Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
A PS2 Game Review By
Le Chupacabra
The ‘RPG’ genre has a tendency to remain aloof of most ‘deshi gamers with the odd exception of the suitably famous Final Fantasy series. However, there’s a staggering variety of pureblood RPGs (most games contain RPG elements nowadays) that both lack the Final Fantasy moniker yet also happen to be rather excellent; it’s just that us Muggles often fail to notice them.
Disgaea is one such gem.
If you enter this game expecting poignant (read: whiny) protagonists and epic storylines you’ll be better off looking elsewhere. Disgaea places you in the curly-toed shoes of the egotistical Prince Laharl. Rudely awaken from a two-year nap, this heir to the Netherworld finds his father, the nigh-unpronounceable King Krichevskoy, murdered; meanwhile, various demons of noble (and otherwise) blood have been vying for the throne. There is only one way a self-respecting demon can achieve supreme glory – kill off the competition.
The story is charming in its own way, mind you. There are a few predictable twists, but it’s eventually the quirky humour that wins it all. Since it’s set in a rather juvenile version of the Netherworld, sardonic attitudes, witty (read: corny) remarks and much Narcissism is the order of the day. These aren’t the most remarkable characters in the world, but they will offer oodles of amusement at their expense. It’s worth plugging away through the game just to get to the next bit of story where the characters interact. Better yet, the game gets even funnier as it goes on despite how bad a situation our motley crew of loveable demons ends up in!
The graphics are unique to say the least; if you’re looking for a visual tour de force… for the SNES… then you’ve found your game. Disgaea is comprised of 2D hand-drawn sprites superimposed on what appear to be ‘3D’ arenas. Underneath these seemingly ancient graphics lie some incredible anime-style character designs and a lot of personality that is lacking in games with superior visuals. The sound effects are quaint while the music has this silly, carnival-like atmosphere to it. You’ll be surprised at how the voices give a whole new level of personality and charm to the characters! Perfectly over-the-top and over-acted at the right situations, this is truly entertaining stuff.
The true star of the show, however, is the gameplay. Yes, this game is guilty of having a turn-based battle system set on a rigid grid (think Final Fantasy Tactics). However, (like Tactics) it’s also guilty of endless customisation options, unfathomable depth and intriguing strategy.
In combat you have to position all your characters in suitable locations and then order them to do their actions – be it attacking, defending, casting magic, et al. Once prepared, you choose to initiate your stratagems and tactics. After your turn is up, the enemy will begin… and the cycle goes on. This affords you a level of freedom and calculated planning that few RPGs can boast of. As you control your troops to victory (and higher levels), you get a great sense of satisfaction and achievement – this is one of the reasons why this game is so addictive. You can name each character making everyone quite personal to you.
You can also pick and throw people all across the map. In this way, it’s possible set up special attacks or reach greater heights. If you throw enemies into each other they fuse into a more powerful character with a greater level. Then there are Team Attacks. If a character has allies adjacent to him/her/it while performing an attack there is a possibility that they will execute team attacks. Geo Stones and Panels are also distinctive additions. Each coloured Geo panel may or may not give some distinct advantage or disadvantage to you or your enemies. If the corresponding Geo Stones are strategically destroyed you can achieve long chain combos that may help obliterate your enemies in one fell swoop or do insane damage at the very least. Then there’s the fact that each character class has dozens of specific attributes and aptitudes to take into account. A character is also able to have pupils (try not to think about it too much); these pupils benefit their master with unique skills as they level up. Then there’s all the weapons and item customisation and how each and every article can have a domino effect on your characters. Basically this game offers a multitude of ways to earn Experience for and customise your characters. And you know what? These features are barely the tip of the proverbial iceberg!
A really cool aspect that deserves special mention is the Dark Assembly. These are senators of the underworld that have the power to allow or deny your requests (in the form of bills). Requests range from improved abilities to controlling prices at the Item Shop. This is determined by their status towards you which range from Love to a Leaning Yes to Loathe. But it doesn’t stop there. Senators don’t like you? Simply bribe them. They denied your bill? “Persuade” them by force. Remember that higher level senators have more influence than lower ones. This very Bangladeshi-Parliament feature adds more depth to an already fun game and you can spend hours chasing after particular bills, and in making and breaking alliances.
Despite all these complex features, this game is surprisingly easy to get into and once you’ve begun, you will be addicted. However, this is still geared towards RPG and strategy fans and it does require quite a bit of patience and perseverance for reaping the rewards.
If you’ve ever chastised the PS2 for the lack of an RTS, you may want to check the unique brand of RPG-strategy only console games can offer with Disgaea: Hour of Darkness.
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