Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless

84%
Game Brain Score Based on 998 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless Game Cover
With incredibly in-depth tactical gameplay, a gorgeous art style, and a cast of some of the finest characters in the series, Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is one of the most enjoyable SRPGs I’ve played in years.
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The next chapter in the Disgaea saga. In Disgaea 7, the story is set in a world called "Hinomoto Netherworld Cluster," which is inspired by Japanese culture.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 998 reviews
story131 positive mentions
grinding99 negative mentions
  • Disgaea 7 represents a significant improvement over Disgaea 6, with engaging gameplay and a fun story.
  • The game features a colorful cast of characters and introduces new mechanics like Jumbification and Hell Mode.
  • The graphics and animations have improved, making the transition to 3D feel more polished and enjoyable.
  • The pricing for the game and its DLC is considered excessive, leading to frustration among fans.
  • Some players feel that the story lacks depth and relies too heavily on familiar tropes from previous entries.
  • The removal of certain mechanics, such as tower attacks and team attacks, has disappointed some long-time fans.
  • story439 mentions

    The story of Disgaea 7 has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it an improvement over the narratives of Disgaea 5 and 6, citing its comedic elements and engaging character interactions. However, some critics argue that it lacks depth and originality, often relying on familiar tropes and predictable plotlines. Overall, while the story is entertaining and humorous, it may not reach the heights of earlier entries in the series, leaving some fans wanting more in terms of character development and narrative complexity.

    • “This game is a huge difference from Disgaea 6, so many improvements. I have been playing the Disgaea series since the beginning, all the way back to when Prinny Baal was the biggest threat, and yet wasn't truly all that strong. Things I like about Disgaea 7: the story, as always, is comedic, well thought out, and fun to listen to. The gameplay and strategy are top-notch as always as well!”
    • “The story is the fun ridiculous anime that one expects from the series, and the gameplay is rock solid.”
    • “First of all, I want to say the story in this game is so much more interesting than it was in Disgaea 6. The characters are funny and well written, the graphics and performance both docked and handheld are way better than it was in Disgaea 6. This is a good game and it doesn’t feel like it was rushed either.”
    • “The story is terrible; previous Disgaea games used to have better storytelling and writing, but the author that wrote this is an amateur.”
    • “The story is a copy-paste from the stories of the past games, but it doesn't have the character development that previous games had; every villain becomes a good person, and the party of the protagonist are all good and never changed.”
    • “Finishing this game story made me realize that the writers ran out of ideas or just don't care anymore, and that the devs don't care about improving the series gameplay since it barely any different than 5.”
  • gameplay283 mentions

    The gameplay of Disgaea 7 has been described as a blend of familiar mechanics from previous entries, particularly Disgaea 5, with some new features like jumbification and item reincarnation that add depth but can also feel overwhelming. While many players appreciate the engaging gameplay loop and the potential for extensive customization, some criticize the lack of strategic depth, as battles often devolve into a numbers game. Overall, the game is seen as a solid entry in the series, offering a mix of fun mechanics and a lengthy playtime, though it may not fully satisfy those seeking the complexity of earlier titles.

    • “It's good, colorful fun with an engaging gameplay loop, decent writing, and enough material to fill out 100+ hours of playtime.”
    • “It's a really well put-together tactical RPG, and like with previous iterations they've made significant improvements in the gameplay and features.”
    • “With fun and fresh new mechanics and gameplay throughout, new and returning players will seriously enjoy this Disgaea.”
    • “The sad part of Disgaea 7, for me, is that the iconic mechanic upheavals between each game seem to have all been for the worse here.”
    • “The problems for me is that there is little to zero focus on strategic or tactical gameplay; the entire formula of the game comes down to inflating your numbers so that you can one-shot the enemies on the map or else they one-shot you.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, the new mechanics are a miss for me: gigantification makes a lot of clutch times a walk in the park since it fills itself during the mode for some reason and recovers the characters as if it just got out of the base panel.”
  • graphics107 mentions

    The graphics in Disgaea 7 have received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant improvement over Disgaea 6, yet still falling short of the charm and detail found in earlier titles like Disgaea 5. The transition to a chibi 3D art style has been divisive; while some appreciate the new visuals and smoother animations, others lament the loss of the series' traditional 2D aesthetic. Overall, while the graphics are considered cleaner and more polished, they are often described as lacking in expressiveness and depth compared to previous entries.

    • “The graphics are clean and crisp and the attacks are over the top as usual.”
    • “Its a great game; the graphics are better than the last one. Even though I liked Disgaea 6, this one feels more polished and worked on. You can tell NIS put a lot of work into it, and now we can create a kind of background for our characters; it's so much fun.”
    • “Loving the game and the new 3D graphics.”
    • “The art style is... not much better than 6, sadly, but that is the price of going 3D models.”
    • “The graphics are still a huge downgrade from 5 (it will clearly still take some time before NIS learns how to make 3D as expressive and detailed as their godly 2D), but they are a big step up from 6.”
    • “Unfortunately, the animations and overall graphics aren't charming at all.”
  • grinding99 mentions

    Grinding in Disgaea 7 is a polarizing aspect, with some players reveling in the extensive opportunities for character and item enhancement, while others find it tedious and overly reliant on mobile-game design elements. The game introduces quality-of-life improvements and features like autobattle to streamline the grinding process, but many feel that the changes to item world mechanics and the need for RNG-heavy grinding detract from the experience. Overall, it caters well to fans of grinding and stat-building, but may frustrate newcomers or those seeking a more balanced approach.

    • “The item world rework is a nightmare; item stat games are a pittance of what they were, and item reincarnations not only revert your level grinding process, they gate further leveling on the item until you do it.”
    • “Particularly the final endgame grind for good items, as well as equipping and stat maxing an entire team, is incredibly RNG heavy and mind-numbingly tedious.”
    • “This series had farming down to something of an art form around the 4-5 mark; it's just sad watching it crumble away.”
  • humor70 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it hit-or-miss, while others appreciate its quirky charm and laugh-out-loud moments. Many reviews highlight the engaging and funny storylines, along with well-written characters that contribute to the overall comedic experience, reminiscent of earlier titles in the series. However, some critics feel that the humor doesn't always translate well, particularly with cultural references that may not resonate with all players.

    • “If you haven't played a Disgaea game, they are pretty funny and have at least a laugh-out-loud moment every chapter.”
    • “Not even 4 hours in and the game made me laugh so hard several times, definitely an easy recommend and a great place to start if you're new to the series.”
    • “Following Gin-san around while he tries to make money is hilarious, and he may be the best protagonist yet.”
    • “The characters are horribly written, it's not funny, and we easily have the worst main protagonist the series has ever had.”
  • music69 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising it as the best in the series and highlighting its catchy tracks, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking the memorable quality of earlier titles. Many players noted that while certain themes, like the Nether Shrine, stood out, the overall soundtrack felt basic and forgettable compared to previous installments. Overall, the music is seen as a significant aspect of the game, but opinions vary widely on its quality and impact.

    • “The music in this game is also absolutely incredible; they really did a fantastic job with it.”
    • “The soundtrack, story, and voice acting were far better than what Disgaea 6 displayed.”
    • “Tons of content, a fun story, great art, awesome music.”
    • “The music is completely horrible, repetitive dribble.”
    • “It is very clear they saved some money on the music/audio.”
    • “The music is also an important point for me in games, and somehow I can't really say anything about the music in this game. It's not that it's bad; it's just so basic that the only track that stuck with me was the Nether Shrine theme. The others are so forgettable, which is sad if I look back at the older games that had some really good music in them.”
  • optimization24 mentions

    Overall, optimization in the game has received mixed feedback. While some players report significant performance issues, particularly on the Switch with stuttering during loading screens and unit deployment, others praise the improved visuals and smoother performance compared to previous entries, especially on platforms like Steam Deck. The game offers options for graphics and performance modes, which some players find satisfactory, but concerns about the impact of certain mechanics on performance persist.

    • “Way better than 6, good systems, greatly improved performance/visuals, the post-game/real-game feels a bit more accessible.”
    • “No performance issues to speak of (even on Switch if anyone is curious), characters are great, and this probably has the most player-friendly postgame of all the entries.”
    • “Performance is pretty solid on the Switch with a graphics and performance option; playing in graphics mode is fine by my standards.”
    • “Main complaint is the performance.”
    • “But when on the loading screen (with the prinny), there is lots of stuttering. When pulling some units out of base (like Usalia), it stutters.”
    • “Jumbo gets pretty old quick and I found myself rarely using it because it hinders performance (specifically on the Switch port).”
  • character development16 mentions

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the depth and growth of individual characters, while others criticize the reliance on outdated designs and a lack of meaningful progression in the story. Many players feel that the writing is subpar compared to previous installments, leading to a sense of rushed and generic character arcs, where villains quickly become good and protagonists show little change. Overall, while there are new ways to engage with character development, the execution feels lacking and reminiscent of older titles without the same depth.

    • “Character designs are great, and all have great development.”
    • “It adds more content while heaping a lot of new ways to focus on character development that aren't quite so random.”
    • “It is an absolute throwback to the first game in the series in terms of humor and character design, which brings back memories of the hundreds of hours I spent in Hour of Darkness as a kid.”
    • “Uses some very old character designs; most of the generic classes hold to their designs from past games which are often more than 15 years old.”
    • “I was expecting way more depth gameplay-wise and a way more tasteful character design and writing; instead, everything felt bare-bones and rushed.”
    • “The story is a copy-paste from the stories of the past games, but it doesn't have the character development that previous games had; every villain becomes a good person and the party of the protagonist are all good and never changed.”
  • stability16 mentions

    The game generally runs well on PC and Steam Deck, with seamless cloud save transfers, but players have reported occasional crashes and glitches, particularly freezing for 5-20 seconds during spell casting, especially on Intel and Nvidia hardware. While these issues can be troublesome, many still find the game worth purchasing.

    • “It is totally worth buying and runs great on Steam Deck.”
    • “Runs great on PC and Steam Deck, and being able to seamlessly transfer your save between the two with cloud saves is great.”
    • “At any rate, if you're a new or returning player - this game is terrific, but it does have a few crashes and glitches that can be troublesome.”
    • “Game sometimes freezes for 5-20 seconds when someone casts a spell (Intel + Nvidia hardware).”
    • “I can smoothly play Starfield and Cyberpunk, heck even COD on high graphics, but D7 freezes mine.”
  • emotional15 mentions

    Disgaea 7 attempts to blend humor with heartfelt moments, offering a more nuanced narrative than its immediate predecessors, though it still falls short of the emotional depth found in the original Disgaea. While the story features unique characters and touching scenes, it often relies on familiar anime tropes, which can detract from its overall impact. Despite some emotional missteps, the game maintains an interesting plot and provides a wealth of content for players to explore.

    • “Disgaea 7 still shoots for some deeper writing with nuance and complexity, but it doesn't plaster its attempts all over the place; so when the more emotional writing fails to land, the work as a whole doesn't suffer.”
    • “The story is completely different from the more serious likes of FFT and even Fire Emblem, but just as heartfelt in its own ways, as wacky as the setting is.”
    • “More unique characters with touching moments and great humor along.”
  • monetization7 mentions

    The monetization in the game is widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with players feeling misled by advertising regarding the number of classes available. Many express frustration over the high costs of DLC and microtransactions in a full-priced game, alongside concerns about poorly designed grinding mechanics.

    • “The monetization is absolutely horrible, but after 7 games, I only have myself to blame.”
    • “Definitely a major cash grab.”
    • “[£45 of launch day DLC, microtransactions in a £55 game, no hell mode for generic characters, demonic intelligence doesn't really have a place in the game, some aspects of grinding feel poorly thought out.]”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Reviewers highlight the strong replayability of the game, noting that new characters and worlds offer unique experiences while staying true to the series' lore. The refined gameplay and combat mechanics, combined with the signature charm and humor of the franchise, contribute to its rich replay value, encouraging players to return for more.

    • “The new characters and world create a unique experience that is also true to the series lore, rich in replay value that makes you come back for more.”
    • “The gameplay and combat mechanics are easy to learn and have been fine-tuned, adding to the overall replayability.”
    • “The humorous dialogue and jumbification elements contribute to the game's high replay value.”
    • “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
    • “Once you've completed the story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
    • “The limited variety in gameplay mechanics means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than a fun experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

81% average critic score

Buy Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless

Play time

83hMedian play time
149hAverage play time
36-300hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs

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