Disgaea 1 Complete

 Switch
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Switch Player
    Nov 5, 2018
    90
    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.
  2. Digitally Downloaded
    Oct 3, 2018
    90
    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.
  3. God is a Geek
    Oct 9, 2018
    85
    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.
  5. Video Chums
    Oct 5, 2018
    81
    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.
  6. DarkZero
    Nov 1, 2018
    80
    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.
  7. DualShockers
    Oct 19, 2018
    80
    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.
  8. Eurogamer Italy
    Oct 17, 2018
    80
    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.
  9. NintendoWorldReport
    Oct 10, 2018
    80
    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.
  10. Everyeye.it
    Oct 4, 2018
    80
    The first Disgaea is still today a work not to be missed for any reason.
  11. Nintendo Life
    Oct 2, 2018
    80
    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.
  12. SpazioGames
    Oct 10, 2018
    79
    Even if the game grew old not very well, Disgaea 1 is one of the most significant exponent of this genre. Despite of the PC version, there are no significant differences.
  13. Metro GameCentral
    Oct 9, 2018
    70
    Still one of the best strategy role-playing games ever made and a great place for newcomers to the franchise to start – assuming they’ve got the dedication necessary.
  14. Multiplayer.it
    Oct 2, 2018
    70
    Disgaea 1 Complete is a somewhat lazy port that adds nothing relevant to the original experience you probably played already when it was released again on PC a couple years ago, except for the revamped sprites and animations that admittely look quite good.
  15. Hardcore Gamer
    Oct 2, 2018
    70
    Disgaea was and still is a great game with solid mechanics and an enjoyable cast of characters, but this remaster will mainly be for those with the deepest of nostalgia for the original.
  16. Cubed3
    Oct 2, 2018
    70
    The cheesy story and over-the-top characters are as funny and entertaining in the last chapter as they are in the first - but without dedication, experimentation, grinding, and probably some help from other sources, this can be a tough game to get through. With great strategic gameplay full of crazily exaggerated moves and all sorts of options and content to unlock, though, there is plenty of reason to stick with it and spend countless hours in the Netherworld. Aside from some major crash bugs and a couple of other niggling faults, portable Disgaea is right at home on Switch.
  17. Twinfinite
    Oct 2, 2018
    70
    Depending on your taste, Disgaea 1 Complete can offer hours upon hours of gameplay filled with team building and grinding. With its gorgeous graphics and updated animations, this is hands down the best and “complete” version of the first game.
  18. Slant Magazine
    Oct 2, 2018
    70
    Japan-based developer Nippon Ichi’s Disgaea 1 Complete, an HD re-release of 2003’s Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, presents grinding as a spectacle of artful, sometimes comical, excess.
  19. Vooks
    Nov 8, 2018
    60
    If you enjoy tactic RPGs it’s definitely worth a look in, and there is plenty to enjoy despite its roughness. If you like RPGs but aren’t sure about tactic based games I recommend playing the Disgaea 5 demo to get an idea if this is a game for you.

Awards & Rankings

41
#41 Most Shared Switch Game of 2018

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 44 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 44
  3. Negative: 9 out of 44
  1. Onimath
    Oct 13, 2018
    1
    As a Fan of the complete Disgaea Saga, i' m so sad to have to put this score to this game. But it is what it deserves.

    This is not a    As a Fan of the complete Disgaea Saga, i' m so sad to have to put this score to this game. But it is what it deserves.

    This is not a Remake, is just a ReSkin. It won't be a great deal if the price wasn't near like a new game (49€).

    There is a list of the problems:
    - No QoL improvements. Everything is like the first game in every aspect, even in the negative things.
    You can't Skip animation skills by pushing a button.
    You can't make the geochanges go faster.
    You can't gain exp by healing.
    Item world still with imposible rooms.
    The innocents in item world problem from the first game comes back.
    No Machichange.
    Changing voices to characters.
    Continue in the same battle if you die.
    Canceling just the attack or the movement or moving until ending the action.
    Nothing comes with the game.

    - The Re-skin is REALLY lazy. They just use assets from the new games and put them on the characters. But they don't change the old ones from the story, so you have a mix of New sprites in battles and old sprites in the reading.

    - Some old monsters, where they didn't came in the other games are gone and changed by the new ones, just to use that skins. So, wingeds, Galactic demons... They are gone. They didn't even tried to make new skins for them. This adds to the lazyness.

    Yes, the story is good, but that's not an excuse as it's been there for more than 10 years.. If i just wanted to play Disgaea as before, i could just buy the old one on Steam for 14,99€ instead of 49,99€. Don't buy the game. It doesn't cost this price at this moment. It's just a cash grab.    … Full Review »
  2. Digi
    Oct 16, 2018
    2
    The game is good, however it is too lazy and not a remake, they brought no gameplay improvements.
    Also asking price to steep.
  3. TheFlannelFox
    Dec 31, 2018
    9
    Disgaea, for someone new to the series is a turn-based tactical jrpg, this game was originally released in 2003 and has been remastered in HD,Disgaea, for someone new to the series is a turn-based tactical jrpg, this game was originally released in 2003 and has been remastered in HD, with a lot of the assets used from Disgaea5. Accompanying the amazing turn-based combat, is a very ok story with a great punny sense of humor. Not even in dialogue, every item in this game has a cheeky description that will entertain you when scrolling through the store. With other story beats that are sure to make you laugh out loud, as long as you appreciate a corny joke every now and again.

    The highlight of Disgaea 1 complete is absolutely the combat system. With a team of 10 possible members on the battlefield in a game, you will slash, throw, and cast your way to victory. Each different character type having different specialties from spears & swords, to guns & bows, to different elemental spells filling your team out with the type of characters that fit your playstyle is a joy. Some characters such as warriors and brawlers will counter attack when hit by the enemy, giving you tons of extra damage dealt each turn, but you have to make sure that you have a healer on hand when the goings get rough.

    Coming from Disgaea 5, a huge combat disappointment is that you can only see your enemies elemental weaknesses not their weapon weaknesses. In D5 when planning your attacks you can set your spear wielding brawler on an enemy that will be vulnerable to their attacks, truly taking advantage of each member of your squad.

    In Disgaea 5 complete, which full disclosure, was the first game that I’ve played in the series. Right off of the bat they give you a million HL, strong extra characters, and it takes away the struggle that makes you learn to really push and utilize these systems. Honestly, while I love Disgaea 5, I never really felt that it was difficult, and yes I shouldn’t have used all of those things from the beginning but I didn’t really know that going in. In Disgaea 1, you have to struggle, die, then learn how to work your way through a difficult stage.

    When playing Disgaea for review I googled some YouTube videos on grinding, looking in particular for some game hacks that can level you up quick and when I say quick I mean it will take forever going down a rabbit hole learning new ways to utilize the many systems at play. One particular level has a geo modifier that makes every single space on the board give you invincibility except for one on the opposite side of the level.
    So that you can throw enemies on top of each other, creating one incredibly strong enemy at level 112. Then maneuver that enemy to the only square on the map that characters will take damage, so if you're patient enough you can hack away at an enemy and take no damage. So with one enemy killed I raised my brawler from level 14 to level 25, which is the entire point of this game.

    Playing the game on and off the battlefield. Learning each system will take time, but will surprise you if you challenge it. Ranking my character up in the dark assembly, then allows you to spend mana to have the assembly vote on different modifiers. These modifiers can simply allow you to get higher ranked items in the store or can give you Triple XP on the next enemy killed. However, if you’re clever enough to combine a grinding technique with the Triple XP then gaining 10 levels in a single kill can jump to 20 or 25.

    And when I say grinding, yes this is a very grindy game. Expect to play the same level 10, 20, or how every many times you want really. Loving the combat system myself, grinding can be incredibly rewarding when you first get decimated by an enemy then comeback and destroy them, but if grinding isn’t your thing than Disgaea definitely is not for you. Finding a level with high XP modifiers that also gives you tons of HL is well worth the grind in my opinion. Even futhered with the item world, a feature that allows you to enter any item in your inventory to level that item up as you play through.

    Not sure what to expect when coming from the latest entry in the series into the first, Disgaea 1 Complete is a much easier entry point. Having less systems in play than the later entries will allow you to really sink your teeth into the meaty systems that are at the games core and build upon it slowly.

    Disgaea 1 Complete is a fantastic tactical-jrpg with some of the most rewarding turn-based combat that I have ever experienced. Yes the story is whacky, but fun, keeping you surprised throughout because it’s so damn goofy that you won’t be able to guess what’s next. If tactical JRPGs are your thing, if Disgaea is your thing, or if you haven’t played this genre before and are looking for a new solid experience I can happily recommend Disgaea 1 Complete.    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »