It's hard to say we're awash in strategy RPGs, but even a few releases in the next couple of weeks
feels like a glut on the market compared to what we normally are gifted with. To
start the process off, this week sees the release of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness,
which is the highly quirky story of the Prince of the Netherworld's quest to regain
his throne. To mark the occasion, Atlus has also gone live with a promotional site
for the game that features a plethora of screenshots, character descriptions, and
an odd spotlight on Tsunami Bomb, the punk rock band who did "The Invasion from Within"
for the game.
Disgaea is an isometric combat strategy game similar to Tactics Ogre or Rhapsody. Not
surprisingly, considering it is coming to us courtesy of the same group who created Rhapsody
and La Pucelle. Also, in a similar manner to the organized chaos that was
Rhapsody, Disgaea follows the tale of the Netherworld's Prince, who has
awoken after a rather long, two year nap to discover that his father died while
he slept. However, mixed in with what could be a rather dark story on the surface
is a strong mix of comedy including an Angel Assassin in training, a demonic
penguin, and the Netherworld's version of a Senate, the Dark Assembly.
Currently, Disgaea is available only for the PlayStation 2 and should be on store
shelves right now. The retail price for the game is a fairly standard $49.99.
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