Common Sense Media Review
By Mark Raby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent adventure has great story, brain-bending puzzles.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
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Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 16 parent reviews
Based on 106 kid reviews
Kids say that while the game offers engaging mystery mechanics and character development, it features a significant amount of mature themes, including violence, sexual content, and strong language. Many reviewers express concern regarding the appropriateness for younger audiences, specifically highlighting graphic executions, sexualization of characters, and instances of drug use, while others argue it can be suitable for mature teens who are prepared for its intense material, with pink blood softening some horror elements.
- mature themes
- graphic violence
- character sexualization
- language issues
- appropriate for teens
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
DANGANRONPA 2: GOODBYE DESPAIR starts with players taking the role of a bright and promising young student sent to a special program for other gifted teens. As part of this program, characters are sent to a deserted island with a handful of fellow classmates. It's only after players arrive that they're given the fine print: The only way to escape is to murder another student without being caught. To explain more would give away some of the twists and turns of the story, but these are introduced in very creative ways.
Is It Any Good?
It's easy to go into Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair with preconceived notions about what to expect from the story or what the various puzzles and mini-games will entail. But playing through this game is so unique, and the story so artfully crafted, that it's difficult to walk away without genuinely becoming enraptured. The story unfolds as sort of a mix between a digital comic book and a traditional animated movie. Along the way, players will become a central part of the story and must complete various tasks to continue unfolding the plot. That usually involves some kind of logic puzzle, such as questioning fellow classmates and determining which one is lying.
The puzzle sections can be frustrating for some players, because you need to pay attention to what's been said by students, along with accurately completing the mini-games, to successfully determine the truth behind the story. If you can look past that, Danganronpa 2 is uniquely and ultimately satisfying, and anyone looking for a very interesting story should give it a try.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the strong language in this game. Is there ever justification for using swear words?
Although the depictions of violence in this game are detached from reality, did you find it had an impact on you? Why, or why not?
Game Details
- Platform : PlayStation Vita
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : NIS America
- Release date : September 2, 2014
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Adventures , Fantasy
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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