Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days

One of the premiere names in turn-based strategy makes a triumphant to Sony's handheld.

Re-releases are a funny thing. Oftentimes when a game sees a second packaging, it's in name only. Game of the Year editions are notorious for this, regularly slapping an Editor's Choice insignia on the box and toting it at a higher price. With such wanton re-hashing offered up quite frequently in light of solid additions to the title's overall experience, it's somewhat rare for players to stumble upon a game that not only plays better than its same-named predecessor, but also can truly be toted as the definitive version. Without a doubt, Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days is one of those games.

Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days

Down in the Ground

The original Disgaea 2's darkly humorous story and praise-worthy voice acting return in full form, following the adventures of honorable demon slayer Adell and obnoxiously stuck-up Princess Rozalin as they journey through the depths of the Netherworld in hopes of slaying the nefarious Overlord Zenon, but only if they can stave off killing each other first. Dark Hero Days is very similar to NIS America's previous port of Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness . This being the case, the original experience is here in all its glory alongside several PSP-specific upgrades. New to Dark Hero Days is an assortment of new characters, a new storyline featuring everyone's favorite babbling ex-hero Axel, and a few perks that made their debut in Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice, such as Level Spheres and the Magichange engine.

Disgaea 3, while highly praised by most critics, was also slammed a bit for its PS2-era graphics. While Dark Hero Days won't edge out Crisis Core as one of the best looking games on the PSP, its 2D sprites are still incredibly charming, and feel right at home on Sony's handheld. The classic Disgaea interface flourishes on the PSP, giving players the option to control their allies with either the analog nub or the D-pad. Disgaea's trademark grid-based battles are just as addictive as ever, and integrations specific to Disgaea 2 such as Geo Monsters (Geo Symbols that change positions randomly after each turn) and the innovative Dark Court - an assembly of Prinnies that will assign characters highly-regarded demonic felonies, which are seen as a "Badge of Honor" for the Netherworld.

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Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days

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crimsonmanticore

Hmmm... How does the PSP version fare compared to the insanely difficult PS2 version? I never could figure out how to play it properly. Is there some kind of trick to leveling up in the game or something? From the looks of it, there's supposed to be a different way to fighting than I'm used to rather than the usual Strategy RPGs. How do you play the game without hurting yourself too badly?

greyscale

crimsonmanticore wrote:

Hmmm... How does the PSP version fare compared to the insanely difficult PS2 version? I never could figure out how to play it properly. Is there some kind of trick to leveling up in the game or something? From the looks of it, there's supposed to be a different way to fighting than I'm used to rather than the usual Strategy RPGs. How do you play the game without hurting yourself too badly?

Having played both the PSP and the PS2 versions of the game, I think it's pretty safe to say that the difficulty remains pretty much the same. I'm a bit of a level-grind fiend, but I found that the Item World is always a reliable method for the peskier levels. Also, if you replay certain stages for experience, try to aim for ones that have strategically placed Geo Symbols :)

lovetelephone

crimsonmanticore wrote:

Hmmm... How does the PSP version fare compared to the insanely difficult PS2 version? I never could figure out how to play it properly. Is there some kind of trick to leveling up in the game or something? From the looks of it, there's supposed to be a different way to fighting than I'm used to rather than the usual Strategy RPGs. How do you play the game without hurting yourself too badly?

I'm going to have to agree with what Mr. greyscale is saying. At first, I didn't even want to learn what the Geo Symbols and colored squares meant. It's quite intimidating, as is the Item World. But the Item World is crucial for leveling up your gear and making your characters stronger.
I picked up the DS version of Disgaea a couple weeks ago, and I've barely even skimmed the storyline as most of my time has been spent creating and leveling up the most bad-ass team I can. One thing I really like about the DS version is how they display the grid on the top-screen. It's perfect for those times when you can't see anything with the fixed camera. However.... I must say those PSP graphics look downright amazing. Makes my mouth water. I've been on the fence with the Sony PSP for a long time now, but with this out, and Persona on its way... I don't know how I can let these 2 games slide past me. Best of luck, and when all else fails.... Grind Grind Grind Grind Grind

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