Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance
Overview -
Believe it or not, there was a time when Japanese developers were extremely bullish on the prospects of the PS4. It wasn't until the console was released in Japan (and after success abroad) that many developers, including NIS, decided that the new platform would have the install base needed to justify their big(gest) projects.
One such game that made the fateful developmental jump, was 'Disgaea 5: Alliance Of Vengeance.' Not only is 'Disgaea 5' a new mainline entry in a cultishly popular series, but also, NIS has been promising to take everything that fans love, from the battle system to the humor, and bring it to crazy new heights. Indeed, this is the most ambitious NIS title in years, and one that has been hitched to the PS4 in a way that genre fans have only been able to dream of.
Video Review
'Disgaea 5's' graphics can be a bit hard to rate. On one hand, character models are upgraded from sprites to full HD models. The characters models and the skill special effects look fantastic, as do the character portraits during cutscenes. On the other hand, while these graphics look great, it feels as though so much more could have been done with the PlayStation 4 hardware. Other than the character models, most of the graphics look like they could have been done on a PlayStation 3, and the lack of portraits moving in cutscenes like they did in 'Disgaea 4' is a disappointing downgrade. Still, on the whole the graphics look quite sharp, and are great to look at and watch in action.
Audio Review
As par for the course for the series, 'Disgaea 5's soundtrack is odd and wonderful, being a joy to listen to. Sato's style really shines through here, giving his unique flair to another Nippon Ichi title and, by extension, giving the game a distinctly Disgaea feel musically. The voice acting is also good for the most part, with characters well cast for their parts… including Killia. Many people that have played the demo seem to complain of the voice actor's lack of emotion for the main character, but it really fits Killia and his backstory, making the perceived lack of emotion behind the voice understandable.
Final Thoughts
'Disgaea 5' is one of the best strategy RPGs I've played in years. The gameplay is fun and addicting, and the rest of the package offers more than enough incentive for me to play until the ending and beyond. Not only will series fans find another enjoyable entry, but it's easier than ever for new players to get into 'Disgaea,' with the Cheat Shop making grinding quite easy and most of the extra stuff not being forced upon them. Despite my doubts, 'Disgaea 5' sees the series come to the PS4 with all due grandeur. New player or series veteran, this is a fantastic SRPG that should not be passed up.
