Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, fun third person shooter or visual novel?

This title takes place between the first and second game. This is the first installment to be both a visual novel and a third person shooter. Unfortunately, both segments interfere with each other. However, the game is still enjoyable, and fans of the franchise will most likely enjoy it.

You play as Komaru Naegi, a girl who has been trapped in her room for a year and a half. After being rescued, you are given a cone microphone. Using this microphone you can destroy enemies, and manipulate the environment to your advantage.

There are many uses for the microphone, ranging from knocking back enemies to making them dance for you. The different types of ammo can be incredibly useful in combat. Upgrades can be purchased for your microphone, and your partner Fukawa. Naegi will gain levels, and be able to equip helpful skills.

Enemies you will mostly be fighting will be monokuma bears. Their weak spot is their read eye located on their black side. There will be many variations of monokumas to fight. Monokumas will fight using their claws, bombs, riot shields, etc. There is one monokuma in the game that is terrifying to encounter, but I’ll leave that for gamers to discover.

Despite the new installment making the change to a third person shooter, it still feels like a Danganronpa game. Some of the music is reused from prior games, and the new music is great too. The style of the game also feels the same as the previous titles. It may even be darker than the games. This can be noticed with how the fire is stylized, as well as, other instances. Behind the monokuma is an example of the stylized flame.

It’s cool to see how past characters or relatives of theirs show up in this game. Toko Fukawa returns as one of the main characters in this title. Fukawa is a fun and interesting character, and her “fantasies” are a incredibly funny to watch.

Aiming is a bit difficult in this game, it could’ve been better. Playing as Genocide Jack, aka Fukawa, is fun because she’s invincible, and she can easily take care of the Monokumas.

The main antagonists of this game are five children claiming to be “Warrior of Hope.” They are evil children that wish to rid the world of adults to create their paradise. These children are competing with one another to see who can kill you first.

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls reminds me of Resident Evil (1-3). This is because both games view picked up readings in a very similar way. Also, in both games ammo is precious, so become adept in shooting enemies efficiently.

Once in a while you will encounter puzzles, but it’s not that big of a feature in this game.

Both visual novel and 3rd person shooter parts of the game are fun, but they clash against each other. You’ll constantly engage in lengthy cut scenes that interfere with the gameplay. The story and characters are as fun, weird and interesting, and so is the combat. Like stated before the aiming is difficult. The monokumas also move in odd manor, further raising the difficulty of shooting them.  I’m a huge fan of the series, but I think this game could’ve been better. More gameplay would definitely work in Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls‘ favor.