I vividly remember my first taste of Danganronpa.

I’d brought the PS Vita version of Trigger Happy Havoc with me on holiday to a remote part of Wales, and I spent the next two or three days cosied up in a rustic cottage, absorbed by its anime world and courtroom drama.

Monokuma quickly became a favourite character of mine, but while I did dip into sequel Goodbye Despair, the series somewhat slipped off my radar.

I skipped spin-off Ultra Despair Girls and even eventual sequel Killing Harmony, largely because I was preoccupied at the time.

I’m glad Danganronpa 2x2 is due out on 14th January, then – it represents a fresh opportunity for me to re-connect with the series on the PS5, featuring a full beat-by-beat remake of the original Goodbye Despair and an alternative storyline named ‘Slayhem Mode’.

Whisked away from the hustle and bustle of the Tokyo Game Show earlier this month, where a massive Danganronpa booth allowed me to pose with a famous Japanese cosplayer dressed as Chiaki Nanami, publisher Spike Chunsoft quietly sat me down with a PC build of the upcoming game.

It’s been years since I’ve played Danganronpa, so being thrust into the demo – with practically zero narrative context – proved a little problematic for me, but I was immediately pulled in by the irreverent writing and timeless character designs.

I think this franchise is a masterclass when it comes to memorable portraits, and the likes of Ibuki and Byakuya really pop in this remake.

I got to play a portion of the story from the new ‘Slayhem Mode’, as well as a courtroom battle from the original.

The latter held few surprises, with the system once again relying on me identifying the inconsistencies in the speech of my peers, and targeting them with ‘Truth Bullets’.

As I mentioned from the outset, a typical Danganronpa play session will involve you gathering evidence and identifying the flaws in what characters are saying; with just 10 minutes to play I didn’t really have an opportunity to do the detective part, so I fumbled my way through the trial – with some help from the devs.

I also didn’t really get a great reference for the new ‘Slayhem Mode’, which is effectively a new story set within the parameters of the original Goodbye Despair. (The tropical Jabberwock Island returns, for instance.)

As I understand, in this new plot, students are each assigned ‘Slayhem Items’, which they must use to murder each other, under the instruction of the maniacal Monokuma.

There were some revelations during my demo, but I’m sworn to secrecy so there’s not much more I can tell you really.

I can, however, confirm that the mode will include a new character named Sakutaro Higashi, who’s voiced by Natsuki Hanae in Japanese and Griffin Burns in English.

I think he retains the dev team’s penchant for great character designs, as I really found myself pulled in by his bright yellow raincoat and boots.

It should be noted that while the new scenario has been written by Yoichiro Koizumi, it’s all based on a concept by original series creator Kazutaka Kodaka and Takekuni Kitayama, the author of the light novel series Danganronpa Kirigiri.

So I think I came away from this preview acknowledging that Danganronpa is an almost impossible franchise to preview, but reassured that Spike Chunsoft is doing right by the 2012 original.

The team told me that upon the completion of Master Detective Archives: Rain Code Plus it felt ready to return to Danganronpa.

While I personally don’t remember the moment-to-moment beats of the original campaign, I think revisiting this release with a full remake and a brand-new scenario is going to give it value for long-time fans and newcomers alike.

I’m looking forward to kicking back with my PS Portal and revisiting Jabberwock Island in the new year.

What’s your history with the Danganronpa franchise? Have you played Goodbye Despair before, and will you be revisiting this remake? What are your expectations for the new ‘Slayhem Mode’? Let me know below.