Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
| Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls | |
|---|---|
 Cover art, featuring Monokuma (bottom), and silhouettes of Komaru (left) and Toko (right) | |
| Developer(s) | Spike Chunsoft |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Director(s) | Shun Sasaki |
| Producer(s) |
Yoshinori Terasawa Yuuichiro Saito |
| Writer(s) | Kazutaka Kodaka |
| Composer(s) | Masafumi Takada |
| Series | Danganronpa |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation Vita |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (絶対絶望少女 ダンガンロンパ Another Episode Zettai Zetsubō Shōjo: Danganronpa Another Episode) is an action-adventure survival horror video game developed by Spike Chunsoft for PlayStation Vita. The game is a spin-off of the Danganronpa series of visual novel games, taking place between the events of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.[2] The game was released in Japan on September 25, 2014 and was released by NIS America in North America on September 1, 2015, in Europe on September 4, 2015, and in Australia on September 10, 2015.[3][4] A manga adaptation by Machika Minami began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Dengeki Maoh magazine from January 2015. A second manga by Hajime Toya debuted in Kadokawa Shoten's Famitsu Comic Clear magazine in February 2015. [5]
Gameplay
Unlike the visual novel gameplay of the previous games, Ultra Despair Girls is a third-person adventure game with horror elements, in which players control Komaru Naegi as she tries to survive in a city overrun by Monokuma robots.[2] Komaru is armed with a megaphone-shaped Hacking Gun that can use various types of Truth Bullet, which are unlocked as the game progresses. Using the Hacking Gun, Komaru can perform various actions, such as attacking enemies, taking control of them, activating pieces of equipment, or scanning the environment for clues or hidden items.[6] During the course of the game, Komaru is also assisted by the first game's Toko Fukawa, who uses a stun gun to switch over to her split personality, the serial killer Genocide Jack. When the stun gun is charged up, players can temporarily take control of Jack, who can attack with razor sharp scissors. Attacking enemies fills up the "Scissor Fever" gauge, allowing Jill to perform special attacks to instantly defeat multiple enemies.[7] Monocoins earned from defeating enemies can be used to purchase upgrades for both Komaru's Hacking Gun and Jack's scissors, and various skills can be unlocked and equipped, such as extended health. The game features three difficulty settings, with harder difficulties containing less ammunition and fewer opportunities to use Jack's assistance.[8]
Plot
The game takes place half a year after the events of the first game, prior to the events of the second game. Komaru Naegi, the younger sister of the first game's protagonist, Makoto Naegi, has spent the past year locked inside an apartment complex in Towa City, unaware of the events that have gone on in the outside world. She is suddenly forced to flee when was she attacked by deadly Monokuma robots and comes across Future Foundation member Byakuya Togami, who gives Komaru a special Hacking Gun that can fight against the robot and orders her to escape the city. However, Komaru's escape fails and she is captured by a group of elementary-school children known as the Warriors of Hope, who seek to create a utopia for children by murdering all the adults with their robots. They force Komaru to join their "Demon Hunting" game and drop her into the city, where she meets Toko Fukawa, a survivor of Hope's Peak Academy who now uses a stun-gun to control her murderous split personality, Genocide Jack. Learning that Byakuya may have been kidnapped by the Warriors of Hope, Toko agrees to team up with Komaru to find Byakuya and escape the city. Along the way they encounter a resistance group, run by Haiji Towa, and meet a white bear robot named Shirokuma.
As Komaru and Toko go on their journey, fighting against the Warriors of Hope and encountering much despair along the way, they learn that the Warriors of Hope are in worship of Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Despair responsible for bringing about the end of the world, and seek to create a successor. Confronting the group's leader, Monaca Towa, and defeating their advisor Kurokuma, Komaru is given the choice of destroying the Monokuma Controller, which would stop all the robots but at the cost of sacrificing all the children wearing Monokuma Kid masks. Monaca then reveals that her goal is to turn Komaru into the next Junko Enoshima, trying to coerce her into destroying the controller by allegedly revealing her parents were killed. However, Toko, having learned a great deal from travelling with Komaru, slaps some sense into her and together they overcome despair in order to defeat an out-of-control mech. As Monaca is inevitably rescued by Nagito Komaeda, who encourages her to become the next Junko herself, it is revealed that both Shirokuma and Kurokuma were controlled by the real Junko's AI, who has Izuru Kamukura carry out the next part of her plan. Meanwhile, after rescuing Byakuya, Komaru and Toko decide to stay behind in Towa City to help out those who need it.[2][9]
Development
The game was first announced at a Sony Computer Entertainment press conference on September 9, 2013, where the first teaser trailer was shown. The trailer also teased a third entry in the visual novel series, which was later revealed in September 2015.[10][11] The game was produced by Yoshinori Terasawa, with the script written by Kazutaka Kodaka and direction by Shun Sasaki. The associate producer is Yuuichiro Saito.[3] The game was released on September 25, 2014 in Japan, with a Monokuma phone stand available as a pre-order bonus.[12] The game features anime cutscenes directed by Seiji Kishi at Lerche, who previously produced the anime television series, Danganronpa: The Animation.[13] Characters from the game also appear in Sega's Chain Chronicle games.[14]
On February 19, 2015, NIS America announced that they would localize the game into English, and release it in America and Europe in Q3/Q4 2015.[15] Like with their localizations of the previous games in the series, it will include English text and both English and Japanese audio.[16]
Other media
A spin-off manga series illustrated by Machika Minami, titled Zettai Zetsubō Shōjo: Danganronpa Another Episode - Genocider Mode, began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Dengeki Maoh magazine from January 27, 2015.[17] A direct adaptation, illustrated by Hajime Tōya, began publication on Famitsu Comic Clear from February 20, 2015.[18]
Reception
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Famitsu gave the game a score of 35/40.[20] The game sold 70,596 copies within its debut release week in Japan, and 85,930 copies in two weeks.[23][24]
References
- 1 2 3 O'Connor, James (September 1, 2015). "Danganronpa: Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls launches this week". VG247. Gamer Network. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Danganronpa: Another Episode Features More Characters From The First Two Games". Siliconera. 2014-06-23. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
- 1 2 "Danganronpa: Another Episode Japanese release date set". Gematsu. 2014-06-24. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
- ↑ "Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultimate Despair Girls release set for 10th of September, 2015". EB Games. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
- ↑ "Danganronpa: Another Episode Spinoff Game Gets Manga Adaptation". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2015-02-01.
- ↑ "Danganronpa: Another Episode’s Megaphone Weapon Has All Kinds Of Uses". Siliconera. 2014-07-22. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
- ↑ "Danganronpa: Another Episode stars Komaru Naegi". Gematsu. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
- ↑ "Danganronpa: Another Episode Has A Mode For Players That Just Want To See The Story". Siliconera. Retrieved August 2014.
- ↑ "Danganronpa: Another Episode's main characters introduced". Gematsu. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
- ↑ "Danganronpa: Another Episode announced for PS Vita". Gematsu. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
- ↑ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-09-15/spike-chunsoft-reveals-new-danganronpa-v3-game-for-ps4-vita/.92953
- ↑ "Danganronpa: Another Episode Introduces The RPG-Themed Villainous Kids". Siliconera. 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
- ↑ "Danganronpa: Another Episode Will Have Animated Event Scenes". Siliconera. 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
- ↑ "Danganronpa Spreads Despair To Sega's Chain Chronicle - Siliconera". Siliconera. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
- ↑ Spencer (2015-02-19). "Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls Coming To The West This Fall". Siliconera. Retrieved 2015-03-07.
- ↑ Sal Romano (2015-02-19). "Danganronpa Another Episode coming west this fall". Gematsu. Retrieved 2015-02-19.
- ↑ "Danganronpa AE Game Gets Spin-Off Manga in Dengeki Maoh". Anime News Network. 2014-12-25. Retrieved 2015-03-07.
- ↑ "Danganronpa: Another Episode Spinoff Game Gets Manga Adaptation". Anime News Network. 2015-01-31. Retrieved 2015-03-07.
- ↑ Dale, Laura K. (August 28, 2015). "Review: Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls". Destructoid. Modern Method. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- 1 2 Romano, Sal (September 16, 2014). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1346". Gematsu. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ↑ Juba, Joe (August 27, 2015). "Despair Conquers Hope". Game Informer. GameStop. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ↑ Kemps, Heidi (August 26, 2015). "Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ↑ Olney, Alex (October 1, 2014). "Super Smash Bros. Slams the Competition Yet Again, 3DS Sales Drop". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ↑ Olney, Alex (October 8, 2014). "Super Smash Bros. Takes the Lead in Japan Once Again, 3DS Sales Dip Further". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
External links
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