Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention Review

One of the most recognizable NIS America series is Disgaea. For fans of the strategy-RPG genre, Disgaea has always been a highly praised game and every time a Disgaea title is released for a console, an expanded portable version debuts shortly after.

Following the successful release of the first two Disgaea titles on the PSP, another portable title is on its way, this time for the PlayStation Vita. With the release of Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice on the PlayStation 3 several years ago, Nippon Ichi is ready for its next portable title and Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention came to be. Will the charm of a portable Disgaea work this time around with Absence of Detention on the Vita?

Let’s take a look at what’s HOT and what’s NOT in our review.

HOT

Quirky Story
Disgaea games are known for their silly stories. For fans who have played past Disgaea titles, you can expect the same presentation. The story in Absence of Detention is exactly the same as the PS3 version. You assume the role of Lord Mao, son of the Overlord, who is motivated to take revenge on his father. The reason behind his revenge is due to the Overlord accidentally deleting Mao’s precious save data, which he spent over four million hours accruing. Simply hearing the premise of the story, you might assume the story is stupid, but as you play through it, the story gradually evolves into a touching tale.

Addictive Gameplay
When it comes to Disgaea games, they all have a certain charm that’s similar to Final Fantasy Tactics. When you start a level, you will see an environment split up in a grid. Based on your level/items, you’re able to move a fixed amount of spaces. After you’re done arranging your fighters, you can end your turn and the enemies will move. Each turn you’re able to move toward enemies or to another part of the grid. If you choose to fight an enemy, there are several routes you can take. These include using things like attacking them, throwing them, using magic or special abilities and much more. With so many choices, it’s hard to say there’s a right and wrong way to fight any enemy.

If the core concept doesn’t wow you, there is a surprisingly high amount of depth. As you progress through the game, you will be given several tools to power up your party. For instance, once you hit the the maximum level of 9,999, you’re able to restart your character, but with better base stats. This means as they level up, they will progress better than the previous version. This opens the door for hours of leveling and mastering your character. Besides your base character, you’re also allowed to power up your weapons. By going through your items via item world, you can slowly level them to be more helpful on the battlefield. Additionally, while in item world you will be able to steal better equipment to improve your party. Finally, to get the highest tier weapon, you will need to make it to floor 100 in the next highest rank item and steal it from the boss. Simple elements like this can easily add hours of playablity, which is great considering most of the post-game requires strong warriors to survive.

Tons of Extras Included at an Affordable Price
While you can still get Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice at a participating retailer for $34.99, it lacks the various DLC packs, which will cost you an additional $49.99. If at some point you wish to play Disgaea 3 all over again with the DLC, but don’t want to spend $50, then you’re in luck. Not only does the Vita version include new content, but it also has all the original DLC in one affordable pack.

All of the DLC characters like Gordon and Hero Prinny are included in the Vita version of the game. However, to unlock them you must finish the game and unlock their maps, which is the same procedure on the console version. As for the extra scenarios, such as the ones with Raspberyll, they can be played right away by entering a special code, which will unlock it in your headquarters.

Aside from the DLC in Absence of Detention, there are exclusive new features just for the Vita version. If you’ve played Disgaea 4 and fought Fuka and Desko, you’ll be pleased to hear that they’ll be in this game as well. Another feature to look forward to is the ability to customize the appearance of your favorite items like your weapons and the inclusion of a new Tera Magic. If you’ve been fond of dealing insane damage that reach numbers like 999999, then you’ll appreciate the added Tera Magic.

3G Owners Gets More Honor Quotient
Vita 3G owners will benefit from Absence of Detention’s GPS functionality since it gives you a higher honor quotient. Those who bring their 3G Vita wherever they go will have the opportunity to get more points to increase your Honor Quotient. As you raise your Honor Quotient, you’ll be able to gain more experience and mana points, get better deals at the shops and much more. If you want to dominate every level in Disgaea 3, getting a high Honor Quotient is essential. If you don’t have a 3G Vita, you can still get honor quotient points by defeating monsters and clearing stages.