[Review] Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny

Strategy RPGs have always been my weakest suit because I suck at strategizing (which is one reason why I get bodied in fighting games). That being said, I've played the Disgaea series since the first game, Hour of Darkness, way back on the PlayStation 2. As such, I was interested when Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny was announced. The game features a brand new protagonist, Zed, and is the series' first game to use 3D sprites. In addition, it’s the first new Disgaea game in 6 years, and a Nintendo Switch exclusive (in the West anyway).

The game's official website states that: "Zed is a boastful zombie who wallows on the lowest rung on the Netherworld ladder alongside his sister Bieko. When a God of Destruction threatens their way of (un)life, Zed must harness his unique ability of Super Reincarnation to stand against the approaching menace. Along the way, he will unite with twisted and colorful denizens of the Netherworld, face challenges around and within, and see if even an undying hooligan like himself can defy the odds!"

As with other strategy role-playing games, the battles are more like traditional strategy games, such as chess. You have to come up with a strategy to win, and carry it out. As with real life, nothing goes as planned, so you need to be able to adapt your strategy as conditions change. Battles play out on isometric maps and have you control your party of up to 10 characters at a time. You move your party on the map to get closer to or away from the enemy. It is here that you can also use skills and items.

Your main objective on the maps is to destroy all the enemies. Doing so will, as in other games, give you experience (EXP) and money. As in other games, the experience is used to level up your brigade. However, here's the thing. In Disgaea 6, leveling only gets you so far. You need to Super Reincarnate, which resets your level, but leaves your current stats alone and carries them over to your new incarnation. You also get bonus points based on your level when you Super Reincarnate to put in a stat of your choosing. Speaking of your levels, max level is 99,999,999 and damage can exceed 10,000,000,000,000,000. So, yeah… that's a thing.

Fear not! To help make grinding for EXP, and therefore leveling up less of a pain, Disgaea 6 features a host of customizable settings such as Auto-Battle and Auto-Repeat. The former makes the computer take control and play maps on your behalf, white Auto-Repeat automatically goes back into whatever map you’re currently on. There's also a Cheat Shop, where you can adjust cheats, like increasing enemy strength (giving you more EXP), and decreasing the amount of money you get while also increasing how much EXP you receive.

The game even has a new system called Demonic Intelligence that is reminiscent of Final Fantasy XII’s Gambit System. It lets you decide what the Auto-Battle AI does, based on 3 criteria: When, To Who, and Do What. This system can get really in-depth. For instance, just the When criteria alone can have about 45 different options that you choose from. That being said, I would not recommend trying to turning on a Demonic Intelligence set, turning on Auto-Battle, and just having the game play the entirety of itself for you. The reason being that certain maps have hazards that you have to avoid, so it would be best if you avoided them manually.

The man behind the soundtrack of every single Disgaea title, Sato Tenpei returned for Disgaea 6. As such, the signature whimsical, tender, majestic flavorings of the soundtrack is present, thankfully. The game features Japanese and English language audio, which is always a good thing. The English cast includes Brandon Winckler, Jason Marnocha, Michelle Marie, Sam Riegel, Cindy Robinson, Michelle Ruff, and Suzie Yeung.

In addition, there's also downloadable content (DLC), mostly with characters from other NIS games that you can use in your party. However, the one DLC that caught my attention is a free DLC set that is a collaboration with Japanese Virtual YouTuber (VTuber) agency Hololive, featuring characters/classes chosen and voiced by talents Tsunomaki Watame, Uruha Rushia, Shirakami Fubuki, Shiranui Flare, and Omaru Polka. Honestly, this particular DLC was the main draw for me because I've been watching Hololive, and VTubers in general, for about a year now. I'm glad I picked up the DLC, as the Hololive talents' personalities really shine through, and there are even references to their VTuber selves when you talk to them. It’s worth noting that the DLC Hololive characters’ voices are only in Japanese regardless of which audio option you choose.

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The accessibility in Disgaea 6 is quite good. The only time you will need to use the shoulder buttons is while you're at your base and that's just to switch between characters while checking their stats, equipment, and such. So that is a huge plus. Also, to move, you can use either the D-Pad or left stick. Battles are turn-based and you use the same movement options to traverse the map, then the D-Pad or left stick and the face buttons to issue commands. These commands include the usual suspects such as Move, Attack, and Item, but also Disgaea-specific ones like Lift, and Throw.

I only have two issues with the game, the first being more of a problem than just an issue. As I stated earlier, Disgaea 6 is the first game in the series to use 3D sprites. Unfortunately, these sprites lack that certain soul, compared to the 2D sprites in previous games. This isn't a deal-breaker for me, but it is still rather unfortunate and something to keep in mind. The second issue is with the framerate. While using the Auto-Battle feature at 2x speed, while grinding EXP using Auto-Repeat, the framerate has taken a hit when spawning the party. I know this is most likely because the game is trying to load all 10 party members at once and at 2x speed on top of that, but it is still an issue, no matter how minor. Also, keep in mind, my Switch is always docked, so that is a huge tell.

Whether or not I would recommend Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny ultimately depends on whether or not you enjoy strategy RPGs. The new features like Auto-Battle and Auto-Repeat make the game easier, but there are times where you need to think. The story is grim yet tender and zany fun. Plus, Disgaea 6 is a game that you can play with one hand. Although, if you're still on the fence, you can always try the free demo that's on the Nintendo eShop.

Game Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Accessibility Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny was developed by Nippon Ichi Software and published by NIS America. It was released on 2021.07.29 for the Nintendo Switch and is rated T for Teen. As of this writing, it retails for $59.99 USD at all the usual players -- your local retailer, Amazon, and the Nintendo eShop. NIS America graciously gave me a copy of Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny for review, and I would like to sincerely thank them for doing so.