Video game!
May. 19th, 2004 11:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starzafandomblogTitle: Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
Rating: T
Genre: Strategy/RPG
Graphics: 8/10 - Okay, honestly, the graphics are definitely not up to par, considering that almost every damn PS2 game uses 3D graphics now. To me, though, it's a relief, as I enjoy 2D graphics every now and then. Anyone who likes anime and manga drawn characters will like them here. The game works like Xenogears, 2D characters on 3D backgrounds.
And they're beautifully done. The game is colorful, despite the setting it takes place in. The characters themselves are very detailed and colorful. There are times where the game can get pixelated, though.
Plot: 9/10 - The plot in this game is amusing and interesting all at once. The King of the Underworld has passed on and the Underworld currently has no leader.
You take control of the Prince of the Netherworld, Laharl. Your job? Become ruler of the Netherworld!
It doesn't seem too much like a plot, but the game comes to life through some humorous and serious situations. Example, in one of the chapters, Laharl is being blackmailed to give up his rights to the throne and it's your job to get the pictures back.
There's also 'Next episode' scenes at the end of each chapter, where one of the other main characters, Etna, describes the 'Next episode' in an anime-like style. While some of these hint on what's to come, most of them have nothing to do with the actual storyline, it's just made to make the player laugh.
The story can also be serious at times. Flonne, an angel companion, wonders if demons are capable of love and she observes Laharl and Etna throughout the game.
Music/sound: 9/10 - I REALLY wish I could get the soundtrack of this game, because the music is excellent. The voice acting is fairly good, and you can choose to listen to the japanese or the english during storyplay. Sadly, the english voices remain when you do battle.
There is one huge error, as some of the humanoids still have their japanese voice actors. Laziness on the part of Atlus, I say...
Gameplay: 9/10 - You'll be playing this game for hours on end. This is a strategy game, after all, so the game isn't going to be a walkthrough in the park.
Basically, you can have 10 characters out on the battle field. You can choose what type of characters you want, from Prinnies (Little monsters who say 'd00d' a lot, I kid you not either, how it's spelt in the game), to Humanoids with their own classes to every monster in the game.
You can either get monsters/humans in battle to join you by throwing them in the portal or you can make your own via the 'Summon Assembly' option. Each class comes with it's own unique abilities and you can customize some of them even further by using the mentor/pupil system and equiping your characters with different weapons.
To make a character, it costs a character mana. And to get mana, you need to defeat monsters.
Creating characters isn't the only thing you can use your mana for and it's certainly not the only thing you can do with 'Summon Assembly' command. When used, the Assembly of the Netherworld is called, and you can pass bills, which differ from making the item shop sell new equipment, to beefing monsters up to opening special areas in the game!
But it's a bit harder than it sounds, as not everyone summoned will be in favor for you. You'll have to bribe them with some items!
Battling is fairly simple and runs like any other strategy game, like chess pieces, you move your characters on a board and you give them commands.
Overall: 8.75/10 - This is definitely a game worth having. The big problem? Only 40,000 copies of this game were released in America, so it's going to be a bitch to find. But lucky for all you European fans, the game was JUST released as I'm typing this. So what the hell are you waiting for!? GET this game!
Rating: T
Genre: Strategy/RPG
Graphics: 8/10 - Okay, honestly, the graphics are definitely not up to par, considering that almost every damn PS2 game uses 3D graphics now. To me, though, it's a relief, as I enjoy 2D graphics every now and then. Anyone who likes anime and manga drawn characters will like them here. The game works like Xenogears, 2D characters on 3D backgrounds.
And they're beautifully done. The game is colorful, despite the setting it takes place in. The characters themselves are very detailed and colorful. There are times where the game can get pixelated, though.
Plot: 9/10 - The plot in this game is amusing and interesting all at once. The King of the Underworld has passed on and the Underworld currently has no leader.
You take control of the Prince of the Netherworld, Laharl. Your job? Become ruler of the Netherworld!
It doesn't seem too much like a plot, but the game comes to life through some humorous and serious situations. Example, in one of the chapters, Laharl is being blackmailed to give up his rights to the throne and it's your job to get the pictures back.
There's also 'Next episode' scenes at the end of each chapter, where one of the other main characters, Etna, describes the 'Next episode' in an anime-like style. While some of these hint on what's to come, most of them have nothing to do with the actual storyline, it's just made to make the player laugh.
The story can also be serious at times. Flonne, an angel companion, wonders if demons are capable of love and she observes Laharl and Etna throughout the game.
Music/sound: 9/10 - I REALLY wish I could get the soundtrack of this game, because the music is excellent. The voice acting is fairly good, and you can choose to listen to the japanese or the english during storyplay. Sadly, the english voices remain when you do battle.
There is one huge error, as some of the humanoids still have their japanese voice actors. Laziness on the part of Atlus, I say...
Gameplay: 9/10 - You'll be playing this game for hours on end. This is a strategy game, after all, so the game isn't going to be a walkthrough in the park.
Basically, you can have 10 characters out on the battle field. You can choose what type of characters you want, from Prinnies (Little monsters who say 'd00d' a lot, I kid you not either, how it's spelt in the game), to Humanoids with their own classes to every monster in the game.
You can either get monsters/humans in battle to join you by throwing them in the portal or you can make your own via the 'Summon Assembly' option. Each class comes with it's own unique abilities and you can customize some of them even further by using the mentor/pupil system and equiping your characters with different weapons.
To make a character, it costs a character mana. And to get mana, you need to defeat monsters.
Creating characters isn't the only thing you can use your mana for and it's certainly not the only thing you can do with 'Summon Assembly' command. When used, the Assembly of the Netherworld is called, and you can pass bills, which differ from making the item shop sell new equipment, to beefing monsters up to opening special areas in the game!
But it's a bit harder than it sounds, as not everyone summoned will be in favor for you. You'll have to bribe them with some items!
Battling is fairly simple and runs like any other strategy game, like chess pieces, you move your characters on a board and you give them commands.
Overall: 8.75/10 - This is definitely a game worth having. The big problem? Only 40,000 copies of this game were released in America, so it's going to be a bitch to find. But lucky for all you European fans, the game was JUST released as I'm typing this. So what the hell are you waiting for!? GET this game!
