Played on: Switch
Making its debut on Nintendo platforms, Nippon Ichi's premier franchise is beloved for its turn-based gameplay and its pretty much infinite replayability, thanks to some of the very neat ideas it has on display. It can also border on the obnoxious by just never knowing when to stop and take a breather, and the complete version of PS4 original Disgaea 5 is no different.
The game features an anime storyline, and when I say that, I REALLY mean it in the most literal sense. I mean, think of the most cliché anime story you possibly can, and chances are you won't be too far off Disgaea 5's storyline. Somber, scarred main character? Check. Giddy girl who constantly makes advances towards him? Check. Big, dumb allied warrior? Check. Annoying but cute little critters? Check, check, check. Late in the game, I just stopped caring about the story and resorted to button-mashing my way through the way-too-long dialogue sequences.
Gameplay itself fares a lot better, thankfully. Disgaea's turn-based combat is absolutely insane, with plenty of over-the-top movements and a lot of nuance for those looking for it. It can be very intimidating if you're dipping your toe in for the first time, but the game does a good job of introducing new mechanics on a steady but fair pace as you progress through the campaign.
It should be said that the game doesn't really know when to stop, though, as the amount of side-mechanics introduced border on the insane. Only a few of them pull their weight, but those that do are a treat.
Case in point: the 'Item World', which allows you to enter mini-universes included in every single item you can get, from equipment to healing objects. Once inside, you force your way through randomly-generated battles; the longest you remain, the more powerful the item will become.
To give you an idea, I had an item that gave +5 to every stat of its holder; after I was done with it at Item World, it gave +120 to each stat instead. This means you can grind to your heart's content to end up with some pretty busted equipment setups (with the downside of making the campaign a veritable breeze). It also means that the game can go on as long as you want, as the plethora of items you come across offer pretty much infinite Item World replayability.
As far as production values go, Disgaea 5 isn't really anything to write home about. The graphics are cheap, offering an isometric view which often gets in the way of battles, while the music is pretty bad. The track that plays during every single second you're in the game's main hub is especially grating with its cheesy vocals and repetitive nature. I can't imagine most people liking it, even if they're J-Pop aficionados.
TL;DR:
Disgaea 5 is definitely a niche game, as its extremely deep mechanics, along with the fact it isn't particularly easy on the eyes or ears, will probaby put off a lot of players. That said, if you manage to persevere through its more inane sections, you'll be left with a very competent turn-based RPG, and even with the odd genius idea (like a mode that lets you enter items to grind and increase their stat boosts). If you're on the market for a turn-based RPG that offers an uniquely unhinged take on the genre, you could do much worse.
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