Wanna get to level 9999? Disgaea 7 is as over-the-top as RPGs get, and that's a good thing

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SHOULD I PLAY DISGAEA 7?

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is a return to form for the Disgaea series. It’s a perfect blend of grinding, boundary-breaking gameplay, and silly storytelling. If you’re not a fan of the franchise, it probably won’t win you over, but if you’ve enjoyed other Disgaea titles or are curious about the series, this is a game you won’t want to miss. I’ve enjoyed every second I’ve spent with Disgaea 7 so far, and I’ll be back to review the post-game once I finally make it to the end.

TIME PLAYED

I’ve played around ten hours of Disgaea 7 so far, which is basically nothing in Disgaea time. I’m on the third chapter of the storyline, but most of my gameplay sessions have been devoted to grinding for money, experience, and other resources. The true joy of Disgaea isn’t mastering its systems; it’s about breaking them. I’ve already discovered all kinds of exploits, and I can’t wait to dig up more of Disgaea 7’s secrets.

WHAT’S AWESOME ABOUT DISGAEA 7?

• Incredibly addictive gameplay. Playing a Disgaea game is like getting an IV drip of dopamine. The series is all about excess, and that means it’s constantly throwing rewards your ways. Characters are always leveling up—sometimes gaining tens or hundreds of levels at a time—new abilities are constantly being unlocked, and new, shiny loot is always being thrown your way. The grindy gameplay isn’t for everyone, but man, this is a game that feels really good to play.

Disgaea 6 introduced some unpopular features to the franchise, but Disgaea 7 has walked those back. There’s no more auto-battling, there are tons of classes to unlock, and the level cap is back at 9,999. There are also some awesome new features, like the ability to transform into a giant that towers  over the map. This is Disgaea at its best, and if you’re into that, you’re in for an awesome time.

• Folks, it’s got gacha (with in-game currency—no real money involved). Gacha feels like a natural fit for Disgaea, so I’m thrilled to report that it’s a part of Disgaea 7 . Healing your characters after battle earns you a currency you can spend on a gachapon machine, and those gacha pulls can unlock powerful items, new skills, and other awesome bonuses. Having an extra incentive to take damage was an absolute blast, and I spent an embarrassing amount of time beating up my party so that I could feed more coins into the gacha machine.

• Fun cast of characters. Disgaea games don’t need a great cast to be awesome, but it definitely helps. Disgaea 7 taps into what I consider to be the classic Disgaea formula. There’s a grouchy anti-hero that’s much nicer than he appears to be, an overly enthusiastic girl, a guy that absolutely does not want to be there, and plenty of weirdos to round out the mix. I’ve really enjoyed the dialogue and setting so far, and I’m excited to dive deeper into the story.

• Gorgeous visuals. I’ve never played Disgaea for its looks, but Disgaea 7 is awfully pretty. The vibrant color scheme is stunning. Cherry blossoms drift through the sky as you walk through the overworld. Old familiar sprites look better than they ever have, and the new sprites look pretty amazing too. Special moves have skippable animations, but some of them looked so good that I watched them every time they played. Disgaea will never be a graphical powerhouse, but this game looks pretty fantastic.

WHAT SUCKS ABOUT DISGAEA 7?

• Story content can’t always be skipped. You can skip most story sequences in Disgaea with the push of a button, but I encountered a couple of scenes that I wasn’t able to skip. At one point, I wanted to restart a battle so that I could find the best opening strategy, but I had to sit through the same scene every time I started over, which was pretty frustrating. This isn’t a major issue, but it’s definitely annoying when it crops up.

• It’s easy to miss essential features. Disgaea 7 has tons of tutorials, but there are also features you could overlook if you don’t go searching for them. The gacha mechanic I raved about earlier is never formally introduced to the player. It’s only unlocked if you pass a bill through the senate, which means players could go the entire game without seeing it. In a game like Disgaea, finding hidden features is part of the fun, but I’m worried that new players might miss out on some of the best parts of the game.

💬 Will you get your characters to level 9,999 in Disgaea 7, or do you prefer games with a more reasonable level cap? Share your favorite Disgaea game in the comments!