Danganronpa Decadence from Spike Chunsoft is a compilation of all 3 mainline Danganronpa games and an additional spin-off title. That’s Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Anniversary Edition and Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp.
If you haven’t played any Spike Chunsoft games before, you’re in for a wild ride here. If you have played a Spike Chunsoft game though, you might be familiar with their signature formula of depraved lunacy, murder, mystery and more. The Danganronpa Decadence compilation on Nintendo Switch is therefore one of the best ways to experience all that Danganronpa has to offer in a handy package that contains the main games and bonus content in the form of the spin-off.
The fact that these titles are on Nintendo Switch is also a major plus point because of the game’s visual novel gameplay basis which benefits immensely from bite sized gameplay sessions. Danganronpa is a game that blends various forms of gameplay with a gripping story and all three titles have their own special quirks and nuances which make them worth playing.
Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc should obviously be played first as it’s the first title in the series and sets the tone for the rest of the saga. In Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc players will take on the role of Makoto Naegi, a student that’s been admitted to the prestigious Hope’s Peak Academy. All is not as it seems though at this academy for the gifted and without spoiling too much, you are suddenly in a situation where your life is at risk. Monokuma, an evil bear entity traps you and the only way to escape is by playing his killing games.
Players will have to interact with their classmates during free time slots, gather information and evidence when a murder occurs and then prepare for a “Class Trial” where they will try to determine who exactly is the killer and prove their own innocence. This is the same formula used in all three games with various additions that spice up the gameplay in the 2nd and 3rd titles.
The second game is set on a tropical island and while you might think that the game will be slightly more chilled out because of its summer setting, this isn’t the case. The second game is a lot more brutal than the first game and expects you to be a seasoned veteran from the get go. There’s more characters to get to know and subsequently face off against in trials, and the trials themselves have been complicated with new gameplay elements. There’s a lot of really dark and twisted content in the second game and it’s also quite a bit longer than the first title. The first game will take you roughly around 40 hours to complete while the second comes in at around 60 or more should you aim to be a completionist.
The third game in the series, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is the longest and ultimately the best of the lot. While the first and second game aren’t visual slouches at all, compared to the third game’s presentation, Killing Harmony is a masterclass in visual novel storytelling combined with puzzle-solving and character interactions. Character designs are crisp and the overall visual overhaul that the third game brings to the table is excellent.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony also introduces even more mini-games and puzzles to the already solid gameplay formula and has some of the best character development in the entire series. With that said, players will have their favourites based on their personal preferences but the third entry was definitely the one that stood out the most, most likely because it’s the most modern of the lot. Firing away your truth bullets and getting to the bottom of each murder along with surviving class trials will soak up hours and hours of your life but the payoff you get is remarkably satisfying.
The 4th title in the compilation is Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp, a spin-off that expands upon Killing Harmony’s “Ultimate Talent Development Plan and Despair Dungeon: Monokuma’s Test”. This title is clearly targeted at fans of the series and contains a massive group of characters from across the series that have to fight for their survival on Jabberwock Island.
The gameplay in Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp is centred around a board game and follows a more traditional turn-based RPG battle system. There’s a “Battle mode” too where you will use your characters to fight various enemies and face off against bosses.
Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp sounds great but suffers from an insidious “Gacha gaming” mechanic which locks you out of playing as a character unless you have one of their trading cards. These trading cards can be obtained in-game with in-game currency but they can also be purchased with real world money which feels like a cash grab by Spike Chunsoft to be quite honest. Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp doesn’t really deliver the same level of mystery, intrigue and character development that hooks you in the other titles but it does provide plenty of character interactions that will entertain you.
Graphically, each title here looks great but the third one stands out the most. Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc is the oldest of the lot but the solid art style and aesthetic still looks fantastic even by today’s standards. The soundtracks of each game are absolutely amazing with composer Masafumi Takada having created extremely well-crafted tracks for each game that truly fit them perfectly. The voice acting across all three games is solid too with plenty of seasoned veteran voice actors lending their talents to both the English and Japanese audio tracks. It’s unfortunate that not all text in the game is voiced though but alas, that might have been asking for too much given the sheer amount of content in each game.
Overall, Danganronpa Decadence lives up to its name. This truly is a decadent package, rich with content and brimming with tonnes of dark, twisted murder mystery along with incredibly satisfying deduction, mini-games, puzzle-solving and character development. Going into these games knowing absolutely nothing about them, other than their basic premise, is highly recommended and whatever you do, stay away from spoilers as much as possible. The twists and turns the stories take across all 3 mainline titles are incredible and should not be spoiled.
Grab your copy here https://www.danganronpa.com/switch/en/
Available on Nintendo Switch
Enjoy the review? want to read more of our reviews? then click right here to be whisked away to the realm of our opinions.
You must be logged in to post a comment.