I Played the Never-to-be-Released Danganronpa 2x2 Special Trial Version

Earlier this month, I was able to visit Spike Chunsoft headquarters in Tokyo to try out the Danganronpa 2x2 Special Trial Version on the Nintendo Switch 2. Made specifically for the November 2025 Danganronpa 15th Anniversary Event, this short, 15-minute vertical slice was designed to not only give the most hardcore Danagaronpa fans a taste of the upcoming Danganronpa 2x2 game, but also reward them with an original mystery never to be seen again—not even in the final release.

The big selling point for the upcoming Danganronpa 2x2 is that, in addition to an updated version of the original Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, it also comes with a remixed version of the game that unfolds with a completely different chain of murders. This means that characters who died early on in the original game will stick around for longer and influence events in unexpected ways. Danganronpa 2x2 Special Trial Version delivers on this idea, despite not being an actual part of the upcoming game.

Special Trial Version opens in a way reminiscent of how the original Danganronpa 2 opened with Nagito standing over the protagonist Hajime—though instead of being on a beach, the two are within the island's boathouse. Of course, they're not alone, Gundham, Chiaki, Byakuya, and Mikan are in the room as well—in addition to a dead body.

The corpse in question is that of Yasuhiro Hagakure, a character from the first Danganronpa game. This is an in-joke callback to the original Danganronpa's own “Trial Version” demo in which Yasuhiro was presented as the first case's murder victim rather than Sayaka—and his body is even left in the same pose in the Special Trial Version as it was there.

After being assigned to partner with Nagito, you (as Hajime) do a usual Danganronpa investigation. You investigate the body (complete with a dying message in blood) and talk with those who discovered it (Gundham, Chiaki, Byakuya, and Mikan) as well as those who arrived later (Ibuki and Peko). Monokuma pops up to give you an autopsy report. You get to wander a little in a 3D area outside the boathouse, but soon Monokuma pulls everyone into the class trial to discover the murderer's identity.

The trial itself has only two rounds, each with only a single target to shoot one of three Truth Bullets at. Discovering the killer here revolves around two important facts. The first is that Monokuma will announce that a body has been found only after three people have discovered it. However, this time, it took four people—meaning one of those who “discovered” the body is the murderer.

The second is that Chiaki mentions that the murder weapon is a knife. However, the murder weapon is not found at the scene of the crime, and only the fact that it's a bladed weapon is known. This, of course, marks her as the killer. To those who have played Danganronpa 2, this revelation that Chiaki is the murderer makes little sense considering her character—and Monokuma agrees, interrupting and ending the trial (and the demo) on the spot.

Special Trial Version does a fantastic job of showing off the upgrades in Danganronpa 2x2. Graphical fidelity has greatly improved in both 2D sprites and 3D environments. The characters still have their classic poses when they talk, but each has been improved with about a second of animation leading into it. The upgraded UI oozes style, and the use of a split screen to show what Hajime looks like in certain scenes is a welcome addition.

The only complaint I have with Danganronpa 2x2 Special Trial Version is the fact that it, like all the Danganronpa games, isn't fully voiced. While the trial scenes are voice acted, the investigation scenes—i.e., the majority of the games—are not. More often than not, all you get is a grunt or a few words to set the mood of the character talking. The only exception to this in the Special Trial Version was a message from Monokuma—which was a welcome treat as I was excited to hear Wasabi Mizuta's (the current voice of Doraemon) take on the character previously voiced by Nobuyo Ōyama (the former voice of Doraemon).

While only 15-minutes in length Danganronpa 2x2 Special Trial Version has left me incredibly optimistic for Danganronpa 2x2. It looks great, sounds fantastic, and plays just like you'd hope—and I can't wait to play an entirely different version of the story.

Danganronpa 2x2 will be released in 2026 on the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.

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