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Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness

EMAIL PRINT psp

9.9 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 37 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 22 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: NIS America

Developer: Nippon Ichi Soft

Genre(s): Turn-Based Strategy, Role-Playing Game

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: October 30, 2007

Summary

Knife-wielding penguin henchmen that double as grenades. A rotten adolescent prince of darkness determined to rule the netherworld by hook or by crook. An open-ended structure that encourages players to keep playing the game and developing their characters long after the main storyline is finished.

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

GameSpy

Part of what distinguishes Disgaea from more run-of-the-mill SRPGs is its wicked sense of humor, which makes just unveiling the story a treat.

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100

AceGamez

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness is one of those once in a console lifespan type of games, the kind that set the bar far too high for the remainder of the generation - and even for itself - leaving a new console war to (hopefully) reignite the ingenuity and innovation of developers and lead to the next great genre revolution.

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100

Pocket Gamer UK

An unlikely classic, Disgaea is one of the most perfect expressions of freeform strategy gaming it's possible to imagine.

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TotalPlayStation

I honestly can't recommend Afternoon of Darkness enough. It is everything a SRPG should be, filled to the brim with a staggering amount of gameplay, a great story with absolutely insane characters, killer gameplay that all SRPGs would do well to copy, and with the PSP version, runs, looks and plays better than the original version.

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AtomicGamer

Overall, I was very very pleased with Afternoon of Darkness. Welcome back to the front of the Strategy RPG pack, Disgaea. We missed you.

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Play UK

Sheer brilliance. [Issue#161, p.98]

Gaming Age

A great port. It was awesome on the PS2 and now even better on the PSP with Etna mode and the various multiplayer modes.

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GameShark

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness stands side by side with the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics and Jeanne D'Arc as one of the best PSP games to hit the system in 2007.

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Game Revolution

As finely-presented as it is deep, welcoming to the newcomer, and yet more than ready to run veteran strategy gearheads down into their own personal animated Netherworld.

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IGN

With a nearly flawless port of the classic title to the PSP, Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness is a game that any strategy RPG fan should definitely own.

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Hardcore Gamer Magazine

A Disgaea veteran who is interested only in the new content may find AoD to not be worth the purchase, but it's a must-buy for any PSP owner who's been yearning for an engrossing strategy RPG. [Nov 2007, p.58]

Game Informer

This cult classic has lot nothing--and gained quite a bit--in the translation to PSP. [Nov 2007, p.163]

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Deeko

With a myriad of options through character creation, and a new twist on tactical combat with the "geo-system", this may be one of the foremost MUST-HAVE games for the PSP this year.

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ZTGameDomain

It has enough new content to appeal to owners of HoD, and enough depth to keep even the most skilled SRPG player busy for weeks.

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Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

So often we see PSP ports that are missing features or don't control well, but Afternoon of Darkness is a shining example of what ports should be. [Holiday 2007, p.80]

Eurogamer

Time does the best job of muffling hyperbole but today, years after we first encountered Disgaea, we still feel like shouting from the rooftops.

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GotNext

Brilliant stuff. Where else can a bubbly fallen angel butt heads with a bratty, ambitious prince hoping to become Overlord of the Netherworld?

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

Afternoon of Darkness feels at home on the PSP, with its battles short, sweet and addictive in exactly the right way a portable RPG should be. Its innovative nature might no longer be the cutting edge of SRPGs, but it stands alongside Final Fantasy Tactics as one of the best RPGs on the PSP, if not one of the finest titles you can get on a console adrift in cheap PS2 port hell.

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NTSC-uk

Those who’ve never experienced the story and fun on offer should take a look and owners of the original game still owe it to themselves to buy this game.

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GamingTrend

The humor, story, and gameplay are all top notch.

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RPG Fan

Afternoon of Darkness features a fast startup time, even faster game loading times, and almost unbelievably fast level loading times (under 2 seconds), all of which just add to the many reasons why this port is a great fit for the PSP.

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PSM3 Magazine UK

One of the most polished, deep RPGs ever made, and on PSP it's better than ever. [Dec 2007, p.84]

Games Master UK

Arguably the greatest and most substantial strategy RPG you'll get on PSP. [Jan 2007, p.69]

GamerNode

The two minor gameplay additions and the Etna Mode make this superior to the PS2 original. If you've never played Disgaea before because of difficulty finding it, you have no excuse now.

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PALGN

Superbly structured strategy gameplay and a wonderfully colourful, humorous and entertaining setting make Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness one of the best strategy RPGs around.

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GameZone

Though not as hilarious as its PS2 sequel, Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness is the best, most expansive and most addictive strategy/RPG available for PSP.

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Play Magazine

For portable role playing on the go you can't do much better...okay, "Jeanne de Arc", but that's it. [Oct 2007, p.94]

Games Radar (in-house)

If you're into tactical RPGs at all, or want to see the genre done in a more playful manner than Final Fantasy or Fire Emblem, then this is without a doubt one of the deepest, craziest, most time consuming games you could ever play.

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GameSpot

If you've got a PSP and are a fan of strategy RPGs, Disgaea is a worthy addition to your collection.

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Cheat Code Central

It's hard to believe a tiny UMD disc can pack this much game.

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Playstation Official Magazine UK

Newcomers will be happy to find a strategic RPG that doesn't take itself too seriously. [Jan 2008, p.115]

Gamer.nl

Although it's a remake of a 2003 game, it is well-done. The added multiplayer is a real treat and its charm is everlasting.

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Video Game Talk

An awesome game that is a must for every PSP owner.

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Play.tm

If you like your Japanese RPGs and have a lot of time to spend to get the most from the game, it comes highly recommended.

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1UP

Basically, half of what makes Disgaea unique would seem like cheating in any other game.

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Electronic Gaming Monthly

The new alternate story and head-to-head multiplayer make it even more compelling than the PS2 original. [Dec 2007, p.128]

Destructoid

The game really is a niche title that is going to appeal to only a small group. I'm certainly a part of it, but even I feel like the extreme customization gets to be a bit much.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.9 (out of 10) based on 22 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Steve P gave it a10:
This game is absolutely flawless, and I don't even like SRPGs. The only problem I had with it was that some of the sounds became repetitive after awhile, but I would expect that after putting 150 hours into the game.

Josh C gave it a10:
This game is simply amazing. As a fan of SRPG's, I was amazed by how different it was, what with the fast gameplay, amazing graphics and skill animations, quirky dialogue/characters, and the great replayability. Combine all that with some exploding penguins and it's Disgaea. I did get tired of the game though, but that was after 200 hours of massive hardcore extras that i just needed to play. I can't wait for a Disgaea 2 PSP.

B P gave it a10:
Finished Jeanne & FFT, both great in their ways, different flavors, but Disgaea:AoD may never be removed from my PSP. The tactics are perfect for portable SRPG'ers...if you have a 'completionist' in your life and want to drive them over the edge, this is the perfect game with which to do it. The learning curve may be a bit steep for some.

Ryan S gave it a10:
A flawless version of one of the best tactics RPGs ever created. Not only does the PSP version of Disgaea run perfectly without any framerate issues or hickups, it also improves upon the PS2 version in a number of ways. Full Japanese and English language support is included, so you don't have to listen to an odd mix of English and Japanese voices in battle anymore, a Collection system makes collecting items strangely addicting, the music store lets you use different Disgaea music within the item world, and the Multiplayer prinny lets you challenge friends. On top of that, the new Etna campaign adds a ton of fresh content with hilarious dialog and fun battles.

Brad P. gave it a10:
This game kicks ass and is definitely more addictive than FFT. Plus it's comical point of view as well as challenging and customized gameplay easily makes this one of the most diverse and best rpg's on psp, with of course the other one being Tales of Eternia. This game will rock you!!!

Art H. gave it a10:
Turn based open-ended strategy at its best. The way you can always continue to improve your characters by revisiting old levels until they are strong enough for the next level, combined with allowing to restart your characters at level 1 with some of the stats retained makes it extremely re-playable, and a game that can last for months and months. The only minor issue is the sometimes bad literal translation from Japanese, especially in the repetitive exclamations whenever characters perform an action. Hearing Laharl shout "Here I come!" for the nine hundredth time would have been nice to avoid.

Chris R. gave it a10:
Just about a perfect SRPG... the only thing that would make it better would be the ability to save within battles... otherwise, the dialogue and delivery is laugh out loud quality.

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Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness

Game Info

Summary

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

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