Disgaea: Hour of Darkness is old enough by now to be considered an SRPG classic. Still the most famous game in Nippon Ichi Software's growing catalog, the title introduced players to the Netherworld and Celestia, two mystical realms populated by fallible angels and loveable demons.

A lengthy campaign and with lots of post-game content; Interesting new ways to tweak your army; Deep characters and plot; Item World is more extensive than ever

Doesn't look much different from the PS3 games; Added features make some older ones feel redundant

I've spent the last 10 evenings in almost total isolation. I've locked all the doors, drawn all the curtains, put on the headphones and focussed solely on

Satisfying combat; A bevy of things to do

Lackluster story; A little too much grinding

Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance is the first Disgaea released for current-gen consoles, and the first I've spent any serious time with since Cursed Memories in 2006. To the untrained eye, it appears that very little has changed-the sprites are cleaner and a few systems are streamlined, but it's...

There is a ton of game here to enjoy..

...but far too much is initially locked away

Disgaea is one of those franchises with such a fiercely loyal fan-base that any change to the established formula is a genuine risk. As a result, it's part of a strange sub-group of games that might a

Great combat; Old school and engaging; Doesn't take itself seriously

Relies on grinding; Story and characters are a bit dull; Initially complex

This is the Disgaea you know and love, but with a fresh coat of paint and enough new features to warrant another trip through the Netherworld, dood.

Addictive gameplay; loads of side activities; Red Magnus; jabroni

Simplistic AI; short songs loop endlessly; grinding is necessary

Disgaea's eccentric and complex brand of strategy has been around for more than a decade. Each successive sequel iterates on the core foundation, layering on even more mechanics for players to endlessly tinker with. Disgaea 5 follows suit in nearly the same way.

I first encountered Disgaea shortly after the first one was released and my first impression was that it looked extremely complex and difficult to both learn and play. While it might appear that way on the surface, it's not very difficult to get the hang of, and once you do, you find that the...

'Disgaea 5' is one of the best strategy RPGs I've played in years. The gameplay is fun and addicting, and the rest of the package offers more than enough incentive for me to play until the ending and beyond.

The least funny Disgaea yet, but arguably the best in terms of the actual gameplay – even if there is a lack of genuinely new ideas.

A huge depth of options in terms of the combat itself and the character and customisation, but all of it is introduced in a sensibly controlled manner; Some nice 2D animation

The script and characters are amongst the least interesting in the series, and Killia in particular is a real bore; A lack of major new ideas and a built-in reliance on level grinding

It's no real surprise that Nippon Ichi's Disgaea is hitting new-gen. Since its inception back in 2003 new chapters have been released at regular intervals. Although this new game sports a 5 in its title, those five entries have to be added to the direct continuation of the first Disgaea title (that...