I found this game good for story, not as good for game-play.

The cut-scenes are classic, and they're the reason I kept playing. The repetitive battle format and constantly being in the same castle... not so much.

The graphics reminded me of Final Fantasy Tactics, which would be great if the game was as fun as FFT, and wasn't on a superior system with much greater capabilities.

Good game, but I'm not sure why it's getting 5-star reviews.

I am no stranger to the games that Atlus produces. While many other companies will have hit-and-miss attempts at games I enjoy, Atlus has never disappointed. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, is no exception.

You play as Larharl, the demon prince of the netherworld, and next in line to become the Overlord. Joining you is Larharl's "loyal" vassal, Etna, who seems to be plotting behind her master's back, and the angel trainee assassin from Celestia, Flonne, sent to kill Laharl's father (already 2 years dead).

In terms of graphics, I can honestly say while they could have done better, it would've ruined the overall feel of the game. Atlus employs a 2D anime style of art when dealing with the characters talking with one another, and a simple grid-based battle system. The simplicity of the setup is unheard of in most PS2 games, and that sets it apart from the rest. The music in the game has a wide range, from contemporary pop music to almost classical varieties.

The leveling system, which allows units (and items too!) to reach up to level 9999 and then transmute back to level 1 with improved stats and start all over is an absolutely astonishing idea. It allows units to gain near god-like powers (necessary in order to fight some of the hidden bosses in the game). The units themselves range from dozens of choices of humanoid units, like typical mage and cleric units up to the rare and powerful Majin, and monster units, from the fierce Dragons to the hilarious penguin-like Prinnies who go around saying "Dood!" everywhere, all at varying levels of power. There are hundreds of units to choose from, offering many different play-styles.

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness will never get old, especially if you enjoy powerleveling and micro-managing every little detail of your characters. Even if you don't, the game itself has multiple endings which allows for numerous playthroughs with different strategies every time. I highly recommend this game.

This game is so much fun.

It also has high replay value

Disgaea what can I say? Well it is a great game with a variety of characters to choose and little by little raise his/her stats to achieve ultimate control. What I like is the characters design along with the original Japanese audio with the option of subtitles something very rare in today's games, but important for Japanese games' followers like me. The game's story is decent and the combination of combos and skills the characters use during a battle certainly makes you become more and more interested in exploring other areas as well. I spent hours and hours playing this game and never get tired of it. Think you have what it takes to get to the lowest level on a very rare item and defeat the boss? You are in for a big surprise. I certainly recommend this game given that it is very fun to play and the rarity of its kind due that is not longer in stores will make you feel you have a jewel in your hands and it really is.

This game is simply amazing. I was a big fan of FFT. And havent really found a game that matched the enjoyment I had until I played this game. The first reaction you'll have is "wow, the graphics suck." But give it some time and soon you'll soon fall in love with it. The game has a sort of quirky humor to it that will have you busting out laughing. Not to mention that combat and the item world are addictive as heck. You'll also be hard pressed to "complete" this game. You can easily put in 100++ hours into this game and still not be able to beat some of the secret bosses. Now thats what I call replay value. If you can find this game, pick it up immediately, trust me you wont be disappointed.