Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Terrible fandom, but amazing game.
1. Don't google a character name at all, never, even autofill could ruin the experience.
-If you're looking for a gift guide just do it like this:
"Presents for <character name> Danganronpa"
And stick to the presents, don't click any other graph.
2. Don't watch anything about the game before playing.
3. Go in completely blind and stay that way.

People don't talk about how this game produced the best written character in all of history enough. Of course i'm talking about the one and only Sakura Ogami, every time i see her I feel like i'm being transported into a holy world. Every time she talks I feel like i'm getting a divine lecture from god, anyway too bad the fandom sucks booooooo tomato tomato tomato.

I'm going to say "recommended" but with caution.
By the time you read this the game (really more of a visual novel, frankly) would have been out for a long time. I largely skipped it, but in my older age I've grown to appreciate these types of games more than I used to. And I do enjoy the basic story here; but there are a few annoyances that I have to call out. I wouldn't say it's worth more than $30 regardless.
What I Liked
✅ Artwork is quite good especially for the women.
✅ It's a decently well told story (even though some of it requires suspension of belief).
✅ With only one exception, every character stood out in a crowd and resonated.
✅ As you progress, there is always this sense of hopelessness that is presented through the game (at least until the ending sequence).
✅ It's generally base simple to figure out what's going on with a few exceptions.
What I Didn't Like
❌ I would argue that the game is probably 2x too long; there's a lot of padding especially near the end.
❌ It was really challenging to keep up with who's name was who's, mostly because the majority of names were generic.
❌ The very last sequence was annoying, as it crammed a junk ton of freedom and exposition in all at once that I feel would have been better appreciated as spread out over the course of the game.
❌ Some of the motives for murders were simply ridiculous excuses to have someone kill another student.
❌ Despite the illusion of choice, you're really largely forced down one path. This includes your relationship choices; you won't be able to pair up with who you want. The game will eventually lock you into one specific student as your true "partner" (even though they don't act like it) and that person is as tsundere as it gets.
❌ There's a sequence involving Makoto, critical to the game, that comes off as half-baked and not well thought out. Saying more would spoil, but hearing Kyoko literally tell him that he always leaves his door open basically spoils the remainder of what's to happen.
❌ The actual "murder" in that same chapter is slapped together, and the explanations given are simply ludicrous.
❌ There are parts where the game will refuse to let you examine something until you talk to or examine something specific. Another example of your stolen freedom.
❌ You never actually get to answer the question that is posed roughly around the middle of the game, despite it being apparently a significant event.
❌ The game suffers from the Ace Attorney effect where in certain situations, the "evidence" you need to present for the case isn't clear based on what's being talked about and it's a stretch to get to what they're trying to get to.
❌ There's a tempo game in the court case. The control scheme they describe contradicted itself at points; once I ignored these instructions and did my own thing, it became fairly easy.
So, while I thought it was a decent play, it was rough around the edges. Now, to be fair, I had played Rain Code after this one, so I knew generally what I was getting into, but this one feels more rough around the edges as a "game".

Heads always be saying danganronpa 2 is the best in the series. But on the low this shit is actually better. The characters are WAY more memorable and u actually get invested in them. actually GOOD ending, and the environment is perfect. As the game goes it becomes pretty erie tbh. series PEAKED on the first game but its so GOOD you have to play the REST.

hot anime girl got turned into a liveleak 2 seconds into the game. i will be seeking legal actions against this company for damages.

I've never been into visual novels. Most of them are either boring or cliche or depend on a deus ex machina or you can figure out everything every single thing since the begining and you notice those games only unncessarily enlong the gameplay (which is usually press one or two buttons and picking 2 to 3 choices)
Hooooweveeeer, turns out that this masterpiece mix up 3 of my favourite things: detective and criminal cases, immserive and dinamic gameplay, and banger music. There are more things that I do enjoy about this specific game and the games I usually play (like a great and thought through lore, which this game also has) but these 3 aspects are more than enough to give a try.
With this experience you are going to actually think about most of the details that you can either investigate by yourself or by talking to other peple who also have their own investigation and conclussions. With them saying incosistent things that you can actually counter with your own arguments and proofs. In addition, all the murder and death that are happening in front of you because this isn't a game where you either defend or save your friends, most of the people you like are going to die and you are going to watch them dead, plus investigate to save your skin. All this with great ost in every escenario!

You will never be able to experience this game for the first time ever again. And a part of me is a bit bummed at that.
Easily one of the best Detective Visual Novels in the whole industry