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satoshi-mochida · 2 months

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Dessert de Otomate 2024 announcements roundup – Fuyuzono Sacrifice, Honey Vibes, Hakuoki Ibun: Berezinskii no Majo, more

From Gematsu

Idea Factory‘s Otomate brand announced new titles, updates on existing titles, and ports during its Dessert de Otomate 2024 event in Tokyo today.

Get the full roundup of announcements below.

New Titles

Fuyuzono Sacrifice

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Platform: Switch

Genre: Otome romance visual novel

Tagline: A wish for a bride (sacrifice) in a frozen world.

Keywords: Heartrending Love, Western-Style Fantasy

Staff: Tsunekiyo Fujisawa (producer), Atori Shiina (director), Manuka Midou (character design), Sachi Arino (scenario writer)

Honey Vibes

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Platform: Switch

Release Date: 2024

Genre: Otome romance visual novel

Tagline: In a tropical land where beasts (lust) and humans (reason) mesh, a hot and exciting love story awaits you.

Keywords: Beast Ears, Suits, and Three Factions

Staff: Kurage Ichi (character design), Yusuke Takahama (sound), Momoko Terashima (producer), Asami Saitou (director)

Hakuoki Ibun: Berezinskii no Majo

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Platform: Switch

Genre: Otome dramatic visual novel

Tagline: “That” makes her both an angel and a demon.

Keywords: Rejuvenating Water, Hakuoki, Napoleon

Staff: Tsunekiyo Fujisawa (director), Sakigumi Shiki (character design), Kagero Usuba (guest designer)

Updates

Moeyo! Otome Doushi: Kayu Koigatari

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Platform: Switch

Release Date: 2024

Genre: Otome romance visual novel

Keywords: Battle, Love Comedy, Manga

Staff: Tsunekiyo Fujisawa (producer), Chouko Tsuyuri (director), Ayu Nekoi (original design), Maro Sasaki (scenario), Ririka Yoshimura (scenario), and Satomi Nakayama (scenario)

Voice Cast: Shogo Sakata, Kazuki Ura, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

Trouble Magia: Wakeari Shoujo wa Mirai o Kachitoru Tame ni Ikoku no Mahou Gakkou e Ryougaku Shimasu

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Platform: Switch

Genre: Magic academy visual novel full of trouble

Tagline: Girl meets boy in this adolescent tale of magic. Your year to seize the future is about to begin!

Keywords: Magic, Animals, Student Council

Staff: Suzunosuke (original design), Akira Natsuno (scenario writer), and Akira Ouse (director)

Voice Cast: Tomoaki Maeno, Atsushi Abe, Ryouta Oosaka, Yuuto Uemura, Kazuyuki Okitsu, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

Otomate Graffit: New Titles

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Hiiro no Kakera Tamayori-hime Kitan: Omoi Iro no Kioku for Nintendo Switch

Platform: Switch

Release Date: June 20, 2024

Genre: Otome romance visual novel

Tagline: Destiny is with you once again…

Keyword: Swords, Guardians, Seals

Staff: Tsunekiyo Fujisawa (producer)

Voice Cast: Tomokazu Sugita, Kousuke Okano, Daisuke Namikawa, Daisuke Hirakawa, Hiroki Shimowada, Kazunori Nomiya, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

7’scarlet for Nintendo Switch

Platform: Switch

Release Date: 2024

Genre: Otome romance visual novel

Tagline: The truth of this town is illuminated by the moonlight.

Keyword: Mystery, Incidents

Staff: Chinatsu Kurahana (character design)

Voice Cast: Nobunaga Shimazaki, Tetsuya Kakihara, Showtaro Morikubo, Chiharu Sawashiro, Shinichiro Miki, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

Natsuzora no Monologue: Another Memory

Platform: Switch

Release Date: 2024

Genre: Summer-themed time loop visual novel

Tagline: We see “dreams” in the summer sky.

Staff: Ijou (director), Yuu Nishimura (scenario writer), Rokumaru (original design)

Voice Cast: Atsushi Abe, Naozumi Takahashi, Shinya Takahashi, Tsubasa Yonaga, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nobuhiko Okamoto, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

Altergear: New Titles

Hypnosis Mic: Alternative Rap Battle – 1st Period / Hypnosis Mic: Alternative Rap Battle – 2nd Period

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Platform: Switch

Genre: Rhythm and visual novel game

Tagline: This time the battle of right and wrong comes to Nintendo Switch!

Keywords: Rhythm Game, Hypnosis Mic, Rap

Staff: Kazui (character design and original draft), Otomate, King Records (original work), Evil Line Records (original world)

Voice Cast: Subaru Kimura, Haruki Ishiya, Kouhei Amasaki, Shintarou Asanuma, Wataru Komada, Shinichiro Kamio, Yuusuke Shirai, Soma Saito, Yukihiro Nozuyama, Show Hayami, Ryuichi Kijima, Kento Itou, Ryota Iwasaki, Kengo Kawanishi, Takaya Kuroda, Shota Hayama, Yuki Sakakihara, Eiji Takeuchi, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

Altergear: Updates

Rashomon of Shinjuku

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Platform: Switch

Release Date: August 8, 2024

Genre: A bakumatsu reincarnation story visual novel refreshed for the modern age.

Tagline: Sever the everlasting karma on the road to carnage.

Staff: Sonoe Kazenomiya (planning, original draft, producer, script), Kanna Natsumi (script), Karin Entertainment (work), Jirou Suzuki (character design)

Voice Cast: Hiromu Mineta, Yukari Shimotsuki, Junichi Yanagita, Kouji Okino, Kouhei Amasaki, Chikahiro Kobayashi, Sho Karino, Atsushi Abe, Kentaro Kumagai, Kenta Nobe, Rowa Kamiie, Takeo Otsuka, Yoshitaka Yamaya, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

#Otomate #Otome game #visual novel #Idea Factory #Fuyuzono Sacrifice #Honey Vibes #Hakuoki Ibun: Berezinskii no Majo #Hakuoki #Moeyo! Otome Doushi: Kayu Koigatari #Trouble Magia #Hiiro no Kakera Tamayori-hime Kitan: Omoi Iro no Kioku #7’scarlet #Natsuzora no Monologue: Another Memory #Hypnosis Mic #Rashomon of Shinjuku #Gematsu #Youtube

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boozles · 4 months

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Boozle's Top Ten Movies 2023

So, this was another list in my 2023 review that was super difficult to put together. According to my Letterboxd 2023 list, I watched 178 new movies this year. (Looking at all the dramas and movies I've watched, I honestly do not know where I found the time to consume so much content?! Working from home has its plus side, I guess?)

So, it's been a bit difficult to narrow my list of favourites down, but this is what I ended up with...

(i) Barabarian (2022, Dir. Zch Cregger) This film was NOTHING like what I thought it was going to be. Split into three tales that merge together to tell the story of one house and it's history, this movie managed to surprise me and be unpredictable at each turn.

(ii) The Outlaws (2017, Dir. Kang Yun-sung) This is the first movie in The Roundup series (the fourth movie is due out in 2024) and I have to say this is my favourite Korean action franchise. Ma Dong Seok is perfect, and the action sequences are mind blowing. It has the perfect balance of crime, action and comedy, and is a definite recommendation if you're looking for a good Asian crime movie.

(iii) Evil Dead Rise (2023, Dir. Lee Cronin) I absolutely love the Evil Dead franchise, and I had initially been a little wary at this sequel due to the fact they were taking the deadite insanity into an apartment block instead of the usual little cottage in the woods. I am so glad I was wrong, because this movie was probably the best horror to come out of 2023. The cast were amazing (Morgan Davies was a stand out) and it managed to feel like an Evil Dead film but with a fresh perspective.

(iv) Dark Harvest (2023, Dir. David Slade) Okay, I couldn't find a gif from the movie so y'all will have to make do with this still image. Now, I fully expected Dark Harvest to be a lame b-movie with terrible effects and a lame storyline, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! It managed to keep me captivated, and it was extremely aesthetically pleasing. I'd love a sequel with Emily returning to town.

(v) Five Nights at Freddy's (2023, Dir. Emma Tammi) Gosh, I was so happy when I enjoyed this! I am a huge FNAF fan (though for a while I kept it on the downlow due to Cawthon's support of Trump/the Republican party) and I adore the lore, as wild and complicated as it is. The movie really managed to keep me captivated, and kept me guessing, whilst still staying true to the original canon. I cannot wait for the second installment.

(vi) Guns Akimbo (2019, Dir. Jason Lei Howden) This was a wild and fantastic film. I love watching Daniel Radcliffe get further and further away from the HP movies and prove that he's a great actor. Also, I just love Samara Weaving.

(vii) The Meg 2: The Trench (2023, Ben Wheatley) Yeah, I'm surprised to see this on my list, too. This movie was just so much fun. That's all. The effects were great, the acting was pretty good, and I just like watching sharks take out humans. IF YOU DON'T WANT EATEN BY A SEA CREATURE, STAY OUT OF THE SEA.

(viii) Ichi the Killer (2001, Dir. Takashi Miike) I don't know why it took me over 20 years to finally watch this classic, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it! The acting was insane, the story was batshit crazy, and the effects were fantastic. I'd expect nothing less from Takashi Miike, tbh.

(ix) Salo, or 120 Days of Sodom (1975, Dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini) Okay, hear me out - was this one of my favourite movies of the year? No, it really wasn't. However, it's the movie that has probably left the biggest scar on my mental psyche of the year, therefore I had to include it. I've been fascinated by Marquis De Sade ever since I saw Quills years ago, but I never watched this movie because I knew it would do something to my brain. If you've seen the movie (or even read the book), I'm sure you understand what I mean when I saw one chapter in particular REALLY fucked me up to the point I couldn't eat chocolate for quite some time afterwards, and I struggle to not throw up when cleaning my cat's litter box these days. It takes a lot for a movie to scar me in a way that makes it pop into my mind every now and then, and this movie did that. However, I'd like to add that the point of the film isn't just to shock, but I am terrible at witing coherent analysis. If you haven't seen this movie, I would suggest doing a little research before watching, just to make sure you can handle it; it is full of triggers that I don't even want to mention because I'll probably get blacklisted. But yes. Whilst it may not be a favourite of the year, it sure left a huge impact on me.

(x) Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022, Dir. Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan) I think everyone loves this movie, but I was surprised at how much I loved it! The whole message of the movie is just so brutal and honest, and whilst I know that it's probably people of Asian heritage that can relate to it the most, I feel like we all can find something in the relationships that we can relate to. The cast were fantastic and I'm so glad to see Ke Huy Quan on screen again! Heartwarming, sad, and absolutely hilarious.

Honorary Mentions: (i) Midnight (2021, Dir. Kwon Oh-seung) (ii) Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018, Dir. Jung Bum-shik) (iii) Glass Onion (2022, Dir. Rian Johnson) (iv) The Night House (2020, Dir. David Bruckner) (v) I Saw the Devil (2010, Dir. Kim Jee-woon)

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todayisafridaynight · 11 months

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SORRY in advance for the long ask pleeease take your time and take care, I hope you feel better + get to have a good time at the con or hanging out with your dad :( It means the world to me that you enjoy my stuff though! It did take me a while to notice you were even following me (hence. @ing you on a post you'd already seen gdjfshld) but we got there eventually...

Definitely definitely was expecting to see more of Infinite Wealth at the summit… since the tweets mentioned character introductions but didn't specify for which game, I was under the impression we'd at least be introduced to the as-yet-unidentified voices in the trailer. Gameplay would've been HUGE to include too 😩 I guess it makes enough sense though, since it's not The Upcoming Release...

I shall bide my time. I have no idea what to expect from fall summit (as intended). But if it's going to be a seasonal thing, I figure a potential "winter summit" is the latest it could be to show us gameplay for something that's suppsed to be an early 2024 release, if not just putting out trailers or other showcases and stuff independently.

LEGIT THOUGH IT JUST MAKES IT SOUND LIKE KIRYU IS LYING TO SOUND COOL GDJSKGLDS which is also Arakawa-esque… "maybe I felt like impressing an idiot kid"… If nothing else, I feel like I'll enjoy the dynamic they're going for with those two. Specifically casting Kiryu as a "big brother" figure rather than a father figure also makes me WEEP because the only "aniki" Ichi's ever had is Jo. So it's like... from Jo to Joryu...

Also I just really like the acting choices by the mocap actor for Kiryu, I feel like we've never really seen him move that… casually? His mannerisms also 100% make him look like he's lying lol like there are multiple "tells" it's so funny

I glossed over the proposal (because I expected that to be the main topic anyway, being the only dialogue scene we got) but I completely agree with everything that's been said, basically. Reverse chick magnet for life… but I do expect there's more to it than meets the eye because summit is pretty focused on "generating buzz," so the fact it feels so out of place is probably what they were banking on.

Because like, on top of everything mentioned, Ichiban is portrayed as an entirely passive participant in the romances in 7, and IIRC for Saeko and Eri he wasn't really even fully aware they were into him. So for him to not only be the one to propose but bomb so hard a seasoned hostess (as Kiryu points out in JP)--who'd rather be groped than subjected to Weird Shit--blew up at him and there was fallout from Adachi and Nanba is a huge deviation from how he's portrayed.

It's also kind of like, to me, the translation says something a little different than what was actually being said; Ichi's emphasis wasn't really on the fact she rejected him (implying he expected her to accept + placing more importance on his own feelings vs hers), but the fact she "chewed him out" (implying he should've known better in the first place than to ask).

Of course, he's apparently planning on trying again so he is hoping she'll accept eventually, and the general tone of the interaction suggests he should've known better regardless, but both say something slightly different about his characterization in this scene to me. There's also TL weirdness with Ichi saying Kiryu seems like a good dude rather than just… him explaining that he doesn't mean anything bad by saying he doesn't seem like a ladies' man, which is a bigger mistake but less consequential, I guess.

There's also Saeko's line from the original teaser, "You say that like you're proposing," so it would seem she's already caught off guard (i.e. not taking it seriously yet) and not too thrilled with the idea (provided it's the same convo). I don't really have much to go off of, but if they are in a relationship, I can only assume either she's made it clear she doesn't want to get married or his proposal method was just That Bad, or they're not in a relationship.

In the latter case all I have to pull from is other media with characters who are somewhat like Ichi, but it made me think of times I've seen characters propose for legal or financial reasons or etc. and get Totally Owned, and I'd honestly find that a believable Ichi Situation… Ichi thinking like 50 steps ahead and not explaining himself properly and just Making Saeko More Mad… I'm just musing, though.

Yokoyama and co. were--if I heard right--being pretty cagey about whether they ARE in a relationship in the first place though, which strikes me as odd compared to RGGS' openness about Kaito's ex in the Lost Judgment DLC. So… definitely not beating the red herring allegations just yet, at any rate. Especially when said DLC involves a fake-out on a proposal lmao

Putting all that aside since we can't make any definitive statements anyway, I AM going to make the definitive statement that literally every single design in Gaiden so far is indeed drippy as hell.

such is the cruel fate of being shadowbanned on this webbed site I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream etc etc ( ╯-╰ ; ) but we did get there! and i very much do enjoy what you post :]

if there's nothing for fall summit (though i'm going to hope a lil there will be since that's what. three months from now) then there'll definitely be something for winter summit. if the idea is that there's more of a focus on gaiden since its release date is sooner, then it's fair to assume- with that logic- the winter one'll have the bulk of LAD8 news and demos. either way, im excited for both to see what both of them bring us !

ignoring the elephant in the room of the proposal thing, i also really liked the vibe of it all (and ive also been trying reeaaally hard to make a joke connecting jo and joryu since that's also a bit i enjoy) (❁´◡`❁) i did like that lowkey feel and just the casualness of the atmosphere and the slight awkward/uncomfortable-but-not-overly-offended-and-even-minorly-comedic energy from kiryu lmao. cant ever go wrong with having a scene that's there to slow everythin down a bit, and it does help set up a kind of homely/familial vibe ♪(´▽｀)

i dont need to comment any more on the proposal thing either LMAO everything ima say i been repeating for the past. X asks 😩

and with that. yeah everyone looks FIRE as hell in gaiden (EXCEPT nishitani ima be 100%.... idk the loud primary colors aren't doing it for me.... points for the nails and hair though) 😩

#long post #snap chats #laying down when youre gloomy is dangerous i passed out despite really hating naps jLAEKJ #my dad texted me today saying we wouldn't be able to hang out and i was reminded to answer this ask gjVLKJLKWEJ #needless to say im still not having the best of days. or months apparently ☠️ but moving on from all that #uhh. yeah no i think i said everything i need to say #im pushing my brain to think of anything to say im really out of it #i know if i dont do it now tho i never will cause when i shirk somethin its virtually nonexistent in my mind ajrLKjVLK #at the very least the 'ladies man' comment is definitely not. 'less consequential' if twitter is anything to say LMAO #mostly just jokes of course ik ik For Real Non Consequential but my eyes are still seeing it every other post SO.#on that note. i forgot my personal rule of not commenting on scripts OH NO #i dont understand japanese and at this point i cant trust what english translators provide and evidently the differences can be big #sooo im just gonna. eat shit i guess LMAO IDK #i already done said i have no more notes bout the proposal bit and i dont #i can just say Yeah Thats About Right when it comes to agreeing with whats been said #just feels underwhelming to only say that tho.... but theres no other way i can say it without restating #i myself just feel underwhelming as of late but thats a personal ish jALKJKLJ #in any case my dad said he'd send me pizza money as an apology or something and tbh ive been craving pizza all week anyway for some reason #even if he doesnt i might just get a small pizza for myself and then only eat a third of it cause my stomach's the size of a peanut

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pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer · 3 months

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Games in 2023: Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless

(I know it’s 2024 the game came out late 2023 so even if I didn’t get it until now it didn’t feel right saying it was “in 2024” okay)

I’ve been a longtime (if somewhat casual) fan of the Disgaea series. It has that one-two punch of lighthearted tone and surprisingly serious plot developments that I tend to enjoy, and relishes in being perhaps the best example of over-the-top cartoon violence ever seen. These games are absolutely STUFFED with things to do, but enticing as that is, it can also be a double-edged sword when trying to actually dig into them. I’ve played at least a little of everything but Disgaea D2, yet 7 marks only the third time I’ve beaten the main story of a Disgaea game—and the first one I beat (2) took several attempts over a few years. So this won’t be entirely comprehensive; nevertheless, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself thus far, and 35 hours seems like a good enough chunk that I’m qualified to recommend it to people.

First, a spoiler-free tl;dr: Disgaea 7 has all the whacky humor and engrossing gameplay the series is known for, with many mechanics being streamlined to make it one of the most accessible entries for players both new and returning. The plot draws on familiar themes and takes some really interesting turns, helped by a very solid main cast, and as it neared its resolution I just couldn’t put the game down. Definitely give the free demo a try if you’re at all curious! That was all it took to hook me!

From what I’ve heard, Disgaea 6 wasn’t especially well-received. I’ve only tried the demo, but it’s true that something about it just didn’t hit. Nippon Ichi apparently took a lot of feedback on 6 into account when making Disgaea 7, and while I don’t have the experience to properly compare the two, playing the demo for 7 made me immediately want to get my hands on the full game, so that’s a stark difference. The setting we’re exploring this time is Hinomoto, a cluster of closely connected Netherworlds based on feudal Japan; while the demons here were once known for their unusually undemonic code of honor, bushido, the realm has since fallen on hard times and has become just as rowdy as most other Netherworlds we’ve seen. This is all the result of Hinomoto’s long-standing isolationist policy being forcibly ended by our villain, Demmodore Opener…just like how Japan’s isolationist policy was ended in real life! Well, with the caveat that Opener has conquered Hinomoto and taken direct control over it. It’s a funny way to draw as deeply from the inspiration as possible. Under Opener’s rule, Hinomoto has declined in both honor and prosperity, but none dare stand up to him: he killed the Netherworld’s greatest warrior, the legendary Mugai, after all. Things certainly look bleak for the demons living here.

Into this stumbles Pirilika, a ray of sunshine cat-gyaru demon who owns her own fashion brand and is a self-proclaimed “Hinomoto Otaku”, having fallen in love with the Netherworld from all the stories she’s heard about the age of bushido. In other words, she’s a literal weeaboo rolling up to feudal Japan. Only in Disgaea, man. She soon crosses paths with Fuji, a dragon demon ronin who has an allergy to empathy that makes him cough up blood any time somebody’s nice to him; a situation presents itself where Fuji agrees to be Pirilika’s bodyguard for an enormous fee (he’s in deep debt), but Pirilika’s Prinny secretary rigs the contract so that he’ll only get his money after Pirilika has accomplished her goals in Hinomoto. Determined to get paid, Fuji declares he’ll “do his worst”, and grumpily follows Pirilika on her adventures. Oh, and they become wanted criminals for getting into an altercation with shogunate forces. Hilarity ensues!

The demo lets you play through the first two chapters of the story, both of which end with a tutorial for a new mechanic. At the end of chapter one, Pirilika offers Fuji a sword as a sort of down payment, and upon taking it he realizes that it’s actually one of the legendary Infernal Treasures said to be the greatest weapons in all of Hinomoto. He’s curious as to why she has it, but he’s perfectly willing to put it to use, thus unlocking Hell Mode. If you’ve played Disgaea 5, this is somewhat similar to Revenge Mode: a character builds up their gauge to achieve a power boost for 3 turns, though quite a few changes have been made. First of all, since Hell Mode is tied to the Infernal Treasures, only a select few characters have access to it, and not all of them have their Treasure (or their Hell Mode) in all chapters. Secondly, each character has their own conditions for charging their gauge: deal damage, take damage, do team attacks, and more. Thirdly, Hell Mode is activated manually, not automatically. Fourthly, the effects of each Hell Mode are also unique rather than a uniform buff. Fuji’s attacks become able to ignore a portion of the enemy’s defense stat; another character gets to act twice per turn; another gets an insanely long attack range; etc. And finally, as a sort of replacement for Overloads, Hell Mode also enables a very powerful skill that costs 0 SP, but does end Hell Mode early if you use it. I think I’d need to go back and play more of 5 to really see if I like this or Revenge Mode better, but Hell Mode is plenty fun in and of itself; I definitely appreciate that activation has been made manual as it lets you be more strategic about when to use the power-up.

The end of the second chapter introduces…Jumbification. I still hate the name. Anyway, there’s a shared RAGE meter that charges when your units take and deal damage, and when it’s full you can have one of your units become a giant outside the bounds of the map. As someone who never liked Dynamax, hearing about this made me hesitate checking the game out, but I wound up using it quite a bit. Each unique character and each character class have their own passive ability that goes into effect once they Jumbify (it’s called a “Jumbility”…); these affect both allies and enemies equally, which means you need to think about which side will benefit more from this effect. You must pick one of the four sides of the map for your giant unit to appear, and if enemies make it to that edge of the map, they can attack and potentially kill the unit. The giant only has two options: either a normal attack, which has them hit a 5x5 area anywhere on the map; or, if an enemy unit Jumbifies, they can use a “Gigasaster Attack” to attack them instead. After 3 turns, the unit shrinks back down and reappears on the map, but there’s nothing stopping them from Jumbifying again if you build up enough RAGE. Somehow, I ended up really liking this mechanic! It being available to every unit makes the exclusivity of Hell Mode a non-issue, every unit having their own passive effect on the map adds an interesting extra dimension to using it, and Jumbifying heals a character to full, which can save you in some tight spots. Enemies Jumbifying is usually manageable, though they remain that way indefinitely which can feel unfair at times. The boss of the Jumbifying tutorial can be a little tough, and when I was fighting the final story boss, I whittled their HP down significantly only to see them then Jumbify the next turn to heal completely. That kinda sucked. But I won so it really just made for an even more tense battle I guess.

Another small mechanic introduced past where the demo ends is Netherworld Sightseeing: after clearing a chapter, you can press a button in the stage select to go to one of its maps and walk around the same as if it was a second hub world. There are treasure chests scattered about, miscellaneous characters you can chat with, a few generic class units you can actually fight one-on-one to recruit (and unlock a bonus color for that class), and some even have specialized shops you can browse. It’s a simple little addition, but it’s got it’s own charm, I appreciate its inclusion. There are also two special features you can access through sightseeing: Demon Shogi and the Netherworld Martial Arts Tournament. Demon Shogi gives you a stage with preset units set to auto-battle and asks you to tweak their AI to clear the stage as quickly as possible; I haven’t messed around much with this, but I suppose it puts an interesting spin on the core mechanics. The tournament is, well…a tournament. You select a tier and then have to fight through three maps to win, with each tier being farther and farther up the level curve. It can be a fun distraction, a way to spice up grinding; it seems like some fights have gimmicks, but I haven’t really seen many, just attempted a higher tier and was immediately faced with pre-Jumbified level 300 enemies. Yikes.

Most of the returning mechanics you’d expect are also here. They did keep the Juice Bar from Disgaea 6, which stores EXP, Mana, and stat points you can then freely distribute to your units; this can be a really great way to buff units at risk of falling behind, or to make your strongest characters even stronger right away. I don’t recall how the Hospital was handled in 6, but new to me at least is that instead of giving milestone rewards, healing now earns you points you can spend on a gacha to randomly get rare items, money, points for the Juice Bar, even Innocents. There were also changes made to the Item World, letting you do things like farm Innocents and reincarnate items, but probably the biggest change is in the size of Item World dungeons. Previously, Common items had 30 floors, Rare had 60, and Legendary had 100; now, Common has 10 floors, Rare has 20, and Legendary has 30. While it is sad to see it reduced so much, this does make leveling your items far more approachable and feasible, and is probably the right call considering how many floors you’ll still need to go through to deck out all your key characters in high-level equipment. Also worth noting that the RAGE and Hell Mode meters both carry over between Item World floors, and I like how that opens the option to save your charge until you see what the next floor has to offer. Very useful when you know you’re nearing a boss floor.

Regardless of where you’re battling, I like the selection of classes you can battle with. Most humanoid classes have both a male and female variant, and both they and the monster classes draw from all over the series history. I still want Wood Golem back, but I am LOVING the Pincer Shell and its gentlemanly disposition. Also I can still make my recurring Lady Samurai unit, that’s a tradition that’s very important to me. The story characters are nothing to scoff at either, of course: Fuji is your sword-wielding protag with big stats and a fire skill; Pirilika learns healing spells and buffs and is decent with a bow; you get a mage type, a thief type, a monster unit, and another strong melee fighter as you go through the game, providing good coverage whatever your playstyle entails. Their Hell Modes are all suitably unique, though Pirilika doesn’t get hers until the very last chapter…but seeing as it revives all dead units, that makes sense from a balance perspective. Why don’t I go into more detail on those other characters to transition into talking about the story?

Someone I ended up liking more than I was expecting is Ceefore, a girl who shows up in the story as early as the demo but can’t be recruited until after where it ends. She’s a phantom thief who snorts gunpowder and gets off on causing explosions. Only in Disgaea, man. Where Pirilika is a Hinomoto Otaku, Ceefore is a Weapon Otaku, and has a particular fascination with the Infernal Treasures. We soon learn that this is in part because she has amnesia, and coming into contact with Infernal Treasures helps her regain her memories. She’s a very fun character, both in story and gameplay—when killing an enemy she has a chance to automatically steal their equipment, which I greatly enjoy as someone who’s never felt like bothering with stealing before! Not to mention her Hell Mode skill attacks a straight line with infinite range. That’s pretty cool. When she does recover her memories it’s made clear she always loved weapons, and it’s for that reason she was sent to investigate the Infernal Treasures on behalf of Celestia. Yep, she’s actually an angel! While she can be very kind, overall she fits in more with demons than other angels, and it’s always nice to see Disgaea crushing their own in-universe stereotypes like this. That’s once again a larger theme in the plot, so Ceefore’s contribution to it really goes a long way.

There’s also Higan Zesshousai, Fuji’s old master. She’s a six-foot tall (plus horns) super-busty demon lady recognized as the strongest warrior in all of Hinomoto; her hobbies include fighting, eating sweets, and shoving her spear up people’s butts. Eat your heart out, Tumblr. She’s a mostly static character, which I mean as a positive, and I really enjoy the dynamic she and Fuji have. They’ll yell and complain and crack jokes, sure, but it’s always apparent that Fuji is grateful to Higan and respects her, and that Higan cares about Fuji’s well-being and is always ready to support him. And it never got weird! It was just a very genuine representation of a student-teacher relationship! Love that! She also has this insanely cool scene later on where she uses her spear’s time-manipulating powers to turn a villain’s regeneration against them, she’s almost certainly the most badass character in the game.

As for Yeyasu…I both do and don’t like him? Like, I think he’s pretty well-written and has some great moments, his selfish idiocy being revealed to be a form of denial was an interesting direction to take, but at the same time…I’m still really annoyed and put-off by his behavior most of the time. He has a solid foundation beneath a veil of crap, and that’s exactly the point of his character development so it’s hard to outright hate him. Last of the main bunch is Suisen, a robot boy who’s actually a living Infernal Treasure. After losing a game with the party, they just kinda abduct him, and he just kinda goes along with it to honor the terms of the game. Funny as hell, definitely, but also sort of a weird way to transplant a new main character into the fold? He does want to learn to look past the numbers and believe in friendship and determination, which is serviceable, and he’s at the heart of a pretty big reveal about mid-way through the story. Turns out, Infernal Treasures contain heaps of souls, and the dominant soul inside Suisen is the soul of Yeyasu’s little brother who was taken by Demmodore Opener as a hostage a long time ago. Messed up! But aside from leading to more interaction between Yeyasu and Suisen, not a whole lot really comes of this, and it can feel like Suisen is underreacting to this terrible knowledge. I dunno, your mileage may vary; I like Suisen well enough, but I do wonder if he could have been more compelling.

The story these characters tell is engaging and well-paced…though I’m not sure how best to summarize it quickly without it looking messy. A lot of things happen. I’ll give it a shot, though! The game is divided into three acts, the first of which is largely an episodic string of antics that serve to assemble the party and get a few Infernal Treasures in their hands—good, light-hearted fun. Act 2 is when things start to get intense, following one continuous thread where the party, after dealing with some distraction tactics, learn about the Treasures being forged from massive numbers of souls and see an opportunity to take the fight directly to Opener. This is where we start to really delve into backstories and see some character development, a good place for it now that we’ve had time to get to know and care about this group. A boss fight with Opener then paves the way for Act 3, which reveals there’s way more going on than we initially realized, and we have a much bigger problem to solve. Plot twists, but if you ask me they’re handled pretty well. Here comes the tricky part of the summary…

Demmodore Opener is Pirilika’s father, with her mother being the evil scientist who revealed the truth about Infernal Treasures to them. Turns out the REAL reason Pirilika came here was because, when her parents came to visit Hinomoto, she suddenly lost contact with them, and they’re both now acting very unlike themselves. Also, that legendary hero Mugai who died fighting Opener? He’s Fuji’s father, he created the Infernal Treasures, and he’s not dead, he was actually possessing Opener this whole time. This was all part of his master plan to get Hinomoto to abandon the honor of bushido, to embrace violence and selfishness and become more…well, demonic. That’s how he thinks the Netherworld should be, and he’s going to force that view on others by holding a televised execution of Opener so that he can cast a curse on all of Hinomoto in one fell swoop. That curse? Empathy Killer. If the afflicted feels any positive emotion, the curse causes them extreme pain, and could even kill them…usually it makes them cough up blood. Yep, while Laharl’s aversion to good feelings was just a joke, Fuji’s “allergy” is actually a potentially fatal curse. I like how they’ve iterated upon the idea! I don’t recall anything specific pointing towards the connection between Pirilika and Opener, though once her mother appears, it’s obvious they have a strong resemblance and she specifically mentions fighting her child, so that’s in the back of your mind all through Act 2. We’re told of Fuji’s relation to Mugai relatively early on, and he’s quick to scoff every time someone talks about how great Mugai was, so we know something’s off about the guy well before he makes his grand return. With many of our questions answered, now we’re off to stop Mugai…well, after a few grueling rounds with him.

With Opener’s boss fight, I dunno if I just placed my units in exactly the right spots or what, but after dealing with his lackies my army launched a united attack on him and killed him before he even took a single action. I found this funny. The NEXT fight, though, is your first battle with Mugai, your 10 units against just him, and this fight was HARD. His skills deal double damage, he can’t be attacked from range, he has a chance to turn around when attacked from the back or side, and he immediately activates his Hell Mode (which is permanent for enemies), the effect of which prevents any unit he attacks from acting at all during their next turn. I, uh, had to stop and grind a little for this one. There’s still one or two more fights with him after that, but his Evilities are changed to be much more manageable, even with lackies. My take is that it was just approaching the point of being too much, enough fights in a row to feel long and drawn out but not entirely tedious, which helps create the sense of this being a hopeless battle due to Mugai’s ability to regenerate from fatal damage. He’s a neat villain, though I can’t quite decide if the gold teeth facemask is cool or awkward-looking…

Now there is another major character who I haven’t really had a good opportunity to bring up thus far. All throughout the game, a little girl named Ao will occasionally pop up out of nowhere and cause mass destruction, and she claims to be Fuji’s daughter. Fuji is vague about the details up until Act 3: since Fuji is Mugai’s son, he knows how to make Infernal Treasures, and following an incident where Mugai slaughtered the students he was training with, he thought combining their souls into an Infernal Treasure would be better than just letting them die. Ao is the result—a living Infernal Treasure. At first, all Fuji cared about was getting back at Mugai, and he spent a lot of time doing nothing but train Ao for that purpose. However, he eventually realized he was being a shitty dad just like Mugai, so he stopped, told Ao she didn’t have to fight and should go do whatever she wants, and left her. Problem being. What Ao wants is to be with Fuji. But through a combination of shame, trying to forget the past, and the Empathy Killer curse, Fuji has continued to push her away without any real explanation why. Tragic! I did feel Ao’s random appearances through Acts 1 and 2 felt a bit out of nowhere, but she greatly elevates the story of Act 3, where Fuji decides he’s going to fix things with Ao even if it kills him. And it nearly does! Ao’s body has become unstable and is on the verge of breaking down, so Fuji uses his knowledge of restoring Infernal Treasures (previously displayed in Act 2 to heal Suisen) to put her back in good health. Ao tries to stop him because she doesn’t want his curse to kill him, but he carries out his fatherly responsibilities, saying it’s “proof that [he] loves [her] to death.” I uh. That, um, might be the most a Disgaea game has ever emotionally fucked me up. Good shit. The narration even tells you that this is the end of the story to twist the knife! But Pirilika bursts onscreen and refuses to let things end this way, finally getting an Infernal Treasure (a bow that Ao had been holding onto) and using its healing power to save Fuji’s life. The party brings Ao with them, though she’s still weak so she doesn’t actually become playable until the post-game; nevertheless, they follow Mugai into a hidden realm known as the Infernal Sanctuary, ready to decide it all with one final battle.

Mugai, who has now powered up to “Super-Deity Mugai” (it just makes me think of Super Kami Guru), is quite the obstacle to overcome. Like I mentioned earlier, he can Jumbify to restore his health and make the fight a smidge more complicated, but while this was certainly a close call I still have to say his first battle was the toughest one. Before dying, Mugai tells us his motivation more completely than he did earlier: after his first fight with Opener, the Demmodore spared his life and said they should become friends (he’s just as big a weeaboo as Pirilika), which made Mugai feel utterly humiliated. It was then he discovered the Infernal Sanctuary, which is actually Hell. Like, I know the Netherworlds are supposed to be a myriad of hells, but this is HELL Hell, a fiery vortex filled with the anguished souls of demons who can’t let go of the life they’ve left behind and are trapped here for eternity. Mugai took this as a sign that empathy, compassion, emotion as a whole, was a weakness with no purpose other than to damn those who feel it, and that it was his responsibility to rid demonkind of it to ensure no more souls became bound to the Sanctuary. That’s a solid motive if you ask me. You’re given the context necessary to follow his train of thought, but aren’t asked to sympathize with or forgive him, and he’s decisively proven wrong. The party talks about how Pirilika’s empathy and positivity has impacted all of them, and how they’re stronger because of their bonds with one another; the souls in the Infernal Sanctuary resonate with the souls in the Infernal Treasures, and with their power, Fuji is able to cut open the dimension and let the souls escape, accomplishing Mugai’s goal using exactly what he sought to throw aside. It’s a good ending, IMO.

I really appreciated how the theme of generational change came out in the game. The end of Japan’s isolationist policy was itself a changing of generations, making it a very fitting inspiration for the setting. Mugai’s plot to force his own rigid views on the younger generation is…distressingly familiar…I’m not saying he’s a boomer, but, y’know. Fuji himself realized he was in danger of repeating his father’s mistake, and redeems himself by making the conscious decision to break the cycle of generational trauma. Even Fuji and Pirilika’s friendship is a more positive counterpart to the antagonistic relationship between their fathers Mugai and Opener. There’s a plot thread about Yeyasu being compared to his father, Gachiyasu, even if it is more of a background thing. A certain character is scarred by memories of their past life; another late-game enemy is a prototype Infernal Treasure motivated by loyalty to his creator and his jealousy of Ao; hell, you could even view expanding reincarnation to apply to items now as another manifestation of generational change. It’s all so cohesive! And it’s something that can resonate with many, many players for one reason or another. The Disgaea series itself is also experimenting with some radical change, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s part of why the developers went with this theme: Disgaea is entering a new generation, and though it may have gotten off on the wrong foot with 6, Nippon Ichi is committed to listening to fans, improving the series, and steering towards a better future. I for one look forward to seeing what the madlads cook up next. …Dood.

#Disgaea #Disgaea 7 #Games in 2023 #Game Night

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