This game is one of those rare gems that pop up from out of left field. There was no massive advertising blitz, nothing was ever really mentioned about it outside of websites such as Gamespot.com, and yet for a TBT (Turn-Based Tactics) game this is an absolutely fantastic game. From the graphics that make it seem like an anime show to the spot-on voice-acting, Disgaea is what FFT would be like if Square had not produced FFTA. The best part of Disgaea is the graphics. The characters look like they were designed for anime, being both cute and a bit sexy (in fact, some of the charactres look like they would fit in with Darkstalkers). While some of the motion graphics look a little off, it still works overall. The battle graphics take full advantage of the capabilities of the PS2, and tend towards flashy. The battlefield is an isometric view that can be rotated to see whats on the other side of walls. While similar to what was pioneered with FFT, it is hard to improve on a great idea, so Square just updated the graphics while keeping the mechanics. Right behind that is the battle system. While turn-based tactics would bore most twitch-gamers to tears, for fans of turn-based games Disgaea offers loads of tactical options. Primary of which is the ability to pick up objects and other characters and throw them (though you still can't perform a fastball special). This helps you get your heavy hitters past roadblocks to hit your opponent from two directions. Also, only humanoid characters can do this; creatures can not (and some creatures act as unwilling bombs if thrown). The weapons system also has some neat innovations. The weapons can be customized, but in a dungeon twist. The caracters can go into the weapon to conquer it, and in conquering it gain add-ons that can be shuffled between conquered weapons to make them even more powerful. There are few drawbacks to Disgaea unless you are a fan of FPS or similar twitch-games. The voice acting is spot-on, the TBT is outstanding, and graphics are about the best for this genre.
At times, the video game era we're currently in can be tough on some of the more dedicated gamers. Small developers used to tune a game towards a small subset of a genre's fans, but since the production costs were so lo... Read Full Review
I received Disgaea as a birthday gift for my 26th birthday. I didn't play it until after my 27th birthday. I had not read reviews, and had not even considered giving it a chance until after I grew bored of my other, ov... Read Full Review
