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.
Die-hard Danganronpa lovers: add seven points to this score. For everyone else: Score: 85/100.
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.
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is great, but this greatness lies primarily with the tale it weaves and character interactions.
A wonderfully wicked title that will satisfy new players and scratch the itch of those returning to the series.
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 admirably steps out of the series' comfort zone in order to spread an entirely new kind of despair, but the result is a game that isn't quite as cohesive as its forebears. A massive amount of dialogue often saps the pace of an otherwise eerily tense third-person adventure, but other than that, this is a welcome addition to the franchise that's well worth experiencing if you're a fan of the maniacal Monokuma and all that he stands for.
Despite the drastic change in gameplay styles, Ultra Despair Girls succeeds not only in staying true to the overall tone and feel of the series, but also in providing a fresh experience to the fans that might have grown weary of the visual novel formula.
Though Ultra Despair Girls' action components stumble at points, the superb narrative and character development make the rest of the game a riveting experience.
Following the pedigree of the first two titles, 'Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls' could be seen as a bit disappointing. It's markedly shorter than the mainline titles, and the story it tells, while good, is simply not as great as the first two 'Danganronpa' titles. While it's not the Game of the Year material of its series' herald, there is plenty to be enjoyed in 'Ultra Despair Girls' to be worth a purchase for any fan of the series.
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls suffers in that it doesn’t know what it wants to be. The plot and design rivals that of the previous two entries, but the action is clunky and virtually kept in the dark for about half the game. Even with all these complaints, it’s hard not to recommend for the story alone. It’s flawed, but damn is this world addictive. Next Danganronpa please!
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultimate Despair Girls hits all the right notes for a spinoff, retaining the spirit of its source material while still trying something new. It might not be the most challenging game around, but those looking for a bit more despair in their life have come to the right place.
Some pacing issues and a lack of memorable characters prevent Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls from attaining the lofty heights set by its predecessors, but it’s still an adventure that’s well worth taking.
While this allows for an interesting look at a cross section of Japanese gaming culture, and its creators' views on gender and gaming demographics (with which there may be a problematic relationship for more progressive Western gamers), it doesn't necessarily make for the best game. Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is fantastic if your interest is learning what happened to some of the characters between Danganronpa 1 and 2, but as a third-person shooter it's only generally passable but not particularly engaging. Though fans of the series will find a lot to love in the story, it has a particular niche appeal (and I really adored it), but as a complete gameplay experience, it isn't for everyone.
Slow pacing, boring mechanics, and a small cast of unlikeable characters makes this a tough experience to enjoy – even for fans
The icing on the cake is the game’s splendid audiovisual design. Taking advantage of the Vita’s more capable hardware, Ultra Despair Girls brings Towa City and its inhabitants to life with more detailed environments and character models, all while retaining Spike Chunsoft’s trademark art style. The game also brings back remixed versions of the classic audio tracks from previous Danganronpa titles. Despite not sounding all that different from their original iterations, they’re a treat to listen to and go a long way towards setting the right mood for Ultra Despair Girls’ comic and tense moments.
Ultimately, Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls just didn't click for me the same way previous games did. Sure the narrative still has some strong moments, but it's punctuated with third-person shooter gameplay that doesn't enhance my engagement with the narrative the same way the first two visual novels did. If you're a series fan, there's a good, text-heavy, hands-off narrative to be explored here, but the gameplay sections really dragged it down for me.
This game has been made for fans new and old, meaning whether you've played the previous titles or not, you can dive straight in here. Sure, you won’t know who each and every character is, but you'll still be able to enjoy the story. If you're apprehensive, it’s time to push those fears aside, this is a must-own title!
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is a mixed bag, with some interesting moments offset by monotonous gameplay and poor pacing.
A disappointing spin-off from the excellent mainline games, and although the script is as sharp as ever the move into action game territory just does not work.