Seemingly, the latter half of this year is shaping up to be one chock-a-block with Playstation 3 role-playing games - first we had the bizarre wedding day murder of Time and Eternity, then the strange tale of a high school student turned God in The Guided Fate Paradox, and now, bringing up the rear, comes the strategic head-scratching of fan favourite Disgaea.As the fourth instalment of the insane Japanese strategic role-playing game, Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness sees the return of the protagonists from the very first game, namely Laharl, Etna and Flonne - which, if you've played the first games, will hopefully mean something to you. Now Overlord of the Netherworld, Laharl sets off on a quest to gain the respect of the resident demons and quell the rebellious voices of the King Krichevskoy faction who are determined to usurp him as leader. They claim it's Laharl's fault Celestial Flowers are appearing all over the Netherworld (which, with them being big angry demons, is obviously hurting their masculinity), having angered a bunch of angels following the events of the original game - and that in order to pacify them they need to put someone else on the throne.
Scarf, but no shirt. Makes sense.
As with most role-playing games, battles are a large part of the experience in Disgaea D2, with layers of depth and strategy combining to make a game that'll keep your brain ticking. Taking it in turns with your enemy to attack, its up to you to move your characters strategically around a grid-based field in a game of cat and mouse - line everyone up to perform a powerful linked attack, creep up behind someone for a high-power sneak attack or climb higher than your opponent to deal more damage; whatever you choose, you'll need to think carefully about your next move, and what your opponent may do to try and counter you, much like a game of chess. And there's certainly lots to think about. For example, while keeping characters close to each other has it's advantages as they're able to talk to each other, increasing their 'affinity', making healing spells and counter-attacks much more powerful, grouping everyone all together also makes you an easier target for any enemies' attacks with large areas of effect.
Of course, it wouldn't be a sequel without a whole host of new features, and here Disgaea D2 doesn't disappoint either. Coming with an expanded character creator, you'll now be able to choose a personality type for each of your team members, which in turn affects their stats and special abilities. There's also a new Master/Pupil system, where your more experienced and knowledgeable characters can choose a 'pupil' character to teach new skills and weapon masteries, whilst also receiving a boost to their own stats for their trouble - which may well make adding any newcomers to your team that much easier. There's also a new magic weapon in the form of the Book, which can be used either as a melee weapon, bringing a new meaning to the saying 'throwing the book' at someone (or would that be more of a ranged attack?), or to summon powerful creatures to toast your enemies - and while we're on the subject of monsters, those monsters which you've captured and trained can now be ridden into battle - and each come with their own devastating attacks.
Marking the series' tenth anniversary, Disgaea D2: A Brigther Darkness hits stores this autumn, exclusively for the Playstation 3 - until then, check out the trailer below:
