Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny originally came out in 2021, and more than a year later, the game has now been re-released. This re-release is called Disgaea 6 Complete, and this version comes with all the previously released DLC that the game has.
This version of the game is now available on more formats as Disgaea 6 Complete has been released on PC, PS5 and PS4. Despite being a re-release, sadly, this game is still being sold at full price. It would have been better if the game was a little bit cheaper since it's more than a year old now.
Anyway, Disgaea 6 Complete is probably the best way you can play the game because you can access all of the DLC pretty much instantly. During one of the game's menus, you can redeem a ton of different DLC packs, all for ‘free'. You don't need to pay for anything extra since this version comes with everything that you need.
What I like most about the DLC is the fact that this version of the game already comes with helpful weapons, skins and characters that you may need on the battlefield. There is an option to create more characters in your party, but you don't need to do that now, thanks to the already included DLC packs!
As for the game itself, I was pretty intrigued by the story and its likeable cast of characters. The main character of the game is a young zombie boy by the name of Zed. His goal in life is to finally beat a powerful being called the God of Destruction.
Sadly though, he has been defeated by the God of Destruction many times and has died too. Thanks to his zombie nature, he is able to come back to life due to ‘Super Reincarnation'. He gets stronger each time he's revived, and this is a cycle that has been happening over and over again in the game's timeline.
At first, you think Zed is quite powerful because he's quite a cocky and confident character. As you progress through the game, though, you soon realize that Zed needs more help. He does gain new allies every time you complete a new chapter, and he gets more powerful as you level up.
Gameplay-wise, Disgaea 6 Complete is your typical kind of Japanese-style tactical RPG. Unlike modern Final Fantasy games, Disgaea 6 Complete uses the old-school method of turn-based combat. If you are unfamiliar with this style of combat, it's basically that you need to take turns to attack before you can defeat enemies.
To make the combat more engaging, each level is designed as a grid-like chess board. Your characters can only move in small steps during each turn you have. Positioning your characters strategically is important because the enemy can kill you in one swoop if they have you surrounded.
The levels aren't always flat because the enemies could be positioned on a higher platform than you. Some party members are able to attack using projectiles, although you will have to find and throw boxes to reach enemies using melee-only characters.
One thing I like about this game is that your party size can be pretty huge. While some RPGs only have four to five members in a party, in this game, you can have up to 10 to 12 members on the battlefield at one time. Your party is even bigger if you take into account all the reserves you may have too.
Another neat feature of this game is that you can make the AI fight for you. If you're not very good at RPGs of this nature, the AI can automatically attack on your behalf. However, this does not mean the AI can win battles for you all of the time. The more you progress, the harder it gets, and the AI will lose battles eventually unless you level up and make party adjustments.
In terms of visuals, Disgaea 6 looks bright and colourful playing on the PS5 system. The levels and characters are 3D, although it has a nice anime shine to it. The animation is quite smooth, and it's cool looking at all of the special moves that you can do.
That being said, Disgaea 6 Complete can be repetitive at times because there is no open-world environment for you to explore like other JRPGs. This game is just levels and levels of turn-based battles, and it can get tiresome to endure it if you're not good at combat.
Some people might also dislike the amount of dialogue that you have to sift through as well. Dialogue is usually a large part of JRPGs, and this game is no different in that department. However, you can skip all of the dialogue if you don't care about the characters and just want to play the battles.
Overall, Disgaea 6 Complete is an enjoyable game if you love the tactical role-playing game genre. However, I will say this game isn't suitable for casual gamers because it will take you hours to finish, and the learning curve is quite steep. It is also not worth full price if you already own the base game from last year.
Verdict: 7.5/10