Note: This review is about the PSP remake, Afternoon Of Darkness. The difference between this and the PS 2 one are miniscule— just a few added levels and characters.
Gameplay: 8/10
It's a simple Strategy RPG, similar to Final Fantasy Tactics. One of the biggest draws of this game is the absurd amount you can level— while in most RPGs, strategy or other wise, 50 or 99 is usually high enough to kill the Final Boss or the max, Disgaea allows you to go all the way up to 9999... then reincarnate the character with a portion of those stats and do it all over again. It's not uncommon to see enemies with 40,000 or more HP on the bonus stages.
In addition to levelling characters, it's possible to level weapons and armor as well, by going into "Item World." The more randomly generated levels you do, the stronger the item gets, as well as the enemies inside.
Story: 7/10
The story itself is okay, but it's all over the place. The first half or so is about Laharl trying to officially become the Overlord, after his father's death, but halfway through that, the focus slowly begins to shift away from him and over to Flonne, then CAPTAIN GORDON, DEFENDER OF EARTH, then back to Flonne. The further into the game you get, you may find yoruself wondering just who the main character really is. Despite this, due to Nippon Ichi's humor and storytelling style, some scenes are laugh out loud funny, and subversions and lampshade hangings abound.
Sound: 9/10
The battle sounds are a mix of your generic slashes, stabs, explosions and so on, but there's nothing wrong with that. The voice-acting is top-notch, and the V As delivery on many lines are absolutely perfect.
Graphics: 9/10
I'll confess— I've a soft spot for sprites, so I'm a bit biased in this section. Even so, the ones in this game are beautifully drawn and colored.
Extra Features and Replay Value: 9/10
In addition to the game's Multiple Endings, there are quite a few bonus stages, as well as Another Side Another Story. Even after doing all those, you can increase the level of the enemies you fight if you so choose. And even after THAT, there's a versus mode, so you can challenge your friends' massively overpowered characters with your own. You can also buy music to play during visits to Item World.
All in all, a really good game. Highly recommended.
VideoGame Disgaea: 200+ Hours of Darkness
Note: This review is about the PSP remake, Afternoon Of Darkness. The difference between this and the PS 2 one are miniscule— just a few added levels and characters.
Gameplay: 8/10
It's a simple Strategy RPG, similar to Final Fantasy Tactics. One of the biggest draws of this game is the absurd amount you can level— while in most RPGs, strategy or other wise, 50 or 99 is usually high enough to kill the Final Boss or the max, Disgaea allows you to go all the way up to 9999... then reincarnate the character with a portion of those stats and do it all over again. It's not uncommon to see enemies with 40,000 or more HP on the bonus stages.
In addition to levelling characters, it's possible to level weapons and armor as well, by going into "Item World." The more randomly generated levels you do, the stronger the item gets, as well as the enemies inside.
Story: 7/10
The story itself is okay, but it's all over the place. The first half or so is about Laharl trying to officially become the Overlord, after his father's death, but halfway through that, the focus slowly begins to shift away from him and over to Flonne, then CAPTAIN GORDON, DEFENDER OF EARTH, then back to Flonne. The further into the game you get, you may find yoruself wondering just who the main character really is. Despite this, due to Nippon Ichi's humor and storytelling style, some scenes are laugh out loud funny, and subversions and lampshade hangings abound.
Sound: 9/10
The battle sounds are a mix of your generic slashes, stabs, explosions and so on, but there's nothing wrong with that. The voice-acting is top-notch, and the V As delivery on many lines are absolutely perfect.
Graphics: 9/10
I'll confess— I've a soft spot for sprites, so I'm a bit biased in this section. Even so, the ones in this game are beautifully drawn and colored.
Extra Features and Replay Value: 9/10
In addition to the game's Multiple Endings, there are quite a few bonus stages, as well as Another Side Another Story. Even after doing all those, you can increase the level of the enemies you fight if you so choose. And even after THAT, there's a versus mode, so you can challenge your friends' massively overpowered characters with your own. You can also buy music to play during visits to Item World.
All in all, a really good game. Highly recommended.