For years I have enjoyed the Disgaea franchise. Unlike most franchises, the Disgaea franchise has consistently gotten better over time, aside from a few lulls in terms of characters or storyline. Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless enhances gameplay and refreshes the Disgaea formula enough to be satisfying for fans and newcomers alike.

Disgaea 7 takes place in the realm of Hinomoto, a collection of netherworlds that once honored the Bushido code. Now, Bushido has gone by the wayside and the demonic Shogunate has begun to squeeze the life out of the demons and netherworlds they control. You take on the role of Fuji, a demon warrior who seeks to pay a large debt, only to run into Pirilika, a rich girl who idolizes the Bushido code. What ensues is a journey neither of them expects.

In regards to gameplay, Disgaea 7 is more of what you’d want from a Disgaea game, in more ways than one. The typical elements of a Turn-Based Tactics RPG are there, such as the variety of classes, spells, attacks, etc. However, there are also new elements such as Jumbification, which turns your character into a Kaiju-esque giant and enhances their stats.

This is tied to the Rage meter, which fills as your party takes damage. With a full Rage meter, certain characters can also enter Hell Mode, which enhances their stats and (depending on the character) gives them unique skills and buffs. Elements from previous Disgaea games have also been enhanced/adjusted, such as the Item World being streamlined somewhat, though I’m not a fan of one change in particular.

Mystery rooms in Disgaea games used to be something you could choose to pursue. Now they are tied to a percentage chance, and the mystery gates aren’t present otherwise. This is a minor gripe for most people, and it is a small change, but depending on what you’re after it does change your Item World experience.

Overall though, Disgaea 7’s changes are positive. The Auto Battle system has some adjustments, and you can even purchase boost tickets to enhance your XP gain if you don’t want to spend as much time grinding. Yes, even Disgaea games have microtransactions now. At least this doesn’t feel too exploitative. There are also ranked online battles, but I didn’t touch those much. Competitive PVP just isn’t my thing.

I should also point out that the Nintendo Switch version plays beautifully. With the rumors circulating about the Switch’s successor coming in the next year or so, I wouldn’t be surprised if Disgaea 7 plays super well on that too. The visuals are crisp, the music and voice acting are well done, and the storyline is absolutely bananas in the best way.

I laughed out loud several times at the dialogue, and I haven’t enjoyed a Disgaea game’s story this much in years. I think NIS America hit a sweet spot with this one, and it is many times better than Disgaea 6, which I really enjoyed. Honestly, it’s really hard to pinpoint things that are major complaints with Disgaea 7. It feels like an improvement on the formula all the way around.

If you are a fan of the Disgaea franchise I can’t overstate how much I recommend Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless. Newcomers will probably have a good time with this one as well. This is easily the best Disgaea game in years, and I’m excited to see what comes next for the franchise.

A Nintendo Switch Review Copy of Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless was provided by NIS America for this review.

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Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless

$59.99 USD

10

Score

10.0/10

Pros

• Hilarious story
• Enhanced gameplay elements
• Great for franchise beginners
• Solid gameplay performance
• A Variety of Accessibility Options

Cons

• Mystery room changes are weird