Basically, Super Dangan Ronpa 2 takes everything that made the first Dangan Ronpa great and ups the stakes. The new cast is even more colorful and absurd, leading to more humorous and silly Free Time events and trials. Most of the new characters actually do not seem like people you might meet in real life, which makes them entertaining and fascinating, but sacrifices drama and realism which I think the original had a stronger sense of.
The trials have reached their maximum potential, being significantly more lengthy and complicated, and involving all characters more than ever in arguments. The player must now agree with some of their statements, and some of them will even square off with you in Rebuttal Showdowns. It's no longer just the protagonist carrying the bulk of the trial. It feels like a team effort, which strengthens the player's relationship with the other characters.
In general, characters have stronger dynamics with each other. There are more rivalries and friendships amongst the group, which adds weight to when a student is killed, as something is now missing. The characters also seem to be based off the originals in some ways, but are made to take your expectations and change them up ever so slightly, offering a character with similar traits/complexes but from a new perspective. One thing to note is that if you want to understand and enjoy this game to its maximum potential, it's almost necessary to have played the original.
The final twists come out of left field so you'll need to understand the big picture to process them. However, the conclusion is very satisfying, making this game feel appropriately like the "final battle" and I feel like the survivors have changed wonderfully from their experiences.
Sequels often struggle to live up to the original's success, but Super Dangan Ronpa 2 matches and even exceeds how much fun I had with the original. It lacks certain aspects the original had, but what it adds more than makes up for it.
Bigger and better, an ultimate sequel
Basically, Super Dangan Ronpa 2 takes everything that made the first Dangan Ronpa great and ups the stakes. The new cast is even more colorful and absurd, leading to more humorous and silly Free Time events and trials. Most of the new characters actually do not seem like people you might meet in real life, which makes them entertaining and fascinating, but sacrifices drama and realism which I think the original had a stronger sense of.
The trials have reached their maximum potential, being significantly more lengthy and complicated, and involving all characters more than ever in arguments. The player must now agree with some of their statements, and some of them will even square off with you in Rebuttal Showdowns. It's no longer just the protagonist carrying the bulk of the trial. It feels like a team effort, which strengthens the player's relationship with the other characters.
In general, characters have stronger dynamics with each other. There are more rivalries and friendships amongst the group, which adds weight to when a student is killed, as something is now missing. The characters also seem to be based off the originals in some ways, but are made to take your expectations and change them up ever so slightly, offering a character with similar traits/complexes but from a new perspective. One thing to note is that if you want to understand and enjoy this game to its maximum potential, it's almost necessary to have played the original.
The final twists come out of left field so you'll need to understand the big picture to process them. However, the conclusion is very satisfying, making this game feel appropriately like the "final battle" and I feel like the survivors have changed wonderfully from their experiences.
Sequels often struggle to live up to the original's success, but Super Dangan Ronpa 2 matches and even exceeds how much fun I had with the original. It lacks certain aspects the original had, but what it adds more than makes up for it.
A must-have for any visual novel junkie.