“I didn’t want to figure it out, I didn’t want to know. But I can’t turn away from the truth.”
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that this quote from Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is one that I’ve turned to time and time again in my personal life. I’m not a gifted high school student in the throes of a killing game like the characters in the Danganronpa series. But the game’s themes of hope versus despair and truth against lies is something that deeply resonated with not just me but the global fandom that has developed around the Danganronpa series.
That’s part of the magic of modern visual novels, a niche within the video game world that, while not as widely played as a Legend of Zelda or Call of Duty title, has experienced a renaissance of sorts over the past few decades. Long after the credits roll, it’s the characters, the narrative and the dialogue of these interactive stories that stay with you.