Cyber Danganronpa VR: The Class Trial is a tech demo for the PlayStation VR. It is based off the Danganronpa series and is extremely short at only 5-10 minutes long. The tech demo takes place in a class trial that is based from the first game, but much more truncated, shortened and simplified. It is not canon to the series but this allows it to have fun instead.
With a reduced number of participants in the class trial, you only have Aoi, Kyoko, Byakuya, Toko and Yasuhiro. Sakura has been murdered and the trial is to determine who is the Blackened (i.e. the murderer). The tech demo has complete English voiceovers and the gameplay involves the series' debates. You use the Dualshock 4's motion control to aim and fire off Truth Bullets to the lies that a character may make. It is played in first person view, where you are Makoto.
Naturally, Monokuma plays a big role and he acts as the tutorial, as well as the one giving out the punishments. All the character models are transitioned into 3D and for a tech demo, it is pretty impressive.
The VR capabilities are taken advantaged of. Moving your head will move the camera and even with the low resolution of the PlayStation VR, it looks great. The environments are full of detail and you can just spend minutes looking around. There are a few neat touches such as the characters reacting if you fire the truth bullets at them instead of words that pop onscreen.
Characters will throw items around and at the player, or jump onto the words and smashing it away in anger. It's exciting to watch and really makes you feel like you are there. Perhaps one of the best elements is that the rumble is used to great effect, especially during the first person punishment sequence where it does inflict a bit of shock horror at the player.
Unfortunately, the biggest downside of the tech demo is its short length. Just when you feel like you are getting into it and don't require the obvious hints from Monokuma during the debate sections, it skips to the end and it can feel like it really cut you short. Overall, Cyber Danganronpa VR: The Class Trial is an excellent tech demo that you can download for free to test out your VR hardware. Bonus points if you've played and loved the games as it is amazing to see the characters as if they are right next to you.
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