Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (絶対絶望少女 ダンガンロンパ AnotherEpisode Zettai Zetsubō Shōjo Danganronpa Another Episode) is a spin-off game based around the Danganronpa series.

Information and game play footage was first released at the Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia Conference on September 9th 2013. The game was released on September 25, 2014 in Japan for the PlayStation Vita and has PlayStation TV compatibility.

The game was confirmed for a Western release at NIS America's February 19th press event. The localized game was released in North America on September 1, 2015, in Europe on September 4, 2015, and in Australia on September 10, 2015. The western release includes both Japanese and English audio.

Two manga adaptions of the game called Zettai Zetsubou Shoujo - Danganronpa Another Episode: The Manga and Zettai Zetsubō Shōjo: Danganronpa AE - Genocider Mode have also been made. The former premiered on February 20th, 2015 while the latter was released in Japan on January 27.

A Comic Anthology series was also released on January 24, 2015 called Zettai Zetsubo Shojo Danganronpa Another Episode - Comic Anthology.

A PC release of the game was announced on November 18th, 2016. On the same day, NIS America confirmed to port it into PS4 on Summer 2017.

Prologue - The Warriors of Hope
Komaru Naegi is alone in her apartment in Towa City. However, Monokumas infiltrated the building and Komaru rushes to the elevator. Byakuya Togami, one of the survivors of the first game and currently a member of an organization called as Future Foundation, appears along with a few of his men and gives Komaru a megaphone called a Hacking Gun and tells her to escape.

Komaru runs to a nearby diner, which is soon also infiltrated by Monokumas. Soon afterwards, she heard Kotoko Utsugi's voice coming from the TV. Apparently, the Warriors of Hope had infiltrated the news center. As Masaru Daimon and Jataro Kemuri play with the dead anchorman with Nagisa Shingetsu and Kotoko, Monaca Towa appears to address everyone that they are creating a paradise for kids. She meets a gravely wounded member of Future Foundation, who informs her that she can escape if she runs to the Future Foundation's helicopter which is on standby at the nearest park.

She makes it all the way to the helicopter and begins speaking with the members stationed there when they are attacked by a group of Beast Monokuma. Komaru is then kidnapped and imprisoned in the base of the Warriors of Hope. After escaping, she runs into them in the main hall. The five take turns introducing themselves and then Nagisa places a bracelet on Komaru. They then opened a trap door, leading Komaru to fall through the sky with a parachute.

Background
Unlike the visual novel gameplay of the previous games, the game is a third person shooter with horror elements. Players control Komaru, the protagonist of the game and the younger sister of Makoto Naegi, as she tries to survive in a city overrun by Monokuma robots. In the spirit of the previous game's Truth Bullets, Komaru is equipped with a megaphone-shaped hacking gun which turns her words into various types of ammunition. Initially, Komaru has all types of Truth Bullets in unlimited amounts, but The Servant messes with the gun when she is initially taken onto the Warriors of Hope's airship, forcing her to rediscover the different bullets and use them in limited supply.

Using the megaphone, Komaru can issue several different commands based on the Truth Bullet she shoots:
 * Break: The first of two Truth Bullets Komaru starts with. This is the basic attack bullet, which Komaru can shoot at Monokuma Units to inflict damage. 3-4 shots take down a Monokuma Unit unless the player hits the Monokuma's weak point, the red left eye. Shooting the eye will result in a one-hit defeat plus a golden Monocoin.
 * Move: The second of the default Truth Bullets. Move allows Komaru to active machinery such as generators, cars, and the Monoku-man arcade machines. Move also activates the MonoMono machines, which dispense health, bullets, and batteries.
 * Dance: The third Truth Bullet, and the first type collected by Komaru on her adventure. Shooting this Truth Bullet will force the Monokuma to dance for a while, leaving it completely vulnerable. The Dance Bullet is most effective against Siren Monokumas, who will draw in all nearby Monokuma towards them for easier destruction.
 * Detect: The 4th Truth Bullet. Detect allows Komaru to search for hidden things in the environment, such as Monokuma Kids and their artwork.
 * Knockback: The 5th Truth Bullet, which blasts the Monokuma Units backwards. It has a decent spread, but short range. The Knockback Bullet is especially effective against Guard Monokuma, since it can blast their riot shields away. It also works well near environmental hazards such as water or pits, since it can blast Monokuma Units into the hazards for instant kills.
 * Paralyze: The sixth Truth Bullet obtained by Komaru. Paralyze is an electricity-based bullet that can defeat basic Monokumas in one hit. It also affects other enemies standing close to the initial target, making it useful against large groups. If fired at something standing in shallow water, Paralyze will hit everything touching the water - including Komaru if she's not standing on dry land.
 * Burn: The seventh Truth Bullet is a fire-based bullet that can be shot at an extremely fast pace. It has the most capacity of any offensive Truth Bullet, making it effective against quicker Monokuma Units such as Destroy Monokuma and Beast Monokuma.
 * Link: The eighth and final Truth Bullet to be reacquired. The Link Bullet allows Komaru to temporarily control any Monokuma Unit she hits. The Monokuma Unit can then be directed to move to a new position or attack its allies.

During the course of the game, Komaru is assisted by Toko Fukawa, one of the survivors from the first game. Toko carries a stun gun that allows her to access her split personality, Genocide Jack, who attacks enemies with her Genoscissors. The game features three difficulty settings:
 * Genocide Mode: Super Ultra Pumped Genocide Jack Mode. For those who just want to enjoy the story. (Increased battery regeneration and pickups, enabling more use of Genocide Jack.)
 * Komaru Mode: Working hard for a Normal Girl Mode. (Increased Truth Bullet drops, enabling Komaru to fire more often.)
 * Despair Mode: Ultra Despair Mode. (No bonus pickups and increased enemy difficulty.)

In a more recent Famitsu scan, it is revealed that there will be a new character in the game, a young athletic boy. It is also known that the script for the game is essentially complete.

In Towa City, a group of five children known as the “ Warriors of Hope ” exist. They act as the leaders of the  Monokuma Kids,  a group of  Monokuma mask-wearing children who slaughter adults. Like an RPG, each leader has their own “job.”

Komaru Naegi

 * Voiced by Aya Uchida (Japanese); Cherami Leigh (English)
 * Komaru Naegi (苗木 こまる Naegi Komaru) is a brave girl who was forced to flee from her home after Monokuma robots destroyed her home during The Tragedy. After someone entrusted their “Megaphone Hacking Gun” to Komaru, she is now able to fight against the robots alongside Toko/Genocide Jack.

Toko Fukawa/Genocide Jack

 * Voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese); Amanda Céline Miller/Erin Fitzgerald (English)
 * Toko Fukawa (腐川 冬子 Fukawa Tōko) / Genocide Jack (ジェノサイダー翔 Jenosaidā Shou)
 * is one of the surviving students from the Mutual Killing Incident of Class 78 who later joined the Future Foundation and helped Komaru to fight against the Monokuma Robots.

Haiji Towa

 * Voiced by Shin'ichiro Miki (Japanese); Matthew Mercer (English)
 * Haiji Towa (塔和灰慈 Tōwa Haiji) is the leader of the Resistance, the adults' secret base, formed against the Warriors of Hope.

Warriors Of Hope
These 5 kids are the leaders of the Monokuma Kids who are massively slaughtering all adults. To them, this is one big role play, like a giant RPG. They’ve even gone so far as to call themselves them typical RPG classes like “Hero”, “Thief”, “Mage”, etc.

Masaru Daimon

 * Voiced by Megumi Han (Japanese); Tara Sands (English)
 * “Hero” Masaru Daimon (大門 大 Daimon Masaru) is the Warriors of Hope Leader, in charge of the Hero Class. In elementary school, he was known as the Li'l Ultimate P.E., as exercise is his forte. He's cheerful, and naughty in nature.

Kotoko Utsugi

 * Voiced by Kazusa Aranami (Japanese); Erica Lindbeck (English)
 * “Warrior” Kotoko Utsugi (空木 言子 Utsugi Kotoko) is a former child star in charge of the warriors. Previously, she was called the Li'l Ultimate Drama, and was fawned over by all who surrounded her. She loves “adorable things”.

Jataro Kemuri

 * Voiced by  Sumire Uesaka (Japanese); Michelle Ruff (English)
 * “Priest” Jataro Kemuri (煙 蛇太郎 Kemuri Jatarō) in charge of the Priests, he's known as Li'l Ultimate Art because of his extensive knowledge of drawing. He's acknowledged by both himself and those around him for being hated, and so he's actually fine with it when other people hate him.

Nagisa Shingetsu

 * Voiced by Mariya Ise (Japanese); Erica Mendez (English)
 * “Sage” Nagisa Shingetsu (新月 渚 Shingetsu Nagisa) is The Vice-leader in charge of the Sages. He is an overly serious type and he speaks very maturely. Said to have a bright future ahead, they were made to assume the title Li'l Ultimate Social Studies.

Monaca Towa

 * Voiced by Aya Hirano (Japanese); Christina Vee (English)
 * “Mage” Monaca Towa (モナカ 東和 Tōwa Monaka) is in charge of the Mages, and is the life of the party. She loves homeroom period where she can exchange opinions with everyone, so she's called Li'l Ultimate Homeroom.

The Servant

 * Voiced by Megumi Ogata (Japanese); Bryce Papenbrook (English)
 * The Servant (召使い Meshitsukai) is a slave to the Warrior of Hope, but he appears to have ulterior motives. He always has a smile on his face, no matter how he is mistreated.

Izuru Kamukura

 * Voiced by Minami Takayama (Japanese); Johnny Yong Bosch (English)
 * Izuru Kamukura ((カムクラ イズル Kamukura Izuru) is Hajime Hinata's alternate identity. He made only one appearance at the end of the game when he recovered the AIs of Shirokuma and Kurokuma that together form Alter Ego Junko.

Monokuma Units
The common enemies of the game who are based off of the original Monokuma.

Monokuma

 * The most common enemy in the game, a larger version of the original Monokuma. They hack, slash, and stab their targets with retractable metal claws.

Bomber Monokuma

 * A Monokuma Unit that throws bombs. Explodes when defeated.

Siren Monokuma

 * A Monokuma Unit with a back-mounted speaker pack that attracts more robots to him.

Junk Monokuma

 * A grisly Monokuma Unit resembling a heavily-disfigured version of the original.

Guard Monokuma

 * A Monokuma Unit wearing police armor. Carries a large riot shield invulnerable to attacks but can be hurt from an attack behind behind him or if the Knockback Bullet exposes him.

Destroy Monokuma

 * A Monokuma Unit equipped with a flamethrower and a jetpack.

Beast Monokuma

 * A large Monokuma Unit that crawls on all fours. Identifiable by its beastly grunts and its erratic right eye.

Ball Monokuma

 * A Monokuma Unit with a spherical body that can also be used to run over anything in its path. Throws garbage to damage and disorient its enemies.

Previews
NA launch trailer=|-| NA trailer=|-| JP PV1=|-| JP PV2=|-| NA PS4 trailer=

Trivia

 * This game marks the second time Toko and Jack are major characters.