I understand that Disgaea 6 is among the most controversial Disgaea installments, as though straying away from the standard Disgaea series. I did not get that impression at all; or at least it did not stray as far away from the series standard as Assassin\’s Creed did for the past decade.
Synopsis
7/10
I will say that the major problem that I have with this installment is for the opposite reason, for it continues to rely on the same tropes throughout the series. The problems are the same characterizations from the previous games, which include the characters hiding a secret, the spoiled heiress, or the pervs. Although I never played them, but the impression I got from 3 and 4 was some uniqueness and variety.
When you go through the process of the game, you start noticing how Disgaea 6 resembles more like a fanfiction version of Disgaea 5. This goes back to the main problem I have with this installment.
I will say that I liked the clever twist at the middle. It would especially impact you if you weren\’t paying attention to the details in the dialogue. You also get to explore more of Disgaea lore.
Characters
5/10
I tried to like Zed, but it was impossible for me. He might be relatable to any of the teenage boys playing this game, but I felt he was more like Killia\’s obnoxious, little brother going through an emo phase. It turns out he has a lot in common with Killia throughout the story. This, of course, goes back to my point about the plots becoming too derivative.
As far as Melodia is concerned, she once again fit into the archetypal mold of the spoiled heiress. She is also too simpy with Zed, since he is constantly rebuffing her proposals for marriage. The problem is that she never moves on.
As for Piyori, I will say that I was expecting to not like her, since I thought \”Oh boy. She\’s going to be the tryhard of the group.\” Actually, it turned out that she was not as annoying as Melodia.
I was hoping for more conversations between Cerberus and Majorina, since they are both wise characters. It definitely would have raised the stakes further while Majorita would have conflicted emotions later in the game.
If more of the characters you encountered throughout the main story became playable characters, I would have given this a higher score, but this is what I got.
Wandering Wonderous Worlds?
8/10
Through the process of reincarnation, you go through several worlds, each with their own diverse characteristics that stand out. Some stages have high elevations, while others are flat. Some take place in a wooded area, while others take place in an academy.
Disgaea stages never fail to bore with their stages.
However, the Item World stages were too derivative, borrowing too much from the stages you already completed. In Disgaea 2, the Item World stages were basic, but it offered you a de facto license to imagine how an Item World would look like beyond the blocks and grids of varying colors. I can\’t say that the Item World stages were too uninspired though.
Many Mollifying Moves?
5/10
As always with the Disgaeaverse, I enjoy the Item World. However, it did have a lackluster flow to it.
Although I find the introduction of the automated battle sequence to be entirely helpful, I feel conflicted since it may have come at the cost of the dynamics of the Item World from the previous installments. You will not encounter pirates or any other surprises in the Item World. Such a feature to the Item World is incredibly useful, since it forces you to restrategize and adapt.
Not only that, but you also lose the weapon-specific skills and the board for character growth. You also do not get to capture enemies like the previous installments did. It was so easy in Disgaea 5 to build up a regiment of captured enemies and reincarnating them into any character I want with the stats passed down.
This boils down on my part as to whether the inclusion of the automated battles outweigh the surprising dynamics of previous Item Worlds. If they were both to be included, then the deadline of publication would probably have been pushed back a year or so. But, this is what we have with Disgaea 6.
As such, I will say that I was pretty disappointed by most of the changes in those instances. However, automated moves was helpful in leveling up all of my characters without manually doing them for such a long time. Obviously, the moves are experimental. If that is the case, then it is apparent that Disgaea 5 achieved the desired result more than 6 did.
I would have been content just waiting a few more years for all of the additional changes to be included without removing any key features before 6 reached its publication date.
Finding Fun Farming?
6/10
You would think that elevating the number of megastats would make Disgaea 6 worth playing. It did not. I felt stuck in the cycle of grinding. How are you going to expect Level 10,000 characters to reach a Level 1,000,000 Carnage Item World? I wouldn\’t mind such a challenge, if it did not present itself as something so unscalable that you become disillusioned and realize you have a life.
Siphoning Side-Quest Signs?
3/10
If you consider the DLC content to be side-quests, then I will say that they felt very rushed in. They mostly consisted of dialogue with only a single battle. As expected of the Disgaea series, they range in absurdism, from learning about sardines to taking orders from a Prinny with simpy delusions. I would\’ve thought it would be funny if Zed said \”It\’s not love, it\’s simping!\”
Grappling Graphics?
8/10
I\’m not conflicted about the upgrade of battle graphics. I will say that it is quite slick and is befitting of a 2-decade-old series. The graphics were forgiveable in the past installments, since the megastats and the moves outweighed them. In this case, I am grateful that they got revamped for the new decade.
Actual, Anticipating Acting?
7/10
As far as Misedor is concerned, his character sounded like what would happen if Jesse Dollemore putting on a quintessential noble accent. In fact, if he actually did grow out a beard, he would resemble Misedor.
I do like how he Lucky Boards have that dry, Jon Benjamin voice. However, I was pretty frustrated with the Evil Eyes. I also liked Cerberus\’ voice-acting, sounding almost like if Jerry from Rick and Morty took Rick\’s place as the evil scientist.
Mention Mighty Music?
7/10
The music is quite unassuming, leaving me with no strong criticism of it.
Intriguing Interconnections?
6/10
Like the rest of the Disgaeaverse, you are met with a motley band of misfits. That, I hope, never changes.
However, the over-reaching megastats broke the immersion for me and did not connect well with the rest of the game.
Skimming, Scavenging Score
5.5/10
I can\’t say that I would enjoy coming back to this game years from now. If given the choice between 5 or 6, I definitely would\’ve chosen 5.
5/10
I\’m pretty disappointed in this installment and I hope that Disgaea 7 improved upon this game–if I get the chance to play it.
Recommend Recklessly To…
Anyone interested in exploring more Disgaea lore, other than that, I don\’t see how I could recommend this game to anyone.