slate for a new story to unfold in the next game. But that’s the review. If you enjoyed it please share it around on sites like facebook, twitter, and reddit to get the word out. And as always, have a mighty nifty day today!