Fans of over-the-top humor, explosive penguins, and deep tactical JRPGs may now rejoice: Nintendo has announcedDisgaea 6: Defiance of Destinyis coming in its latest Nintendo Direct presentation. The sixth entry in the infernal, screwball comedy series will debut on the Switch.
TheDisgaeafranchise began on the PlayStation 2 in 2003 and hasn’t seen a fresh installment sinceDisgaea 5 Completein 2017. The series boasts deep systems and combo-centric tactical combat, though its wacky, distinctly Japanese sense of humor and graphics have established it as something of a cult favorite among strategy gamers. It is often overshadowed byFire EmblemandFinal Fantasy Tactics, the two champions of the tactical RPG genre, even though theFinal Fantasy Tacticsfranchise has been long-dormant.
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Today’s Nintendo Direct presentation revealed a number of new titles, includingFitness Boxing 2, andthe next major mobile entry in theMonster Hunterfranchisebefore segueing into itsDisgaea 6announcement. The most surprising news to come out of the presentation is the reveal that the title will be a Switch exclusive with a scheduled summer 2021 launch window. It is unclear whether this exclusivity is permanent or timed, especially given that prior games in the franchise started out as PlayStation exclusives before making the jump to other platforms.
The teaser provided a bevy of information about the game, including an introduction to the new installment’s protagonist, Zed. While Zed starts as a lowly zombie living in the underworld, he possesses a special power called Super Reincarnation, which allows him to power up each time he is killed. The exact mechanical implications of this ability are unclear, but it could be intended to serve as a feature to keep the game’s intimidating, systems-rich combat easier on new players.
Those who are worried that the game may be watered down need not fret, however. The trailer revealed that characters will be able to advance to level 9,999,999, and can deal over a quadrillion damage. IfplayingMariocan be compared to complex math problems, navigating the multitude of available combos and systems in Disgaea must be akin to calculus. The most striking feature of the trailer, however, is the game’s new graphical style, which shows a notable departure from the series' hand-drawn, anime aesthetic, to cuter, cell-shaded 3D models.
Disgaea 6isn’t the only NIS title coming to the Switch, however, nor is it the only title featuring prinnies—Disgaea’s explosive penguin mascots.Prinny 1-2: Exploded and Reloadedis set to arrive in October, serving as a remastered compilation of two former PSP titles.
NIS has a lot riding onDisgaea 6after a mobile RPG based on the franchise flopped and resulted in severe financial hardship for the developer. And apart fromTrails of Cold Steel IV, due for the PlayStation 4 in October,Disgaea 6is the company’s highest-profile release in the near future.
Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destinyis scheduled for release on the Nintendo Switch in the summer of 2021.
