Recent reviews by sWX

Disgaea is a series of endless grindfests with predictable writing and mainly one-note characters. So why recommend it?

Because somehow, through creative planning and dark magic, NIS has been able to make what should be a slog into an enjoyable gameplay loop of grinding maps, reincarnating your characters, entering and powering up your weapons and items, and then doing it all over again. They sprinkle all sorts of little curiosities into the grinding mix (which vary somewhat in each entry in the series) to make what should be boring into a fun journey to see just how crazy powerful you can customize your characters and just how deep into the equally crazy stat enemy territory you can dive.

I've played Disgaea 1, 2, D2, 4 and 5, and with 5 they seem to have upped the QOL stuff from the others to make the most enjoyable gameplay experience, taking a lot (though not all) of things that worked in previous titles and streamlining them to make them smoother. There are certain things they've removed that I miss, such as the master-pupil system and character relationships from D2, but in exchange they've done some interesting things with Evilities (equippable passives) and the Revenge System (which allows your characters access to more powerful moves after giving or taking enough damage, I believe).

A lot would say you should skip the story in D5, and they're not wrong in that it's not particularly strong, but to be honest, the series never has been (except perhaps the first entry) when it comes to story or characters. Everyone is very tropey and the jokes are quite predictable and, worst of all, overly repetitive. Thankfully, there's an option to skip just about every story scene to get you back to the good stuff.

The art and animation are clean and smooth, the music is mostly good with some strange tracks mixed in, and by getting the PC port you get all the DLC characters NIS overcharges for on console. After part 5, the artstyle changes from what are clearly sprites to some kind of mix of 2D and 3D that doesn't quite work for me, but YMMV. As it is, if you are curious about the series but don't plan to grind through all of them, 5 is a great entry to get a lot of the best of what the series is known for.

Meh.

Quick verdict summary: can be fun enough if bought on sale, but overall not worth non-sale prices.

I am new to most series included in this crossover beyond Persona, so this is my first experience with many of them. As of writing this, I do not own the "Version 2" "update" DLC, so I'm 9 characters and a few palette swaps short of the completed version of the game.

While a fun crossover idea between some nice series, this game sadly feels barebones in content beyond the number of characters, which would be more impressive if like 50% of them weren't paid for separately from the base game.

The modes available are what you'd expect from just about any fighting game: a serviceable but unimpressive Story Mode, a VS mode (where you can't earn in-game currency for some odd reason), a Training mode (where you can) and a Survival mode. The is no Arcade mode, strangely. You can also play Online, of course, though from what I hear it's not particularly popular; I play offline so I can't speak too much on that. Barring the odd exclusion of Arcade mode, it's all very standard and doesn't try anything new or unique.

This game doesn't feel like it has enough quality content or effort put into it to justify it's non-sale price tag. It feels like a game made to milk money from the various series' fans, since half of the roster are lazily included and the other are bought separately from the base game. The cast themselves are interesting and overall a plus -- Persona 3 and 4 are fairly well represented here, Blazblue and Under Night seem cool and pretty fun, RWBY comes off as bland and annoying (but that may just be how they're represented here and not indicative of the source, idk). There's a few other series too, with one or two reps each as DLC. With so much downloadable content, you can expect to spend a decent amount of money in achieving a completed roster. Alternate colors (not costumes, but palette swaps) can also be purchased separately.

The stage designs are colorful and gorgeous to look at, and the spritework is fluid and beautiful, giving a lot of personality to the characters. However, most of the sprites look like they were directly ported from previous games they appeared in (the various Blazblues, and Persona Arena, for example), which isn't a huge problem in itself until you notice that the new characters really stand out by looking vastly cleaner and better-outlined, making the ported characters look quite dated by comparison (for those who remember the infamous Morrigan sprite from the older Capcom Vs entries, it's reminiscent of that, but for like half the cast). It's unfortunate the older sprites couldn't have been given a facelift to match the new ones.

From what I hear, this game was supposed to continue with further DLC series and characters, but was cut short and is, for all intents and purposes, now finished.

If you love any of the series present, or you just love fighting games and don't mind a simple, by-the-book experience that doesn't do anything special, there is some fun to be had here. It's nice pairing up characters and seeing what some may say to each other. However, you should really consider buying on a hefty sale like I did so you won't feel disappointed by the lack of content or other issues mentioned above.

If you do decide to invest, know that when the game experiences discounts, buying the DLC piecemeal is often strangely cheaper than buying the "ultimate edition", and there's a pack for "DLC Vol 1-7", which doesn't seem to show that it includes Vol 7, but actually does.

This came Free with the game, and yet I feel like I overpaid for it.

I want to clarify that, while I don't recommend this game at full price, I actually can recommend this game at a discount (so read through before taking the thumbs-down as "never buy this!!")

PROS:
+Very nice graphics, character models, stage aesthetics, etc. The tech is spooky(-looking) and fitting.
+If you like horror-themed games (NOT "scary", mind you, just "horror-themed"), you'll further enjoy the aesthetics found here. The Killers you recognize have a nice, gory at times detail to them (well-known Survivors don't fair as nicely, though they're not too far off the mark).
+A decent variety of characters to use (with a very big "BUT..."). Each Survivor has their own (limited) personality, but the Killers especially shine (of course). Unlockable (via level progression) perks help to differentiate between characters. There are also one-use items you can bring to a stage to further add a little variety to character abilities.
+Multiplayer fun (assuming you like this kind of multiplayer game)! Best experienced if you have a group of friends who also happen to enjoy this and can get together for a session.
+Fairly well-balanced (I think). Killers aren't automatic-wins, and Survivors have more than one way to escape a stage. Some Survivors and Killers were obviously made stronger/easier than others, but it's possible to win a round with any character.

CONS:
--Pretty much any- and everything you see in the store costs either real money, OR in-game money AND real money together. No unlockable characters, costumes, etc just for playing, and even if you don't mind spending money, most things also require you to not just open your wallet but ALSO complete challenges in the game for the in-game currency (so even if you don't mind spending some money, don't expect to be able to just grab your new costume right away).
--Related to the above, well-known horror icons are all locked behind paywall(s). Makes sense, but still sad there aren't ways to unlock at least a few more characters just by playing the game.
--Survivor sounds (although likely made to sound intentionally annoying for gameplay reasons).
--As a multiplayer game, your level of fun is going to depend on who you are playing with. Best to bring friends rather than depend on randoms (though there are some decent players out there, too).
--Like many multiplayer games, there is no single-player content of any kind. Once the servers are done, your time with the game is done. As of my writing this, the game is multiplayer 100%, so know what you're getting into first!

Based on these factors, I cannot recommend buying this game at full price, BUT I think at a hefty discount you can get your money's worth and have some fun with it. Wait until it's on sale and give it a try, especially if you A) like multiplayer games in this style, and/or B) like horror-themed multiplayer (again, NOT scary, but themed around horror characters and icons). There is definitely fun to be had here, but keep your expectations in check. And unless you have money to burn (and wouldn't rather spend it on a whole new game or some new clothes), get used to those default characters.

Trials of Mana is a rare example of a remake where the script and art direction remain true to the original, but the technology has been updated for modern audiences. Whereas many other remakes (/"re-imaginings") have a pension for rewriting dialogue and redesigning characters -- often swapping out old-school cliches for modern-day cliches, and changing the personality and tone of the game to suit whatever modern ideology or trope is being pushed by the company -- Trials of Mana remains largely faithful to its SNES counterpart. As far as I can tell, the script, plot, art and characterization are largely and lovingly carried over from Seiken Densetsu 3, but given a modern tech facelift. What little has been added in the post-game is inoffensive (perhaps a bit sillier in tone?) but arguably fits.

PROS:
-The rare faithful remake! Tech/graphics are updated, writing/art/music is preserved.
-The world and characters are bright and colorful. The art direction is as great as ever.
-The characters have a nice anime-style look that seems like a fitting progression from the SNES sprites.
-Special moves are flashy and fun, and there is a large number spread out amongst the many classes.
-A skill system was added for a little extra customization.
-Mana music is amazing, and you are given the choice of hearing the updated tracks or the original ones.
-Voicework is overall good, though I've addressed it further below in "Pros/Cons".
-Modding is possible.

CONS:
-Denuvo.
-Difficulty balance is a bit off.
--Expect an easy time, even on Hard, until you suddenly and unexpectedly hit a rare unrelenting boss.
--NG+ only makes things easier. You may want to consider only sticking to New Game instead, though you'll miss out on a few skills.
-Repetition regarding bosses.
--Most bosses have a phase you'll encounter multiple times per fight where they go invulnerable, charge up a super (possibly insta-kill) attack, and leave you hoping your allies will help you destroy multiple new targets to interrupt it. You can deal with it, but it gets annoying and dull after a few times.
--You will have to many bosses again towards the end of the game (this may or may not bother you).

PRO/CON
-Voicework is a very subjective topic, and your personal preferences will likely determine whether you like it.
--Charlotte has a speech impediment which I personally find interesting due to its rarity in game acting.
--Many NPCs share the same flamboyant voice probably better-suited to a main character.
-Few extras added other than a short, mostly inconsequential postgame story.

Trials of Mana is a personal favorite example of a remake done right, and I highly recommend it. You don't need knowledge of the series or the original to enjoy it, as it is a self-contained story. There's also a substantial demo available if you still aren't sure, where you can try out each of the main character's intro.

Essentially a demo for Phantom Pain that was sold as a full price game, filled to the brim with repetitive activities on a solitary map, with Kojima inserting nonstop references to his own work and himself like a self-important narcissist. What may begin as a fun little stealth romp very quickly devolves into boredom as you skulk the same areas again and again with little changing other than enemy positions and the weather. The solitary reason one would even consider the experience of wasting time in Ground Zeroes would be the meager unlocks you get for the Phantom Pain, which mostly amount to a couple costumes and a handful of recruits who will become quickly outclassed anyway. If that's really worth it to you, then do yourself a favor and only purchase Ground Zeroes at a SEVERE discount. This overhyped demo really is not worth your money.

+ Gameplay is very fun -- killing zombies in varied and creative ways, leveling for new skills, finding blueprints to create interesting weapons, it's all a satisfying experience and the game gives you constant new 'toys' to keep the mayhem fresh.

+/- If you distract yourself from the story by taking out zombies for fun, you can find yourself at max level really quickly (and on your first playthrough).
+/- Optional tag-along Survivors can easily be cheesed to death via zombie stunlocking.

- Writing is unremarkable, paling in comparison to the original Dead Rising, although main characters are still (mostly) likeable. Revelations are usually easily and immediately predictable, but can still be enjoyable regardless. Some tag-along Survivors are just plain annoying.

+++ It's not Dead Rising 4.