Disgaea 6 is the latest entry in the long-running strategy RPG series and embodies fully what fans have come to love about the franchise. The game builds on what was established in earlier entries but adjusts the formula slightly in all the right ways. While still having the over-the-top action fans enjoy, Disgaea 6 manages to come off as the most streamlined and polished entry in the series yet.
Disgaea 6 starts off with the typical grid-based strategy RPG format the series is known for but quickly grows beyond that. The strategy aspects as well built and show a high amount of polish in its design, but soon it becomes apparent how much deeper the design actually is. While the combo and team attacks are all still here, the game has an emphasis on system management which gives the game a different feel.
For instance, one in-game mechanic sees the demons and monsters using their own chambers for political parties to vote on the game’s rules at various points. This means that if a player wants a new class type, they will need to do so via getting a bill passed through. This may sound like a strange idea for the game but ends up working out rather well.
Disgaea 6 also makes full use of the cheat shop that is available in-game as well. Players can use this shop to customize the game to suit their playstyle and adjust their progress. For instance, characters can earn more experience after a battle or gain less money to fit the challenge to the player’s desire.
Disgaea 6’s mechanics are a bit Meta in that sense, and it turns out that the real fun is had by manipulating and customizing the game via its many options. There are several quality-of-life features added here that will change how the game is experienced such as the Demonic Intelligence system. This feature allows players to program a logic system into each character on the team that will cause them to perform certain actions in specific situations.
This is not a simple mechanic as players can go extremely in-depth and avoid having to navigate menus and selections for each character, making things more efficient. There is also an option for auto-battles that can be used to get past the excess grinding, especially when used in tandem with the Demonic Intelligence. This is not a case of letting the gameplay itself though, as players still need to build the team, equip them, and prepare for the fights.
Disgaea 6 is thus a strategy RPG that is more about team management than anything else. If players just want the standard over-the-top strategy action though, then relax as this is all just optional. Disgaea 6 still has a lot of optional tutorials to make things accessible, but long-time fans will feel right at home here with the standard gameplay and high-level combos.
The main new change in gameplay is the Super Reincarnation system, which is a modified version of the mechanic fans know from the series. Super Reincarnation will still return a character to level 1 and uses built-up Karma and other the levels had previously to raise character stats but there is a difference here. Not only does the Karma cost to upgrade a base stat increase proportionally, but Karma can also be used to purchase upgrades like damage amount increases and more during Super Reincarnation and the result can lead to some very powerful characters.
Now for the elephant in the room, Disgaea 6 changes things up with its presentation by going for 3D models this time. They actually look decent and manage to capture the franchise standard look rather well. There are three display options for players to choose from including an emphasis on graphics or framerate or go for a middle ground. The issue here is that none feel super amazing and while the game has had some improvements since launch, there are still some resolution framerate issues that stand out. They are not too bad though, and players can still fully enjoy the game, but it is something to keep in mind.
What is good about Disgaea 6 though is that it takes monsters and demons that are usually lesser characters in the franchise and makes them a focal point of the narrative. This helps add some new perspective to the games and allows for some great interactions along the way. Of course, there are returning characters from past games as well, and even more via DLC for fans to delight in, even including the strange but welcome Hololive collaboration.
As for the story, this is a Disgaea game so players should have some semblance of what to expect. Players take control of the zombie named Zed as he fights against the God of Destruction, which seems simple enough, but takes an unexpected turn at times thanks to a few well-placed plot twists. Disgaea 6 will not scream innovation in terms of storytelling but does a fine job with what fans have come to want from the series.
All in all, Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny is another great entry in the series from NIS and a game well worth checking out.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
Images taken from Nintendo.com