Recent reviews by gamerdude28

Disgaea is a cornerstone series of Strategy JRPGs, known for having long endgames chock full of Level 9999 enemies that drop Infinity+9 Swords and superbosses that redefine "one-hit kill". Thus, while effort is put toward the "main game", everyone knows the real strengths are after you've gotten your first story ending.

I don't have hundreds of hours with this game, but I am very familiar with the series, enough that I feel I can give a somewhat-accurate assessment of the first game.

That said...

Gameplay-wise, this is the game that sets the standard for Disgaea. Despite small changes and additions, every single main Disgaea game after this one follows the same rules that this game outlines: up to 10 units on the same map at one time, physical attacks use ATK or HIT against DEF while magic uses INT against RES, evasion and accuracy are determined by HIT and SPD, and other factors need to be considered, such as positioning, Counter-attacks, and map Height.

Noted changes from later games that are necessary to note:

• All Monster characters have 100% Aptitudes in all fields, with the only exceptions being Galactic Demons (with 150% DEF/RES), so no specializing, but no mechanical weaknesses (in theory).
  
• Monster characters can only use Red weapons. Blue weapons don't exist.
  
• Related to the above point, INT-based Monster classes are pretty much screwed, since almost every unique Monster ability is based on ATK (with few exceptions).
  
• Fists use ATK only (like all other non-ranged weapons), rather than ATK/SPD mix, so stocking Ninjas with pure SPD makes them hard to hit, but they'll strike like a wet blanket. Guns use HIT, rather than HIT/SPD mix; they also have the same unlimited direction as Bows.
  
• If you're running a Healer at any point, realize that all Heal spells are based on INT, not RES. Yes, that means Skulls/Mages make for better Healers than the actual Healers.
  
• Monster classes are unlocked by killing each tier of the class, unlike later games, where tiers are unlocked via level. Also, Mana costs for Monster creation are obnoxiously high unless you've killed multiple units of said tiers (~30 on average).
  
• Thieves are both useless and useful. For regular battles, they have completely garbage stats and aptitudes. That being said, they can throw up to 6 spaces, steal stats (although Thursday can too), and have a maximum steal chance of 99%, so you can get R40s a lot easier.
  
• Majin are basically OP in this game. Once you've got them, they're all you need, since 110% Aptitudes minimum and S rank weapon mastery speak for themselves.

Graphically, this game actually has much different lighting and color-design than later games. It gives it a bit of a darker feel, alongside the slightly-more warped character design, and I quite like it. Otherwise, sprite detail is fairly high-quality, as is map variety.

This port of the game runs pretty well, I've found. It remains stable, although that's not very hard considering it's presentation. Very few framedrops, and it's not too memory-intensive.

Music is a nice high point; there's a lot of instantly-memorable melodies and catchy songs, plus Kurtis' theme is just legendary.

Disgaea 1's story is probably the most well-known of all the main games, although I think that has more to do with the fact that it had an anime adaptation. Still, the number of branching endings allows for quite a lot of varied approaches to your run, and the game even allows you to replay the main game over and over again, if you want new ways of playing through certain scenarios. Also, these games are well-known as JRPG parodies, and the writing is suitably funny and mocking of said tropes.

Quick note: If you want the good ending, try not to kill a single ally. That's sounds easy, but you'd be surprised how much damage you start dealing past 50, in addition to how easy it is to forget that friendly fire exists and that sprites are actually fairly small.

This port to the PC also comes with additional content that was only available in the various ports of this game, such as certain additional scenarios in the post-game. Basically, this is the full package if you're looking for added content. The artbook is also kind of nice, if you're into that.

Also: I've heard, from multiple reviews, that there are some problems regarding the game's ported controls and other related things. I've had no problems with controls, but I will say that mouse control is weirdly floaty as hell, hence I played using just keyboard with some re-binded keys. That's something to keep in mind, also, since some keys don't bind freely.

TL;DR: This port is a perfectly playable, fully complete package that, although kinda clunky mechanics-wise (in my opinion, as a dude who came into Disgaea via 4), is a perfect starting point for anyone wanting to get into the Disgaea universe.

Scores for people who don't like reading:
Gameplay: 8/10 It's a Strategy JRPG, with customizable characters, long-as-hell post-game, and a system that is simple and intuitive enough, with some minor flaws. It's a cornerstone of SRPGs for a reason.
Sound/Music: 8/10 Music fits the situation, there's nothing ear-grating, and everything is, at the very least, pleasant to listen to.
Story: 7/10 English or Japanese, some of the writing is generic, but hey, it's hilarious all the same.
Difficulty: 6/10 There is nothing that can't be solved with an assload of grinding. Being the first game, though, the grinding is pretty slow, so some things might remain difficult for a while. This is especially true as the story winds down, since enemies start scaling both level- and damage-wise at an exponential rate. It's called "Grinding: the Game" for a reason.
Accessability: 7/10 This game is very hit-or-miss on explaining some mechanics in certain ways (diagonal throwing, fusion, capturing, mastery), but everything is intuitive in some way.

Average: 7.2/10 Do yourself a favor and play this game. It's a solid strategy game, decently challenging, and has some hilarious writing.