Disgaea is a strategy RPG along the lines of Final Fantasy Tactics, but that’s where the similarities end. Taking command of Prince Laharl’s army of misfit demons can and will consume days, if not weeks of your life. The game is just as fun on the PSP as it was on the PS2 back in the day. New additions to this PSP port include an alternate story mode with a new(ish) main character, a sound room and ad-hoc multiplayer.
This game wasn’t exactly a powerhouse on the PS2, so the transition to the PSP has been more than kind for Disgaea. Widescreen display helps keep the action as large and colourful as its console brethren, and both English and Japanese voice tracks are available on the UMD. While it wasn’t as impressive on the PS2, compared to most PSP games Disgaea is quite pleasing to look at and listen to. However, there are still some scenes with no voice work and 3D levels still look crowded thanks to the limited camera, but it doesn’t always interfere with your enjoyment.
As stated before, this game is a strategy RPG on a completely different level to tradition games in its genre. While it doesn’t make much sense to say this, the game balances itself out by throwing the concept of game balance out the window. Characters can level up into the thousands, team attacks early are surprisingly powerful and your items can be leveled up and increased in strength. At the same time, the enemy has access to all these same abilities so the game does not feel ‘broken’ at any point. It can seem confusing at first, and it is. But after a dozen hours you should begin to understand the in’s and out’s of the system.
The main story is made up of 14 episodes, each consisting of a series of battles which can be revisited. Simply following the main story will take over 30 hours. Throw in the countless numbers of random generated dungeons and optional boss battles and the PSP exclusive-alternate story mode and you can say goodbye to people you know for quite some time. If you ever emerge from solitude and find someone with a second copy of the game you can try out the multiplayer options which are quite nice.
If you have any kind of interest in strategy RPG’s you owe it to yourself to pick up Disgaea. Veterans of the series may not want to make the jump from their PS2 versions simply because they have put in over 100 hours into their original game. However, there is plenty of extra content in this port to make it worth the jump if you haven’t dedicated yourself to your PS2 version.
Platform reviewed: Playstation Portable
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