Disgaea 5 Complete is the one-stop-shop for everything ever released for the seminal strategy RPG that originally debuted on PS4. While some bemoan the run of “re-launches” on the Nintendo Switch, I’ll gladly welcome them if every game were as solid and content-packed as Disgaea 5. If you’re at all a fan of turn-based JRPGs, or more so a fan of tactics RPGs, Disgaea 5 is a no-brainer and feels incredibly at home on the Nintendo Switch. This is our Disgaea 5 Complete review.
It’s a Big Game, Dood
Disgaea 5 was already a massive RPG when it launched on the PS4 in 2015. Disgaea 5 complete includes the full base game and all of its DLC content which adds tons of new levels, modes, characters, and classes. It’s basically an RPG that could last you hundreds of hours if you want to experience everything. I’ve put in around 20 hours with the Switch version, and I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. It’s a little odd too, because all of the DLC is on an NPC in the main hub of the game, claimable from pretty much the beginning, though little of it has any explanation on how it fits into the game. The bonus characters like Nisa and Girl Laharl will go a long way towards helping you in the early levels though, as they have some massively powerful weapons that pretty much wipe the floor with enemies.
The narrative is a silly one, like all Disgaea games. Demon Overlords rule over dozens of different worlds in the universe, but one – Demon Emperor Void Dark, is taking every world over and waging war across the cosmos. The enigmatic and stoic Killia joins forces with the hyperactive and egotistical Princess Seraphina, and the two are off to kill Void Dark. He killed someone in Killia’s past, and she used to be betrothed to the emperor. As you travel, you’ll meet Red Magnus who just wants to be super strong, Christo (who has his own secrets) and many more characters.
There are over 40 classes in the game, and you can recruit non-named characters to fill up your ranks, customize and re-roll classes at will. Equip them each, power up their skills, and so on and so forth. Disgaea 5 is a strategy RPG fan’s dream game. But the Complete version lets series newbies just dive in with all the unlocked DLC characters as well. I’ve not played the NIS flagship series since number 2, and I had no problem hopping in and learning as I went. The early worlds do a great job giving you tutorials on Revenge mode, Overload, team-ups, monster-toss, and so many other different ways to approach combat. Disgaea 5’s depth is basically as much or as little as you want to put into the game.
Replayable Almost to a Fault
There’s so much to do in Disgaea 5, that it almost feels silly for there to be so much emphasis on extra game modes, map creation tools, squad systems, and customization of each character in your army. From the penguin-esque Prinnies to the Nurses, named Characters, and more you’re liable to be overwhelmed with options at the outset. Still, with patience and reading, you’ll be acquainted with D5’s myriad systems in no time. There’s really nothing quite like finally grasping the combat and how different classes and characters work together – and then unleashing massive attacks that fill the screen and animate in hilarious fashion. There are literally dozens of hours of story here, plus hundreds of more hours of replayable content to get rewards, achievements, and try out player-made maps. This is, with the possible exception of Breath of the Wild, the Switch’s biggest game and one that feels well worth the $60 retail price.
There are only a few RPGs on the Switch so far, but Disgaea 5 is nothing short of one of the best. If you’re at all a fan of JRPGs or tactics games, this is a must buy. Even if you had it on the PS4, its inclusion on the Switch and portable greatness make it one of the system’s must owns early in its life.
