Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless seems to promise to be a more challenging, concentrated effort in comparison to Disgaea 6. While it holds all of the hallmarks of previous Disgaea games concerning its easily distinguishable character design, unique localization, and a wide breadth of classes, I felt it brings a new level of complexity to the fold after getting a chance to preview the game.
Players can now use the Jumbificiation system, which makes a character of their choice (and it can be any character on the field) into a giant. The model will be so large that the character will stand at the edge of the map, ready to pummel any foes on the battlefield or any opposing Jumbified character. This new mechanic is exciting as you can literally level the playing field with a single punch, though sometimes at the expense of your own units. It also creates a higher level of tension when you have to use the Jumbification mechanic against bosses that are also Jumbified. It becomes a test of who can knock each other out first while also micromanaging your normal units on the battlefield.
In general, this is an interesting gimmick mechanic for the Disgaea series. Jumbification can be done through killing enemies, powering up your meter to turn the tide of battle if it seems to be going awry. But players can still do things like throw units around the map and chain together attacks like they could in previous Disgaea games. From what I played, everything seems to remain intact, with the experience far more grueling and punishing than Disgaea 6. This feels more layered by comparison, and it seems to expect players to experiment with different character combinations to see what works against swaths of enemies on flat or elevated tiles.
Image via Nippon Ichi Software
Hell Mode is another mechanic players will utilize to deal massive amounts of damage to enemies. Players need to kill opponents to fill up their Hell Gauge, which allows for specific characters to enter Hell Mode. In this case, during the preview I was able to test Hell Mode with dual protagonist Fuji. His sword was able to cleanly slice through enemies, obliterating anyone standing in my way. It made clearing the boss during a particular stage extremely easy, and ended the battle quickly.
In terms of visual presentation, Disgaea 7 is still as colorful as its counterparts, with its localization still vibrant and fun. I had the opportunity to sample a bit of the story, which was just as nonsensical as previous installments. It was bursting with personality, and the overly serious Fuji was a great contrast alongside the excitable Pirilika, and the so-called ladies man Yeyasu. The voice acting was spectacular, and character illustrations gorgeous. However, it’s still a bit hard to get used to the 3D models in Disgaea 7, mostly because they still aren’t quite as detailed as previous installments. This goes for the stages I fought in as well.
Image via Nippon Ichi Software
Overall, Disgaea 7 is shaping up to possibly be a great entry in the series. The stages I played required me to use my brain instead of just powering through it, and the Jumbification mechanic adds a bit of extra texture to combat. I’m excited to see where Disgaea 7 will go, and how I’ll be able to utilize these new features to min-max my leveling and cut my teeth on the challenges this game will have to offer.
Disgaea 7 will release on October 3, 2023 in North America, October 6, 2023 in Europe, and October 13, 2023 in Australia. It will be available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC.
