So until recently I've basically stopped playing all video games except sports games. And by sports games I mean NCAA Football.
That being said, I finally managed to finish the grind that was Final Fantasy XII and followed that up with Suikoden IV. Suikoden IV was a solid, but unspectacular title that I thought didn't warrant the criticism I've seen thrown its way on the internet. I'm currently working through Dragon Quest VIII, but as I work through that game I've found my eye on another title.
The Disgaea series. I have yet to invest in a current generation hand-held or console, so I'm relegated to the PS2. I owned Disgaea 1 but sold it as I thought I'd never play it. Ironically I now want to give it a shot. But I'm a bit torn between which title I should pick up.
I'm luke warm on SRPG's in general, but I found myself really enjoying doing some massive stat building in Suikoden IV. I literally spent 15 hours stat building the Stars of Destiny before finishing the game. The Disgaea series obviously has loads of opportunity for stat building. So I guess if you had to recommend the first or second game in the series, which would it be?
I've heard the first title is better, but I'm intrigued by the felony system and slightly different dynamics of the Dark Assembly in the second title versus the first. However, I've heard that the second game is "slower" in terms of how fast your characters level up especially late in the game.
Another aspect I would be interested in is the extra's beyond the main storylines. Which game is better in terms of optional dungeons, bosses, item's, etc. I'm just looking to get the most bang for my buck and not sure which game is the better investment.
Any Disgaea fan in their own right will tell you to get both games. As Disgaea 1 is available on PSP and DS, it's easy to find now. And also Disgaea 2 will soon be out (or is already out.. I don't know.) for the PSP as well.
Honestly, I own both of them, and will be getting 3 eventually. If you want to get used to the system, I recommend getting 1 first (since it's awesome.)
It depends on what you want the game for. Neither game is heavy on story when compared to other RPGs, but the characters in Disgaea 1 are the most iconic and sort of set the feel for the Disgaea universe. If you're doing it just for the crazy system, get Disgaea 2. In that respect, Disgaea 2 is more or less a big upgrade with quite a few new features. Disgaea 3 is the same, and more. But I suppose that's out of the question at the moment.
I think it's also important to note which version of which game to get. Disgaea 1 is out for the PSP and DS, and both have a lot of new stuff. The DS version has the most content even though it lacks Japanese voiceovers, though that isn't a problem for the majority. Disgaea 2 for the PSP is also out or coming out very soon and will also have quite a bit added to it. Regardless of the version, Disgaea 2 still has the more evolved battle system.
I am not sure about leveling speed, but I think Disgaea 2 takes steps to make it easier. The felony system you mentioned is one of these. It is much easier to level once you obtain a good number of felonies. In the grand scheme of things this may not count for much, however. Disgaea post-game is pretty hardcore, so you'll be spending tons of time on it in either case. My friend said it was Diablo in SRPG form and seemed to have a love affair with Item World.
I ended up playing Disgaea 2 before Disgaea 1 because the latter had not been rereleased and was going for $100+ on auction sites. When I finally got to it after having played 2, it felt somewhat hollow. While it doesn't make the game terrible, the features that I had grown used to but were absent really would have made the game that much better. As for the story... that's really all up to opinion. To me, they're both great!
Last edited by SOLDIER #819; 08-18-2009 at 02:50 PM.
Originally Posted by Andromeda
I appreciate the insight. The storyline in both games is irrelevant to me. Disgaea is a series that intrigues me simply due to the depth and complexity of the gameplay. Still on the fence as to which one I'll pick up, but I appreciate the insight.
Solid? The 1 million battlers per step? The stupid as hell strategy battles? The utterly pointless, trite and boring story? The utterly pointless, trite and boring characters? The unbelievably bland environments? The unbelievably bland animations? The incredibly bad battle system? The indescribably stupid final boss?Suikoden IV was a solid, but unspectacular title that I thought didn't warrant the criticism I've seen thrown its way on the internet.
Anyway, Disgaea 1 is beyond awesome, while 2 sucks bad in pretty much ever aspect.
2 not only has a vastly inferior cast and story, the gameplay was also butchered.
There are like 1 or 2 good additions to the system, but these are rarely used (tower attack is funny, but totally pointless. The only good thing is being able to throw folks onto the hands of someone else, instead of needing a free square, but that wasn't that much of an issue in 1).
In exchange for that the maps have an absurd amount of irritating geo effects, which unlike in 1, you cannot turn off in a reasonable amount of turns.
Almost always you are forced to do almost the entire map with them on.
Also, it changed some stats and skills, nerfing spells into oblivion, making gun range and bow skills suck bad.
I heard Disgaea has a weird funky power up system where everyone can use basic skills of most any weapon, but to get advanced skills, you need to find and enemy of the same lvl as the character and then enter it (like item world in 1 and 2).
Also, Disgaea 1 has Laharl as main character, 'nuff said.
The game was flawed, no question at all about that, but it wasn't nearly THAT bad. I thought there was enough interesting characters and enough interesting story points to make it worthwhile if you're a fan of the Suikoden series. It's easily the worst in the series, but it's not unplayable.Solid? The 1 million battlers per step? The stupid as hell strategy battles? The utterly pointless, trite and boring story? The utterly pointless, trite and boring characters? The unbelievably bland environments? The unbelievably bland animations? The incredibly bad battle system? The indescribably stupid final boss?
I personally thought the biggest flaws were more in the world and character design. For all the games flaws if more detail and effort had been put into making the world less bland it would have made the game way better. But I digress.
I ended up going with Disgaea 1. It doesn't sound to me like there's drastic differences between the two games and Disgaea 1 was cheaper. So far so good!
While I think Disgaea 2 added some wonderful jobs and gameplay elements, I've never been able to sink the kind of time into it I have with Disgaea. I see you've already picked up the first Disgaea, but I'd recommend checking out the second one after you finish up with this half. You'll enjoy all the little easter eggs in this version much more, and you can have fun with all those new maps.
If you ever get the opportunity, I REALLY recommend Disgaea for the PSP. To me, it's by far the best version of the game.
I have Disgaea 1 and 2 for the PSP. I recommend you get both for the PSP as Disgaea 2 for PSP has implemented some gameplay elements from Disgaea 3.
It's not like the FF series where they're individual games. 2 is a direct sequel to 1. So after you're finished with one, get Disgaea 2.
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