Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

"Danganronpa" can get away with being basically good up until its climax. The drive of figuring out its mystery picks up the slack, and the trials present enough thrills that I don't mind that some cases that should take thirty seconds last an hour (the first few times, anyway). Then the reveal comes and the narrative craps the bed and a third of the dialogue is "despair" and the other third is "hope" and the last third is sequel bait. THH isn't awful, but if you're looking for an outstanding mystery visual novel with a knockout payoff, play 999 instead.

5