My copy of Danganronpa 2 showed up today. I haven't cracked it open yet, because I'm not sure I'm quite awake enough to appreciate its dark charms right at this second — and also because I have several other games on the go right now, too. But it's a game I'm particularly excited about, largely because the first game was so good. So let's talk about it.

There may be spoilers ahead. I'll try and keep them to a minimum, though.

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (the first game) came out of nowhere for me. Originally a PSP title, it didn't get localised into English officially until the new(er) Vita version, courtesy of NIS America. I'm thankful that we did get it eventually — plus somewhat surprised that it's one of the few Japanese games that made it over to the West that was acknowledged and even celebrated by some critics. Why surprised? Well, because there's a lot of stuff in Danganronpa that is usually torn apart by Western critics — particularly regarding attitudes to gender — and yet, for whatever reason, this time around, it was celebrated as an excellent game.

But what is it? It's… well, it's a little strange, to be honest. It's sort of a visual novel, but there's more to it than that. There's freeform exploration and conversation as you investigate several different murder mysteries, then every so often the game turns into an even more chaotic take on Ace Attorney's courtroom sequences as you solve puzzles and pick out truths with your metaphorical "truth bullets".

Trigger Happy Havoc was bold, energetic and striking. Its colourful pop art-style visuals (with a peculiar but effective "2.5D" pop-up book-style aesthetic) were very distinctive and gave the game a unique visual identity, albeit one that wouldn't look out of place in a Persona game. Its music was catchy, memorable and fit the action well. The voice acting was excellent in both English and Japanese for once. And the writing was truly, truly excellent — with additional credit to NIS America for doing a great job with localising some difficult material in their own distinctive manner.

Danganronpa is a game you play for its story, and it's a mysterious one that will keep you guessing throughout. Unlike many other murder mystery games, where it's often obvious "whodunnit" quite quickly, Danganronpa regularly keeps you guessing right up until the truth is finally revealed. And the overarching plot that ties all the cases together follows this pattern, too; you'll have plenty of theories about what's going on by the time the "big reveal" comes around, but you might still be surprised by the truth.

Danganronpa is also a game you play for its characters, and they're a truly interesting bunch. Initially positioned to the player as the "ultimate" in their respective specialisms, they all gradually reveal themselves to be complex individuals with their own goals, motivations and priorities. In other words, they're not all very nice people on the inside, yet there are numerous occasions where you'll be forced to ally with even the most objectionable of the bunch in the name of seeking out the truth. The game also isn't afraid to kill off characters it's spent ages building up the player's relationship with, too, so don't get too attached to anyone you meet; it's probably safer that way.

Assuming Danganronpa 2 follows the pattern of its predecessor — and there's nothing to suggest that it doesn't — I'm in for a treat. If you're yet to experience the unique joys of these fantastic games, then grab yourself a Vita (if you don't already have one, of course!) and indulge in some thrilling murder mystery action.