Kimmy: Part 2: Playlist: playing Danganronpa Trig. The reason why DanganRonpa spoilers are so bad is because the fan translation was released 6 months before the official release. You had a lot of people play that, fall in love with the game, and start wanting to discuss the plot and post fanart everywhere. And since it was only 6 months ago, it hasn't really died down yet.
Danganronpa is a fascinating exploration of everyone's dark side
| Game Info |
| PlatformPS Vita |
| PublisherNIS America |
| DeveloperSpike |
| Release DateFeb 11, 2014 |
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc mixes murder and play perfectly.
Equal parts social sim, murder mystery and courtroom thriller, Danganronpa kept me enthralled with concepts that felt fresh and familiar all at once. It pieces together a devilishly good story with characters that feel like individuals and mixed mechanics that play well together. Though built on violence, Danganronpa isn't strangled by its dark nature.
Danganronpa stars Makoto Naegi, a high school student preparing for his first day at Hope's Peak Academy — a school that only takes the best and brightest. At least, that's what they think, right up until Makoto and company are trapped in the school and forced to participate in a killing game. In order to escape, one must murder a fellow student without being discovered. Get caught and you'll be 'punished' with death; get away with it, and everyone else is punished.
Danganronpa's mystery unfolds through very different yet equally engaging mechanics. During Daily Life sections, I roamed around the school and socialized with other students. There's a practical purpose for choosing to be friendly; as the relationship between Makoto and his classmates grows, you pick up new skills to use later in the game. The game's memorable cast makes the sim aspect all the more enjoyable. Deciding who to spend time with each day was a genuine challenge, and even Danganronpa's most irritating characters reveal redeeming qualities as the plot progresses.
Danganronpa isn't strangled by its dark nature
Getting close with students has a high potential for emotional turmoil when the game switches to Deadly Life. These segments occur after a murder has taken place, switching gears to detective-like gameplay. Picking apart crime scenes and questioning other students pulled me even deeper into the game's story, but not without some unnecessary handholding.
You can't leave specific areas until you've found all relevant clues, and the game provides redundant hints as to where to go next — when it doesn't just automatically take you there. Sometimes I would understand a clue well before the game would let me move on, which was frustrating. In one extreme case, I mentally pinpointed the guilty party five minutes after the murder — and still had to go around collecting clues.
These minor annoyances are resolved in the game's trial segments, which justify digging up as much evidence as possible. Trials play out through a series of quirky minigames that are easy to get a handle on. Each level starts by picking apart discussions, which is accomplished by literally shooting down discrepancies or weak statements with 'Truth Bullets.' Occasionally I had to present evidence, or play a hangman-style game where you destroy letters to guess a phrase. A great rhythm-based minigame allowed me to verbally overpower the accused party, and in concluding arguments, I pieced together the murder through comic book panels. The variety on display in these segments keeps Danganronpa's trials from feeling repetitive, even as they put to use what you've figured out in prior investigations.
These minigames feel light-hearted, but that mood is immediately thrown off by the punishments that follow. Guilty parties are dragged away and subjected to bizarre, disturbing deaths. The satisfaction I felt for blazing through a trial with a high score was deadened by the graphic death sentence the guilty party received — a sentence that I'd helped deliver.
Regarding gender
Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc Wiki
Danganronpa approaches its violent nature honestly and, for the most part, with good taste, but it fails to use that measure of restraint when presenting a character whose gender identity goes beyond traditional roles.
During one crime, the reveal of a character's genitalia is used as a shocking twist — a step that feels tacky and unnecessary. Furthermore, the other students in the game are quick to change their pronoun use in reference to that character with no questions asked. It's an unfortunate misstep that leaves a sour aftertaste during an otherwise enjoyable portion of the game.
While working on this review, I consulted an expert on gender and sexuality to discuss the character's representation at some length. With help, I reached the conclusion that I didn't have enough information to comprehend or understand the character's preferred identity. However, Danganronpa's handling of the situation remains troubling.
Punishment scenes reminded me that Danganronpa is built on brutality. But the game's shocking violence is paired with kooky antics in a way that somehow makes it digestible. The villainous Monokuma is a black-and-white teddy bear whose words teeter between mischievous and psychopathic in the same breath. Victims are always covered in hot pink blood sprays that make crime scenes look more like pop art parties than kill rooms. Even the sheer horror of being trapped in a school and forced to murder your friends is downplayed by the cheerful, chirpy tunes of the game's everyday music.
For every lighthearted gesture Danganronpa makes, it never mistakes death for something casual. I didn't have time to bond with everyone in the game — there were simply too many interesting characters to chose from — but each murder carried a dreadful weight. Every discovery was a surprise; every death, a strange rush of dread and relief as I learned the fates of those I'd grown close with.
Wrap Up:
Danganronpa is a fascinating exploration of everyone's dark side
Danganronpa is, hands-down, one of the strangest games I've ever played — and yet also one of the most enjoyable and thought-provoking. It plays with ideas I rarely get to explore in games: the desperation that drives people to kill, how quickly you'll betray your friends, loss and despair. I can't say that Danganronpa makes murder fun — but it weaves gripping gameplay and storytelling with an offbeat cast in a way that's absolutely to die for.
Danganronpa 2 Before Trigger Happy Havoc Full
Danganronpa was reviewed using code provided by NIS America. You can read more about Polygon's ethics policy here.
About Polygon's ReviewsDanganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is notable because it is the first title in the Danganronpa series of murder mystery visual novels. It proved to be popular, so much so that it prompted the creation of not just sequels but also an anime adaptation, two manga adaptations, two spin-off novels, and a stage adaptation of all things. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc:
1. Developed By Spike
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc was developed by Spike, which both developed video games and published them. Spike is no longer in existence, but that is because it performed a merger with Chunsoft to create what is now called Spike Chunsoft, which remains very active in the video game industry.
2. Released for the PSP
At first, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc was released for the PlayStation Portable in November of 2010. However, its ensuing popularity ensured that it would make it way to more platforms in time. First, there were both Android and iOS in August of 2012. Then, there was the PC in February of 2016.
3. The Main Antagonist Is Monokuma
People who aren’t familiar with the Danganronpa series might nonetheless be familiar with its main antagonist Monokuma. This is because Monokuma is a very memorable teddy bear that happens to be divided into two halves visual-wise, with one half being adorable and the other half being evil. With that said, Monokuma isn’t an independent actor but is instead controlled by the villain behind the murder mystery.
4. The Main Protagonist Is the Ultimate Lucky Student
The setting for Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a school that caters to the most exceptional students. The main protagonist is an exception to this rule because he managed to get in by winning a lottery. As a result, he has been designated the Ultimate Lucky Student, though in truth, he tends to be unlucky most of the time. However, when his luck does kick in, it can be pretty powerful to say the least.
5. Luck Turns Out to Be Critical
As it turns out, the main protagonist’s rather unpredictable luck proves to be critical for foiling the villain. This is because while the villain might not be the sanest person out there, they are nonetheless an excellent analyst of the situation. Unfortunately, random swings of luck aren’t really something that can be predicted, meaning that analysis becomes less useful under said circumstances.
6. Some of the Characters Have Had More of Their Memories Erased
The villain behind the events of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc has erased some of the memories of the students who have been trapped in the murder mystery. With that said, some of the students have had more of their memories erased than the others, which is by no means a matter of coincidence.
7. There Is More Than One Murderer
Monokuma is used to spur the students on to murder one another. Some of them succumb, which is why much of the game is focused on finding out which students were responsible for the murders that occur over the course of the story.
8. There Is a Bad Ending
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc has a bad ending that happens when the player accuses the wrong student at the wrong time. Curiously, avoiding this bad end requires the player to trust in someone who has been helping them with their investigations, meaning that there is very much a leap of faith involved. However, an argument can be made that this fits in very well with the themes of the game.
Danganronpa 2 Before Trigger Happy Havoc Demon Hunter
9. The Setting Is Post-Apocalyptic
This isn’t revealed until late in the game. However, the setting of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is post-apocalyptic but not unsalvageable. Moreover, the cause of the apocalypse is connected to the murder mystery that the students are forced to undergo.
10. There Have Been Two Anime Series
So far, there have been two anime series based on the Danganronpa franchise. The first anime series called Danganronpa: The Animation was based on Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. Meanwhile, the second anime series was based on a later title. Somewhat confusingly, the second anime series is called Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope’s Peak High School.