We are back with some more Disgaea action, although I’ve missed a step because the last time I dipped my toes in this world was my review of Disgaea 4. With Disgaea 6, I was excited to see how Nippon Ichi Software will improve upon one of their staple games. The short answer is that it is not very different gameplay-wise, however, the new story is pretty fun., with a lot of comedy, some misdirection, a little betrayal, and the power of love and friendship. That may sound like sarcasm, but I genuinely like the story. It is fun and interesting. Of course, I still have some gripes with it, and it’s things I also had issues with in Disgaea 4.

This time around our story revolves around a slightly self-deprecating zombie name Zed, who considers zombies a slightly stronger or higher class than Prinnies. Prinnies are the souls of sinful humans in penguin form and the lowest tier of beings in the Netherworld. Along with his companion, a zombie dog named Cerberus, Zed is on a mission to defeat the God of Destruction that had killed his little sister, Bieko. This gives Zed the determination to keep fighting and using the ability Super Resurrection, an ability created by Cerberus, you can reincarnate until your goal is completed.

While the Dark Assembly convenes to discuss how they will be able to deal with this God of Destruction, Zed crashes the meeting claiming to have already defeated the formidable foe. Being a lowly zombie, no one believes his claim and he is sentenced to death for his lies. Zed then begins to recount the tale of his victory, which becomes the meat of the story, and we play the flashbacks of his and his companion’s adventures. Each time he is defeated and reincarnated, the ability takes him to a new world where he gains strength and new allies that will bolster their overall power, as well as help each other tackle and overcome their hurdles and empower them.

From what I have found, the gameplay is pretty similar to previous Disgaea games, or at least similar to 4 or 5. It will be easy to pick up and play. It is a turn-based tactical game, where your team starts at one end of a stage and must move through it while taking out enemies and other objectives to complete the mission. There are multiple classes to unlock, special abilities, passive perks, upgraded weapons, and armor.

You’ll need to use strategy to maneuver around the board, using skills like picking up and throwing a box or team member to get too hard-to-reach places, or just to get your team member into combat sooner. Make use of positioning so your abilities won’t injure your team members because friendly fire is a thing, which only adds to the fun of this combat. You could just rely on the auto-battle function, but as the stages get more complex and the enemies get a little tougher, you won’t be able to rely solely on this.

All of that said, I still have issues with the camera angles in combat. I find it hard to find the square I am looking for especially if items, ledges, or barricades are in the way. Keeping with the set angles available is just annoying. It is by no means game-breaking, I would just like to see the board clearer to be able to maneuver easier.

That is already a fair bit to take in, especially since you can field a team of ten with even more characters sitting on the bench. It is a lot of team management. This is all before I talk about the Hub as I like to call it. It’s where you’ll find the item shop, the portal to continue the main quest, the optional quest board, the item world portal, the juice bar, research squad missions, skill shop, squad shop, Netherworld hospital, cheat shop, and the Netherworld Assembly.

It’s a lot to learn and a lot to do – a completionist’s dream. You can even forgo using story characters in your team and create your customized squad. You could spend a few solid hours and finish the game, or spend as long as you want to create, customize, unlock and find new items, weapons, and classes.

The art style has not changed, sticking to its anime style, including the well-endowed and the less so female characters in both revealing or Lolita-type clothing, whereas the males are your typical baggy fashionable clothing and your cool jacket vests. You know, anime at its finest. Musically it keeps with the same anime style using orchestral, piano vibes with melodic singing while out of combat with more EDM/techno type music to elevate the battles. Most of the game is voice acted which I love. A game with a lot of written dialogue slowly deters me from actually following along unless the story is amazing and engaging. Another thing I like about the Disgaea games is that the special abilities all have these nice little animations, most of which are pretty funny.

I have reviewed a few games from NIS now and I have not been disappointed by any of them. Disgaea is no different with its quirky characters and its surprisingly deep story, along with its strategy gameplay. With a wide range of classes and equipment, you can create the strongest team or your own anime battle girl harem, if that is your thing. I highly recommend any fellow weebs out there to check it out as it’s right up our alley visually, however, anyone that likes tactical games should also give it a whirl. I guarantee that there will be something that will hook you.

Written by: Adam Brasher