Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is a 2023 tactical RPG by studio Nippon Ichi Software, the seventh numbered entry in a long series known for its bizarre, self-deprecating humor, extremely deep leveling systems, and nearly bottomless replayability for players who love optimizing characters. This time the story takes players into a world inspired by samurai and Japanese historical themes, where the main hero Fuji sets out alongside the ghost of a samurai woman named Pirilika to seek a long-forgotten bushido virtue in an underworld full of demons, intrigue, and overly theatrical battles.

The core of the gameplay remains turn-based strategy on grid battlefields, where the player assembles teams from dozens of classes and monsters, combines special attacks, literally throws allies and enemies across the battlefield for strategic advantage, and uses an infinitely scalable experience system that lets characters reach astronomical levels far exceeding normal genre standards. The series has also long been known for its self-irony and ability to parody both its own clichés and those of the genre in general, setting it apart among seriously toned tactical RPGs.

The seventh entry introduced new mechanics such as a system for temporarily summoning the demon of Chaos at the cost of the character's own health, while retaining everything loyal fans have long valued about Disgaea – a huge amount of side content, elaborate systems for collectors and build optimizers, and the typical, overly theatrical humor running through the entire game. For newcomers, the depth of the systems may initially be off-putting, but for connoisseurs of the tactical RPG genre it's one of the most generous and extensive titles available on Switch. The samurai setting also brought new visual motifs and a musical score inspired by Japanese tradition to the series, which, combined with the traditionally generous amount of side content and systems for long-term character fine-tuning, makes the seventh entry a suitable entry point even for players who are only just getting acquainted with Disgaea.