Disgaea 6 Complete review

While the inclusion of all previously released DLC (including the free Hololive Collaboration Set) and improved performance makes this the definitive edition some lingering issues dimmish Disgaea 6’s sense of enjoyment.  

Much like Disgaea 6’s indomitable and undead protagonist, Nippon Ichi Software is remarkably resilient. Three years ago, the launch of the Disgaea RPG was deeply troubled, forcing the company into financial finagling to pay its employees. For fans of the famed strategy role-playing game, this was disheartening news. But as the game’s original subtitle (“Defiance of Destiny”) proclaimed, the company was somehow able to revive themselves, evading what looked like the inevitable.

Zed, the zombie lead, as well as the rest of Disgaea 6’s cast have an ability called super-reincarnation. This mechanic makes death somewhat meaningless. While a character must revert to level 1, their base stats are increased while abilities like movement range and jump height increases. Essentially, you’re reborn stronger and demonstrate more potential. Tragically, this doesn’t quite reflect Nippon Ichi after the Disgaea RPG debacle.

As a devoted franchise fan ever since Laharl, Etna, and Flonna’s banter and battling enraptured me in 2003’s Hour of Darkness, expectations were elevated leading up to the first mainline franchise entry in six years. However, Defiance of Destiny was little more than a competent role-playing game, and arguably the worst entry in the mainline Disgaea series. From the storyline, streamlining of combat, to the performance, Disgaea 6 disappointed.

Fortunately, the PC and PlayStation 4, release of Disgaea 6 Complete fixes what it can. On Switch, players had to select between performance and visual quality, and neither option was satisfactory. That’s been remedied making it easier to read in-game signposting, but the character models still exhibit a drabness that the older sprites shunned. As such, Disgaea 6 still looks like a transitional series entry, rather that a title that establishes a bold new showcase for Takehito Harada’s character art.

Zed, Literally Dead inside

The best Disgaea entries found a gratifying balance between spirited dialog with traditional grid-based combat. But here, the characterizations waver in quality. Other than his tenacity, Zed is a rather lackluster lead with few interesting qualities. He lacks the entitled childishness of Laharl, Valvatorez’ rich backstory and quirkiness, or the slow redemptive arc of Mao. Instead, his canine companion Cerberus is the much more charming one, with his deadpan humor and feisty attitude.

There’s the typical ensemble of secondary characters, who mostly hail from a higher social ranking. While the writers could have used the difference in class to introduce an interesting subtext, the setup is exploited only in the most obvious ways. We’re a long away from Laharl lamenting about love or the inverted delinquency of Diagaea 3. Sure, the trademark humor is here, especially with the franchise’s traditional madcap item naming. But character exchanges lack a moral dilemma worth caring about.

Even the Appearance of a Prism Ranger Doesn’t Stir Much Excitement

The game’s setup centers on Zed’s desire to kill the God of Destruction. While the game eventually explains the protagonist’s motivations, much of the provocation isn’t clarified until mid-way through the game. As such, it’s easy to lose interest in the plot, especially given that combat is now non-compulsory.

Instead of the frisky rivalries and camaraderie felt by the cast, interactions can feel disjointed. The explanation is that super-reincarnations spawn Zed inside each new character’s world. As such, there’s rarely the satisfaction of a party united with a common ambition. The sense of fragile unity that often permeates the series is only here in measured doses. Yes, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has milked the satisfaction of witnessing a synergic team in action. But seeing a group put aside their differences and take down Baal is a franchise staple and it never quite gels for Defiance of Destiny.

The Arbitrariness of Numbers

Similarly, the gratification that comes through grinding is also retrained. Disgaea might be best known for outrageous character level and damage totals that parodied role-playing peers. When 2003’s Hour of Darkness arrived, players could level character up to 9999. Now, hyperinflation has plagued the Netherworld, adding zeros onto everything. As such, the level cap is 99,999,999 and it’s now possible to do ten quadrillion points of damage.

Just like when pinball started adding zeros to scores, it’s a fairly insipid technique. Sure, you might marvel once or twice as you grow by hundreds of levels or an assault can be re-written in exponential form, but the effect won’t feel novel for franchise fans. Especially since grinding now feels rather meaningless.

The “Pay to Not Play” Genre

What will be one of the game’s most decisive decisions is the inclusion of auto-battling. While I expected Defiance of Destiny to somehow temper the lure of automatic grinding, Nippon Ichi actively encouraged it, reminding players repeatedly of its possibility as you play. I don’t know about you but paying $70 for a game that actively persuades you to not play it feels strange, especially when combat is one of the best constituents of the series. As a mechanic, it’s too tempting to ignore, and as much as I resisted, I found myself giving in against my best judgement.

In theory, auto-battling offers a shift in perspective. Instead of playing a platoon leader giving orders on the battlefield you’re a general with a broader macro-perspective. But once you see the world through the eyes of an elite commander, returning to the trenches seems like drudgery. Why invest dozens of hours grinding when the task can be automated at an accelerated rate and accomplished overnight? Investing hours power-leveling up characters was a trade-off for reduced difficulty. But since you can do that automatically, challenge is no longer relevant.

Since Defiance of Destiny’s debut, I’ve spoken to a multitude of series fans. Some agreed with my standpoint. But more spoke of their responsibilities and mentioned that they just didn’t have the time to grind with the duties of work, spouses, or children. Given the exponential increase in character levels and damage output, manual combat can feel like a Sisyphean task at times. But do know that auto battling isn’t a panacea. Stages that compel the throwing of party members and some of the showcase battle create struggles for the CPU.

DIY Demon Control

If there’s an upside to all this, it’s found in the game’s Demonic Intelligence component. Like a robust reworking of the Gambit system from Final Fantasy XII, Defiance of Destiny provides a full-bodied programming system to guide unit behavior. From telling characters how to attack, when to heal, or emphasize the accumulation of loot, you’re in control of a lot of variables. I’ve always been fascinated with these kinds of AI-coding systems, and Disgaea 6 offers one of the best ones in the role-playing genre. As enjoyable as fine-tuning behaviors is, I do wish Nippon Ichi used the system for a spin-off game and left the mainline series alone.

Dedicated Disgaea fans will find a number of returning gameplay systems. Geo Panels are as enjoyable as ever, providing the possibility of ally boosts. Or more gratifyingly, destroying the symbols starts a domino-like sequence, injuring anything unlucky enough to be caught on their path. The Dark Assembly returns, offering the possibility of new characters, items, or war bonds. Getting a bill to pass through bribery remains one of the satirical takes on modern political systems. Of course, “cheating” remains a key part of the formula, and it still feels slightly subversive.

Class Struggle

But there are a few qualities that won’t sit well with Netherworld veterans. Most noticeable is the condensed number of classes, with Disgaea 6 extending 13 humanoid and nine monster classes. Even more concerning is the removal of abilities like fusion, magichange, and mon-toss as well as distinctive equipment for monsters. No, there’s little difference between the two groups. At least some of the new classes are fun to use, with Psychics have invaluable knockback and teleportation skills; they also help identify weak points. Mecha Girls are especially effective when facing large groups, while Pincers are giant crabs with a protective exoskeleton. Even more than previous entries, team synergy is optional and it’s a lot of fun to make your own band of ragtag eccentrics.

As mentioned previously, Disgaea 6’s shift into the third dimension is an uneasy one. Sure, character portraits retain their attractive quality, elevated the game’s bits of banter. But take to the battlefield, and details disappear from the character models. Yes, Disgaea 6 Complete supports higher resolutions and offers enhancements like semi-transparent super sampling and picture resolution magnification. But the transition to polygonal characters results in a slight loss of charm. The upside are the game’s idle animations, which help enliven things.

A Solid PC Port

On PC, Disgaea 6 complete is a consummate performer. Testing on a i5 laptop with a 2060 RTX and an i7 desktop with a 2070 Super, fluid, sixty frame-per-second output was easily obtained. As such, Steam Deck owners are in for a treat, with the game performing flawlessly. Of course, that’s the same for anyone with a more modest rig, with the title able to scale to accommodate a large audience. And no matter what controller you are using, NIS America managed to get the button prompts correct. It’s a mystery why that’s still a stumbling block for so many developers in 2022.

The game’s other success in the inclusion of characters from previous Disgaea installments as well as the presence of five Hololive Vtubers. There’s also a robust number of cosmetics, with character-themed color and equipment sets and boosters that will help you get a head start in the game. That said, increasing the need for grinding, then selling items to counterbalance that requirement is one of the worst trends in contemporary role-playing. A price point of $70 might be another sticking point for many devoted Disgaea aficionados.

Conclusion

Disgaea 6 Complete is a slightly improved iteration of one of the franchise’s weaker outings. From a reduction in the number of classes to undercutting the value of grinding, many of the series’ trademark delights have been tampering with. Underneath it all, it’s still Disgaea, but coated in a thin layer of minor irritations and missed potentials. Complete is better but not as triumph as it should have been.

Disgaea 6: Complete was played on PC
with review code provided by the publisher.