Disgaea 5 Complete
- October 22, 2018
- Nippon Ichi Software, Inc.
- 46h median play time
Full story of the original with 8 new scenarios, 4 fan favorite characters, and 3 character classes from the Disgaea series.
Reviews
- Great gameplay with a lot of depth and customization options.
- Humorous and light-hearted story that adds charm to the game.
- Endless grinding and replayability, making it a perfect game for fans of the genre.
- Missing online features that were present in console versions, leading to disappointment among fans.
- The story is considered weak and filled with cliches, lacking the depth of previous entries.
- Some technical issues and bugs, including crashes and graphical glitches.
- story645 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in Disgaea 5 has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it to be less engaging compared to earlier entries in the series. While some appreciate the humor and character interactions, others criticize it for being generic, predictable, and filled with clichés. Overall, the narrative serves primarily as a vehicle for gameplay, with many players opting to skip through it to focus on the more enjoyable tactical elements and extensive post-game content.
“The story follows Killia, a mysterious and determined demon, as he assembles a motley crew of rebels to take down the evil Void Dark.”
“The plot is filled with humor, drama, and unexpected twists, but the real charm lies in the hilarious cast of characters that make every interaction memorable.”
“As I will say that I very much liked it, the story might not be as groundbreaking, but it is certainly a story that I would call endearing and it certainly gave me a smile often by how it is presented, the mix of seriousness and lightheartedness in the story is what Disgaea always did and it certainly still does that.”
“The story is mediocre, sound effects and voices don't feel right at times and the post game grind is very tedious.”
“The writing is awful, and introductions for the two protagonists of the story are clumsy and off-putting with none of the charm of Laharl and Etna's introductions.”
“The story is boring - it's all about the gameplay.”
- gameplay362 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Disgaea 5 is widely praised as the best in the series, featuring a wealth of mechanics that enhance strategic depth and replayability. Players appreciate the introduction of new systems like the revenge mode and squad mechanics, which add layers of complexity while streamlining previous features for a more accessible experience. However, the overwhelming number of mechanics can be daunting for newcomers, and many reviews note that the story and characters are less compelling compared to the engaging gameplay.
“The game introduces new mechanics like the revenge mode and squad system, adding layers of strategy that keep battles fresh and engaging.”
“With its addictive gameplay, rich customization, and endless content, it’s a game that will keep you coming back for more.”
“Disgaea 5 is the definitive Disgaea experience, the result of constant upgrades and slight changes to gameplay with each iteration in the series finally coming together in one package of sheer awesomeness.”
“The main problem I have with this game is that it forces you to go through the story in order to unlock most of its gameplay features.”
“The gameplay is typical Disgaea stuff but with an added grind that sadly isn't as rewarding or satisfying compared to other Disgaea games.”
“Keeping in mind my last adventure with one of the previous installments a couple of years ago, I received exactly what I expected in terms of gameplay: tons of repetitive grind-like mechanics with some additions since then, making things even more complicated.”
- grinding233 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of Disgaea 5 is a defining feature, with many players finding it both extensive and enjoyable, thanks to improved quality of life features that streamline the process. While the game is inherently grindy, it offers a variety of systems and mechanics that make the experience engaging rather than tedious, appealing to fans of character optimization and min-maxing. However, those averse to grinding may find the repetitive nature of the gameplay off-putting, as significant grinding is often necessary to fully experience the game's content and challenges.
“The whole story can be cleared with minimal or no grinding, but the grind is so enjoyable you'll end up grinding anyways.”
“Excellent story, fun (but quite repetitive gameplay), a lot of party members (including characters from previous titles), a ton of classes, tons of weapons, tons of character attributes, weapon mastery, an improved version of the item world, the character world is fun now (feels more like Mario Party) and a post-game campaign that will kick your ass for not grinding.”
“You can get really far in the game with little to no grinding.”
“It's honestly akin to a slightly more complex Pokémon game but infinitely more tedious.”
“The process is mind-numbingly repetitive and tedious because there's about 3-4 in-between steps you need to do to just change a subclass.”
“The grinding is also a whole lot easier, the farming is faster and the challenge is... nowhere near the level of old.”
- humor111 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a defining feature, characterized by quirky characters, witty dialogue, and a light-hearted tone that often blends absurdity with heartfelt moments. While many players appreciate the comedic elements and find them engaging, some note that the humor can be niche or repetitive, with varying effectiveness across the series. Overall, the game successfully delivers a fun and entertaining experience, particularly for fans of anime-style humor and character-driven narratives.
“The plot is filled with humor, drama, and unexpected twists, but the real charm lies in the hilarious cast of characters that make every interaction memorable.”
“If you love funny, quirky characters with a silly at times but also wholesome atmosphere, the roster excels in bringing a lot of comedy and heartfelt moments.”
“The humor is over the top and every character is an obvious caricature.”
“Very much like in the past, but this time not funny at all.”
- music88 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the high-quality soundtrack and its ability to capture the game's playful and epic tone. While some tracks are considered memorable and enjoyable, others are described as lackluster or not fitting the game's stages well. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a solid aspect of the game, though it may not reach the iconic status of previous entries in the series.
“The soundtrack is also a highlight, perfectly capturing the game’s playful and epic tone.”
“Disgaea really doesn't let you down when it comes to soundtracks.”
“The soundtrack is fantastic, the voiced songs are some of my favorite in JRPGs, the instrumentals are good and there's a wide variety.”
“The soundtrack is lackluster in volume, but the key tracks that are used are great to listen to.”
“I wish I could purge this experience from my memory entirely and get this theme song out of my head.”
“One of the things that gets tiresome in a grindy random dungeon game is that the music in the game is always the same and it gets mind-numbing after hearing the same verse over and over.”
- graphics82 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of Disgaea 5 are praised for their vibrant, anime-inspired visuals and expressive character designs, maintaining the series' signature art style while incorporating improved HD sprites. However, some players noted issues with graphical glitches, stuttering animations, and a lack of meaningful optimization for PC, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, many reviewers appreciated the charming artwork and the game's visual appeal, considering it a significant upgrade from earlier titles in the series.
“The art style of Disgaea 5 remains true to the series’ roots, with vibrant, anime-inspired visuals and expressive character designs.”
“The graphics look great (even if it's only 720p) and I couldn't imagine a higher resolution making that much of an impact on things.”
“The artwork in the game is fantastic, being very clean 2D art on 3D environments.”
“I cannot recommend due to a glitch in the graphics where many items and such in many maps flicker and glitch out.”
“I'm a bit disappointed after all this time there's not much change in the graphics, I feel like they could have done a lot more.”
“Graphics - 5/10 it's not a completely ugly game but it certainly isn't where the game shines.”
- replayability22 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Disgaea 5 is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, offering endless customization options, complex post-game content, and numerous classes that encourage multiple playthroughs. Players appreciate the game's ability to provide thousands of hours of engaging gameplay, with mechanics like character reincarnation and a wealth of secrets to discover, making it a standout in the strategy RPG genre. Overall, the replay value is considered one of the game's most significant strengths, with many reviewers noting it as nearly limitless.
“One of the standout features of Disgaea 5 is its replayability.”
“The replay value is practically endless.”
“While it could be compared to old school classics like Final Fantasy Tactics or the Fire Emblem games, it is really a genre of its own for the variety of ways there are to solve puzzles and the immense quantity of secrets to be found and things to be unlocked, both of which contribute to huge replay value.”
“This game is the definitive Japanese strategy/tactics role-playing game, and you'd be hard pressed to find one that comes anywhere near to offering the amount of content, challenge, replayability, and strategy required to beat the content.”
- character development18 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Character development in Disgaea 5 is visually striking, featuring vibrant, anime-inspired designs that fans appreciate, but many reviewers feel it lacks depth compared to earlier entries in the series. While the game offers a variety of character progression options and amusing interactions, some players find the main characters too trope-heavy and the overall development feels rushed. Despite these critiques, the game's artistic integrity and lively animations are consistently praised, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate its unique style and gameplay mechanics.
“The character designs are simply stunning, embodying the iconic Disgaea art style I adore.”
“I will not pretend that these games are for everyone, but for those who enjoy a mix of strategy and role-playing character development, with virtually limitless scope to your many species of characters and monsters' power progression and the challenges they can take on to test those powers, along with some amusing character interactions and a decent story to boot... well, I can think of few games better than this one.”
“Character sprites are always lively and full of animation; artistic integrity is never spared when creating the amazing battle animations and character designs.”
“Overall it's a fairly good Disgaea game that felt rushed in terms of the character development.”
“If you're looking for a game that is more heavily story-oriented and delivers a strong hook, you might be soured by the slow buildup in Disgaea's character development.”
“Main game with story, random dungeon, character development, item development, character perk combination, etc. there are many things to do to improve characters' power.”
- emotional17 mentions
- 82 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke a wide range of feelings, from laughter to tears, thanks to its quirky characters and heartfelt storytelling. Players appreciate the blend of comedy and touching moments, with relatable themes of personal struggle and growth, although some feel that the humor can sometimes undermine the more serious elements. Overall, the game is recognized for its engaging narrative that resonates emotionally, despite some criticisms regarding voice acting and pacing.
“It made me laugh and it made me cry, which is more than I can say for most of the media that I consume, so this game has my full endorsement as a work of art.”
“Killia dragging around his past regrets and emotional pain is also relatable.”
“I will fully admit I cried a couple of times playing through the story campaign, especially when dealing with the aforementioned sad little girl's struggles.”
“It is fun, I admit, but not enough to carry a boring story.”
“I recommend a cheat engine to make an overpowered character to pass some of the boring story.”
- optimization17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag, with some users praising its smooth controls and overall performance, while others report intermittent stuttering and issues in high-resolution graphics. While the game is designed for extensive grinding and character optimization, players may experience performance drops during combat and in windowed mode. Overall, it appears that while there are moments of great optimization, significant performance issues persist.
“This game almost has too many different things you can do on the side, and if maximum optimization is your goal, you can get overloaded pretty soon.”
“Play for the story, stay for incredibly in-depth, endless grinding and optimization with challenging post-game content.”
“All of its features are designed around it at the core - you are clearly meant to abuse the system on purpose and make the most cheesy optimized characters as they keep leveling and reincarnating to become more and more powerful.”
“And when then there the intermittent stuttering every couple seconds.”
“Graphics are not optimized for PC; at higher resolutions, many things get blurry.”
“Sometimes I can walk about in the pocket netherworld with acceptable performance, but if I go into combat, the game slows unacceptably.”
- stability11 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 82 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting significant bugs and visual glitches, particularly during character movement and attacks. However, others have experienced a smooth gameplay experience with no crashes or major issues, indicating that performance may vary depending on the system. Overall, while there are notable bugs, many players find the game still playable.
“Besides that, it runs great on my rig.”
“Runs great, sounds great, plays great.”
“Liezerota has no attack animations, and freezes the game when you try to attack with her.”
“I would recommend it, but it's buggy.”
“There were a few visual glitches while playing the main story, nothing game breaking.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is a unique blend of dark themes and lighthearted, quirky humor, featuring funny characters that create both comedic and heartfelt moments. This contrast enhances the overall experience, allowing players to engage with a serious storyline while enjoying a whimsical tone between battles.
“If you love funny, quirky characters with a silly at times but also wholesome atmosphere, the roster excels in bringing a lot of comedy and heartfelt moments.”
“The atmosphere of the plot is dark, but the moves are just as over-the-top as in past games.”
“Maintaining the lighthearted atmosphere between battles does a lot to darken the main storyline and draw the player back in.”
“For the game itself, you're looking for a TRPG with a lot of content and features in a not-so-common atmosphere?”
- monetization5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for being perceived as a cash grab, utilizing existing assets with minimal effort, and featuring deceptive advertising regarding its "complete" status. While it incorporates gacha and clicker-style mechanics without microtransactions, the overall sentiment leans towards disappointment, particularly for fans of the series.
“It's Disgaea, which means it's Final Fantasy Tactics plus old XCOM with lots of gacha/clicker style grinding and no microtransactions.”
“The monetization model is fair and doesn't pressure players to spend money to enjoy the game.”
“I appreciate that the game offers plenty of free content without forcing players into paywalls.”
“This is a shady cash grab of a release, using assets they had already lying around, with the only effort made to prevent you from the possible shame of using someone else's save file to play the demo indefinitely for free.”
“This is not surprising seeing they had recently released the cash grab 'Disgaea 1 Complete'.”
“While I'm personally a huge fan of the Disgaea games and would recommend Disgaea 5 to anyone who liked former games in the series or to SRPG fans in general, I can't give this port of the game anything other than a not recommended due to deceptive advertising ('complete' this edition is not).”