Last week’s Nintendo Direct had some major reveals, including highlights from Nintendo’s iconic catalog such as new footage for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and a pricey bundle of both Super Mario Galaxy titles, which sent fans into a frenzy. But the announcement that truly sparked a wave of online buzz was Danganronpa 2x2, a remake of 2012’s acclaimed visual novel about a group of students trapped on an island and forced to play a twisted killing game.
To everyone’s surprise, this remake isn’t a straightforward 1:1 reimagining. Instead, it’s a fresh retelling of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, with new scenarios and dialogue for the game’s eclectic cast of 16 high school students. Fans even obsessed over details as small as Nagito’s new t-shirt.
But this isn’t really about the remake of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. It’s about why Spike Chunsoft hasn’t taken the leap into creating a completely new Danganronpa entry.
While I understand that Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is a fan favorite, introducing a brand new cast of characters could easily draw in a fresh wave of players eager for another round of killing game chaos.
Personally, I’m somewhat excited for Danganronpa 2x2, but I don’t know if I’ll pick it up at launch. It’s similar to how I approached the remake of Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater, to which I still haven’t touched because I want to preserve my original experience.
Remakes have become a tired trend in gaming, often chosen because they’re safer from a business perspective. A brand new Danganronpa entry could have ushered in a new generation of fans while reigniting conversations around Monokuma’s madness and the franchise’s bold take on video game violence.
New players would still need to start with the first three titles, which remain some of the greatest visual novels ever made. The series may veer into over-the-top storytelling at times, but it delivers raw high school drama mixed with senseless violence and surprisingly sharp moral lessons.
But wait a minute, here’s the twist: while Danganronpa 2x2 is marketed as a remake, it might secretly be more of a new game in disguise. With fresh scenarios and storylines added to the island, this could very well be Spike Chunsoft’s sly way of introducing an entirely new chapter to the franchise. We might even see threads of Danganronpa V3’s story bleed into it.
Or perhaps this is just a tease for the series’ future. Danganronpa has sold more than 8.5 million copies worldwide, and Spike Chunsoft clearly has no intention of shelving the franchise anytime soon. Now might be the perfect moment for the company to strike while the iron is hot.
And if a brand new Danganronpa game isn’t on the horizon, there’s always The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, a fresh project from Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka and Zero Escape’s Kotaro Uchikoshi.
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