Games Database
DS/DSi
Adventure: Role Playing
| Viewed: | 2D Top-down, Multi-way scrolling | Genre: | Adventure: Role Playing |
| Media: | Cartridge | Arcade origin: | No |
| Developer: | Nippon Ichi | Soft. Co.: | Nippon Ichi |
| Publishers: | Square Enix
(GB) |
Released: | 3 Apr 2009
(GB) |
| Ratings: | PEGI 12+, ESRB Teen 13+ (T) | ||
| Accessories: | Wireless DS multi-card play | ||
Summary
Disgaea DS tells the story of Prince Laharl and his outlandish group of misfits as he battles for ultimate rule over the Netherworld. The story takes place after the death of King Krichevskoy, the former ruler of the Netherworld. After a couple of years of sleep (sounds like heaven!) Laharl is unaware of the king's - his father's, no less - death. Meanwhile, the battle for supremacy among the demons has continued apace. On awakening, rampant egomaniac Laharl is assisted by the lovely Etna and her minions in ridding the underworld of the warring demons and claiming the Netherworld for his own!
The gameplay is broken down into chapters, each containing a set of battle stages. Between those stages, you are free to return to your castle to heal your party, strengthen items, trade and create new characters. Clearing stages and earning bonuses provides the experience to grow items and characters and to unlock new worlds and character classes.
Levelling up your own character and those characters that you create is where the real strategy begins. The success of Disgaea DS is based on the freedom of choice and the unique concept. The combined strength of the party members add to the damage count, and crystals project patterns on the map grid, influencing friend and foe abilities alike. Player characters can toss crystals, enemies and allies around to create astonishing and often hilarious effects. The party can venture into items and gain control of specialists who increase the item's attributes. The player will also have to strengthen Laharl's position in the measly Dark Assembly - a council built up of a dozen senators - to grant their permission for various upgrades to skill sets and weaponry. Some senators can be bribed but others will have to be fought. Lose this fight and you may lose some of the benefits that you have built up over time.
Disgaea DS is a re-tooling of the PS2's Disgaea: Hour of Darkness from 2004, but the passing of time has not dimmed its entertainment value. There are more than 40 hours of gameplay with multiple endings, a host of unlockable characters and a wicked line in humour throughout.
The gameplay is broken down into chapters, each containing a set of battle stages. Between those stages, you are free to return to your castle to heal your party, strengthen items, trade and create new characters. Clearing stages and earning bonuses provides the experience to grow items and characters and to unlock new worlds and character classes.
Levelling up your own character and those characters that you create is where the real strategy begins. The success of Disgaea DS is based on the freedom of choice and the unique concept. The combined strength of the party members add to the damage count, and crystals project patterns on the map grid, influencing friend and foe abilities alike. Player characters can toss crystals, enemies and allies around to create astonishing and often hilarious effects. The party can venture into items and gain control of specialists who increase the item's attributes. The player will also have to strengthen Laharl's position in the measly Dark Assembly - a council built up of a dozen senators - to grant their permission for various upgrades to skill sets and weaponry. Some senators can be bribed but others will have to be fought. Lose this fight and you may lose some of the benefits that you have built up over time.
Disgaea DS is a re-tooling of the PS2's Disgaea: Hour of Darkness from 2004, but the passing of time has not dimmed its entertainment value. There are more than 40 hours of gameplay with multiple endings, a host of unlockable characters and a wicked line in humour throughout.
Artwork
