Disgaea 5 Complete

Genre: Turn-Based Strategy-RPG

Players: 1 (with some online elements)

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Review:

Disgaea 5 Complete is the latest game in the long-running turn-based Strategy-RPG series with gameplay similar to Final Fantasy Tactics, with the “Complete” referring to the inclusion of all DLC content being included in this version. Well… I say “latest”, but in the time since, publisher NISA has released updated versions of the first and fourth Disgaea games on the Switch as well, both of which I reviewed prior to this, choosing to take the series in numerical order. However, you shouldn’t feel the need to do the same – each numbered entry in the Disgaea series is largely unconnected to the others, sharing the same setting and tone, but with no direct connections to the other games beyond cameos and extra content.

I have been a longtime fan of the Disgaea series, but that’s not to say that I’m a fan of each installment. In my review of Disgaea 1 Complete, I complained that the interface made it difficult to easily see important information and noted that the game was missing QOL features that were added into later games. In my review of Disgaea 4 Complete+, I complained that it felt like it over-complicated an already complex formula, and that the changes it made were a mixed bag. In both cases, I simply didn’t feel these games hook me the same way the original Disgaea did way back on the PlayStation 2. However, Disgaea 5 Complete… well, that’s a different story.

This is the Disgaea game I have been wanting for a very long time. Where previous entries in the series all had a similar presentation, Disgaea 5 completely revamps its menus in a way that, after some initial adjustment, is a huge improvement. Now it’s so much easier to compare and contrast stats of characters and items to see how they differ, and the game is far, far more enjoyable for it.

Furthermore, while the changes Disgaea 4 made to the series formula were a mixed bag, here they’re pretty much all an improvement, and this game retains most of the good changes from the fourth game while walking back the ones I was less thrilled with.

One of the new additions here is the ability to capture and interrogate enemies, ultimately leading to you either press-ganging them into your team, or “extracting” from them a permanent stat boost for one of your characters. There’s also a new “revenge” system that works something like a limit break. There’s even a stage builder here, letting you create and share your own custom stages!

However, even the more subtle changes here are much appreciated. Stuff like a vastly-expanded item inventory, the ability to unload “innocents” (personified item stat boosts) from one item to another, the ability to customize your party’s appearance and sound clips… it’s like the folks behind the series took a really close look at how the game is designed and tried to do everything they could to smooth out the experience and make it easier to enjoy, and man, it really shows.

Make no mistake – the core gameplay here remains unchanged from the earlier games in the series. That means that while you’ll spend a lot of time in menus comparing stats and equipping your team, the actual action is still purely grid-based strategy-RPG gameplay with a lot of wacky hijinks thrown in, with series signatures like “geo panels” that change the way characters behave on a stage, towers of characters tossing characters who themselves have characters to toss, and of course the return of prinnies, those penguin-looking creatures who constantly (and apparently contractually) spout “dood” in every sentence.

There is a lot to love here. Well, there’s a lot here in general – this game is massive. While earlier games in the series were known for having tons of potential for grinding your characters into powerhouses, this game makes it feel exponentially greater by adding in more systems to toy with to try to min-max your way to victory. This game also does a pretty good job acquainting new players to its gameplay systems, though as usual for the series, there’s so much complexity for players who desire it that after learning the gameplay basics within the game, you’ll likely be reaching for GameFAQs to gain a deeper understanding of some of the game’s details. I mean, you can go without learning all the ins and outs of Squads, the Strategy Assembly (the new name for the Dark Assembly), and so on – players are free to pick and choose which of the game’s systems to work on to upgrade their characters. However, ignoring many of these systems kinda’ feels like missing much of the point of the game.

As much as I want to gush about Disgaea 5’s gameplay, some of the stuff other than the gameplay keeps me from giving this the absolutely glowing review I want to. Namely, the story. In short, I hate it. While earlier games had a silly, offbeat charm to them, here I feel like it’s resorted to some dumb stereotypes, with the central character being a standard anime-style “mysterious guy with a past seeking revenge”. In fact, just about all of the characters here are either tired stereotypes, extremely annoying, or both. While I think this is a far better game than Disgaea 4, I really wish this game had that one’s charm and wit. In fact, even the localization this time feels rough – it couldn’t be more obvious that this is a direct translation from the Japanese script for the game.

Along with the game’s terrible story and characters, the game’s music is mostly pretty bad too. While there are a few songs here I like, for the most part this is a game that had me reaching for the “mute” button faster than most games I’ve played recently. At the very least, the graphics here are excellent, with clean-looking anime-styled characters… although the stages themselves look like they were designed multiple generations ago, with really low poly counts. I suppose at the very least the game’s loading screens are delightfully brief, so I can say the game’s designers likely put the focus on the gameplay, which is ultimately where it should be.

Oh, for those wondering about the extra DLC content, it contains campaigns and characters based on previous games in the series, which is a nice touch and a great way to bring players into some familiarity with the series’ long history. However, be warned – this content isn’t really the sort of stuff new players should be jumping into. Some of these missions will prove far too difficult for players just starting the game, and some of the unlockable characters are so ridiculously overpowered that it throws off the game balance in your favor. One available bonus even gives you a mountain of HL (the game’s currency). It’s nice that this is available to players, but I feel like players should be aware that making use of these feels like turning on an “easy mode”.

All in all, I absolutely love Disgaea 5 Complete. This is, in my opinion, the best the series has ever been. There are so many great “quality of life” changes here, so many small tweaks and improvements that it makes for a much greater whole. That said, the story sucks, the characters suck, an the music is wanting in places too. This is definitely a game to play for the gameplay. However, if you’re looking for a good Strategy-RPG where you can gradually work on your characters to turn them into epic powerhouses, this is absolutely the game for you.

tl;dr – Disgaea 5 Complete is a Strategy-RPG in the same style of Final Fantasy Tactics that includes all of the previous content released for the game. This is, in my opinion, the best game in the series, with a wealth of “quality of life” improvements that smooth out the gameplay, and tons of fun and interesting gameplay systems to play with to build up your characters. It’s not perfect – I hate this game’s story and characters and find its music mostly pretty bad, and it’s also not a game for everyone due to its focus on stats and grinding. However, if you’re the sort who enjoys gradually building up your Strategy-RPG characters to be powerhouses, this game is arguably the epitome of the genre.

Grade: A-

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