Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (PC Edition) Reviews
The intense battle between hope and despair has begun!
Overall Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a fantastic game with a gripping story, great characters and remarkable gameplay. While the game has its ups and downs, its drive towards optimism in the face of desolate and violent conditions is what makes it an enthralling experience. Danganronpa is – dare I say it – my favorite Visual Novel on the PS Vita yet, and this is coming from a huge VLR fan. Also one more thing, Monokuma is a Grade-A douchebag, just wanted to get that out there.
Danganronpa is the sort of game that requires you to have a taste for the absurd, to be able to suspend your belief as you take in all of the insanity this game throws at you. Don't be turned away by its linearity, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is one of the best visual novels you'll play. And now, even PC users will be able to enjoy this crazy ride.
Despite these faults, Danganronpa was one of the most enjoyable games that I had played in a while. The story kept me hooked and the court room battles were addicting. I was actually a little disappointed that the game did end, and am looking forward to the second game that will release later this year.
When you break it down, the ingredients that make up 'Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc' can seem like a mishmash that shouldn't work. The whole of the experience, however, is a refreshing blast, and that's due to more than just the extraordinary setting. The PSP underpinnings make for some unfortunate limitations, but the game's ability to continual introduce story and gameplay twists keep the experience humming along. Though it's hard to keep capitalizing on something that worked so well the first time, it's not at all surprising that the game is a cult hit, and I'm hopeful that at some point in the future an existing or even all-new sequel makes its way here.
A brilliantly funny, disturbing, and entertaining visual novel, but the lack of interaction won't appeal to everyone.
While some problems that weren't present in the Vita version have made their way into Danganronpa on PC, everything that makes the game great is still intact on the platform.
If you have a Vita, and think this all sounds interesting, you must check it out.
Don't let the name or presentation put you off: this is an impressive piece of interactive storytelling that gets more right than most other games with 10 times its budget.
Danganronpa should be played by anyone looking for a different style of game for the PlayStation Vita. Investigating the different murders can be grueling at times due to the inconsistent pacing, as you fail to click on the one spot in the room the game wants you too, or you fail to realize you only spoke to a character once instead of twice. The trial gameplay mechanics can be confusing at times, but can be passed by trial and error if you become stuck.
Many times when reviewing a visual novel it feels more like coming up with a book report than trying to objectively frame your views on why pressing buttons this time was different from pressing buttons last time. With the purer gameplay elements perhaps not providing the full quality experience their potential may have promised it's left to the writing found with the daily and deadly life sections. Thankfully the writing (and, by extension, the translation work) here is second to none, and just like a good book you'll find it difficult to put the Vita down when you have Danganronpa up and running. It's Japanese, it's crazy, it's fantastic and there's the best bear character you'll ever see in a game ever (sorry P4G Teddy!) ' just be sure to enjoy the time you spend locked into Hope's Peak. Oh, and don't do anything too drastic to get out'
If you're keen for one of the suspenseful thrillers manageable with just images and text, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc comes highly recommended. The story stands alongside any mystery film or novel, and the writing lets you understand and even befriend the characters before you're forced to see them pushed to their psychological limit.
A rather excellent story contained in a visual novel with a little trial/court system added on creates a really interesting experience. However, there are some flaws, though the experience is worth it.