Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (Sony PlayStation 2, 2003)

Every once and awhile, a game comes around that revitalizes the gaming pool and reinvents what was once original and fresh. For console strategy RPGs (or S-RPGs), the first that comes to my mind, especially as the game that brought the genre to the forefront of gaming minds during the last generation was %%Final Fantasy Tactics%% for the PS1. Without a doubt, it was a genre defining game. For the PS2, that game was, and still is, NIS and Atlus' %%Disgaea%%. There is a reason other than short print run as to why this game goes regularly for $70-$80 for complete copies on eBay.

Within the first 30 minutes of game time, you'll be thinking at least one thing: dang this game is demented, through and through! The game opens in the Netherworld (essentially Hell, ruled by demons) with Etna, vassal to the recently deceased Overlord, King Krischivskoy, attempting to wake his son, the prince Laharl, from his 2 years' deep sleep. What's weird about that? Well, she is using just about every weapon known to man with little to no initial success. After the fighting tutorial, Laharl, Etna and a group of fanny-pack equipped, exploding when thrown penguins named Prinnies are off to rob neighboring demons and squash out any opposition to Laharl. Not how RPGs normally start the day and it couldn't feel better.

Over 2/3 of the story text is voiced (why it wasn't all voiced is beyond me - though I imagine it was budget-related), which is the only way I am forgiving the slide-show and in-game story-telling. I played through with the English voice actors (you can switch between the English and Japanese voice actors) and they more than adequately hold their own against their Japanese counterparts. The work put into the voice acting, and therefore the story-telling, really shows how much Atlus U.S.A. put into this game.

Though, with game play that I can only explain as obscenely deep, Atlus U.S.A. didn't need to put as much into this game as they did to make it a classic...nor does the addition of a crappy song by defunct pop-punk band, Tsunami Bomb, hurt it. %%Disgaea%% takes the standard concepts in S-RPGs, being grid-based, turn-based, weapons and magic battles and mixes in some not so new though well-executed ideas (such as the Formation Attack System: a tag-team, simulatious attack that can quadruple the damage), some fresh ideas (such as the Dark Assembly: a congress that, for example, gives out tests to improve your rank and allows you to try and pass beneficiary proposals) and some genre-altering elements (such as the Item World, which allows you to enter any item in the game to level it up, gain experience and effectively extends the playing time of the game to nearly infinite) to create a well-oiled, just familiar enough battle system.

%%Disgaea%% is an amazing game for fans of console S-RPGs, and if you enjoy anime and/or Japanese humor, then hot damn you are in luck! If you have a distaste for either of those, then don't let the hype bandwagon pull you in. Chances are very high you won't like this game, as there is nothing here to change your opinion of either. I know there are some of you out there that buy into hype even if it is something you don't normally like. This is a niche title, it pulls no punches in that regard, so save yourself the hassle and cost. For those who fall into the niche, if you haven't taken the ride, get on it now. You'll tell everyone at $70 that you underpaid.

This game is unique. Any other word would fail to capture what is really great about this game. Lets dive into gameplay.

Plot Summary: You are Laharl, prince of the neitherworld, and after a short nap (2 years), you wake up to realize your father, the King of the Neitherworld, has died, and the entire Neitherworld is now fighting for the crown that is rightfully yours. Fight demons, space travellers, and angels in order to reclaim your crown!

On the surface, this appears to be a standard strategy RPG. You have a board where characters move, you have enemies to attack, special moves to master, and new allies to either create or recruit. However, digging deeper, there is a lot of room to improve and upgrade your characters during this game. You have the ability to upgrade weapons/items by literally going inside the weapon and fighting through the floors therein. Also, your characters have to address the a kind of Senate in order to get extra funds or upgrades at the shops, complete with bribing and all. Also, the amount of characters available to create allows for tons of creativity when building a party, and when a character learns all he can in one area, he can change classes and continue to learn and grow.

The story itself is almost cartoonish, and will make you laugh more than once. Unlike most RPGs, there is no random encounters unless you want them, and the story only continues when you want, and at obvious times, so you won't be held down by a 5 hour quest with no save points. With a wide array of personalities to uncover during the course of the game, you should have a good deal of fun playing.

Graphics are probably less than your used to, but still good for what they do. Most of the characters are Sprites rather than 3D models, but the animations for some of the attacks will have you cheering to whoop the butt out of the bad guy.

The music of the game is good, and usually supports the mood of the game, but I don't think you'll be picking up the soundtrack any time soon.

The replayability of this game is immediately clear once you put it in. If so desired, your characters can level to ridiculous amounts (4 digits), and you continuously level new characters and items up to your hearts desire. Also, with numerous endings, you can find yourself coming back to this game years down the road.

At the time of writing this, Disgaea 2 is set to come out soon (Oct/Nov), and if you want a head start and haven't played Disgaea: Hour of Darkness yet, I recommend that you pick this up immediately and figure out what you've been missin'!

Baron Von Matrices

If you do not like SRPGs, or grinding in general, find another game. If you loved FF Tactics and want a deeper experience, this is the game for you. Matching a quirky story with really almost infinite playability, this title delivers the hardcore Strategy RPG experience that RPGers and SRPGers yearn for.

With the ability to jump into any item in the game and fight through 100 floors of baddies to level the item up and add bonuses, the game really has no completion point. Additional Mega Bosses after the main story is over present a challenge to even the most seasoned gamer. Tired of maxing out at level 99? Try level 9999.

If all of this seems too much, you could always just play through for the story and leave the mastery to the hardcore players. The off beat setting, and lack of a true protaganist (Laharl, your main character goes on missions to loot others' castles, kill angels, subject the masses to his rule, etc.) make for a memorable and hilarious story.

If you love Japanese RPGs, get this game.

If you don't, Modern Warfare 3 is out in a few months, save your dollars.

This is a great game for a tactics vet. The game starts off being full of action and humor. Great addition to anyone's library if they enjoyed games such as Final Fantasy Tactics or Future Tactics.

Here are the details.

Gameplay 8/10: It is a little confusing at first, but after you get the hang of it you understand why.

Elements 10/10: This is your standard turn based tactics game. It is extremely difficult sometimes and average at other times. There is never an easy point in this game. I really like the fact that you can go into your items and beat monsters within the items to power them up.

Controls 9/10: With any tactics game the controls take a minute to get use to since the direction you are moving the courser is dependent on the way the map is being viewed.

Difficulty 9/10: This game starts off at average difficulty. And head towards hard. At times it seems impossible, but with a little ....... a lot of training then anything is possible.

Story 10/10: The story line to this game is just great. The whole story is filled with humor. Where could you go wrong with a cocky prince, an evil vassal, an air head chic, and lots of demons. Plus there are a few alternate endings.

Audio 7/10: The music is just right for the them of this game. It gets annoying sometimes though.

Graphics 7/10: The graphics aren't the best for a playstation 2 game, but it adds humor to the game.

Value 9/10: All in all I would say this game is worth the buy. It's fun, funny, and just an over all great tactics game with challenges on every map.

Fun Factor 9/10: This game is a lot of fun. I had to spend hours of training, but after that it became well worth the effort.

Overall Rating 8.6/10

Disgeae has all the qualities of a good game. Plenty of comedy and good action to keep you interested. The storyline is funny but does have its serious moments when advancing the storyline. I liked the fact that you didn't have to go around looking for the stages. You warp to where you have to go. With multiple endings this game has plenty of replay value and never gets boring with 37 classes and six ranks in each one. Nine storyline characters with their own unique abilities also adds to the fun. The Geo Effects sets this game out from the rest. The different colored panels may have a variety of effects to add a level of strategy and with the ability to throw the Geo Symbols you can change what colors do what. You can even throw your characters and the enemies to speed up moving characters around. The fight controls feel a little sloppy compared to Disgeae 2. The Dark Assembly is harder to use than in Disgeae 2 and the Promotion Exams are annoying and hard.