The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy Explores Beloved Tropes While Distancing Itself from Being Danganronpa 4

Earlier this month, I finally wrapped up Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. That means I’ve now worked my way through the entire massive main story of this multimedia phenomenon, which has been a major part of my gaming life ever since it had a resurgence during the 2020 lockdowns. Just in time, too, as I was able to dive into the demo for The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy during this month’s Steam Next Fest with the dramatic ending of co-creator Kazutaka Kodaka’s famed series still fresh on my mind.

Around the release of V3 in 2017, an independent studio called Too Kyo Games was formed by Kodaka and several other former Spike Chunsoft talents. Since their inception, every subsequent game release has prompted whispers among fans of a potential spiritual successor to Danganronpa. This was the case with World’s End Club in 2020 and Master Detective Archives: Rain Code in 2023. Despite their shared DNA, both games deviated from Danganronpa in notable ways (a lack of killing games in World’s End Club and an absence of school life in Rain Code).

Now, The Hundred Line is receiving similar attention. After trying the demo, it’s clear that the developers are leaning into these comparisons even more assertively. Many musical elements and sound effects will be instantly recognizable to Danganronpa enthusiasts, almost as if lovingly borrowed from the classic series. Then there’s the art style—complete with archetypal characters that evoke a familiarity as endearing as unexpectedly meeting distant relatives at a family gathering.

The game pulls you in from the get-go, with the opening half-hour unfolding through fully animated, fully voiced scenes. It’s a change in delivery that may feel a bit uncanny for those used to Danganronpa’s visual novel format. Yet, the narrative kicks off in a familiar fashion: a seemingly average teenage boy and his platonic not-girlfriend find their school day disrupted, leading to the protagonist regaining consciousness in a mysterious classroom full of strangers, under the watchful eye of an unsettling cartoon mascot with questionable motives.

Acknowledging what fans are likely expecting, Too Kyo throws in a character who’s all too excited at the idea of being thrown into a death match. But this is where The Hundred Line breaks away—it’s a turn-based strategy focused on collaboration to fend off evil robots and bizarre monsters, actively preventing a world-ending event rather than having it loom in the background.

As someone who’s recently taken a liking to turn-based combat, I find The Hundred Line intriguing, though not groundbreaking. It’s a solid puzzle, ideal for visual novel enthusiasts stepping into the strategy genre, rather than seasoned strategists looking for a meaty challenge.

The demo, spanning the first seven in-game days, wraps up with a cliffhanger designed to appeal to long-time fans. However, it seems unlikely that The Hundred Line is attempting to disguise itself as a repackaged killing game series. Kodaka’s reluctance to return to Danganronpa unless truly inspired speaks volumes. With ongoing good relations with Spike Chunsoft, should there be a Danganronpa 4, it will probably bear its iconic title.

So, don’t approach The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy hoping for more of the exact Danganronpa formula. Rather, appreciate it as a game that captures the essence of what you love—quirky characters and dizzying narratives—while exploring fresh gameplay avenues and steering away from repetitive storytelling.

Balancing new ventures with self-referential nostalgia, this game has piqued my curiosity enough to see where it leads. Perhaps, instead of subverting tropes, it’s evolving them, reminding us that unity is our strength. Timely indeed, in the context of a new year.

For those looking to dive into the demo, it’s available on Steam now, and the full game will hit Windows and Nintendo Switch on April 24th. PC players have the added bonus of carrying over their progress from the demo to the full version.