Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc was initially pitched to me as “Ace Attorney meets Battle Royale.” It was a hook that I couldn’t resist. Since then, I’ve purchased every DanganRonpa title, watched every anime episode, read every DanganRonpa novel, and played the first two games again and again.
I’ve also found myself drawn to games that are similar to DanganRonpa in some way. There’s something about that “make friends with people you might have to execute”gameplay loop that I find extremely compelling. Lost Dimension was one of the first games I purchased for my Vita. When I played Virtue’s Last Reward, DanganRonpa was at the forefront of my mind. Now, I’m thinking about purchasing the most obvious DanganRonpa clone I’ve seen yet: Exile Election.
Exile Election, which is being developed by Nippon Ichi Software, labels itself as a “death adventure game.” The title is set in an apocalyptic world that has been overrun by monsters. Twelve characters have managed to take shelter in an abandoned amusement park. They’re safe as long as they remain inside the park, but if they step outside, they’ll quickly be devoured.
While most of these characters seem friendly enough, some of them are hiding a dark secret. Before the game began, nine of them participated in an election that led to the exile of a thirteen-year-old girl. Now, her brother, the game’s protagonist, is seeking revenge. He must work to find the people responsible for her exile so that he can sentence them to the same fate.
It’s got all the elements of a DanganRonpa game: a trapped cast, high-stakes trials, and a murder mystery. It even has a wacky robot mascot character. But while this game may be a blatant rip-off, it definitely has some style and charm. I’m curious to see whether or not it can stand on its own.
Exile Election releases in Japan on April 27. A western release date has not been set. If you want to see more of the game (and want to avoid spoilers), I recommend checking out the delightfully creepy image trailer below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWFhIEOFuuA
