Overview – developed by Nippon Ichi Software and published by NIS America, Disgaea 7 Complete is the enhanced and definitive version of the latest SRPG title in the series. As the wayward warrior Fuji and the otaku Pirilika, cause chaos across the Hinotomo Netherworlds, fighting demons, making money and learning the way of Bushido. This version of the game is available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2, with a link to the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank NIS America for providing the copy of Disgaea 7 Complete used for this piece, via the Keymailer Service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. I have previously covered the previous version of this game, so a lot of the content will be more or less the same as the previous review (HERE) alongside the rest of the series (HERE). But I will be covering the new content that has been added, quality of life improvements and general experience, while trying to remain spoiler free.
Story – The Hinotomo Netherworlds, a diverse collection of regions including the casino city, the fishing village of the giant sardine and the capital Ewwdo. Throughout this netherworld, the people once followed a code of honor, the way of Bushido. However, when the lands of Hinomoto were seized by the evil Demmodore Opener, Bushido was replaced with the code of Destruction. Now the noble warriors of Hinomoto and the way of Bushido are a distant memory.
This story is about Pirilika, a girl obsessed with Hinomoto and the way of Bushido, who meets Fuji, a boy who has no care for the code of honor. These two become unexpected allies, as they work together to fulfil their goals. Pirilika wants to return Hinomoto to the ways of Bushido, and Fuji wants to become filthy rich. So they set out to take down the evil Opener, encountering many unique inhabitants of Hinomoto during their journey.
Gameplay – Disgaea 7 is the comedic strategy RPG that players have come to know and love, with chaotic turn based battles, a colorful cast of characters and over the top attacks. The story takes place across the different netherworlds of Hinomoto, with each of the areas appearing in their own chapters. As the player makes their way through the netherworlds, players will encounter odd and unique characters while battling demons and monsters.
The core of the gameplay experience stays the same as the others, with the stage based battles with story events that often occur before and after. Chapters are made up of several battles, where the objective is simple, wipe out the enemy before they do the same to you. In each battle, the player will be able to deploy up to 10 units from their base, giving them various commands during the turn. The turns alternate between player and enemy.
During a turn, the player is able to give several commands to their unit. The most basic is Move, which shows a grid of max distance to deploy the unit, positioning them for other actions. All of the units have the capability to use a basic attack, where they will strike an enemy with their equipped weapon or fist if unarmed. Then there are the skills, which offer unique special moves and spells, which are affected by the type and class of the unit.
Many of the character specific special attacks have comedic elements to them, while others are just cool as HELL. These include Fuji’s ultimate slash that cuts through reality itself, or Pirilika and her enlargement ray that causes her Prinny to grow huge and crush everything, while she takes a selfie. There are also common special attacks that have unique animations, which are tied to the class and not the characters themselves.
Alongside the movement and attacks, the player will be able to use items, with various effects that can support the unit that uses it or others. They can also pick up and throw objects, as well as other units to either get them out of the way or to reposition them. If the unit wants to brace for an attack, they can use guard to try and reduce the damage they will take. Each unit can make one movement action and one other action per turn.
Once actions have been assigned to a unit, the player will be able to execute them or assign actions to another unit. If multiple units have actions assigned to them, they will go off in order and can set up combos, dealing massive damage to enemies. Players will be able to execute the actions when they feel the time is right, adding to the strategy of battles. When the player chooses to end their turn, any actions that have yet to be executed will play out.
After the player has made their turn, the enemy will make theirs. Being able to perform many of the same actions that the player can, often working together to target single units if they are close to each other. There will also be neutral units that can act, making their own moves against either the player or enemy. The neutral units act independently, with their moves occurring between the player and enemy turns.
During battles there are two special modes that players can use, which can cause massive catastrophic damage to the enemies. The first is HELL Mode, which is a special bar that will be filled when named characters take damage. When active, the unit will gain enhanced powers that grant them an ultimate power attack. This powered-up state will last for a limited number of turns, but can end early if the units ultimate skill is used.
Then there is Jumbification, a special skill that turns units into literal Kaiju level threats. By filling the Revenge meter, the player will be able to activate the skill of Jumbification, selecting a unit to turn them into a giant. This places them outside the battle field, allowing them to strike a massive area to devastate foes. The enemy can Jumbify their own units, which means that the player will be able to directly attack the opposing giant.
As the player cuts down their foes, their units will gain experience and level up. When a unit levels up they will gain improved skills, with more health, damage and improving their general capabilities. Units will also gain mastery of their weapons and class, allowing new skills to be obtained, as well as new classes that can be recruited. Players will also be able to obtain items in battle, from opening chests, killing foes or by stealing them with skills.
There is also a feature that allows players to set up automatic battles, using the Demonic Intelligence mechanic. This allows the player to set up a series of inctructions for a unit to follow, allowing them to act in a way that mimics autonomous A.I. in battle. However, this can only be used on previously cleared stages and requires a special resource, which is used during the battles. This mechanic is unlocked during the course of the story.
When the stage has been cleared, the player will be given rewards of the currency HL (hell), experience for the Juice bar and special rewards for clearing challenges. These bonus objectives include clearing the stage in a set number of turns, the number of units lost, units deployed and more. By clearing these objectives, players can obtain weapons, armor and other special rewards to enhance their characters for later battles.
Outside of battles, the player will be able to explore the Nethership, the home base that has a style which is themed around Hinomoto and Feudal Japan. While on the ship, the player will be able to roam freely, interacting with the various NPC residents of the ship. These include the Rosen Queen Shop, where new gear can be purchased, while selling items that aren’t wanted. Then there is the skill shop, where skills can be improved for a cost.
There is also the Scout, which is where new units and classes can be added to the team, starting with just a few and expanding as the player progresses. The quest shop is where players can take on missions, granting special rewards for successful completion. There is the Juice Bar, which lets the player boost their units, using the Juice Bar experience built up in battles. By using the Juice Bar, players will be able to balance their unit levels away from battle.
Returning again is the Dark Assembly, where players are able to vote and pass bills to unlock new features, mechanics and even character classes. This has even more Japanese style attached to it, with the delegates of the Assembly taking the form of Sumo Wrestlers, battling it out during votes. The Netherworld Hospital has also been boosted, gaining Gacha points for using the hospital facilities, with special and rare gear available in EVIL GACHA.
On the netherworld ship, the player will be able to access the Dimension Gate, where the player goes to the stages. But the player can also visit the netherworlds that have been cleared, in a feature called Netherworld Sightseeing. While here, the player will be able to roam a small area, interacting with residents accessing some special challenges. The player may be able to recruit some special allies to their party from these visits.
There is also the Item World gate, where the player can go into items and access the dungeons within. While delving into the items, there will be powerful enemies that reside inside of it, but there will also be special items and rewards that players can obtain. These dungeons are made up of floors, with a limit that is affected by the level of the item. Players can also use Item Reincarnation, which can cause special unique items to be crafted.
While in the Nethership, there is so much to explore and interact with. Players can view their records, seeing the things they have accomplishes. The cheat shop makes a return, letting players adjust how resources are gained, like experience, money and mastery. There is even the ability to access Online battles, where players from across the world can battle it out with teams of units, earning rating points for success.
Much like the other COMPLETE releases of Disgaea games, there are additional features that have been added to the game. The most significant is that all previously released DLC is available from the start, with all of the additional guest characters, weapons and more. All of this additional content further expands the gameplay experience, as the returning characters have their own battle chapters. These need to be cleared to recruit them.
Within the character packs, all of the protagonists and key characters appear, with Laharl, Etna, Fuka and Valvatorez to name a few. All of these characters have their own unique skills, traits and mechanics that make them stand out. They also have their own unique character icons, for those who want to show love for their favourite characters. But that is not all that this title has to offer players, both new and returning from the base release.
There is additional in game content that has been added, including new story content that players can enjoy after the main story. There is also the ability to remove the stat limit for units, allowing them to surpass all limits and become crazy powerful. A new bill can be unlocked in Dark Assembly, enabling HELL Mode for all characters in battles. But for those who want the ultimate challenge, a new ultra powerful Superboss can be unlocked.
While all of the expansion content from the DLC season pass has been included, there is still optional DLC material that can be purchased. These are bonus support items, giving players a boost in their early gameplay experience. These additional support packs will provide the player with money, experience boosts and items to fast track progress for players that may struggle. While most of the packs are paid for, there is a free support pack for all players.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – the controls for Disgaea 7 are intuitive and responsive, with menu navigation, map control and general gameplay being comfortable to use. There are on screen tooltips for players to keep up with the controls, being a helpful resource for players. The controls for the game are comfortable, with no problems when it comes to input delay or lag, with all compatible controllers working well with this game.
Difficulty – this may be the most approachable in the series, with an easy to get into opening section. The tutorials are detailed and are a great way to ease new players in, while also refreshing those who are returning. The difficulty of this game escalates at a fairly steady pace, with a sudden difficulty spikes during important points. This is a trademark of the Disgaea series, but with all of the bonus content, it can be made a little more forgiving.
Presentation – the original Disgaea 7 was well optimised, but had compromises made for Switch 1. However, this version has been enhanced with more consistent frame rate, enhanced lighting, resolution and general performance. The anime style art, 3D models and environments have a gorgeous Cel Shaded look to them, which has become the Standard for NIS. In motion, all of the animations are buttery smooth and over the top as always.
The game performs flawlessly, with even the most demanding elements being lag-free. Then there is the soundtrack, which is a mix of rock, synth and classic Japanese instrumentation. This adds to the atmosphere on show, building on the theme of Feudal Japan. There is also a dual Japanese and English voice over, with the English dub featuring the talents of Lisa Reimold (Dungeon Meshi) and Caitlin Glass (My Hero Academia).
Final Thoughts – as a long-time fan of Disgaea, and having enjoyed the regular release of Disgaea 7, this complete version excited me when it was announced. When given the opportunity to play this updated release, I was more than happy to jump in. This is the definitive version of what was the biggest Disgaea title to date, with additional content that makes it even bigger. The improved visuals further enhanced the experience, which remedied the hiccups on Switch 1.
While there were some limitations with the previous version, needing performance and quality settings, this version fully realises the vision in a handheld format. For those who picked up the previous Switch release, they will be able to transfer existing save data. This allows players to continue their adventure, with the new content. I am more than happy to recommend this game to everyone, my only complaint being that the physical is on a game key card.
In the end, I give Disgaea 7 Complete a final score of 5/5. This takes what was already the biggest and I feel best Disgaea title, adding more gameplay content, enhanced visuals and all of the expansion content, in a single definitive release. if you want to check this release out for yourself, a link to the game will be below.
Link to Nintendo Switch 2 eShop (HERE)
W.Kohaku Media 