Before I begin I would like to start by saying that I picked up Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice the day of its release on August 26, 2008. There have been numerous updates to the game since then and I shall detail them first. (DLC=downloadable content from the playstation store)
1. Trophy Support added as of July 30, 2009
2. DLC of Characters from previous Disgaea Titles ($1.99 each)
3. DLC of modes to share states online
4. DLC of chapters for one of the side characters (Rasberyl) adds roughly 10-20 hours of gameplay.
Generally speaking the only addition most players will need is the FREE trophy support update which you may be prompted to get if you are buying the game for the first time. Who doesnt want PS3 trophys?
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Anyway all of that aside, Disgaea 3 is the third in the demon underworld strategy japanese role playing game from NIS. Although it carries the 3 behind its title, the story is completely unrelated to the other games and introduces an entire new cast of characters. The only returning characters are NIS signature Prinny's which add a bit of comedic relief.
The game explores the story at this underworld school as you, as Mao the overlord's son, are an honor student dedicated to trying to get revenge on his father since he broke his video games that he had invested thousands of hours of playtime on. You are also trying to be the number one delinquent in this school since that is what is good in the demon underworld. The story proceeds on through about 8 or 9 of these chapters that expand from this minor story to one that is greater and more epic as you go through plot twists, face the upperclassman sophomores and the diez gentleman (a group of upperclassman students), and more.
Along the way other storyline characters join the quest such as Almaz von Adamant Almadine (who wants to be a hero), Princess Sapphire, Rasberyl and her friends, a few teachers. The character cast is actually quite hilarious as you will face a Home Economics Teacher, Master Big Star the Sophomore Class Leader, and even the PTA.
The story is enjoyable and lasted me about 100 hours to get through...
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Gameplay, Disgaea plays out like the previous version. You play as Mao and can create new characters to join your team. Characters can come from numerous classes. Each class has about 6 tiers with level requirements to satisfy unlocking more. You can also transmigrate your character to a higher tear (but they will start at level 1) or to another group altogether. Basically if you want to explore the system you can but some players can breeze through the game using just the first tier of character straightway.
Additional caveats to character creation include the ability to alter their weapon choices by having them use a variety of weapons and gaining the skills and level points for it, you can also go into the "class world" to boost a few of their abilities, or go into the item world to boost the points of the item. Furthermore in the items you can move the residents (basically character who give additional features to the item such as higher health, or exp gain), to other items or combine them. Once again the possibilities are endless but you can go through the game to avoid it.
Additonal caveats
-Players gain experience points in battle to level up
-Players gain mana points in battle when they vanquish an opponent
-Mana points are used to learn and boost abilities (evilties), boost skills/learn new skills, or to use in the "Homeroom" to make new characters, or pass topics in homeroom (tons of topics, useful in the post storymode to unlock the maps to get bosses and previous characters and DLC)
Generally speaking the way in which the gameplay is setup it can cater to a variety of players, new people can breeze through it, while other players can invest in FAQS or guides to dig into the statistics and boost their characters for hours on end. The level limit is 9999, you can do billions of damage, but all of that depends on how much time you are willing to invest post game. Once you beat the story mode you can go back and keep using your characters, everything transfers over except for unlockable characters which you will get at the time you unlocked them
For new players, the game works by you going to the gate keeper and then selecting the next map, there is no exploration or anything of that nature.
Production Values
-Sound: The Disgaea soundtrack by Tenpei Sato is true to the series. A few tracks from previous titles return while there are tons of news ones. Extreme Outlaw Overlord will never get old (plays when you are in the schoolgrounds), and nothing ever gets old. Most of the songs convey the story scenes emotion quite well.
-Voices, Voices are available in Japanese or English, English sounds good to be honest. I love the lines Almaz has as well as the passion with which Mao's voice actor speaks.
Graphics: 2D sprites are nice, battle animations start off unimpressive, but if you raise the tier higher these attacks look flashier and more powerful. Vasa Aergun for Mao looks awesome and never gets old. Get a gunner and try those higher level attacks, lol. Actually a few attacks look quite brutal!
Overall the game can last anywhere from 40 hours to thousands of hours depending on your play style. Ive actually gone back since beating it at 80 hours to unlock more stuff and to raise my characters to above lvl 500, with some characters at lvl 4500! Some of the trophies are a feat to get. It was well worth the 50$ I spent on this game.
Note to veterans: Borrows Geoblock elements from Disgaea Afternoon of Darkness and expands them
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This is simply the best SRPG on the market today. If you own a PS3 and love SRPG's (strategy role playing games) then you simply owe it to yourself to buy this product. The downloadable content for the game adds in characters from previous games as well.
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I would like to start by saying I got this game at around $40, but would gladly pay the current price to get it again if my copy should mess up.
I got this game back in March and have put in around 250-300 hours so far, a feat that normally take me much longer than that. I actually got through the main storyline (for the first time) at around 80-90 hours. I have actually kept playing simply for the challenge that the post-game poses (and of course the still hilarious antics of the main cast). I am going to be playing the game a lot more than I already have and STRONGLY recommend this game for anyone with a desire for a major challenge, a hilarious story, or an SRPG in general.
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The Disgaea series is pretty much the only SRPG series that i like. I was never too fond of SRPG's and then i played Disgaea 1 which got me hooked. Still these games, as you should know, can consume 100's of hours of your life. The insane amount of levels you could get(not only your character but items as well!) was what hooked me but theres so much more to do and each addition to the series keeps adding even more!
I would say the 3rd one(this one) has the best gameplay. In terms of characters though i would rank it after Disgaea 1 but better than 2's. The story is alright(somewhat short though) with some neat twists, and the characters voice actors do a good job in my opinion. The graphics are the same as the first two, but Disgaea 4 NIS said will have better graphics. Though i hope its keeps the same charm it has always had. If the graphics discourage from getting this dont let it!! The grinding of levels gets annoying sometimes but i always come back after taking an 1-2 week break. If you like trophy's this game got a patch to include trophies it now has a whole ton of them to earn.
So to recap if you like SRPG's,funny wacky stories,funny characters(prinnys!), and a great bang for your buck you should give this a try!
I personally cant wait till Disgaea 4 hits to see what insane new additions will be added.
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Disgaea 3 takes all of the mechanics from previous Disgaea games and perfects them. It is by far the most well thought out and most fun to play of the whole series. The combat is extremely deep and challenging, and the characters are interesting and fun to watch.
Disgaea 3 takes everything learned in making Disgaea 1 and 2 and uses that knowledge to create the best game in the series.
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I am a longtime Disgaea fan, and to a larger extent Nippon Ichi fan, since Laharl and co.'s debut in Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. Disgaea 2 kept the series moving forward, and now we have Disgaea 3, arguably the best of the bunch. To write a full review for this game detailing all of it's features would take far too long, suffice it to say this game is packed with literally hundreds of hours of content. This is a game you can play for as long as you want, and will never grow stale, provided you like the core gameplay, which is turn-based strategy at it's very best. Definitely worth a purchase if you are at all interested in this genre. You will not regret your decision!
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NISA is known for releasing 2 types of games: completely substance free anime fan service based RPG's, and Disgaea.
The Disgaea series has become a flagship for a reason. The games are cute and simple to learn, but offer endless depth and complexity in the battle system and character customization options. This is not to say the Disgaea games don't have a fair amount of moe-based fan service, but simply that people who aren't necessarily the biggest fans of anime may still find pleasure in this game.
As a series, Disgaea's style can be explained quite simply- you have a hero, a stupid story (really bad in this one), a simple quest that is always launched from a hub (the netherworld, a small town, and in this- the Netherworld Academy), a few party members you pick up along the way, a horde of monsters that you can create, an item world to strengthen any type of item, and finally some sort of voting system to further your progress.
All 3 Disgaea games are faithful to this formula, but Disgaea 3 seems to take it to the highest level. Improvements and changes include the ability to bribe, bomb, and drug the student council members to get them to approve your changes, a classroom to fit your heroes/monsters and interact with them, a class world to buff up specific monsters, and of course, high definition graphics.
The game can be beaten easily in about 30-40 hours, but if you want to truly dig deep (and earn all of the trophies) be prepared to put at least ten times that amount into this game!
If you are unfamiliar with the SRPG genre, here is a brief explanation. You control characters on a grid. You move these characters into strategic positions so that you can gang up on enemies and take them out before they can get to you. Combat is turned based with the player moving all of their forces first then choosing to end their turn and the AI follow suit. Defeated enemies and ally healing both result in experience points for that unit. Units level up and get stronger during battles and carry their levels through the entire game. Unlike the Fire Emblem series, defeated characters are A-OK in Disgaea- they just can't be used until you go back to the hospital and revive them. In Disgaea, battles can be repeated any number of times so characters can level up before continuing the story. It should be noted however, that any story-based characters that were in the battle will be replaced with lesser monsters if the fight is repeated. Another thing that sets Disgaea apart is the fact that, even though the odds may sometimes be stacked against you, the AI controlled team possesses no special, game breaking, unfair ability that you do not. You can make all of the same monsters for your own army and use all of the same attacks- the only exception of course being Boss character special moves (though more often than not, Boss characters join your party afterwards).
To cut this review short and move on with my life all I can say is hurry up and buy this game, its incredible and you will not be disappointed. If you love long games, there is enough meat here to keep you playing for hours on end. If you don't, you will find the main story to be just long enough - and the game can be beaten without the endless hours of grinding about which many RPG haters complain.
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Ok, we all know now that this game doesn't have that great of graphics. I've seen better looking ps2 games. This game is VERY addictive. There's a lot to learn and a lot of strategy to grasp. I hear this game is enormous, but I only play for a couple of hours at a time on most games so I wouldn't know. The storyline is pretty funny. The character's voices sound like something off of South Park. If you can get over the fact that it doesn't have Metal Gear graphics then you will really enjoy this one. It's a nice change for the ps3 in this day and age of FPS and the like.
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This is my first Disgaea game and I'm pretty happy with it. I was skeptic at first about purchasing it but since I've started playing it, I have had no regrets. This is a solid strategy RPG game and I think most Disgaea fans will enjoy it.(From what I've read and hear anyways) Although I haven't played many SRPGS, I found this game pretty accessible with all the tutorials and help available.
The gameplay: I suppose it feels like most SRPG's, and there's nothing wrong with that. The menus are easy to understand the commands are not confusing. Players should be able to pick it up and play without much trouble. This is a long game. I've put in almost 20hrs and have barely touched the tip of the iceberg. Max character level is 9999 and there are so many possibilities with what you can do. I'm still learning about them myself. You're definitely going to get your $50 worth from this one with its length.
The Graphics: I don't really have much to say bout it except that this is not a game that depends on its graphical prowess to show its true colors. The environment is 3D-ish but the character sprites are 2D. It does display in 1080p if your television set is capable and the game looks pretty crisp. The animations and special effects are a treat, but don't expect too much from the graphics department.
The sound: The voice acting could be corny at times but both English and Japanese are available to choose from and can be swapped anytime during the game. The music fits the theme pretty well and adds to the experience. I got the OST with the game but haven't really listened to it.
Overall: A solid game that previous fans will love and some newcomers will be pleasantly surprised with. I know I was. Although I think it is true that Disgaea is not a game that will appeal to the masses. If you are not sure about this title, I'd recommend picking up any of the previous ones on the ps2 if you can find em, to try it out.
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Bought this game a few days ago. So far it has been a great experience. Good strategy, game play, storyline, etc. Haven't been able to put it down. Highly recommend this game.
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This game takes a lot of the boring grinding out and replaces it with new, fun concepts. Academy world is a blast, as is the new dark world and Land of Carnage. The classroom system and clubs make leveling up weaker characters a snap and helps prevent the age old "only one powerful character" problem by allowing you to level up a team of five+ at a similar pace. The dialog is somewhere between the quality of Disgaea 1 and Disgaea 2, which is a good thing. Overall, on a scale from 1 to 10, I'd rate this game as "awesome."
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im sure people looking at the game know what it is. Its a super rpg, with hours, days and years of game play. quirky characters with a fun compelling short story. btw i heart salvatore.
amazon was great as well, shipping it as scheduled. now go out and get it already : P
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This is the best Disgaea yet. If you aren't used to these styles of games you have to give it a try and let yourself get into it for awhile. If you know you like this style of game (Disgaea, Final Fantasy Tactics, etc) then this game will rock your world.
This game style isn't for everybody. The rating I gave is for people who enjoy this style of play. This is not an action game, it's a turn-based strategy/battle system.
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Disgaea 3 carries on the tradition of the series, taking the game play to new heights of absurdity. The game is primarily based on the upgrades made in the second title, but streamlines them, thankfully without dumbing anything down. Some of the late-game tedium was eliminated, and the whole system of reincarnating and customizing your characters is more flexible than ever, sharing some traits with the related system in the spin-off Makai Kingdom.
The game's graphics are still pretty much PS1 quality, and indeed, a few sprites from the first game are still in use, along with many from the second, though there are many new monsters and characters to encounter as well. Though a little on the expensive side, the DLC options allow you to customize your experience further by adding characters from many of their other titles to your roster. These characters bring unique abilities, some of which can be transferred to your other characters, giving you more options to build your ultimate characters.
The Homeroom and class committees add terrific new short-cuts, such as allowing you to reassign the master/pupil relationships at any time, and even allow certain characters to share EXP or Mana gain with those adjacent to them, helping to level up characters still too frail for the power leveling maps.
The Dark World returns as the X-Dimension, and instead of the Evil Sun, you will have to contend with radically changed level layouts, and brutal new Geopanels. Many of the levels are actually complex Geopanel puzzles, sometimes with only a single enemy, the trick being to figure out how to reach them, or make them vulnerable.
Although the main story can be completed in roughly 20 hours, I have already played the game for 107, and I am nowhere near having completed all of the challenges and alternate maps. I don't even have the Land of Carnage unlocked. Disgaea is truly a game that is not over until you decide you've had enough. Even if you defeat the Tyrant Overlord, there's always the LoC version with 20 stronger enemy bills passed. Supposedly he has a billion HP and can deal 2.9 million damage a hit. There's always another challenge awaiting you.
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This game is really fun, the story is great, its hilarious, and over all brilliant. But seriously, the graphics could have been updated a little...lazy game developers.
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