The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy Embraces Beloved Tropes Without Being Danganronpa 4

Earlier this month, by a stroke of luck, I wrapped up my playthrough of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. This marked the completion of my journey through a vast multimedia series that’s had a tight grip on my interest since the pandemic brought about a resurgence in its popularity in 2020. As a result, when I tested out the demo for The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy at this month’s Steam Next Fest, the conclusion of Kazutaka Kodaka’s acclaimed series was still fresh in my mind.

Around the time of V3’s launch in 2017, Kazutaka Kodaka, alongside several other former Spike Chunsoft employees, embarked on a new adventure by founding Too Kyo Games. Since then, their releases have sparked a wave of excitement among fans eager for what some consider to be a spiritual successor to Danganronpa. Titles like World’s End Club in 2020 and Master Detective Archives: Rain Code in 2023 sparked minor disappointment despite their Danganronpa-esque vibe, largely because they veer away from core elements like the killing game and school setting that defined the original series.

Unsurprisingly, The Hundred Line is being compared under the same light. After diving into its demo, it’s clear this game doubles down on these parallels more than anything Too Kyo has released before. Danganronpa fans will find some musical cues and sound effects that eerily echo the original—a tip of the hat that borders on direct reuse. The artwork and character archetypes evoke a comforting yet slightly surreal sense of familiarity, much like the odd connection you feel meeting your friends’ relatives at a wedding.

In the initial half-hour of the game, you’re thrown into a back-to-back sequence of fully-animated, voiced cutscenes. This can feel slightly off if you’re accustomed to Danganronpa’s visual novel presentation. The plot unfolds with a teen and his utterly-not-my-girlfriend stumbling upon a bizarre chain of events on what was meant to be a regular school day. The protagonist eventually awakens in a strange classroom, surrounded by unfamiliar faces and confronted by a mascot of questionable demeanor who’s calling the shots.

Too Kyo teasingly acknowledges what players are undoubtedly thinking at this point by including a character overly excited at the possibility of a deadly battle royale. Yet, that’s exactly where The Hundred Line diverges. The game transforms into a turn-based strategy where characters unite to combat evil robots and monstrous creatures, aiming to stave off the world-ending chaos typically lurking in the background of the Danganronpa series.

As a fresh enthusiast of turn-based combat, I won’t claim mastery in judging The Hundred Line’s strategy aspects, though I find its links to Danganronpa intriguing. Yet, even as an amateur, I’ve encountered intriguing challenges throughout, aligning with expectations for an experienced team dabbling in a new gameplay style. It seems poised to offer visual novel fans an inviting step into strategy games, potentially more so than attracting seasoned strategy enthusiasts.

The demo spans the first seven in-game days and climaxes with a cliffhanger—a juicy tease for fans of past works. Nevertheless, it doesn’t appear that The Hundred Line is covertly planning to revive the killing game concept under the guise of a new genre, an approach I hope stays as is. Having just finished Kodaka’s extensive argument for why he shouldn’t constantly rehash Danganronpa unless truly inclined, I bet that if Danganronpa 4 were to materialize, it would do so under its rightful name.

Ultimately, approaching The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy with expectations for another Danganronpa might not do justice to either the game or yourself. Still, it asserts its awareness of what fans cherished about Danganronpa, promising quirky characters and wild storylines without being bound by its predecessor’s gameplay style or repetitive formula.

Judging from what’s out so far, this game expertly balances a new venture and nostalgic homage, though I’m uncertain which aspect will prevail in the final release. The timing seems perfect for a sequel of sorts in 2025, subtly reminding us of the importance of unity over discord. In this sense, it’s more of an evolution than a mere twist on established tropes.

Check out the demo of The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy on Steam—an appetizer for the full course anticipated to arrive April 24th on Windows and Nintendo Switch. PC players have the added bonus of transferring their progress from the demo to the complete game.