Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention

Funny, charming and challenging, the Vita version of this quirky SRPG series is totally compelling. Vita needs more games like this.

All in all, Disgaea 3: AOD is a wholehearted recommendation; a fun, challenging time that will last as long as a player wants it to.

The nature of the system makes for more forgiving ventures into the depths of the game's item worlds and the pixel art may be easier to forgive on the smaller screen. Platform aside, this was already an excellent turn-based strategy game that, although too heavy on frivolous exposition, can be explored and enjoyed from here to eternity.

If you want more content than this game offers, you're probably insane.

Disgaea 3 is a game that will last you a while, whether you just want to casually focus on the main story or go all out with post-game content. The fact that it's portable makes it well-suited to quickly pick up and play a level or two or spend a few minutes grinding away.

The old fashioned visuals collide with the humongous amount of content and the immense tactical depth.

Underneath its wisecracking exterior, Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention offers enough depth to keep a determined player occupied for over a hundred hours if they so wish it, while also entertaining folks that just want to play a game for its story and multiple endings.

Really, it's your enthusiasm for the game and some repeated battling that makes Disgaea's system actually sink in. [July 2012, p.111]

Given the state the Vita is in the moment, there's no denying that Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention is one of the best games to have on the system. It's got bucket loads of content that will give months of gameplay. The game is also charming, pumped with personality, has a likeable cast of characters and a quirkiness that only the Japanese can bring

Despite the bad graphics Disgaea 3 scores with the huge amount of game content.

Disgaea's people know who they are, and they can rest assured that Absence of Detention is what they want. [June 2012, p.76]

Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention takes a while to learn, but once you've passed the entrance exam there's enough content to hold your attention far beyond the school holidays.

Despite not being the best game in the series, this is a complete adaptation of the title, kind of a "Game of the year" edition of the original. Its new features hardly justify an acquisition if you already have the original version, but if you don't this is a great RPG for the PSVITA.

If you aren't scared off by the incredible depth, there is a lot of fun to be had in Disgaea 3. The game makes a smooth transition to the handheld arena, and it is a solid choice for killing either 10 minutes or an hour.

Yes, the visuals are dated and the story isn't the best of the franchise, but the gameplay still sparkles and is perfectly suited to the Vita.

While certainly not terribly friendly to newcomers, seasoned fans will find a heaping helping of engaging strategy gameplay to sink their teeth into and an adventure that offers up countless hours of play to those willing to explore all it has to offer.

This version of Disgaea 3 is a direct port from the classic PS3 appeared in 2008. This Tactical RPG retains the trademark sense of humor, "siliness" and fresh ideas of the NIS franchise, including some new (minor) features and whistles.

They sort of cut you loose without much in the way of detailed explanations, the camera can still go screwy, and while the touchscreen feature is cool, it just doesn't mean much in the long run. Outside of that, this will absolutely deliver plenty of bang for your buck.

Do your homework and Absence of Detention rewards with unrivalled depth. Skive off, and you'll flunk the class. [July 2012, p.111]

Even though it only looks slightly better than its PSP counterparts, the game is still fun, and the core game will keep strategy RPG fans busy for a long, long time. For those who've already gone through the PS3 incarnation, there isn't enough of a reason to get this one unless you never invested in the DLC. For everyone else who are fans of the genre, this is a worthy enough purchase.

As much as Disgaea 3 can get along on the qualities of the original and of course still is a good game: you just can´t help the feeling, that the Vita should instead have deserved the fourth release of the franchise.

With its tons of content and its inventive gameplay, Disgaea 3 : Absence of Detention is a great game. But this version is totally dispensable for PlayStation 3 owners and for newcomers who can be frustrated by the disappearance of the french translation. More characters, more stories, but for a limited audience.

It's not the best the series has to offer, and it's clearly just a PlayStation 3 port, but Disgaea was made for portables and has never worked better than on the PS Vita.

In the end, Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention is a fine port of the PlayStation 3 original. It tweaks the gameplay in interesting ways, and improves the look and feel of story sequences. It's not all great, as the gameplay graphics have not been improved from the original, and the added Vita touch controls and GPS functionality to get minor bonuses are largely pointless. With a lengthy story, additional post game challenges, and the many optional endeavors present in a Disgaea game, it still makes for an exceptional package of content.

Disgaea 3 does a lousy job of familiarizing you with its complex mechanics, but rewarding tactical depth and goofy humor make the learning curve worth climbing.

I know there are many players out there who haven't touched a game like this whose eyes would be opened by a game as deep and challenging as this one. Unless you're willing to spend a bunch of time reading FAQs and other external sources of information, though, I'm not sure that Disgaea 3 will be that game. Possible, absolutely, but unlikely.