Developers Nippon Ichi Software Inc. and Systemsoft Beta Inc. with publisher Nis America Inc. are bringing us the next instalment of ‘Disgaea’. Disgaea has been around for two decades, so clearly something is being done right. If you are like me and have never heard of Disgaea, then read on as I do my best to introduce you to Disgaea with my review of ‘Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless’.

When it comes to the story of Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless, do not let the looming 7 scare you away. Each Disgaea is a self-contained story allowing newcomers like myself to jump on board. As the story progresses there will be cameos from previous titles. However, these interactions may leave you questioning if you missed something. Never fear, they have no influence on the story and serve only as a nod to players that have played previous titles.

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless follows the adventure of Pirilika a bored rich demon girl who is traveling to the lands of Hinomoto to indulge in the Bushido culture. When arriving in Hinomoto she not only discovers Bushido is no more but crosses paths with Fuji. Fuji a scoundrel of a demon sees the opportunity to use Pirilika to get rich by manipulating situations to his benefit. It is not long before Fuji himself is tricked by Pirilika and the pair set off to collect the seven founding weapons to return Bushido to Hinomoto.

As you may have already guessed Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless has a very strong Japanese theme. If you are a lover of Japanese animated stories like me, then you are going to enjoy what Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless offers.

The story sections are displayed on beautifully drawn Japanese-themed backgrounds. The two-dimensional comic book-styled characters are imposed on top punctuating their presence. The characters too are very strong in their Japanese theme, making for a perfect feeling of reading a manga. With the story sections being fully voice-acted though, it turns Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless more into an anime.

Regardless of the limited movement the characters do on screen, the delivery from the actors is everything you would expect in an anime. Personally, I give major praise to Alejandro Saab on his performance of Fuji. If you’re a connoisseur of anime like me, you’ll recognise his voice from other performances.

When Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless isn’t telling you its story, it’s entertaining you with its RPG and strategic gameplay. The RPG mechanics are all aboard Pirilika’s ship, and this section for me was the most overwhelming part. The RPG mechanics are so in-depth and numerous, you will be greeted with walls and walls of tutorial text.

The flow of the tutorials comes at a reasonable cadence and offers only a snippet of what you can achieve. That snippet though is enough to get you moving in the right direction. The volume of options is astronomical. This can be a bad thing if that level of RPG isn’t for you. I personally could sink hundreds of hours into the diversity this RPG offers. But to fully understand it all, I’d need to research further than just the tutorial offering.

When not on Pirilika’s ship, you adventure out to places like Hinomoto in search of the seven founding weapons. This is where combat will ensue and the strategic gameplay will commence. The combat field is three-dimensional and not only uses the X and Y axis but the Z axis as well. As you challenge your opponents you will not only need to think of what’s at ground level, but you also need to account for what is above and below you too.

Choosing which character to bring, how many characters to bring, what moves to use, when to use them, and how to position yourself when using them. It all matters as you navigate the combat field, which is also littered with obstacles, both mundane and dangerous. Like the RPG elements, the tutorial will lead you in the right direction. But it too is only a beginning of what is achievable.

The manga and anime visuals of Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless do not stop with just the story. The three-dimensional RPG and strategic sections are no slouch either. The characters, enemies, weapons, environments, and their animations all come with that perfect anime feel. The over-the-top flourishes, stylised moves, and grandiose finishes are again what you’d expect in an anime.

The sound effects like everything else are anime-inspired with nothing sounding out of place. The music is a brilliant fusion of Asian and other genres, all depending on the scene.

If you are looking for a playable anime or manga, then Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is perfect. Though this can be enjoyed by a new player to the franchise, I believe an understanding that a lot more can be unpacked should be noted. I certainly enjoyed my time with what Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless has to offer, and only wish I had the time to commit to all its facets.

Written by: Ashley Barnett-Cosgrove