If you’re a fan of Danganronpa, you might have heard about The Hundred Line – Last Defense Academy –, a new game in development by some of the original team. I had the chance to try out the demo, and it was quite an experience. I won’t spoil anything beyond the initial premise, but I’ll provide enough information to help you decide whether it’s worth your time.
The Story
Your main character, Takumi Sumino, lives in the Tokyo Residential District. In his opinion, his life is pretty mundane. He lives with his mom and spends most of his time with his best friend, Karua. Karua and his mom are on such good terms that she often drops by unannounced, and his mother lets her in—whether Takumi is asleep or not even home.
One thing that seems normal to Takumi and Karua but immediately raises red flags for the player is the emergency alarm. In the Tokyo Residential District, these alarms are a common occurrence, yet no one really knows why they sound. They could be drills or real emergencies handled by those in power. Regardless, Takumi and Karua make their way to a shelter beneath the sewers to wait out the alarm.
Takumi attempts to leave the shelter first but is startled by a dog. Karua chases after it, and Takumi follows, trying to stop her. Their pursuit leads them to an abandoned section of the district, where the streets are eerily desolate, and buildings are coated in dust and mystery. Takumi loses sight of Karua but encounters the dog again—only for it to transform into a ghostly being named Sirei. Sirei tells Takumi that he wants him to become a hero and presents him with a blood-coated dagger, instructing him to test it on himself. As most people would do, Takumi immediately drops the dagger and instead focuses on finding Karua.
Before he can do so, the sky suddenly collapses, unleashing monstrous creatures into the Tokyo Residential District. As Takumi regains his bearings, Sirei hands him the dagger once more. This time, upon accepting it, Takumi undergoes a transformation—his clothes change, and he now wields a sword, granting him the strength to protect Karua and fight off the monsters. After successfully defeating them, he is suddenly pulled into the sky, only to land in a classroom, where he finds himself now a student at the Last Defense Academy.
The Last Defense Academy
Sirei is the leader of the Last Defense Academy and has tasked you, along with a new class of soldiers, with protecting the academy for 100 days. Once those 100 days are over, you’ll be able to return home. Each day begins with Sirei speaking over the intercom to start the day. During your free time, you can choose to spend time with your classmates, train, or explore outside the academy.
Not everyone is equally enthusiastic about being at the Last Defense Academy, and part of your role is to unite your classmates to work toward a common goal—though this isn’t always easy. At the start of the demo, only three classmates are fully committed to defending the academy. These three are the ones you can bond with and train alongside.
Dialogue follows a visual novel format, featuring illustrated backgrounds and character portraits. Similar to my experience with Digimon Survive, the game emphasizes spatial awareness. When inside rooms, you view the environment from a first-person perspective, with character portraits displayed in the space. You use a cursor to select characters to talk to or interact with objects in the room.
Combat follows a tactical strategy RPG format. You control a set number of characters and must prevent enemies from breaching the barrier that protects the school. Character abilities vary—some have high-damage attacks with limited range, while others can attack from a distance with large Area of Effect (AoE) skills but deal less damage. The combat system takes some getting used to, as it differs from traditional tactical RPGs. Instead of moving first and then selecting an attack, as in Fire Emblem or Dark Deity, you choose an attack first, then move, and finally execute the attack. While this might not seem like a drastic difference, it feels distinct in practice, especially for players familiar with those other games.
Once you get comfortable with these differences, combat feels well-designed and fleshed out. As you progress, additional mechanics are introduced, adding more depth to the gameplay. One key feature is the voltage meter, which fills up when you attack or take damage. At 100%, you can unleash a special attack that deals massive damage across a large area. Since each wave of enemies is densely packed, these wide-range attacks are invaluable.
Overall, the five-hour demo provided a substantial amount of content while still leaving plenty of mysteries unanswered. Even after finishing it, I find myself theorizing about what the Last Defense Academy truly is and who Sirei really might be. The demo drops numerous clues, but many questions remain unresolved. I’m deeply intrigued by this world and eager to see where the story goes next.
The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- will be released on April 23rd, 2025 on Nintendo Switch and PC.
