Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls Reviews
Another Episode may not be the game that some Danganronpa fans want, but it’s the game that the series needs. The spin-off shows that there is substance for this series outside the walls of Hope’s Peak while maintaining enough ties to its core story to feel essential. Danganronpa tackles shooting and action with the same confidence it does mystery and storytelling, and Another Episode stands proud next to the masterfully crafted visual novels from which it spawned.
Ultra Despair Girls may not be as great as the first two Danganronpa titles, but it's still a worthwhile experience for fans of the multimedia franchise. There is plenty to look forward to in this entry, especially since Another Episode takes a wider look at the world than its predecessors. Getting through some of the shooting bits may be a little rough, but overall Another Episode is a game worth playing through.
Overall, Ultra Despair Girls manages to be both a worthy distraction between the two mainline Danganronpa titles, while also giving a new coat of paint to the series' formula.
Overall, DanganRonpa: Another Episode is a fantastic entry in the franchise and far more worth your time than the "spin-off" status would imply. In spite of its sub-par combat mechanics, fans of the series will find plenty to love about this fascinating and intense lore-furthering side-story, from the colorful cast of dysfunctional characters to the simple yet memorable puzzles.
Danganronpa Another Episode Ultra Despair Girls is still a profound story with improved mechanics on PS4, but its standing in the series' narrative has shifted for the worst since it originally launched.
Ultra Despair Girls is repetitive, clunky and worst yet, overly long. An animated film that gathered up all the cutscenes would have served as a better continuation of the world of Danganronpa. This one's for obsessives only; all others need not apply.
There is a better story here than there is a game. If you are looking for a twisted, original, horror themed tale, Danganronpa Another Episode has a great one to tell. It will keep you guessing throughout with visually stimulating environments and cutscenes. While the gameplay will be entertaining at first, it will quickly become just a means to get to the next story section.
But for all the pacing and control issues, as well as frequently being treated as though I can’t solve my own puzzles in a game made for adults, it’s still a game I highly enjoyed.
Different mechanics, same great Danganronpa storytelling
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls might not be as polished as the previous mainline games, but within this handheld adventure is still the fabulous, quality story and tone fans expect from something slapped with Danganronpa on the case.
Ultra Despair Girls' loop of exploring dungeon-like areas, mowing down waves of Monokuma bots, and switching between the ranged combat of Komaru and melee barrages of Genocide Jack… means you've got a third person shooter unlike any other.
Danganronpa did it again. Another Episode was heartpounding, mind blowing, and for the millionth time, filled with despair. So do yourself a favour, fill yourself with hope, and absolutely play this must have entry in the Danganronpa franchise.
Ultimately, Ultra Despair Girls is a good follow up to the previous Danganronpa games. It still carries a consistent tone throughout, and the writing is as good as ever. And don’t let the game’s design fool you – despite being an action title, Ultra Despair Girls is just as heavy on text as the previous games. Thankfully, the story is the best part, so making your way through all the text never feels like a chore. And, despite a few issues here and there, this is still a Danganronpa game, and worth your time.
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is an interesting spin-off from the main Danganronpa series. It gives us a new glimpse into the Dangaronpa universe from a different angle, remaining true to its visual novel roots with a ton of story to experience while also adding some light-hearted third-person shooting action on the side to tie it all together. If you're a fan of the Danganronpa series you should definitely give this one a go, with its intriguingly crazy and weird story, and the psychopath group of kids who don't mind killing every single adult in their way to get what they want, make this a great game on PlayStation 4.
Ultra Despair Girls becomes a more enjoyable and more manageable experience on PS4.
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is for those who care more about story than shooting. The amount of time given to cut scenes is on par with earlier games in the series, and the tale is fascinating as long as you can handle some pretty dark content. The shooting is serviceable, but it works more as a device for solving puzzles since it feels too slow for an action game. As long as you know to temper your expectations in that regard, Ultra Despair Girls makes for an interesting spin-off, but it would be nice to see improvements if the series goes down this route again.
While not offering the same thrilling story and memorable cast of characters, Ultra Despair Girls is a fun spin-off based on the popular Danganronpa series that is somewhat held back by its gameplay.
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls jumps oddly between different genres, which fits in an otherwise enjoyable story. A vast majority involves simply clicking through the story, which per the series in general is largely pretty good. The convoluted plot, and heavy 'anime moments' make it tough to recommend to non-fans of previous releases, but those who enjoy the first or second title will have a great time here as most of the feel still remains, despite the very odd genre change.
Ultra Despair Girls might be an outlier, and even a game that only the most hardcore Danganronpa fans will ever truly appreciate, but underneath that hood, it's a smart one, and has a wicked sense of humour to boot. [OpenCritic note: Matt Sainsbury separately reviewed the PS4 (4 stars) and Vita (4.5 stars) versions. Their scores have been averaged.]
Overall Daganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is a lot of fun. It looks and plays so much better on the PS4 than it does on PS Vita, and it felt as if the shooting mechanics have been improved over the original Vita release. If you're a fan of the Danganronpa series, then I highly recommend you get this one right now. Sure, it's set in a different genre, but the many nods to the first two games in the series as well as the expansion on the Danganronpa universe's lore make this an entry worthy of the Danganronpa name.