Looking back at 2011 Disgaea 4 was one of my favourite games I've enjoyed playing on the PlayStation 3, looking back to the game itself this time on the PlayStation Vita. Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited is a port of the PS3 version but with all of its content that was in the original being carried over in the handheld version; considering that Disgaea 4 is my favourite game in the series, yet the series itself is well known for its Anime humour, strategy turn-based and addicting gameplay which you can easily spend more than 100 hours in levelling up.
Main story is about a Vampire called Valvatorez who was once a Legendary Tyrant but now serves for Hades as a Prinny Instructor, fans of the series will be happy to see those exploding penguins called Prinnies again. Valvatorez is very disgusted by corruption in the Netherworld government and decides to reclaim control of the realm. Along the way he'll encounter and recruit a cast of eccentric and charming characters as he builds his army and makes his way to the evil President, who appears to be behind this mess in the Netherworld. However in the PS Vita version has all the DLC content including playable characters from the past Disgaea games including characters from other games like Phantom Brave and Z.H.P.
A new scenario has been added in the PS Vita called Time Leap Episode following both Valvatorez and Artina, but to unlock the episode you will need to complete the main story first before you can play the other DLC episodes including this one.
Anyone new to the series may take some use to in getting to know how it works and what you're supposed to do. This is a turn-based strategy game, similar to Final Fantasy Tactics but much more elaborate. You don't just have to worry about commanding your troops on the battlefield, there are also the Geo Panels that add benefits or detriments to your characters when they stand on them. You can throw Geo-blocks to other blocks if they are the same colour which will get rid of the benefits/detriments and do some damage if enemies are standing on them or you can simple attack a Geo-block. You can also grab and throw your troops of you want them to get further to enemies or getting them to the other side of the field which you can't reach. Magichange and Fusion is an option to use where you can have two characters at once which can transform into a large monster or using a monster as a weapon. But however each battle you can only choose up to 10 characters at once, if all 10 of your characters die its game over.
As you progress through it can become more addicting and very challenging to play through each battle grinding levels. Apart from that you can create your own petition the local government to pass laws that will make your life easier. Plus have more choices to pick and choose like having expensive or cheaper items in stores to buy or having ministers for your own government. If you've played Disgaea D2 you can bribe to Dark Senates with HL which is an option especially if you want more Senates to support your hearing. If you've played past Disgaea games like I have you'll noticed that game features from both Disgaea 3 and Disgaea D2 are all added in the PS Vita version of Disgaea 4 including Character Promotion, Innocent Warehouse, Cheat Shop and the option chose to retry a stage this can come really handy especially if you mess up your strategy moves halfway through a level but you can also exit back to base, or quit to main menu on any map except for the Item World and Chara World.
Just like in the PS3 version its HD treatment from the levels and environments to a glossy and colourful artwork; all characters that were in pixel have been fully deformed and look really cute to look at on a handheld console. Another thing that can be a little annoying and I'm sure that you'll agree with me, that the camera can be really annoying pending on what the battlefield looks like and you can't see who is behind the blocks or landscape. You'll be switching and flipping back and forth using the L and R shoulder buttons which can be annoying if you can't see anything. However the old SD sprites and voice acting for certain scenes have been taken out in the Vita version but most of the time it wouldn't bother you due to the fact that the game itself can easily be addictive and finding it hard to putting the game down.
Getting through the main story can take 20-30 hours but both its DLC content and level-grinding through the Item World you can easily spend more than 100 hours what surprises me that Disgaea 4 on the PS Vita is highly recommended to both fans and newcomers, even though you can get this on the PS3 as well the handheld version can really pass time especially if you are out and about a lot when it comes to travelling. Plus another game that should be in everyone's PS Vita collection for its addicting gameplay and countless hours.