Product Info

Platform

Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC

Publisher

NIS America

Developer

Nippon Ichi Software, Inc.

Series

Disgaea

Genre

RPG, Strategy/Tactics

Players

1

File Size (Minimum)

6 GB

Release Date (NA)

Oct 3, 2023

Release Date (JP)

Jan 26, 2023

Purchase From

NIS America, Inc.

eShop

PSN Store

Steam

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is the next installment of the tactical role-playing game series, Disgaea. It’s also one of the best Disgaea games. A treat for series veterans and newcomers alike, everyone should jump into this fun-filled title.

The Way of Bushido

Disgaea 7 takes a different approach in its storyline and style. The game goes to the Edo period of traditional Japanese culture for inspiration, whereas previous Disgaea games felt more like gloomy, Halloween-like creations.

The world of Disgaea 7 takes place in Hinomoto, a traditional Japanese-style world where once-proud warriors, the bushido, are no longer needed and cast aside. Many change lifestyles to stay afloat in this corrupted world and many live in poverty. In this story, Pirilika, a rich and klutzy girl who is obsessed with Hinomoto, gets into trouble on her first visit. Fuji, a demon who will do anything to win and earn money, steps in, for a price of course. He agrees to help Pirilika for 100 million HL (the currency in Disgaea) to help her in her quest to find the Seven Found Weapons. Unfortunately for Fuji, he signed a contract that requires him to do so if he wants to be paid in full. Therefore, the two set off for a long but humorous journey.

A Wild Bunch

Disgaea 7’s character cast have their own unique personalities. Fuji acts tough, but he’s so allergic to empathy that he vomits blood, which has its hilarious moments. Pirilika constantly says metaphors wrong and her party corrects her but also forgives anyone even when she’s betrayed. Ceefore has an addiction to weapons and explosions. Yeyasu is a lazy ruler who likes to chase women and throw parties but has a pure heart when things get tough. Higan, Fuji’s old master, is a glutton for sweets but is super powerful. It’s quite the mix of personalities, and it makes the game’s story more entertaining.

Same Formula with New Seasoning

For those who’ve played Disgaea before, the ability to level up to level 9,999 and produce insane amounts of attack damage is still here. Players can also expect to create their own team of humans or monsters and visit the Item World to increase an item’s strength and to level up. The series’ basic chessboard, turn-based gameplay still exists in Disgaea 7, but the new features add some spice to the recipe, making it even more fun and addictive for players.

Hell Mode, a new fighting ability in DIsgaea 7, lets you unleash a powerful move only once when your Hell gauge is filled. These abilities can change the turn of battle and give you the upper hand. For example, Fuji’s Hell Mode skill can cause massive damage to a single enemy. It offers additional tactical ways to fight, and when enemies have this feature too, it makes the game more challenging.

Another new addition in battle is Jumbification. It turns a character into a giant that can attack anywhere on the board. Beware, though, your enemies can also supersize, and then it becomes a Godzilla-like battle. Additionally, it can boost stats, such as increasing damage 20%, or make everyone a bomb when thrown. It’s a neat concept and adds a different way to play. However, you are limited to a small amount of turns to turn back to normal. To supersize again, your Jumbification gauge needs to fill up, which is done by enemies attacking your team. The more damage you take, the quicker your gauge fills. It’s a supersized experience that’s fun and adds value to your tactical battles.

Outside of battle, Disgaea 7 adds another new feature called “item reincarnation”. With this, players can reincarnate items into something more powerful. For example, taking an item like boots that increase your movement and making it into a sword will carry over those increased movement stats to your new weapon. For those who have played previous Disgaea games, it’s similar to how players can reincarnate their characters to increase stats.

In the same mold, the Auto Battle, first revealed in Disgaea 6, makes a return in the sequel, but it’s changed. Instead of an unlimited amount of turns, you now have to use Poltergas for each turn made in Auto Battle. It’s not automatically unlocked either and you do have to go through a few chapters to get it. Once you do, you can only use it on stages that you’ve completed. While it’s great to see the Auto Battle in Disgaea 7, it feels like players can pay more attention on how to use it than before.

If you want to gain levels, mana, or money faster, Auto Battle does help but so does unlocking the Cheat Shop. This neat feature lets players adjust enemy levels and adjust the percentage of how many points are earned at the end of battle. Want more experience points than money? This will let you change the percentage to tip the scales in your favor. It’s something you’ll want to unlock as soon as possible, since upcoming battles in the storyline will get tougher.

After completing the main story, there’s more to do! Additional storylines unlock and the ability to go up to level 9,999 is there, too. Disgaea 7 also adds an online feature, Online ranked Battles. Players around the world can match up against each other. Each battle will have a set of unique rules such as boosting ally stats or even the enemy’s, too. Now you have more of a reason to go for level 9,999.

A Traditional Style

As mentioned, the latest Disgaea takes a different approach to its art style than its previous entries. Instead of being mainly focused on a gloomier style, Disgaea 7 uses traditional Japanese ones, more so of the Edo period, with its unique art and music.

The game’s settings are also based on Japanese culture, from its architecture to its farmlands. There are still some areas where it’s more dark and gloomy, but the Japanese traditional vibe remains present. Additionally the game’s menu uses some of the traditional styles such as the brushstrokes you see in scrolls. The headquarters where your party is stationed is also based on the same aesthetic with cherry blossom trees blooming.

Adjust that Volume

Disgaea 7’s soundtrack is influenced by traditional Japanese music as well, with various styles to match the many scenarios. For example, during battle the music is more energetic, while more dramatic scenes are softer. It’s a fitting soundtrack for this style of Disgaea.

The dubbed voice overs are performed well and carry the hilarious script throughout the game. However, there are moments throughout when some audio dialogue is off balance. For example, Fuji’s dialogue clip volume sounds too loud and overpowered even when he’s not yelling. Hopefully, these voice clips will be tweaked in future updates.

Those who have played Disgaea 6 will remember the technical issues when the game first introduced a new engine and 3D style. Rest assured: Disgaea 7 looks to smooth those out and make it a fun ride to experience.

The Final Cut

Disgaea 7 is one of the best of the series, and it will hook you in and keep you playing for countless hours. As Pirilika would say, the new features mixed with a traditional Japanese style adds extra seasoning to the Disgaea series, resulting in a delicious miso soup of fun. In short, Disgaea 7 will keep bringing you back for more. Dig in!

A PlayStation 5 review code provided for this review and gameplay footage.