Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice – PS3 – Review

That makes the Disgaea series a true gem to
those who have discovered it. The first and second games drew big,
game-and-anime-mocking laughs while engaging the player with a robust and
addictive strategy engine that turned free time into a thing of the past. The
joy and envelopment brought on by this franchise is unprecedented.

Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice aimed to continue
the saga (or conclude the trilogy? I hope not) first by going back to the
gameplay. Though you may think otherwise in the first minutes of play, Disgaea
3 does not leave any previous feature behind. The color-coded blocks and floor
panels, the ability to create new allies using Mana, and the chain-based
combos (where multiple allies attack one enemy simultaneously) return for
another run of sleepless nights. But there is one noticeable difference: after
the tutorial stages, the difficulty leaps forward much faster than in the
first two Disgaeas.

Most of the tutorial consists of reiterated
info – a must for newbies but is pretty useless to the returning fans. You
will want to pay attention though, as there are bits of new info sprinkled
throughout. One such tidbit details the altered Geo (colored block) system,
which now includes stacked blocks and individual blocks or clusters for
battles that are simply stellar. The Geo system, as many of you are likely
aware, allows players to enhance the game – for better or worse – by marking
part or all of a level with a special property. Properties range from awesome
(50% more EXP) to horrible (50% more defense to enemies). Only the flashing
part of the stage can have a property, and that property is only active once
its block has been placed in the flashing area. Many stages start off with the
blocks already in place – others require you to throw them in, if you wish.

Block eliminations work a little differently
this time around, as it is done only by color; throw one yellow block at a
cluster of yellows and they’ll disappear. But if a rule is applied – say, “no
throwing” blocks that are attached, and there are several unconnected clusters
but only one individual block to obtain and throw, there’s a significant
challenge in deciding how to tackle that level. Most importantly you have to
consider the block colors and their elements: are they useful or dangerous?
Will they enhance the enemy, your own team, or both? The blocks that could
help you win may also help you meet your doom.

Disgaea 3 introduces a new classroom setting
that allows you to enhance (yes, another enhancement) combo attacks seating
specific party members – that is, the “students” – next to each other in the
virtual classroom. You’ll also have the ability to enhance special moves
individually with Mana by purchasing upgrades like you would a new weapon. New
skills are acquired the same way.

 
Is it hot in here? Or is it just me?

Stories Told

There’s a dispute among fans to which of the
first two Disgaea games is the funniest. But there will be no such argument
with Disgaea 3, a game that is not funny at all. Instead of playing on pop
culture or mocking game and anime traits (or shall I say stereotypes?),
Disgaea 3 relies on obnoxious voices – most lines sound like they were shouted
into the microphone – uninteresting characters and a rehashed theme that lacks
even the slightest hint of humor.

The main character, Mao, is obsessed with the
idea of being evil. But unlike Etna and Laharl from Disgaea 1 and 2, Mao
doesn’t have anything funny or remotely amusing to say. He knows how to
scream, but in the world of comedy, few have been capable of getting a laugh
in that manner. It’s the words that create hilarity – not the decibel level of
the one reciting them.

The supporting cast is equally stale with lines
that regurgitate the same old Disgaea theme, minus the comedy: that demons
love being bad, hate being good and want to rule the world.

 
Class, be seated. Be seated already!

Disgaea 3’s story is further crushed by a
lackluster soundtrack that adds nothing to the experience. When the characters
speak the music is annoyingly jumpy; when battling or in between battles, the
music is ridiculously repetitive. There’s one song for each chapter but not
for every battle, which means you’ll hear the same tune several times before
moving on. Few of them are worth hearing once, let alone a second (or 20th)
time.

In any other RPG, this would be just another
case of genre inefficiency – a game brought forth by common mistakes and weak
development cycles. But this is no ordinary RPG: it’s the third chapter in the
most hilarious RPG series available. This series is now somewhat broken, and
though I do not believe the damage is irreversible, it is a permanent black
mark that leans too closely to every other RPG franchise out there. Of the few
that started out good, there aren’t any left that haven’t eventually led to
disappointment.

 
Mao and Mr. Champloo. You can probably
guess where the second name came from.

Battles Fought

While nowhere near the quality of the first two
games, Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice is a great strategy/RPG – if you can
accept the lackluster story and wish to play it solely for the gameplay. This
may not sound like a big deal to the average player. "A lame story? Big
surprise." But Disgaea fans are a different breed. We came to appreciate the
series for all of its features. Now that great storytelling has been taken out
of the mix, there’s an unwavering feeling that something is missing. And no,
justice isn’t it.