(I've played this game on the PS4 hence the lower playtime here)
Danganronpa V3 is an alright game, but its pacing and writing hold it back from being one of the stronger entries in the series.
The opening hours take around five to six hours before the first murder even takes place. So despite V3 not being directly connected to the first or second game, I probably wouldn't recommend it as the best game to start with.
Pacing & Humor
The trials also take quite some time, and some parts feel like filler. The Monokubs are the clearest example. Almost every scene involving them could be removed without anything of substance changing in the story.
The "humor" is also a problem for me. Of course, humor is subjective, but I really wasn't a fan of the gross-out humor or some of the incest and rape "jokes" involving the characters. A lot of these jokes are also made at the expense of other characters.
The Love Suite events are another example. I'm already not interested in these kinds of events because I don't play Danganronpa to "date" the characters, but some of the scenarios go beyond simply being something I didn't find funny. I found their inclusion unnecessary, especially when the game treats some of these situations as humor or fanservice but to me were pretty uncomfortable especially when these characters are supposed to be teenagers.
Characters
I find the characters in this game to be the weakest in the series. The writing makes some of them feel almost one-dimensional, with the same surface trait being repeated throughout their dialogue. This made me less invested in some characters, especially when they died early and did little to stray away from their stereotype.
Danganronpa has always played with stereotypes and exaggerated character archetypes, but some of the choices in V3 can come across as outdated and predictable, which was less of an issue for me in the first two games.
Story & Trials
Whilst I don't want to spoil anything, V3 doesn't have a particularly strong story on its own. If you come into it expecting a great story, this probably isn't the game for you.
Does that ruin the game? In my opinion, no. Danganronpa's strong suit has always been the wacky trials and the smaller stories involving the characters throughout the game. Despite some shaky writing, there are still some standout cases that are genuinely great.
The trials do have problems with their logic, though. There is a trial where the game wants you to believe the culprit was incredibly smart, yet their approach ultimately made things harder for themselves than necessary. The game even points out how clever the plan was, but I found that difficult to agree with when a much simpler approach would have made it impossible for them to get caught. Another trial relies on logic that feels unrealistic, making the mystery difficult to take seriously.
Voice Acting
The voice acting is amazing overall, although I don't think Kokichi's voice actor fits his character particularly well. His performance is good, but the voice itself didn't match how I imagined the character sounding and occasionally took me out of the experience.
The Ending
The ending is probably the most divisive part of V3. Without getting into major spoilers, I understand what the game was trying to do, and I found it entertaining narratively. The problem is that it felt like the game thought it was being much smarter than it actually was.
There is a lot of build-up towards what the ending is trying to say, but for me, the payoff fell flat. It ultimately felt like there was very little payoff for everything the game had spent so much time building towards. I can understand why the ending has been so divisive. (Not that I felt like what was build towards was anything spectacular)
With the upcoming release of Danganronpa 2x2, some of what V3 tries to do also feels even more irrelevant to me. Not because 2x2 somehow invalidates V3, but because the direction of the series makes V3's attempt irrelevant and ironic.
Overall, Danganronpa V3 is an alright game with some genuinely great moments buried under inconsistent pacing and writing. The game can be extremely entertaining when its mysteries, trials, and characters come together, but the filler, repetitive character writing, questionable humor, and occasional problems with the logic prevent it from anything i'd replay again or want the next release to be like. I wouldn't recommend it now that i'm older, but it's playable and has parts that are enjoyable nonetheless.
I don't think V3 is a bad game. There is still a lot to enjoy here, and some of its best trials are among the reasons I kept playing. However, I think the game works better when you approach it for the individual cases, character interactions, and chaotic Danganronpa experience rather than expecting a consistently strong story from beginning to end.
