Part 42: Hunting High and Low

MUSIC: Becoming Friends



We're back in Chapter 1 today because we have some collectibles to find.



Hidden Monokumas were introduced in DR2, in case you wanted to do a scavenger hunt between story beats.



There's two main differences between the ones in that game and this one. You might have noticed the first...



...that these ones are 3D models instead of sprite cutouts like all the characters.



Other than that, it's just a normal bathroom.

The second difference is where they're placed. For instance, the last one was in an area where you could move freely, and it won't be the only one.



That wasn't the case in DR2. There, hidden Monokumas were limited to rooms where Hajime was fixed in position.



They also weren't out of the way, and in fact some were in areas you had limited access to during an investigation, like someone else's cottage.



Instead, V3's hidden Monokumas are scattered in out-of-the-way places like the girl's bathroom. There's no other reason to go there during Chapter 1.



Some are easier to find than others. This one's so easy to find that I cut out an establishing shot from the nail art scene so you wouldn't see it.



Oh, and there are only four to find while free-roaming in each chapter, while the fifth, as you saw earlier, is hidden in a trial minigame.



I suppose they serve the same function as the ones restricted to investigation segments from the second game. I haven't gone back and checked that LP to see.



I'm trying! Jeez!



Can you spot this one? I'd say this is hard, except it's moving and that draws your eye. It's even there during the transition when all the objects rush into view.



That's one reason I honestly prefer the way they were done before. That's assuming they're supposed to be somewhat challenging to find, which is not a given for game collectibles.



I can see someone appreciating the fact that here you can just pick up the first four Monokumas in a chapter all at once, as I'm doing here, which might not be a thing in DR2. I dunno.



The last one from the trial is a big exception to that. I admire the cheek of just sticking a collectible inside that kind of minigame, but I can see why that would be frustrating, too.



Imagine getting halfway through this game, seeing something that kinda looks like Monokuma in a trial, and scooping it up in disbelief, surprised that it's there.



Then comes the realization that you've probably missed some in previous trials because you weren't looking, and now if you want a complete set you have to redo past trials.





Did I check this thing? It feels like I didn't check it yet. I definitely haven't done it with Shuichi.



And I definitely wasn't able to get into Miu's lab before.



So many sharp blades for Shuichi to palm-strike! You actually have to clear some junk out to find this next Monokuma.



Oh, and I've seen people waste time scouring Chapter 1 for that last Monokuma, only to discover that they couldn't even find it the way they'd been conditioned to.



Then again, if you're the kind of person who'd get all of these, you're probably the kind who'd replay trials anyway so you'd have enough Monocoins to get everything else.



There. That looks... better? So much space we could cram full of books instead. It just reminds me that this series does sprites much better than 3D models.



This concludes my TED Talk on collectibles. Join me tomorrow when I discuss gambling mechanics in video games!