The power of thunder

Nippon Ichi has done it again. The fun-loving developer has made another quirky, fun and highly entertaining RPG in Makai Kingdom. Touted as a combination of Phantom Brave and Disgaea, Makai Kingdom's gameplay is very much like that of Phantom Brave, and a story that is as amusing, if not more so, than the one in Disgaea.

Graphics are excellent, and designs are very reminiscent of Disgaea. Event scenes are done in 2D, while battle maps are done in 3D with polygonal sprites. Each character has a wide range of expressions, many of which are absolutely hilarious. Spell effects are definitely on the Disgaea-ish side of things, being flashy, huge and pretty. Gameplay, however, is much more reminiscent of Phantom Brave, though with many elements from Disgaea in it.

Invited!

Battles move quickly and efficiently once you know what you are doing. It is learning what exactly it is you are doing that takes some time. Players new to Nippon Ichi games will probably need a bit of time to get the hang of the controls. However, once you do have an idea how the controls work, you still have to act with some prudence. The second battle can be impossibly hard if you do not exercise a good piece of common sense when creating your first characters.

Overall, Makai Kingdom is a riot. It definitely looks to have the soul-stealing potential of Disgaea. Look for it later this year.

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