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NCG Reviews: Disgaea 5 Complete for Nintendo Switch

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DOOD! Disgaea 5 is coming out on the Switch next week! May 23rd to be exact. Guess what? We have a review for you today! I have put 20 hours into it and I am only at the 4th Act and I have another 12 to go for the main story. I have dived into the item world and traveled far enough to see what’s new and I have also completed the side stories that unlock the protagonists from the previous games. Here are my thoughts….

 

The story:

Let me start out by saying, not all Disgaea game stories are super memorable. I can remember the 1st, 2nd, and 4th stories but not so much the 3rd (not sure why). Anyway, this isn’t a bad thing. The story is not really the point of these games.4

Regardless, in this game the main characters are Killia, the wanderer, and Seraphina, the Overlord of Gorgeous (the richest netherworld). Side characters include: Red Magnus, the Scorching flame Overlord; Christo, the Overlord of a certain giant netherworld (hehehe); and that’s all I know, for now. I think I am about to meet another side character that involves a yellow Prinny but I have yet to learn if they join the group. There’s also an annoying kid named Zeroken, I don’t know if he joins either, but he has made several appearances fighting the same enemy as me.

The story revolves around the main group fighting against the army, The Lost, of the most powerful overlord, Void Dark, who is trying to take over all netherworlds. Killia and company want to: 1) Kill Void Dark for revenge 2) Kill Void Dark because he ruined their life style 3) Kill Void Dark to prove they are the strongest…You get the gist right? They want to kill Void Dark for various reasons. Long story short, the group creates the Rebel Army and recruit more overlords to fight against Void Dark. If you you feel that there are lots of overlords in this game, you’re right! But there is a reason for that which I will explain in the next part…1.png

Game play:

Disgaea 5 brings more of the same from previous games with some new additions (of course) some for the better and some for the meh. The reason there are so many Overlords is because in D5 we get a new mechanic called Overload, a unique move that only Overlords can use and is specialized to the overlord. For example, Seraphina’s Overload is called Balor Gaze which when used causes male demons to become infatuated with Sera and fight each other for a while. Overload can only be used after filling a new gauge introduced in D5, the revenge gauge. The revenge gauge is filled every time a team member is hit and or defeated. Once filled, all attacks will critical hit and you can use certain attacks like Overload. The one drawback to this is that enemies can also go into revenge mode which makes them more difficult to face but also makes them drop certain items if defeated which makes it worth it to have enemies go into revenge mode.6

The training ground from D4/Clubs from D3 are back in the form of squads. Different squads do different things like share XP and Share Mana, these are still pretty useful to help level up characters you hardly use. The assembly is back, nothing much changed here as far as I can tell sbut one thing did change: you can no longer create characters using mana. There is now a recruiter for this and it uses money! This is good and bad in that some characters are more expensive than others to recruit. Making them strong is also more expensive but this makes sense. Before, it was a ton of mana needed. Now, it’s a ton of cash.

The item world of course is back with more of the same but with some additions. As you may or may not know, the item world is used to strengthen items by traveling through randomly generated dungeons and diving as deep as possible. Invaders still exist which, if memory serves, were first introduced in D2? Anyway, there are also now leveling fish which add an extra level to the item if you finish the map while you are lifting the fish. There are bottles that drop scrolls if you defeat them and then there’s these bunny creatures that give you random prizes for beating them, like extra XP. Finally, there’s this stork thingy that some times drops by and drops an egg that could have any of the things mentioned above OR a super strong baddie that enhances your item if you beat them. I ran away because I met a level 250 monster and I was only level 20, so yeah….10

Too long? Didn’t read? D5 has lots of familiar elements with just enough new and enhanced ones to keep it fresh, at least in my mind.

DLC:

D5 Complete doesn’t have any technically because it’s complete. Personally, I didn’t buy D5 for PS4 but I know what is DLC, so was it worth it at the time? Probably? I mean I’ll admit I am a super big Disgaea fan, I mean my nickname on here is DarkLaharl for goodness sake! I always love playing these games and I have dumped hours and hours into all them and I have bought pretty much every re-release that was on the PSP just to enjoy them again and on the go! So you can bet I love D5 for it being on the switch where I can take it anywhere or play on my TV…where was I….oh right, DLC. I probably would have bought it; I love all the previous protagonists so I would have gotten all those characters, Laharl, Etna, Flonne, Valvatorez, Rozlain, etc. The stories you play to unlock these guys are pretty fun too. The fact that it is complete in D5 makes it all the sweeter.

Overall, if you are a Disgaea fan, like myself, I know you will enjoy this game as well. Never played it before? You would definitely enjoy it if you like: Turn based games, super long games that can give you 100+ hours past the actual story, strategy games. The graphics are not super high quality but that doesn’t matter; the graphics have hardly changed from Hour of Darkness and that’s OK. Disgaea doesn’t need them. If you want crazy HD graphics in your turn based strategy then go play Final Fantasy.

7If I had to give D5 a score, it would get an 9/10 from me. What about you? did you play this already on the PS4? Are you waiting for it on the Switch? Let us know in the comments Dood!Score

Gaming News

Time to meet the Monokubs!

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Now that we have a feel for the participants of the new killing game in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, it’s time to meet the masterminds controlling the game. Upupupupupu!

Monosuke

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Opinionated and no patience for foul language, Monosuke is the most rational member of the Monokubs.  “Monosuke believes that the Monokubs should be hostile toward each other, and approves of infighting among the group.”

Monokid

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Short-tempered, foul mouthed, violent, spouts incoherent nonsense, unattentative, and completes sentences with a “Hell Yeah!”, Monokid is pretty much the jerk of the Monokubs.

Monotaro 

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“The childish, scatterbrained leader of the Monokubs. Monotaro often struggles to keep his rambunctious siblings focused on the task at hand. ”

Monophanie

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The only female of the group. She is kind and can’t handle violence.  Monophanie often tries to settle quarrels, but ends up joining them anyway.  Cute, endearing (can that even be said about a Mono anything?!), Monophanie suggests the killing game should be less violent.

Monodam

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Enduring years of bullying from Monokid, Monodam has closed his heart and rarely speaks to the other Monokubs.  He’s also the only Monokub to look like a robot.

What do you think of the Monokubs? I’m slightly concerned since they seem highly reminiscent of the Lil’ Ultimates from Ultra Despair Girls.  But we are going back to a visual novel, so I think the Monokub’s might be really fun characters.  Why do you think they are “Kubs”? Do you think there might be more Lil’ Ultimates trying to bring about more despair? Any theories? Let me know in the comments!

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Yomawari: Midnight Shadows

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Yomawari is back! The next installment after Yomawari: Night Alone, Midnigh Shadows introduces us to two new characters: Yui and Haru.  After getting separated, will they survive the night to reunite with one another?

Key Features

  • A Complete Town to Explore – Enter abandoned homes, climb through junk yards and up mountains, or venture into dark sewers in your search.

  • Two Views of the Dark – Search the night and explore a town as either of Yomawari: Midnight Shadow’s two characters. What you find with one may serve as a clue, or even save the other.

  • Horrors, Oddities, and Mysteries – When Japanese spirits come to life, you’ll encounter horrors birthed in nightmares, oddities that will make you question what is real, and mysteries that may just keep you up at night.

  • Gorgeous Style – Enter the dark with haunting art to view the city and from above, and get close to the heart-pounding moments in beautifully imagined side-scrolling set pieces.

Yomawari: Midnight Shadows is coming to the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Steam this Fall!

 

 

Gaming News

More Ultimates from Danganronpa V3 revealed!

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Here’s a recap of who we have met so far for Danganronpa V3:

Kaede Akamatsu, Rantaro Amami, Miu Iruma, Kokichi Oma, K1-B0, Gonta Gokuhara, Shuichi Saihara, and Tsumugi Shirogane.

Now introducing:

Ultimate Anthropologist: Korekiyo Shinguji

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Korekiyo has traveled around the world, studying many different cultures as part of his anthropological research. His travels have instilled in him an appreciation for the “beauty of humanity.” For this reason, he observes his classmates with great curiosity, eager to see what sort of beauty they will produce given their unique situation.

Calm, collected and intelligent, Korekiyo’s mannerisms and appearance can nevertheless be quite unnerving to some. Even his ethics and morality may be a departure from what one might consider normal.

Ultimate Aikido Master: Tenko Chabashira

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Tenko is a practitioner of Neo-Aikido, a martial art that she created alongside her master by reimagining the style of traditional aikido.

To say she merely dislikes men is an understatement. As an androphobe, Tenko refers to all men as “male degenerates.” Though compliments from a woman will make her heart aflutter, the same compliment from a man could result in him getting thrown across the room.

Tenko does not hide her emotions well, and she has a tendency to overreact to situations in an exaggerated manner. She also has a habit of yelling at the top of her lungs. Though she claims it helps bolster her fighting spirit, her frequent shouting often strikes others as incredibly obnoxious.

Ultimate Maid: Kirumi Tojo

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A calm, dignified young woman of sound mind and peak physical fitness. Kirumi made a name for herself while working as a part-time maid, earning a reputation for fulfilling to perfection any request made of her. However, she refuses all requests made by corrupt individuals.

As a maid, Kirumi embodies the philosophy of selfless devotion. Even while trapped in the Ultimate Academy, she continues to serve her classmates almost on instinct, such as by preparing meals and doing chores.

Ultimate Child Caregiver: Maki Harukawa

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Raised in an orphanage, Maki did not seek out the role of child caregiver but instead had the role thrust upon her.

For this, she was recognized as the Ultimate Child Caregiver. But despite her title, Maki’s not particularly caring or friendly. And though children are fond of her, she personally can’t stand them.

Despite her cute appearance, Maki is a hostile misanthrope of few words, and rarely cooperates with her classmates. Nevertheless, she is willing to take action when it suits her.

Ultimate Tennis Pro: Ryoma Hoshi

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From middle school onward, Ryoma was a talented tennis player with a bright future ahead of him, and had won championships around the world. But after he used his tennis skills and a custom-made steel tennis ball to kill members of an organized crime syndicate, he was arrested, found guilty, and sentenced to death.

Awaiting his punishment on death row before arriving at the Ultimate Academy, Ryoma claims he is no longer the same person who was bestowed the title of Ultimate Tennis Pro.

Displaying a maturity that is rare among teenagers, Ryoma seems older than his appearance would suggest. Even in the presence of pain and death, Ryoma remains unflappable.

Ultimate Astronaut: Kaito Momota

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Astronaut cadets must have a college degree and pass a rigorous exam before they can even be considered for the astronaut training program. Kaito, however, used forged documents to take the exam before he graduated high school, and became the first teenager to pass it.

Ultimately, Kaito’s forgery was discovered. But his unorthodox approach to the exam piqued such interest that he was accepted as a cadet anyway. Though Kaito still has yet to visit outer space, his romanticized view of the cosmos remains stronger than ever.

Valuing dreams and passion above all else, Kaito often dispenses such wisdom as “Limits don’t exist unless you set them yourself!” and “You gotta be a little reckless to make your dreams reality!”

Ultimate Magician: Himiko Yumeno

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A skilled magician who claims her tricks are the result of real magic. Himiko is the youngest recipient of the Magician of the Year award from the Magic Castle, an organization made up of stage magic enthusiasts from around the world. However, she claims this award was just a clever ruse to hide her actual magic powers from the rest of the world.

She complains about the constant requests she receives from people who don’t believe her magic is real, but still want to see her performances.

Regardless of whether it’s parlor tricks or real magic, Himiko has an uncanny knack for card and coin magic tricks, as well as making doves appear out of thin air. But despite the high demand for her magical aptitude, Himiko is also extremely lazy.

Ultimate Artist: Angie Yonaga

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A zealously devout girl who claims that her island god, Atua, is always by her side. Though Angie draws and sculpts, she considers herself an instrument of Atua, and credits her artistic works to him and him alone.

She has an upbeat, somewhat ditzy attitude, and often says unique remarks such as “Bye-onara.” Chief among her personality quirks is her claim to speak on her god’s behalf, as well as her tendency to ask others for (non-fatal) blood sacrifices to Atua.

The next batch of Ultimates look fun! I absolutely cannot wait for the game to release!  Who is your favorite character so far? Which Ultimate ability do you wish you had? Let me know in the comments.

 

 

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NCG Reviews Psycho Pass: Mandatory Happiness (Steam)

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Psycho Pass: Mandatory Happiness is available now on Steam!  Are you ready to re-enter the world of Psycho-Pass?

Story

Taking place during Season one of the anime series, Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness introduces two new characters: Enforcer Takuma Tsurugi or Inspector Nadeshiko Kugatachi.  Enforcer Tsurugi is searching for his lover while Kugatachi has lost all memories of her past.  You follow each detectives through a series of events that eventually lead to Alpha, an AI whose goal is to provide happiness to all humans.

 

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I am not quite sure how I felt about the story.  I enjoyed the concept of a rogue AI trying to create happiness the only way it can understand; a path of pure lethargy where decisions that would create unhappiness cease to exist.  I wanted to see what would happen with the AI, and furthermore, the connection between the two new characters to the AI.  I feel like this is where the story falls short.  Either because the concept of Psycho Pass itself forbids the exploration of the characters (searching into the past will cloud their hues making them latent criminals) or the characters themselves weren’t as developed as I had hoped they would be.  I was also slightly annoyed that detective Ginoza was so hot-headed.  I felt like it contradicted the character established from the anime series.

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Visuals

Visual novels are not heavy in graphics and Mandatory Happiness is no different.  The story takes place inside the Public Safety Beareu headquarters and in the newly introduced city Sado Marina City. Some scenes are rendered as they were in the anime but the general landscape of the game felt extremely lacking and most scenes were reduced to only dialogue. Cut-scene art was far and few between; and even action scenes were merely sound effects. There were quite a few scenes that could have benefited from a more detailed cut-scene; it would have drove home the drama just a little bit more.  While I understand the series itself takes place in a bland dystopian Tokyo landscape, I felt like the game could have used more imagery to bring the game to life.

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Audio

I can’t say the sound track brought about anything new to the series.  Sure, helicopters and other background effects were utilized, but at a minimum.  Every now and then when I was prompted to make a choice, the music tempo increased to show the intensity of the decision, but otherwise, there was nothing noteworthy.

Game Play

Visual novels are basically pushing “enter” until you are prompted to make a decision and the decision is what determines your course at the end of the game.  After playing nothing but romance visual novels, I came to realize that it’s damn near impossible to get good endings without a walk-through and that’s the fun part about them; it’s why I keep going back to the story because I like to test out each and every option to see where it leads.  I felt let down when my final choice in Mandatory Happiness felt like the only thing that determined whether I got a True End or Bad End.    Even after saving a few time and going back to change my decisions, the story progressed essentially the same way, say for one or two things. The decision line felt very linear which took the joy out of playing a visual novel. I questioned whether there was a point to monitoring my hue (which you are frequently prompted to care for), if my relationship with the other characters even mattered, and whether or not my choices in the game really made a difference to the outcome.

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Verdict

I think this story would have been a wonderful release between season releases of the anime series. After having watched the entire series and sobbed like a baby, the desire to be placed back into the Psycho Pass world is long lost.  However, I think anyone who has been newly introduced to the series would certainly enjoy the story of Mandatory Happiness.

Visuals, audio, and game play were a let down.  I would have enjoyed alternate endings, or at least a path that made me really question my decision making though the game.  After my first play through, I thought Mandatory Happiness would have made a wonderful novel instead.

I played this title on Steam.  Steam has a vast collection of visual novels but I always feel like they’re better off on a portable console versus PC.  If you’re used to playing on PC, looking to expand your Steam library, and just love Psycho Pass, this is a great buy. However, I think it’s a better fit on the Vita.

Are you a fan of the Psycho Pass series? Will you be adding Mandatory Happiness to your collection? Do you like playing Visual Novels on your portable console or PC? Let us know in the comments!