Synopsis
This installment in the Disgaea series is about a man with a mysterious past named Killia who wanders the Nether-Realm until he is picked up by an heiress named Seraphina.
There was a YouTuber who criticized the fact that curry plays a role in the story at one point, but all I have to say is that there is a lot you can expect from the Disgaea series. There is an absurdist, Kafka-esque element to the series.
Characters
What I found interesting about the cast of main characters is the fact that they represent various colors, whether in their attire or their hair. They also have their own distinctive suffering, which advances the plot and wastes no one\’s time.
Seraphina definitely reminds me of Rosalin from Disgaea 2, as the spoiled scioness of a rich, powerful Overlord–only to find out things are not what they seem. Of course, she is also like Etna in the way she treats her Prinnies disposably. Though, it is not just the unoriginality that would turn people away, but also her creepy, obsession which did not really age well.
I do like the interactions between the various characters in myriads of combinations. Though it can be tedious to get through.
Themes
One of the major themes that abounds within this game is the idea of secrets. Every character has a secret at some degree which influences the plot in various of ways. This definitely raises the tension in the story, since those secrets might end up destroying the rebellion.
Another theme involves the very difficult question of forgiveness. More specifically, it is focused on whether the wrong-doer can outweigh their bad deeds with good deeds. This would, of course, especially apply if that wrong-doer can provide some form of utility to maintaining order over the Netherworld. Another component of this question also involves the monopoly of force. In other words, if the character is powerless to destroy you yet has enough power to fight against Overlords, would you recognize their utility and conditionally forgive them?
Intertextuality
I was disappointed that there was not a lot of intertextuality in this game, at least not as much as in Disgaea 2. What I mean by that is the numerous references to real-world mythologies and religions. It would especially be relevant since all of this takes place in the Netherworld.
I was hoping that there would be more connections with the DLC through the previous installments, but they were not to be seen. I was especially interested to see how Seraphina and Rosalin would interact.
Gameplay
As always with any Disgaea game, it is the grind that outshines the actual plot. Of course, in my case, this applies to any other game, since I always look forward to those experience points. In the case of Disgaea 5, the grind is perfected to the nth degree. While before, the level-grinding was often tedious, but in this game, it is as if the developers became aware of the tricks and short-cuts and decided to perfect them. This was especially seen with the squads and training grounds additions, which helped save so much time that normally would be spent on a Disgaea game.
The character customization is definitely more in-depth, as you can decide the types of personalities, reincarnations, and color themes of each character.
However, the instructions are either confusing or are not substantially specific. This is a problem when it comes to a game as complicated and expansive as this one.
Graphics
It is a step up from the last time I played a Disgaea game.
Voice-Acting (Japanese)
I only played this in a failed attempt to imbibe the Japanese translation. I was trying to learn Japanese by the time I first played this game, but it is too complicated at present to understand. Nonetheless, I won\’t let that influence how the voice-acting itself is used in the game.
As for Killia\’s voice-acting, I could barely hear anything he said. Although he is meant to be the dark, brooding anti-hero, it means nothing when you cannot hear his case.
I definitely had fun playing the Mad Scientist characters, since they sound so wonderfully maniacal.
As for the musical score, it borrows a lot from the rest of the Disgaea series, such as the Item World music. There are also music that tends to either have a smooth, elevator tone or a calming tone.
Does It Tie Up Well?
For all its flaws, I can say for certain that it outdoes itself.
Ultimately…
I can say that while the game is very addicting, it can be a bit out-there. It was originally from Japan, so there might be cultural distinctions, such as with so much innuendo.
Recommend This To…
- Any RPG genre fan. This series always gives the target audience what they want in terms of playability.
Sources
- Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance. Nippon Ichi. 2015.