The original demon prince finally returns to star in the second coming of the classic Disgaea.

'Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness' welcomes back the original Disgaea cast in another comedic filled opus of geo-square absurdity. If you are new to the Disgaea series, this is a great place to start - although the first entry ('Disgaea: Hour of Darkness') is a pure classic and the best starting point (if you own a PS2 or PSP). For those wondering what Disgaea is all about; it is a turned-based strategy game that revolves around a Demon Prince named Laharl. Laharl is juvenile presence whom struggles with concept of anything good while using brute force to get his own selfish way. The tales found while governing over the Netherworld are always silly, surprisingly touching and down right comical. Along with Laharl, each character is filled-to-the-brim with personality, which only strengthens the sense of entitlement for each character you craft. Truly, Disgaea is its own niche creation that can’t be matched. Beyond the "alternative" prose, in basics, Disgaea is a SPRG (Strategy Role-Playing Game) which should give you a generalized nod towards the general gameplay.

Always trying to innovate, 'Nippion Ichi' finally finds the perfect balance. Solid in every respect, 'Disgaea D2' is the most well rounded, customizable version of the Disgaea that we have played. Simply put, D2 perfectly flows between its idealistic mechanics and story progression. While it fundamentally might be the same, D2 is altered enough to gain interest from those who might have grown tired of the non-Laharl spin-offs - and until now Nippon hasn’t been able to reclaim the glory of PS2 original.

To highlight the main difference(s), would to be to point out the little things. While the changes might be small, collectively they make a large impression. For example - characters now have little conversations on the battlefield when seated beside each other. The ‘Dark Assembly’ has been reworked along with the apprentice roles making it much easier to navigate. A new “relationship” system has been reworked, alongside monster creature. More so, you can even combine the two by having a human character mount a monster. This works out to be neat tweak that has interesting results that even further deepens the gameplay.

For other tweaks you can promote your characters without reincarnating them and even train them in specific attributes when the level up; thanks to the new “Demon Dojo”. All this makes one ultimate SRPG package that can be played the way you want it too. Although online multiplayer hasn’t be brainstormed just yet, the “item world” provides boundless hours of gameplay in its random dungeon labyrinth. Yes, 'Disgaea D2' is the "(Prinny) bomb" that you can keep coming back to for years to come.

The presentation is what you have come to expect from the series. Low resolution sprites mixed in with colourful static character designs and backgrounds. "D2" is marginally sharper then the last game, but not up to the level quality of most PS3 games. However, since we haven’t seen the original cast in 10 years, the high-res bump gives a sense of rejuvenation. Filled with charm, the voice over snippets and imaginative aptitude easily can win you over.

The only real negative finger can be pointed at the purposely underdeveloped graphics and the reuse of the many of the same characters. While you can't argue against outstanding design work of Takehito Harada, it would have been nice to see even more characters added. Needless to say, this is only from a long-time follower of the series. Newbies will have more than enough to sink their teeth into as 'Disgaea D2' can be marginally overwhelming in its options and odds. Graciously, D2 is easy to learn with swift tutorials that get the player up to speed with all the new (and old) mechanics.

'Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness' is a combination of everything good with the series put into one sweet Netherworld adventure. Not only is the tactical game retooled, the original cast is back in action without missing a beat. It’s amazing that 10 years later, Disgaea can still capture our hearts like the original. Turn-by-turn, 'Disgaea D2' is a “must have” for fans of the series.

Gameplay refinement New features enhance and deepen the experience Great to see the old gang back (and in HD) Witty and charming story Endless amounts of gameplay Would have liked more new characters Graphics could still use that extra leap Quote: "It’s amazing that 10 years later, Disgaea can still capture our hearts like the original. Turn-by-turn, 'Disgaea D2' is a "must have" for fans of the series." Reviewed by Downtown Jimmy | 10.02.13 | Platform Reviewed: Playstation 3

Simila Reviews: Disgaea: Infinite (7.5) | Disgaea 2:DHD (8.5) | Disgaea 3 (8.5) | Disgaea 4 (8.5)