“I have never played a video game in my life, and there is no reason for me to get into them now- books and movies tell much more compelling stories, and games can’t give nearly the same insight into the nature of humanity as other forms of media.”
No! That’s wrong!
The Danganronpa game series is one that I would say anyone can and should play. Unlike many other video games, the only skill requirement is that you can read, and I know you can do that. Telling a suspenseful story full of distrust and despair and keeping players on the edge of their seat, this game is not one to be missed.
In Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, we play as Makoto Naegi, a high school student who has been chosen to attend Hope’s Peak Academy, a prestigious government-funded school where only those who are the absolute best at what they do are selected to attend. Throughout the game, we interact with these so called “Ultimates,” ranging from the Ultimate Martial Artist to the Ultimate Programmer. However, upon arriving at the school, we black out, along with the rest of the class, and wake up in a strange, abandoned school with metal plates over the windows and no way to leave. A strange remote-controlled teddy bear greets us claiming to be the headmaster of the school, and presents us with the school rules, of which there is really only one: in order to graduate and leave the school, a student must get away with murdering one of their classmates. As we progress through the game, we are tasked with solving two mysteries at the same time, finding the culprit of each case, all while trying to uncover the mysteries of the school’s history.
The story is told in the form of a visual novel, a genre that is about what it sounds like: a picture book for more mature audiences. What this means for you as an AP Lit student is that the skills we learn in class for analyzing literature can actually be applied to the game to give you a deeper understanding of it. Though Danganronpa is certainly not nearly as challenging as anything we read in class, it still has all of the elements of any good work of literature, set in a strange atmosphere with a host of interesting characters. You might assume that the characters that survive the longest are the most developed, but that is not necessarily the case. If you ask me, that just speaks to how well written the game really is- each death felt impactful and actually manages to better characterize the person who was murdered as we peer into the circumstances and motivations of both the victim and killer. Additionally, the game’s willingness to let the more important-seeming characters die adds to the tension and keeps you constantly guessing who will be next.
While many might believe that there is no way a game can have the same personal impact that a book or movie may have, Danganronpa tackles a very compelling theme of hope vs. despair which I found could apply to my everyday life, especially as I am constantly struggling to stay positive in these trying times.
Though, in my opinion, the best decision the developers made when making this game was, quite simply, making it a video game. Like many other games, Danganronpa utilizes a second-person point of view, a narration style that is done best in games where players choose every action. This decision alone solves what I believe to be one of the greatest problems holding back mysteries told through other media: at the end of the day, you just keep reading or watching the solution even if you haven’t figured it out. On the other hand, Danganronpa moves at your pace, as you are required to solve the mysteries yourself, which drastically increases the stakes. This is what really makes it worth playing a video game over reading a novel or watching a TV show or movie.
The gameplay of Danganronpa mostly consists of reading the story as it is presented, though it is complemented with investigation sequences in which you search for clues while trying to piece things together on your own. It all builds up to the class trial at the end of each chapter. You use your metaphorical “truth bullets” to shoot down contradictions in others’ statements and out the killer, because if you don’t, you will be punished with execution. Here’s what that looks like in action:
I would say I had a blast playing Danganronpa, but I can’t say that this is always the case. As I saw my favorite characters betray and kill each other, I was occasionally left feeling horrified and broken, which, in reality, is just another reason why it is such a well-designed game. Though released in 2010, it has aged very well, and retains both its impact and entertainment value in the modern day, telling a scary story of distrust and humanity’s dark side. It is something that I would say any AP Lit student who is looking for a break from our usual challenging literature should play, as you can take your own unique skills to get more out of the story. And the great thing about it is that you can play it! Video games typically have a problem that there is always a barrier to entry- you must own either a console or at least a mediocre PC, which your school Chromebook is most certainly not. Fortunately, a port of the game has been released for iPhone and Android in the past year, so anyone interested can purchase it from either of these platforms for $15.99. It is also available for PC on Steam for $19.99 or as a bundle with Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair for $29.99 on PS4. Really, you have no excuse to not play it- trust me, it is well worth your time and money.