Disgaea:
Reviewers and fans alike declare Disgaea compelling, composed of irreverent skewering of the classic heroic tropes, and a slapdash, zany humor. In Disgaea: Hour of Darkess, the player encounters Laharl, prince of the Netherworld, awakening from an extended slumber three years after his father's death. As the son of the Overlord of the Netherworld, Laharl stubbornly insists on claiming the title. After reviewing his drafty castle and meager, unsuitable vassals, he embarks on a quest to defeat claimants and usurpers, so he may rule demonkind.
Immediately, one might expect a dark,
cruel, anti-hero, intent on enforcing his formidable will on a
hellish underworld. Others, assuming a subversion of tropes might
envision a virtous, crusading knight determined to seek out justice
for his father's enemies, and cleanse the Netherworld. But neither
would be correct. Instead, the primary characteristics of Laharl are
childishness, naivete, and an unrelenting desire to have what he
wants. Instead of a frightening or awe-inspiring visage, he is
depicted as a pre-teen: skinny, pouting, and awkward. He rushes to
battle, not out of a sense of knowledgeable courage, or a daring
bravery, but through the same attitutde which led David to challenge
Goliath, an immature feeling of invulnerability and a obstinate
belief in one's inevitable victory. Fortunately, his untrained, yet
awesome potential allows him to overcome deadly obstacles
(admittedly, the foes are complete dunderheads).
Both Laharl's early companions and
recurring foes included similarly dopey characteristics: Etna, his
mocking, ineptly conniving, right-hand demoness; Flonne, his
love-freak angel, amateurish assassin; and Vyers, self-titled the
Dark Adonis, and disparagingly named “Mid Boss” by Laharl.
Hour of Darkness (Also
called Disgaea PC or
Afternoon of Darkness) is separated into fourteen episode, each
which has a short plot arc, while occasionally contributing to the
larger canvas. Like any good story, each episode begins with an
issue or problem which Laharl seeks to resolve. Sometimes he
stumbles into trouble as the unwitting victim of an ally or an enemy.
These chapters each contain a cinematic
introduction, where Laharl's issue is revealed publicly, or he is
deceived into mistaken circumstances by a companion. Each episode
opens a new area for the player to access. But Disgaea limits
exploration (as compared to Final Fantasy) by using a system of
portals in the Overlord's Castle. From this hub, a female cleric
opens up the relevant portal for Laharl to chase his foe, invade a
palace, or seek out lost pets. Each chapter's portal contains a
number of battles, which the player can pick and choose from. Most
episodes have four battles, but with only the first available,
unlocking the next after a victory. After each battle Laharl is
returned to the castle to rest. Upon accessing a battle, there is
normally a short conversation between Laharl, his companions, and
possible foes. Upon conclusion the battle begins. There are few
instances in which a battle is interrupted for further dialogue.
Victory will reward the player with a conclusion to the conversation,
and a new battle to access.
Unfortunately,
Disgaea doesn't succeed on the detail of its comprehensive plot,
or the intricacy of its short arcs. With nine of the fourteen
episodes completed, it's introduced a few tenuous threads by which
the player can anticipate the eventual outcome. Only one incident
contained any substance, a revelation to past events, to Laharl's
past and his future development. Every conflict contained within an
episode is too transparent, the resolution too predictable. And the
best writing, the dialogue, is reserved for characterization, not
bolstering the flagging plot.
Instead, Disgaea relies on the
quirkiness of its characters to engage the player. The eccentric,
character-centric dialogue obscures the flimsiness, and often
non-existent broader purpose to these battles. While the early
episodes insinuate Laharl's motive as a quest to reclaim his father's
title of Overlord, amidst supposed a backdrop of demonic infighting
and conflict, it's difficult to be swayed by this story. The method
of gameplay created by the developers subverts the enemy, by giving the player initiative. Laharl always obliges the enemy by seeking them out in
their palace, by simply walking through a portal. Enemies never are
able to threaten or imperil Laharl, and any sense of urgency and
possible defeat are minimal. Even the battles, and their brief
introduction, serve to diminish Laharl's foes. They live in lavish
palaces, ornamented with comfort, instead of fierce weapons of war.
If there is a raging, bloody war for the heart of the Netherworld,
it's entirely invisible to Laharl, and the player.
The irreverence of Disgaea often slips
into juvenile humor. One of his later companions, Jennifer, is shown
in the cartoon cut-scenes, (which are from the waist up) as wearing
nothing more than a revealing red bikini top, though the character
model wears short shorts. She questions Laharl whether demons probe
inappropriate places, and tries to draw him into discussions on his
eventual puberty. He, for his part, regularly mentions his aversion
to any well endowed woman, and demands that Jennifer not stand any
closer than five feet. And other characters will discuss any topic
they desire, including a male Zombie's privates.
But the game doesn't doesn't descend to
stereotypes, but subverts them as best it can. Each of the
characters have hidden depths and reversals of fortune which reveal
developing and changing attitudes. Jennifer, though drawn as a
blonde bimbo, is a braniac, having invented a robot at age five, and
of course Laharl (is bound to) overcome his cruel demonic (and
childish) nature, and demonstrate patience, fortitude, and heroic
behavior.
Yet, in spite of the idiosyncrasy of
Hour of Darkness, it seems oddly familiar. One imagines it
was unique upon its release in 2003, but the best parts have been
incorporated into other media, and today they seem redundant,
overused, and stale. While the character developing dialogue
delivers the laughs, the plot is pedestrian and without any conflict
or memorable, threatening enemy (so far). But like Thief:
The Dark Project,
it's possible the developers are reserving a sustained conflict
oriented plot for the last third of the game.
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