If you are new to the series, Danganronpa can be quite intimidating. It’s a massive series of tales spread across various forms of media, including games and anime series. So what Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls intends to is actually fairly simple and beneficial to the player – tell a shorter more contained tale in the Danganronpa universe.
You start playing as Komaru Naegi, who is being held against her will in an apartment in Towa City. However, the life of confinement seems at least comfortable, and she wants for nothing – well, except to be free, that is. This changes one day, as she finally breaks free, only to find that Towa City is now facing a threat from massive bear-robots called, Monokuma. Children across the city have banded together to bring down this threat, while also killing all adults, and taking the city all for themselves.
Character are the main draw here, and they are all well fleshed and you will find rooting for may of them. Be careful though, because the game does not hesitate to kill off key characters or even reveal hidden motives that turn them against you. Similarly, the plot takes quite a few turns on the way, and while there will be moments where you will need to suspend your disbelief, it does a good job of holding the narrative together, making for an enjoyable experience.
The gameplay is in Ultra Despair Girls is easily the furthest departure the game takes from the series, introducing third person action combat instead of the usual adventure style gameplay. Komaru has a megaphone that acts as a gun which, apart from dealing direct damage, can shoot different types of bullets that cause different effects. You can knock back enemies, or stun them, or turn into a flamethrower, move objects from a distance, and so on. The combat is fun, but can later start feeling repetitive.
While the gameplay is not the main highlight here, the story and the characters definitely are. It’s probably not for you if you are unfamiliar with the series, but for fans of Danganronpa, Ultra Despair Girls is highly recommended.
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