Atlus to release Disgaea

Atlus has announced plans to release Disgaea: Hour of Darkness in North America. The storyline in this strategy RPG revolves around the death of the king in the Netherworld. His son, Prince Laharl, wakes from a long sleep to find not only that his father has died but also that other demons are vying for the throne of the Netherworld. Along with his allies, Laharl has to retake the throne and claim his rightful place as the ruler of the Netherworld. The game features 100 different spells, 150 character classes, and a unique battle system that lets players use four characters at once or even switch characters on the fly.

"Disgaea: Hour of Darkness combines a compelling gothic narrative with a comical twist," said Yu Namba, project leader at Atlus. "With its breathtaking spells and innovative new strategy elements, Disgaea will be the must-play strategy RPG game of 2003 on the PlayStation 2."

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness is scheduled for release in the fall.