Dangan Ronpa 2
Dangan Ronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Academy is the sequel to Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc by Spike Chunsoft. This game begins with 16 new students that find themselves awakening on an island. They have no idea exactly how it was they got there, but they all begin to discuss it. However, as they all gather, they are told that they are from the school—Hope’s Peak, and on a vacation so that they may relax and become better friends lead by their teacher Miss Monomi, a magical pink and white rabbit. Sounds nice (and entirely normal), right? However, not too long into the speech about implied peace and friendship, a certain black and white bear returns to the scene. The bear, as he had before, informs them that they are to live in a life of mutual killing, telling them that they may leave if they kill someone and get away with it. They just can’t bear it, as mistrust and paranoia raises in the air.
The story of this game is continued from the first, and follows the “whodunit” theme, just as before. We follow Hinata Hajime as he goes through exactly what Naegi Makoto goes through—a battle between hope and despair. The gameplay is similar to the first, having a theme of trial and quick-paced mysteries that you have to solve. However, where have the first survivors of Hope’s Peak gone? And why is Monokuma still there, if they defeated the mastermind already? We find it out as the game continues, going from peaceful to unnerving.
This game was first released on July 26, 2012 on PSP in Japan. This game has platforms on PlayStation Portable, and Playstation Vitas. NIS America has released an English translated version for Americans. I believe that this game is as good as the first. I would rate it a 10/10 for the added action and the new characters. This game has much darker themes than the original and is much gorier, so if you are easily upset by this, do not it.
