Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (in Japan: ) is a Japanese visual novel game developed by Spike Chunsoft. It is the second main title in the Danganronpa series and is a sequel to Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc.

The game was first released in Japan on July 26th, 2012 for the PlayStation Portable. It was re-released on October 10th, 2013 as part of Danganronpa 1.2 Reload, a compilation for the PlayStation Vita containing this game and Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. Each game in this collection had improved graphics and additional content. NIS America localized and released this Vita version standalone in September 2014 in North America and Europe. A Steam version was released on April 18th, 2016 and a PlayStation 4 version of 1.2 Reload was released in March 2017 as well. The PS4 version would be the last one from NIS America before Spike Chunsoft would take over English publishing of all Danganronpa games in the 2020s. NIS America delisted their digital Vita version on September 4, 2020 due to this decision.

Like the previous game, an "Anniversary Edition" for this title was launched for Android and iOS devices worldwide on August 20th, 2020 as part of the Danganronpa 10th Anniversary celebration. This "Anniversary"-branded version would also be released on the Nintendo Switch as part of Danganronpa Decadence and standalone in the Nintendo eShop in late 2021.

Gameplay
In Danganronpa 2, the player controls the main protagonist and playable character Hajime Hinata. The gameplay is very similar to the first game, so please check the gameplay section in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc first.

A major change in the game was that Hajime is able to walk around the Jabberwock Island in 2D. Very noticeable changes were made in the Class Trial segments:
 * Nonstop Debate
 * There are now blue lines during Nonstop Debate; contrary to the typical orange lines which are fired at to express contradictory information, these blue lines are fired at in order to express information supporting the point.
 * Chatter may require more hits to silence.
 * Panic Talk Action and Hangman's Gambit have been revamped.
 * Instead of hearts and stars to represent health and concentration, there are bars that go down if you lose health.
 * There are two all-new minigames: Logic Dive, a hybrid of racing, platforming, and quizzing, and Rebuttal Showdown, a game that combines a Nonstop Debate with slashing action.

Synopsis
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair takes place shortly after the events of Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls. The game is from Hajime Hinata's point of view as he starts his first year at Hope's Peak Academy. As he walks into the school building, he is overcome with fatigue; when he recovers, he finds himself in front of a door. He has a strong urge to open it, and once he does, he finds himself in a classroom full of his new classmates.

They suddenly find themselves locked in the classroom, and a pink bunny, Usami, appears before them, claiming herself to be the class' teacher. The classroom around them soon falls away to reveal a paradise-like island. Usami tells them that they are on a school trip and that they are to befriend each other to gain Hope Fragments and make their hope grow.

Just as they get used to the peaceful island life, Monokuma appears and takes control of the island, announcing that the students must participate in a life of mutual killing if they wish to escape.

Critical response
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair received critical acclaim. Famitsu gave the game a score of 37/40, based on four scores of 10, 9, 9, and 9, and was voted the best game of 2012 by its readers, with an average reader rating of 9.79 out of 10.

Upon its release in North America, the game was met with praise. Japanese game specialist Hardcore Gamer gave the game a 4.5/5, and PushSquare gave it an 8/10. Cubed3 awarded a 9/10, highlighting an "exceptional plot" that "is every bit as an emotional rollercoaster as the first game," going on to say, "Coupled with Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, this is a series no visual novel aficionado can do without."

Sales
Danganronpa 2 debuted higher than its predecessor, peaking at number 5 and selling over 69,000 copies its opening week. The game has also sold more than 200,000 copies in Europe and North America.

Accolades
Danganronpa 2 received an Award for Excellence at the Japan Game Awards in 2013.

Trivia

 * The game's third chapter's name, 'Trapped by the Ocean Scent', has the same name as one of the songs on the game's soundtrack, 'Trapped by the Ocean Scent', also known as 'Ocean Breeze Dead End'.
 * The game's fourth chapter's name, 'Do Ultimate Robots Dream of Clockwork?', is a reference to the science fiction novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick.
 * The game's first English trailer did not translate Sonia's homeland to Novoselic. This was corrected in the English game's opening.
 * The reason why Danganronpa 2 has two ratings is that Danganronpa wanted to bring younger people to the game by making it 15+; however, the rating was changed when Spike Chunsoft released Danganronpa 1.2 Reload and made it 17+ once again.
 * In the NISA localization, most of the characters' heights are listed as a few centimeters shorter than they were in the Japanese version.

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