Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Reviews
Despite its garish, over-the-top veneer, Danganropa V3: Killing Harmony is an emotional, involving, brilliant game that will yank out your heart and run it over with its brightly coloured tricycle.
I'm happy to report that Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is absolutely worth your time and money – you will be enthralled from start to finish. The game is massive, fun and has an interesting story with a lot of freedom for you to explore during the free time you have for each in-game day. If you're a fan of the series, then getting this one is a no-brainer.
A familiar tune of discordant harmony.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is the strongest game of the series so far, evolving both investigation and class trials nicely. The trials are a lot of fun and do offer more challenge than before, especially when looking for the alternative routes. If you're looking for a quirky, eccentric murder mystery title, Killing Harmony is a fantastic choice to dive into.
Overall, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is a fine visual novel that improves greatly on the Danganronpa formula – The only things holding it back however are a somewhat fractured, filler-ladened plot and some poor characters.
If you delight in the sense of drama and anticipation that arises from impossible situations, if you are engaged by a twisting mystery that is never quite what you expect, then the Danganronpa series is for you. I can't in good faith recommend that you play Danganronpa V3 before the other two, just like I would never tell you to enjoy Return of the King before partaking of Fellowship of the Ring and Two Towers. As the third part of an incredible trilogy of games, Danganronpa V3 deserves your attention in its rightful place after the other two. Make no mistake though, it's a title that's well worth arriving at when you get there, a vibrantly dark mystery that sinks its teddy bear claws in and won't let go.
But unless it's another one of the game's lies, Killing Harmony ends definitively enough that I'm content viewing it as more of a deconstruction of the killing game and perhaps a commentary on Danganronpa as a franchise than the beginning of a new story. It's not quite as profound, but it is daring. For that, Killing Harmony earns my respect, if not necessarily my adoration.
One week isn't enough to really understand everything about this game. The campaign is complete, but there is much still to do with the post-game content, trophies and what I can only assume are many more mysteries I can solve. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is not a game you should just read about or watch a Let's Play of on YouTube. It's a game that absolutely demands 40 hours or more of your time. You must experience it first-hand if you truly want to understand what Team Danganronpa is trying to tell us.
Even with new characters in a new setting, Monokuma's killing game feels familiar and doesn't deliver on the payoffs
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony's twisted helter-skelter ride of bloody murder and dastardly bears is a thrilling concoction of whodunit high jinks imbued with some surprisingly deep social satire, and to top it all off, it's terrifically written and marvelously presented, too.
As a Danganronpa fan, I liked Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, but I hesitate to call it a must-play. It's a great puzzle game to keep you busy while you wait for the next Phoenix Wright or Professor Layton, but you won't walk away from this one happy. What did you expect from a series obsessed with despair?
Thanks to fascinating characters that are some of the strangest in the series and gameplay additions that further improve the court segments, Danganronpa V3 is proof that a series can still thrill and surprise you three entries in.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony relies heavily on its characters and plot, so if these two things aren't of interest to you then you might not agree with this review. However, returning fans and those with an open mind will clearly understand why Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is one of the greatest visual novels I have ever played.
V3's best improvements aren't in its mini-games, the way it handles, or in high-fidelity visuals, but in the way it embraces the series' DNA and brings it to the forefront of the experience. Though there are some missteps along the way such as the almost cringeworthy hyper-sexualized dialogue revolving around Miu, or the filler ‘Free Time' segments, Killing Harmony has me desperate to see where the series goes next.
Danganronpa V3 is one-of-a-kind. It got me attached to characters within minutes before ripping out my heart. It twisted and turned in every direction, and there was always something new and even more terrifying on the way, leaving me little time to mourn my fallen friends. This may be a game that's mostly about reading text, but it still managed to make my heart race.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is the culmination of both the franchise’s greatest strengths and flaws. Each class trial builds upon the rock-solid foundation of its predecessors, changing the formula just enough to keep players on the edge of their seats. If you think that Danganronpa V3 just looks like more of the same, the only thing I can tell you is: No, that’s wrong!
A new cast, a new school year, and the same, sadistic Monokuma. All of these come together to create another unforgettable series of killing games that will have even seasoned Danganronpa veterans guessing.
Danganronpa V3 unravels the series' tightly wound coil of bloody intrigue in spectacular fashion.
Aside from a few divisive plot points, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is yet another excellent entry in the series.
If you are a fan of Danganronpa, you're in for a treat. This is without a doubt an excellent continuation for the story and the characters, and as a nice little bonus, it's also the longest game in the franchise so far. If you managed to get through this entire review and you haven't played a game in the series yet, again, it's very important that you start with the first, which is Trigger Happy Havoc. From there, work your way up until eventually getting back to Killing Harmony. Doing so will allow you to really appreciate what Spike Chunsoft has achieved in this masterful example of storytelling and character building. Only one question remains at this point. How long must we wait until the next entry of Danganronpa?