Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (known in Japan as Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Farewell Despair Academy, スーパーダンガンロンパ2 さよなら絶望学園, Sūpā Dangan Ronpa 2: Sayonara Zetsubō Gakuen), often shortened to "Super Dangan Ronpa 2" or "SDR2"/"DR2", is the sequel to Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, and was released on July 26, 2012 for PSP, iOS, PSVita, and Android.

The game was confirmed for a NA and EU release on February 13, 2014; and was released for PS Vita in North America on September 2, 2014 and Europe and Australia on September 5, 2014. It is compatible with the PlayStation TV.

The game has a stage play adaptation called Super Danganronpa 2 The Stage ~Sayonara Zetsubō Gakuen~ on December 3rd, 2015, and will later recive another one in March 2017 called Super Danganronpa 2 The Stage 2017. However, it won't have an anime adaptation, because the first animation series sold very poorly and the series creator Kazutaka Kodaka feels that it would be difficult to do the "a game within a game" theme within a medium like an anime.

Unlocked after beating the game, there is a what-if text story for the first game available in this game.

Summary
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 the 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 the class' teacher. Suddenly the classroom around them falls away to reveal a paradise-like island. Usami tells them they are on a school trip and 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.

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

The only noticiable change in the game was that Hajime is able to walk around the Jabberwock Island in 2D. Very noticiable changes were made in the Class Trial segments: For more info about these new mini-games, please check the Class Trial post.
 * Nonstop Debate
 * There are now blue lines during Nonstop Debate; rather than 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.
 * There are two all-new minigames: Logic Dive, a hybrid of racing, plattforming and quizzing; and rebuttal showdown, a game that combines a Nonstop Debate with slashing action.

Characters


From top to bottom, left to right: Hajime Hinata, Nagito Komaeda, Chiaki Nanami, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Ibuki Mioda, Kazuichi Soda, Gundham Tanaka, "Byakuya Togami", Mikan Tsumiki, Hiyoko Saionji, Akane Owari, Nekomaru Nidai, Teruteru Hanamura, Sonia Nevermind, Mahiru Koizumi, and Peko Pekoyama.

Chapters
The game is divided into six main chapters, preceded by a prologue and followed an epilogue.

Prologue - Welcome to Dangan Island! Panic at the Heart-Throbbing School Trip!?
We meet our protagonist of the game, Hajime Hinata, and he is about start a year in Hope's Peak Academy. But when he just about to enter the Entrance Hall, his vision started to swirl, and he loses consciousness. After that, Hajime found himself in front of a class-like door and enters it.

Inside the door, he meets the other 15 students quickly befriending the sociable Ultimate Lucky Student Nagito Komaeda. Nagito and all the others claim to have found themselves in a similar situation. After a confused disscusion, Usami, a magical rabbit, suddenly appeared and declared that she is the teacher of the group. She proved it by, using her magical stick, "transporting" the students to a tropical island called Jabberwock Island. The students are baffled but are clueless and left entirely in the dark about how they moved to the island on a field trip they have absolutely no recollection of.

After the students finally got used to the island, Monokuma, a strange bear who claims that he is the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, appeared. He claims that they must kill one another to graduate and leave the island. Usami attempts to defeat him, but failed after Monokuma's Monobeasts appear and she and ended up losing her magic power and turned into a useless rabbit, now named "Monomi" after being forced by Monokuma to become his adoptive "little sister".

The students must accept their fate, and the Field Trip of Mutual Killing Begins.

Chapter 1 - Destination Despair
The next day after Monokuma arrived and destroying Usami's "heart-throbbing" school trip, the students gather in the restaurant. Byakuya Togami gathered the group to tell that he found something odd about the statue-like device on Jabberwock Park in the central island. The statue has a huge timer that counting down to "something" that will happen in about 21 days. Byakuya then volunteered himself as a leader of the group and promise to defend them and won't let the killing game happened. As the backdrop to all this, Hajime is unable to recall what his Ultimate Talent was.

However, in that night, Monokuma invited the students to assamble at Jabberwock Park, where he and an unwilling Monomi perform a comedy routine. Monokuma later revealed to the students that Monomi is actually working for an organization named Future Foundation, an organization that responsible for erasing the students' memories. Monomi does not deny the fact, however, her response was reluctant to explain the reasons behind the actions. Monokuma also told to the group that their number were only fifteen in the group, so one of them are the mole for the Future Foundation.

The next day, Byakuya announced that they would threw party at the old lodge beside the hotel up all night to celebreate Byakuya's confidence that the group won't fall into another killing. Usami who heard this plan happily granted her permission to the group to use the lodge (which was previously off-limits) for their party. To decided who's going to clean the dirty old lodge, Nagito suggest them to draw lots that he brought, and Nagito himself ended draw the red lots. Teruteru Hanamura volunteered himself to cook the food for the later party.

For safety, Byakuya prohibited any sharp things used during the party and the group agreed to keep safe all sharp things in the lodge inside a duralumin case, which later Peko Pekoyama volunteers herself to watch over the case in the lodge. Chiaki Nanami and Monomi also volunteered to stand guard in front of old lodge's door, so Monokuma can't disturbed the party. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu is not coming to the party and Byakuya decides to ignore him.

The party begin without three people in the main hall. At first, everyone enjoyed the party as they began to eat the dishes serves by Teruteru and Mahiru Koizumi take some photos. While everything goes well, the old lodge's lights suddenly go out, making everyone panic.

After the lights come back, Byakuya gone missing. Everyone try to search him in the old lodge but the result is nil. Even Chiaki and Monomi confirm that no one gone outside from the lodge. Finally, Akane suddenly smells something from a table at the back of the hall. When they opened the table cloth, they discovered their leader's corpse, Byakuya Togami. The students are now compelled into their first Class Trial; will they discover and single out the blackened, or will the blackened evade discovery and escape atop the others' corpses? A character reveals a massively twisted personality during the resultant trial.

Byakuya's  killer, who pleadingly asserted his reasoning in defense, is executed for his crime.

Chapter 2 - Sea and Punishment, Sin and Coconuts
The social equilibrium Byakuya died trying to establish between the group has found itself thrown out of wack; doubts and distrust permeate the group's remaining 14 students. As a reward for surviving the class trial, a second island previously guarded by a Monobeast has become accessible -- on this island, a huge metal door is found in a ruins (that the player would find similar to the security door seen inside the first game's academy). During all this time, Nagito is kept tied up due to his meddling in the previous trial.

After some time of peace, Monokuma introduces a video game that serves as his next motive; a visual novel adventure known as Twilight Syndrome Murder Case. Monokuma asserts that the storyline and resemblance to real humans in the game is entirely true and nonfictional. Hajime is at first baffled by the highly odd game, but Monokuma's intention behind the motive appears to work when Mahiru Koizumi is murdered next in a matter similar to one of the game's victims. Once again, the remaining students are now forced to hunt down the killer to save their own lives and uncover the secret connection between the killings.

The students discover that the characters in the game are actually some of the students themselves; apparently, the events depicted in the game are a truthful retelling of events that took place inbetween the student's entry into the academy and the start of the killing trip (this time period has been excised from the student's memories). After much deception and suspicion, the true killer and their accomplice are discovered, and despite the technicality the circumstances bring in, the killer is executed.

Chapter 3 - Trapped by the Ocean Scent
As Fuyuhiko, with mixed response from the group, tries to reform from his impulsive and violent ways as an atonement for his misdeeds (even stabbing his own stomach in the process), the group continues to try to live in harmony. Investigating the newly available island, Hajime discovers a highly cryptic and peculiar file on a laptop referencing a supposedly atrocious incident. The new island now contains a hospital as well.

Later on, Akane Owari is about to be executed via bazooka after breaking the school rules and physically interfering with the headmaster. Nekomaru Nidai intercepts the rocket; heavily damaged and injured, he is taken to a hospital by Monokuma and out of commission. Monokuma also introduces a new movie acting as the next incentive to the students, a movie Hajime (unlike some of the others) initially refuses to watch.

The next morning, Akane has transitioned from being strong and hopeful to a sad crybaby, Nagito only states lies, and Ibuki Mioda has become infinitely gullible. As Monokuma states, he, in order to spice up and instigate another killing, has randomly afflicted the students with the Despair Disease, a disease that randomly injects various negative emotions into the students, and implies that the disease is contagious. The group changes their situation; the three afflicted sleep in hospital beds, the Ultimate Nurse Mikan Tsumiki stays in the hospital as their caretaker, Hajime and Fuyuhiko alternate between hospital guarding and living in their cottages (as no more than one caretaker can sleep in the hospital), and the other 5 students (Chiaki, Gundham Tanaka, Kazuichi Soda, Sonia Nevermind and Hiyoko Saionji) will rest in the motel. Soda has modified baby monitoring equipment to act as a two-way video chat system so the groups can remain in contact without needing to make physical contact.

One day, Hajime is bewildered to discover a masked video of someone walking up to a noose; when he rushes to the music venue, he discovers he was too late as the corpse of a hanged Ibuki Mioda dangles before him. Hajime goes to reconvene with the others as he discovers that the body of Hiyoko is now there. Monokuma reveals that now that his motive has worked, he is somehow disabling the Despair Disease among the inflicted. For a third time, the group is now forced to solve the murder of what is now two of their former friends. Hajime watches the movie and begins to feel a hint of resemblance to the killings.

At the class trial, the truth about Ibuki's "suicide" and Hiyoko's death come to light; an unexpected person turns out to be the true killer. Shocking the consciences of group members, they are executed.

Chapter 4 - Do Ultimate Robots Dream of Electric Clocks?
Nekomaru has returned as a rebuilt robot, personality retained with added functionality. The new island reveals the events of the original killing school trip, and how Byakuya was a participant in it, but the group is entirely dumbfounded in terms of reconciling Byakuya's file with that of the one they knew (especially considering the blatant weight difference).

While investigating the newest available island, the group is led into a Funhouse by Monokuma -- but they find themselves ultimately trapped in the building, and Monokuma uses the threat of starvation if they don't escape eventually as their motive. Eventually, the just-reborn Nekomaru is killed in a seemingly-closed room murder mystery. While Nagito reexamines his perspective on events as he discovers new information by putting his life on the line, the group investigates the murder.

At the trial, Nagito's behavior has become more bizzare than usual; no longer the admirer with an inferiority complex, he now looks upon the group with harsh condescension and disapproval. Despite his elusiveness, Nekomaru's true killer is discovered and executed. Nagito is seemingly obtaining more information, privately, about who the traitor/mole among the students is.

Chapter 5 - Smile at Hope in the Name of Despair
Hajime reveals to the group what Nagito discovered about Hajime earlier; Hajime does not have an Ultimate Talent because he was a member of Hope's Peak Academy Reserve Department, not a talented student from the Primary department (like all the others). Nagito has disappeared since the night of the last trial. During their investigations into the final island, the group finds new information on The Tragedy.

Nagito reappears mockingly, and comments that he is working on his own investigation into the traitor and reconciling Byakuya's contradictory appearance on Jabberwock and his presence in the files. Fed up with his behavior, Kazuichi orchestrates a plan to kidnap Nagito; he counters the plan with an explosive, and then threatens to detonate a mass of explosives hidden on the island (that will wipe the island out) if the traitor among the group does not reveal themselves.

The five remaining students, Kazuichi, Chiaki, Fuyuhiko, Akane and Hajime, desperately hunt for the bombs but only by luck can they find them. The bombs have a card reader that must respond to the correct card, revealing that Nagito knows who the killer is. As it turns out, Nagito's plan was a bluff; Nagito does not know who the killer is and the bombs are merely harmless fireworks. Abruptly a fire starts; after it is put out, the group find the badly tortured and stabbed body of Nagito himself. The group is forced to investigate the highly perturbing case. During the investigation, Hajime and Chiaki discover from investigating Nagito's room that the Byakuya Togami they saw in the files is not the Byakuya they spent time with; the Byakuya they spent time with was actually the Ultimate Imposter who was impersonating him during the trip.

When the group starts the final class trial over the baffling murder of Nagito, they eventually find themselves in a horrible trap; the group is literally placed in an unsolvable murder because Nagito, by setting the fire, forced all of the group to throw fire extinguishing grenades, and one of them contained a lethal poison. However, all of the group members tossed at least one grenade; Nagito left the poisoned one unmarked, and now they are in a mystery that is impossible to solve.

However, by deducing that Nagito was targeting the traitor among the group and using his talent (luck) to hope that the traitor would die, the traitor reveals themself. Nagito's luck in hoping that the one who killed him and would die is the traitor turned out to be correct because the traitor was the accidental killer, and is executed.

Chapter 6 - This is the End, Goodbye Academy of Despair
The player enters the locked building in the ancient ruins and find themselves in a visually overloaded representation of the interior of Hope's Peak Academy. The group slowly puts together the evidence they have of The Tragedy, the academy, Ultimate Despair and have a final showdown where the truth about the killing game and a secret about Hajime are revealed, as the group confronts Monokuma's controller.

Elements of the past return and help save the group. Hajime overcomes his extreme indecisiveness and proceeds to work towards their own future, along with fellow survivors Kazuichi, Sonia, Fuyuhiko and Akane.

Epilogue - The Day Before the Future
The future comes forward as hope is imbued in the surviving students.

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.

Links

 * Official Site


 * Official English Site
 * Danganronpa 2 on Steam

Trivia

 * The game's third chapter's name, 'Trapped by the Ocean Scent', has the same name as one of 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 Electric Clocks?', is a reference to the SF 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 haves 2 ratings it's because Danganronpa wanted to bring younger people to the game by making it 15+, however this 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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