Product Info

Platform

Switch 2, Switch, PlayStation 5, PC

Publisher

NIS America

Developer

Nippon Ichi Software

Series

Disgaea

Genre

Action, Beat-'em-up, RPG

Players

1

File Size (Minimum)

2.2 GB

Release Date (NA)

Jul 23, 2026

Purchase From

Amazon

NIS America, Inc.

eShop

PSN Store

Steam

Disgaea Mayhem is an action role-playing game (RPG) that’s a spin-off from the popular tactical RPG series of Disgaea. Players will hack-and-slash in real time against a hoard of foes to reach the goal. The game carries the franchise’s signature humor dialogue and absurd leveling system, but it feels more like a beta test than a full release.

Special Flan

You will take control of N.A., a mercenary hired by Tichelle, the newly appointed Overlord of the Super Duper Netherworld. Taking over from her father, Tichelle is obese with flan. Her special flan made by her father, called the Pristine Gleam Flan, was stolen from the fridge. You are hired to track down each missing flan and find out why her vessels turned against her.

Like previous Disgaea games, the action RPG continues to carry those hilarious dialogues and an adventure that can be quirky at various moments. While I enjoyed the game’s story, it felt too short. The game consists of six episodes, each containing four main levels, although two of these episodes include only a single level. With some level grinding, you can complete the game’s main story in under ten hours. For a Disgaea game, that’s unheard of, as they typically can average thirty hours. Additional story content could have been added to Mayhem, even though it is a different type of game, to make it feel more complete. More time in the oven could benefit the overall experience.

Roaming in Circles

Levels for most areas are free roaming. You’ll control N.A. and can have one buddy, a monster sidekick, to aid you on your mission but is controlled by the games CPU. All levels in each episode use the same map but block off some areas to make your path a little different. While for the most part I understand the game’s goal to utilize the same level design just like how the tactical versions of Disgaea games make layout changes and carry the same environmental theme; traveling across each level in Mayhem tends to feel too repetitive. Layouts look a bit flat and they begin to show many similarities. You also don’t interact with the layout, such as hitting trees and rocks, and can’t walk into small castle-like structures. There are also non-existing items laying around, so there’s no point in traveling around every corner for prizes. With the last two episodes only one level each, it’s as if the game ran out of ideas. Also the second-to-last episode uses the same level design as the first episode.

The game’s castle, which you’ll explore as your headquarters, feels too empty. Everything is sprawled out further than it needs to be and overall the design feels flat. When up against the wall and adjusting the camera, you can see the unfinished work behind the walls, making it feel more like a beta designed game.

New Worlds to Explore, More Ways to Get Stronger

Outside of exploring the game’s story levels, there are other areas to explore, such as the Item World and Chara World. In Mayhem, the Item World uses the same concept as previous Disgaea games, allowing users to explore a different world to increase an item’s stat levels based on the number of levels they complete. However, levels are contained in a small environment where a small hoard of enemies will appear in waves to try to wear down your health. You still gain levels for your item, as well as for yourself and your buddy, regardless of whether you win or lose. This makes leveling up much faster and actually feels less tedious than past Disgaea games. I actually had more fun exploring the Item World than the story episodes due to less traveling and more brawling.

Chara World is a new style of gameplay where you play in a board game-style minigame. N.A. does not travel with you in this mini-game, as the location is based within N.A., as weird as it sounds, to enhance his stats. Instead, Tichelle will lead the way into battle, accompanied by up to four Buddies. Players will spin a series of slots to determine how many steps you can take in this board game environment. There are various events, such as earning money, depleting health for your Buddies, and battling. Battles are quick between your Buddies and enemies; you just watch, and everything is calculated by itself. As long as your team is at least close to the recommended level of board you are playing, you shouldn’t have many issues. You must also monitor your energy level, which is limited. If your energy depletes to zero, it results in a game over, which means your visit to Chara World has ended. Your energy decreases each turn and more if you use fewer than all your steps, use special skills, or land on a penalty tile. Get to the end of the board and you’ll be rewarded with clear bonuses to help improve N.A.’s stats further. Like the Item World, win or lose, you still earn the amounts you gained during your gameplay.

Between these two, they make Disgaea Mayhem entertaining. There are additional setups inside Mayhem that Disgaea fans will recognize, such as the Dark Assembly where you need to pass bills to get access to additional game content and features. The Cheat and Item shops still exist and function the same as the other games.

A Monsterious Pair

The two characters you’ll follow are N.A. and Tichelle, and they are a delightful pair to watch. Everyone else plays as a side piece to help the story’s goofiness. There are a few enemy designs, mainly each episode’s boss in the final level, that stand out and don’t carry that monster design repetitiveness that makes Disgaea Mayhem feel more unique. I do wish you could make these bosses a Buddy for you to travel with. Boss and main character designs are excellent by illustration, but in their 3D models, they look a little flatter than they should.

Controlling N.A. is straightforward, and so are his movesets. N.A. can use any style of weapon, from swords to wands; he’s an ace fighter. Your movesets can carry quick combos and a heavy attack to plow through a crowd of enemies. You can use powerful skills in battle, but some can be interrupted. There’s a cooldown after performing this skill, but you at least can utilize your other three equipped moves.

Buddies are found when they wish to follow you after completing a level in the game’s story. From there, you have to use your Mana to officially add them to your roster of monsters. However, you can only choose one to come with you into battle. You can give them specific equipment, and they can morph into a weapon for a short time to help N.A. in battle. For example, the Prinny can transform into a sword for that extra amount of attack power.

Camera control carries some smooth movements when traveling in open environments. Players can lock on to level bosses, and adjusting the camera speed is available. However, the camera view tends to struggle when trying to fight off hoards of enemies on the screen. Players will have to adjust the camera with one joystick and then move with the other to clearly see their enemies. During battles, I’ve seen enemies get stuck between objects and spazzing out, which I can understand this can occur at moments but it seems to happen too often. The camera gets the job done but there’s room for improvement.

The music in Disgaea Mayhem carries familiar tones of the Disgaea series, thanks to the return of composer Tenpei Sato. Battle themes are energetic and boss encounters feel more dramatic. The game carries a couple of vocal songs, “No More Cry” and “Good-bye Days,” but the game does not carry a cinematic opening to the game. Despite this, the soundtrack is one of the better pieces of this spin-off game.

The Final Flan

Disgaea Mayhem is an action RPG that introduces some new fun ideas and manages to include a few of the series’ signature mechanics, giving it that Disgaea charm for a goofy adventure. However, it feels like the game could use more time in the oven due to its short story campaign and repetitive, patchy presentation.

A PlayStation 5 review code provided by the publisher. Disgaea Mayhem is available now for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC. Fans can visit the game’s official website for more information and purchasing options.