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Welcome to Last Defense Academy

What happens when two of the visual novel genre’s most respected creators join forces to step outside their comfort zones? The result is an experience built on a familiar foundation, yet every other element is a bold departure from their most iconic work. That is the best way I could describe The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-.

The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- is an ambitious new experience from Kazutaka Kodaka and Kotaro Uchikoshi. Known for crafting some of the most iconic visual novels, the duo now ventures into an unfamiliar genre, bringing their narrative strengths into fresh territory. The result is an unforgettable experience—rich in creativity yet built on a familiar foundation.

Rise and Shine Troops

Takumi Sumino’s peaceful life in the Tokyo Residential Complex is shattered when terrifying monsters suddenly attack. To save himself and his best friend, a mysterious being named Sirei offers him the power to fight. Accepting means stabbing himself—unlocking hidden abilities and receiving a strange new uniform. After the attack, Takumi awakens in Last Defense Academy alongside fourteen others, all chosen for a mysterious mission. There, he discovers the truth about the outside world and the ominous flames encircling the school. As members of the Special Defense Unit, they must battle the Invaders for one hundred days. But the mission won’t be easy—failure could lead not only to their deaths but humanity’s extinction. Worse, not everything is as it seems: Sirei is withholding truths, and hidden forces move behind the scenes.

If you’ve played any of the Danganronpa or Zero Escape games, the narrative setup will feel familiar. A group of strangers is thrown into a life-or-death situation—but nothing is quite what it seems. No one knows who to trust, and little information has been revealed about their situation. Despite Darumi Amemiya’s high hopes, this isn’t a typical battle royale scenario. Instead, our heroes are tasked with protecting their new school from the Invaders. Still, a mystery looms over their situation—one that demands answers. Driving the story is a colorful cast of characters who either lean into genre stereotypes with self-aware flair or possess unique personalities that make them stand out. Over time, you’ll grow to appreciate their presence—even the ones who start off as unbearable.

Box of Calamity

The Hundred Line is an experience that combines the elements of a visual novel with the gameplay of a grid-based JRPG. Going in, it’s important to realize that the game is a visual novel first and a JRPG second. A significant part of the game focuses on the narrative aspect – the overall story, uncovering the mystery of this world, and using dialogue to help players build relationships with each character. Building relationships requires players to navigate dialogue choices and spend time with each character during free time.

Free time offers a chance to strengthen your character and deepen your bond with others. During each free period, you’ll have two opportunities to take action before the day ends. This is when you can upgrade existing skills or unlock new ones. One major activity that consumes half your day is bonding with squadmates. Depending on the character, these interactions can boost specific traits, unlocking new abilities or enhancing certain attributes.

Exploration is another key feature available only during free time. Players and their squads venture beyond Last Defense Academy to search for valuable resources. Using a board game-style structure, you’ll navigate the outside world by moving across different spaces. Each spot offers potential rewards but also presents choices that come with risks. Stay alert—there’s always a chance you’ll be ambushed by Invaders.

Get Ready for Active Service

Heavily inspired by Fire Emblem, the combat features a turn-based system with a grid-based layout. The primary goal is to protect the Last Defense Academy by defeating enemy forces and their commander. If the squad is wiped out or a protective barrier is destroyed then it’s game over. Players choose an action, position their character on the grid, and then carry it out. The squad’s total Attack Points (AP) limit how often characters can act, but units may act multiple times if points remain. AP replenishes each time the squad defeats a mid-level Invader or stronger enemy. Eliminating Invaders also builds Voltage, which powers devastating special attacks.

Combat is divided into two scopes: small-scale skirmishes and larger, full-scale assaults. Small-scale battles are more frequent and serve as an introduction to the core mechanics. Large-scale encounters are part of the main story. This battle has players commanding every student on the field while defending multiple barriers across the Academy. Just like in smaller battles, losing all squad members or allowing even one barrier to fall results in a game over.

A Battle Royale Thing

Right from the start, The Hundred Line showcases the signature artistic style of Rui Komatsuzaki. From its vibrant color palette to its striking character designs, the visual aesthetic feels instantly familiar. The game blends darkness and despair with an unexpectedly upbeat edge, creating a unique emotional tone. Colors are both grim and vivid, immersing players in a world that balances bleakness with cautious optimism. This duality enhances the experience, perfectly complementing the game’s unsettling yet hopeful setting. If you’ve played Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE or any of the Danganronpa titles, you’ll instantly recognize the art style.

The Danganronpa doesn’t end with the visual design choices as several characters’ design choices are clear callbacks to the series. For example, you could easily tell that Hiruko Shizuhara was inspired by Toko Fukawa while Takemaru Yakushiji was inspired by Sakura Ogami. Then there’s Darumi Amemiya—The Hundred Line’s answer to Junko Enoshima, whose entire presence is to be a treat for the Danganronpa fans. While the inspirations are obvious, calling them copies would be an insult to the effort put into making them unique characters.

Even if you haven’t played Danganronpa, the game is easy to get into. It leans heavily into its visual novel roots, so following the story—rather than skipping through it—is essential. The combat system and Free Time mechanics are straightforward, making the core gameplay easy to grasp. If this is your first time with this type of combat mechanic, don’t worry as the game does a solid job of explaining everything.

Enemy Commander Present

The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- excels in many areas, but it also has its share of shortcomings. The biggest issue is how long it takes for key gameplay elements to become accessible. To its credit, the opening isn’t a slog—the story draws you in with enough intrigue and tension to keep you engaged. Still, important academy features tied to player progression take longer than expected to unlock. This is not the worst example of a game that takes too long to open up, but I still did find it mildly annoying.

Special Defense Unit, Fight!

The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- uses a familiar foundation to deliver an unforgettable experience that is rich in suspense and thrills. Kazutaka Kodaka and Kotaro Uchikoshi bring everything they’ve learned about storytelling to a combat-heavy experience. The result is a thrilling blend of visual novel with JRPG elements and is also rich with callbacks to the Danganronpa series.

Disclaimer: The publisher through a PR representative provided the game used for this review.

This review is the critique and thoughts of one writer. If you want to see how other critics felt, then check it out on OpenCritic.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides insight into the gamer community of the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- (PC)

10

Masterpiece

10.0/10

Pros

• It has a familiar foundation that is used to create an unforgettable experience.
• A solid balance between a visual novel and a JRPG.
• Rui Komatsuzaki signature artistic style brings the world to life.
• The game is rich in callbacks and references to the Danganronpa series.
• Gameplay mechanics are easy to learn and the tutorial is helpful to new players.

Cons

• It takes too long for many of the game’s core features to become available.