Disgaea 5 Complete (Nintendo Switch) Second Opinion Review

Don't be discouraged from the '5' in the title, as Disgaea 5 doesn't require any knowledge of past episodes. Furthermore, the plot is nothing that complex to begin with, as it's just a stereotypical fantasy tale, where a bunch of heroes group together to bring down the evil lord of… evil, or something. Not a problem, though, as this mainly tries to be funny, not deep or anything.

If there's a flaw when it comes to the storytelling, it would only be the fact that this much emphasis on anime-fuelled humour hurts things immersion-wise, and creates a bit of a detachment between the player and the characters. Moreover, some will probably prefer to switch to the Japanese voice-acting, as the English one can be a bit way over the top and cringy at times - even more than the modern comedic anime standards.

Of course, few are here for the storyline, as Disgaea's heart and soul has always been the battlefield, and, frankly, it's still got it. The best thing about the fights is the fact there are many things that can be done. When most SRPGs are all about issuing orders that either move a unit or force it to attack or use a unique skill, characters in here can do much more than that, with some examples being combos, unique special states that get triggered in very specific occasions, all sorts of abilities, and even the chance to lift and throw a fellow hero, effectively extending the movement range.

The thing is, though, that Disgaea 5 Complete can be pretty overwhelming at first, even towards long-time veterans of the genre, as it throws in tons of new terms, mechanics, et cetera, way too soon, and while everything can and will be explained, either through a tutorial, or via the in-game help menu, some will require a couple of hours to digest. Oh, and don't go in here expecting a simple 20-hour ride or something like that, as this is actually the Skyrim of SRPGS!

Unfortunately, the 100+ hours that can be spent here won't be everyone's cup of tea, and for several reasons. One of the initial disappointments this will offer is the low challenge of it all. Strategy aficionados will simply gawk at how easy it is to wipe the first couple of chapters out, and without much effort, as little strategy will be needed, since some of the main characters turn out to be so overpowered that some players will actually check if they have accidentally picked the low difficulty setting.

Eventually, Disgaea 5 will get less of a walk in the park - not substantially, but it will certainly start to pose a threat on your skills. The problem? While definitely a game that requires some good ol' grey matter, strategy will get slightly pushed aside, as the whole thing becomes a grinding marathon. Of course, any Disgaea fan knows that that's not mindless grinding, because, typical of the series, it's possible (and advised) to meddle with the in-game mechanics in all sorts of ways in order to strengthen your heroes… but it all boils down to fighting the same battles over and over again in order to do so.

It should be mentioned once more for all those fans who are gathering their pitchforks and torches right now: Disgaea 5 might be a fantastic game (the Complete version offered here is the very best one), and this lone reviewer is happy that you enjoy it - but this article isn't for you. While there are literally tons of things to do here, and although the battle mechanics are insanely deep… it's all way too confusing for its own sake; complicated for the sake of being so. In other words, it's not a game that follows the "less is more" way of thinking.

One last try for those not convinced: for some of us, the closest a SRPG is to chess the better - simple to learn, hard to master, even with all the additional RPG bells and whistles. Sadly, this soon starts feeling more like a grind-heavy MMORPG. Sure, it's possible to spend a lifetime with it and still find different ways to experiment with its gazillion systems, but it's pretty much the same kind of repetitive and slightly above average experience.