A complete strategy experience on the go.
What They Say:
Disgaea 5 Complete is a strategy RPG that offers hundreds of hours of over-the-top, award-winning gameplay, and marks the first time the core game is available on-the-go. The game includes all 8 bonus scenarios, 4 fan-favorite characters, and 3 character classes that were originally DLC in the PlayStation®4 release of Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance.
Review:
Originally released on the PlayStation 4 in 2015, Disgaea 5 has now arrived on the Nintendo Switch in its most complete form yet. This strategy-RPG is a perfect fit for Nintendo’s new handheld and console hybrid, allowing for both addictive on-the-go gameplay and relaxing tactical battles on the big screen at home. With the lack of RPG’s thus far in the system’s relatively short lifecycle, it is no doubt that Disgaea 5 Complete fills a much-needed gap for gamers. The story begins with main character Killia (not to be confused with the wonderful Hunter x Hunter’s Killua) on the search for vengeance due to–hinted at but not fully explained until much later–past events in his life. He quickly meets the hateful and brash Overlord of Gorgeous Underworld Seraphina, and together with dozens upon dozens of other characters, embark on a journey to take out the much maligned Void Dark.
It is important to note that while this is the fifth entry in the long-running franchise, the story is rather simplistic and mostly unrelated to previous games so that even the freshest of newcomers to the series can enjoy its over-the-top gameplay and humor. For those unaware, Disgaea 5 Complete features very strategic tactical-RPG gameplay similar to Tactics Ogre or Final Fantasy Tactics. On each map, you summon your team and spread them across the grid-based map to thoughtfully take out your enemies. Thankfully, even a relative strategy-RPG newbie like myself was able to get around the field sufficiently enough while still being challenged, so it is certainly a game that can be fully enjoyed regardless of your experience with the genre. This doesn’t mean the game is too easy, because that is actually not so. The game features a near-perfect gradual curve in difficulty.
However, the unfortunate thing is that the game doesn’t explain all of its systems very well initially. For someone unfamiliar, it does take some exploring to figure out how to do so many things, but once figured out, it only gets easier from there. Each character in your party has their own weapon of choice and chess-like spaces they can attack, be it a line directly in front of them or every other square and so on. There is just so much variety and content in Disgaea 5 Complete that it can overwhelm. Though the story itself ends within just a dozen hours, that is arguably where the real game begins. Completing countless extra scenarios and DLC, grinding your party to unimaginable stats, and perfecting your team makeup will keep you playing this for a very long time. Despite the nigh-endless amount of missions and levels to do, they all work just perfectly on the Switch. Specifically in the story missions, everything can be completed in just handful of minutes, nice for those playing on-the-go.
The story suffers from its lack of coherence and abundance of nonsense. The characters and their constant comedic routines is funny a little at first, but quickly wears itself out. It doesn’t help that the soundtrack and voice acting is outright atrocious. This is the first game (outside of mobile ones) where I quickly muted the game, checking occasionally to see if it got any better to which I realized that it hadn’t. It is also important to note that whenever a person enlarges due to ability or just from zooming in, the art becomes jagged and unappealing to look at. Those moments happen somewhat often, but even so, those flaws take away very little from the flawless gameplay.
In Summary:
Disgaea 5 Complete is here on the Switch in its best version. The tactical-RPG gameplay is just as addictive as ever; a perfect fit for playing on-the-go or at home whenever you want. Though the story, music, acting, and occasionally graphics have its fair share of issues, the near-endless amount of content to be found paired along with the flawless gameplay more than make up for it. Whether you’re a newcomer or a fan, Disgaea 5 Complete fills a gap that is sorely missing on the Switch and will keep you playing for countless hours.
Grade: B
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Released By: NIS America
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PS4 (originally)
Release Date: May 23rd, 2017 (Switch version)
This review was done with a review copy of the game provided by NIS America. We are grateful for their continued support.
