Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories
Demons, corrupted senators, mid-battle pizza deliveries and exploding penguins. That's right, Disgaea is back.
 | Version PS2 | Developer Nippon Ichi | Publisher Koei | Genre RPG |
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All the magic of the first Disgaea game remains intact in Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories, amplified by new additions to what is a fantastic strategy RPG. The biggest difference is that you don't start out as the pushy kid demon Laharl and his fiery Vassal Etna, like in the previous game. Cursed Memories revolves around the story of Adell and Princess Rozalin.
"Some worlds are randomly generated, adding longevity and challenging the hardcore to strengthen weapons to 100+."
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As with the previous Disgaea the story is very deep and touching in places, but comes jam packed with moments of pure comedy genius that have you rolling on the floor with laughter.
It's not just the characters that help make this game, it's also the items. Each item has an outlandish description, with sneaky references to other games and films. There's even an entire world in each item which is randomly generated every time you enter, which gives this game amazing longevity and will find hardcore fans trying to strengthen up their weapons to levels of 100+.
Fans of the series will be happy to hear that the Dark assembly is back, and this time you can bribe the senators into passing bills such as creating new character types, and if that still doesn't work, you can always persuade them by force.
Another new feature is the Dark court, where you get Subpoenas for crimes such as geopanel vandalising and have to appear in Prinny court by travelling through the item world. Don't worry though, it's good to be bad in this twisted game, so you'll get a nice gift for your criminal achievements and you'll get a felony on your record. Be careful though, too many felonies can be a hindrance, but you can always reincarnate as a Prinny and atone for your sins.
"The grid movement from Disgaea instead of spheres from other Nippon Ichi titles, makes battling accessible."
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The return to grid-like movement from the previous Disgaea, instead of spheres of movement from the later Nippon Ichi titles Phantom Brave and Makai Kingdom, also makes sure that battling is not as difficult as it looks.
Another turn off for some gamers may be the simple sprite graphics, many of which have been recycled from the previous Disgaea, but it's hard to imagine a game like this having as much charm if it were in full 3D. The character design resembles an anime style and is very vibrant, with over-the-top hairstyles and peculiar fashion choices, which compliments the light hearted humour well.
This game is so jam packed with possibilities, it's tough to fit everything into a review during Q4 silly season - there's only enough time for a quick mention on the charming music pieces that help top off the atmosphere of the game.
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