Disgaea 2 was originally released in North America for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. The title's predecessor was published by Atlus three years prior, but since the original's release, Nippon Ichi Software had established a forward camp stateside, and so it was NIS America that handled localization and publishing on the sophomore game of what's become their flagship RPG series.
Prior to 2003, the company was probably best known for Rhapsody, their well-received critically, and very cute, musical RPG (the only one of the series to be released outside of Japan). But with four titles in the main Disgaea series thus far, multiple re-releases of most of them (Disgaea 2 has itself been ported to the PSP in an enhanced version prior to this PlayStation Network port of the PS2 original), plus several spin-offs (the Prinny side-scrollers, for example), this wonderfully weird developer is gaining some real traction.
As well they should. The gameplay in this title is unusual and deep, following the best tactical RPG tradition while putting some unique spins on it. The story is wacky, but not without an emotional core that allows for some real player engagement. The localization is top-notch. The voice actors are great, and I can't find any fault with the translation.
The story involves a young man, Adell, who is the last human being in his world, the rest having been turned into demons by the Overlord's curse. Set in one of many Netherworlds in interconnected dimensions, our hero's goal is to defeat the all-powerful demon and turn everyone back to normal. To this end, he finds himself kidnapping/escorting the Overlord's daughter, who leads him grudgingly to her father while plotting to kill Adell, though her feelings towards him become more complex over time.
The whole world has something of the feel of InuYasha, with a bit of Rama 1/2 thrown in for good measure. The characters are frequently morally ambiguous, though not irredeemable, and the whole thing is light-hearted and cartoony enough that what might otherwise be considered black humour is fairly innocent. Jokey things, like explicitly referring to an enemy's in-game stats (I think Etna was at level 10, 000), push at the fourth-wall without puncturing it.
The gameplay is almost entirely comprised of battle tactics. There are a finite number of battles in the game, each a carefully orchestrated puzzle with multiple solutions. There is no world map and there are no dungeons, thus, no random battles. This game is essentially chapter-based, and thus very linear (though the player can replay any previous battle at any time for bonus points, prizes, and cash).
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