Nintendo Switch Critic Reviews

Disgaea 1 is the one least likely to overwhelm people who aren't deeply familiar with tactics JRPGs and complex JRPG systems. For this reason, this remaster is the perfect entry point for the curious, and anyone interested in the history and heritage of Nippon Ichi's premier franchise will get a kick out of it too.

Disgaea 1 Complete is an incredible remake of 2003's uncompromisingly idiosyncratic JRPG breakout hit. Hundreds of hours await, endlessly toiling at copious dungeons and enemy encounters, and the sheer delight that battles manage to produce is never lost on you.

This is easily the best version of the Disgaea bringing in all the improvements and enhancements from other versions with a lot of polish. The only problem is the asking price.

If you're an existing fan or want to get into the series then Disgaea 1 Complete is a must-buy remake. Its gameplay, humour, and vast amount of content hold up impressively well 15 years after its debut and it looks better than ever, too.

Disgaea 1 Complete blows raspberries at po-faced, self-serious strategy games by mixing complex systems with comedy to delightful effect. This remaster is a great introduction for series newcomers, provided you can forgive the odd mismatching texture and an inflexible camera. Veteran fans who have assimilated years of iterative refinements and additions may have a tougher time, but an abundance of charm helps paper over any quality-of-life deficiencies. This cult classic has never looked better and the Switch version makes dipping in and out a breeze.

The first Disgaea is still today a work not to be missed for any reason.

I very much enjoyed Disgaea 1 Complete, but I don’t feel it’s for everybody. On the surface, there’s a great strategy game full of interesting and unique takes on the genre. But it’s also grind-heavy, with a learning curve that can be extremely daunting. If you have a lot of time to spare, this is easily one of the better strategy RPGs released on the Switch thus far.

The first Disgaea game is back in a great HD remake. All assets are rebuilt from zero and the game now features all the additions of the Nintendo DS and PSP versions. If you never played the first chapter of this funny jRPG series, this is the perfect chance to remedy, and it comes in a retail version too.

I’m happy I got a chance to see this longrunning series’ early history with Disgaea 1 Complete, and I look forward to seeing where the games go next.

Overall, Disgaea 1 Complete is a sufficient reminder of what made the series such a cult hit that continues even today, but the recent release of the more feature-filled and modernized Disgaea 5 puts it at stiff competition. For anyone looking for a fix after 5, or is hankering to go through the series’ roots either for the first time or the fourth time, there’s still plenty to love in this classic re-release.