Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtuous continues Nippon Ichi Software’s tactical RPG series with a focus on endless progression. It builds on the franchise’s identity—a high-level cap of 9999, skill repetition for upgrades, and item-based dungeons. All of these mechanics return, tuned to reward dedicated players.
This time, the setting shifts from gothic castles to a Japan-inspired realm called Hinomoto. The new location creates a unique atmosphere compared to earlier entries. Character models remain chibi-style, but animations are smoother. One drawback, though, is that most special attacks still launch on a separate screen, interrupting the pace.
Disgaea 7 improves on its predecessor, Disgaea 6, which drew criticism for relying too heavily on auto-play. The auto-battle system still exists, but now it’s more restricted. You can’t use it for missions you haven’t completed, and it plays a smaller role overall. Alongside this, new systems offer better pacing and meaningful combat choices.
Smarter Systems and Classic Chaos
Progression is smoother than ever. Story missions don’t demand excessive grinding. You can even create new units at the same level as your team, avoiding extra farming. The updated bonus reward system offers five visible objectives per map, each tied to a reward chest. You’ll no longer struggle to reach unreachable combo meters like in older titles.
The Item World also received adjustments. It’s faster and more convenient than before. Older versions often locked players into long dungeon runs with few options to exit. Now, you can complete these runs quicker, making handheld play more practical.
The game’s humor and tone remain consistent. The lead, Fuji, acts like a typical Disgaea protagonist—power-hungry and allergic to kindness. His partner, Pirilika, is obsessed with Hinomoto’s culture and disappointed by its reality. Their quest to overthrow a corrupt shogunate leads them to collect legendary weapons. This unlocks Fuji’s new form, Hell Mode.
Each character brings an exaggerated personality. Many of them join your squad after you defeat them. The tone leans heavily into absurdity, anime tropes, and exaggerated gags. The story may not offer depth, but it delivers steady laughs and chaotic energy.
Jumpify Mechanic Misses the Mark
Disgaea 7 introduces a new feature called Jumpify. It turns your characters into towering giants during battle. While this looks impressive at first, the mechanic lacks depth. A Jumpified unit gains area damage and a team-wide buff, but loses access to all special abilities.
You also can’t see custom animations when targeting a Jumpified enemy. Attacks simply skip to the damage result. Instead of enhancing gameplay, the mechanic feels like an unfinished idea. Without tailored effects or synergy, it ends up as a gimmick rather than a true addition to strategy.
Disgaea 7 Switch Performance Falls Short
Despite gameplay improvements, the Switch version struggles with technical issues. Two graphical modes offer a choice between visuals or performance, but neither feels consistent. Frame drops occur often, especially when Jumpified characters appear.
In both handheld and docked modes, the game stutters during spell-heavy sequences. For example, when enemies spam the Braveheart buff, the frame rate drops into single digits or freezes briefly. These issues happen regardless of settings.
This hurts the experience the most because Disgaea fits handheld play perfectly. Quick runs through dungeons, idle grinding, and short missions all suit portable gaming. However, performance issues make the experience frustrating. It raises the question—was switching to full 3D worth it for this platform?
