Disgaea 3 Complete Anticipation: Why Absence of Justice Needs a Reboot

Disgaea is a beloved series in the JRPG community that has seen a handful of ports/remastered titles in recent years. However, there is one iconic piece to the series in particular that has received significantly less attention during this journey. That neglected game is none other than Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice. Stay tuned for why we need Disgaea 3 Complete!

Disgaea 3 Complete Anticipation: Why Absence of Justice Needs a Reboot

Disgaea is an extremely beloved JRPG series known for its whacky worldbuilding and over-the-top gameplay. Fans of the series– both new and old– have all been fortunate enough to be given ports and fresh remasters of a large portion of Disgaea games in recent years. Disgaea 1 Complete had its release in 2018, revitalizing the experience where it all began 15 years prior. Fans also have Disgaea 4 Complete, Disgaea 5 Complete, and even Disgaea 6 Complete. On top of this, the original versions of Disgaea 1 and 2 are now on Steam along with a side of fun DLC for optional use. This only leaves two mainline Disgaea games out of the mix: Disgaea D2 and Disgaea 3. With as iconic as Disgaea 3 is in particular, some fans have been left wondering: where is Disgaea 3 Complete?

Time and time again the gaming community witnesses amazing titles getting less than they deserve. So many games are left to collect dust until they are almost completely forgotten about and/or relatively difficult to come by. Remasters and Remakes give old games that sweet second spotlight, not to mention a broader selection of platforms for much easier access. Nippon Ichi Software has done an amazing job of keeping the old Disgaea spirit alive alongside each new release. However, leaving Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice in the dust is a terrible decision that should most definitely be reconsidered. As nice as it is to see Mao and Raspberyl from time to time through DLC, it just isn’t the same as re-experiencing their iconic story! Not entirely sold yet? Here’s exactly why Disgaea 3 Complete is a must-have:

One hell of a JRPG.

One hell of a JRPG.

Iconic Characters and Storytelling

Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice focuses on Maritsu Evil Academy, a school for demons and monsters that absolutely turns the academic world as we know it inside out. Those who always skip class and participate in evil deeds are perfect students. Likewise, demons who go out of their way to attend class, study, and help those in need are the delinquents. The story follows Mao, son of the Overlord. Mao strives to obtain the power of a true hero in order to succeed in killing said Overlord: his own Father.

Along the way, Mao runs into outstanding characters who inevitably join him on his journey. Raspberyl, Mao’s old friend and the academy’s most notorious delinquent. Almaz, an anxious human hero in search of Sapphire: his tough beloved princess. Mr. Champloo, the Home Economics teacher with a passion for cooking. Salvatore the Magnificent, a senior student and infamous female “Diez Gentleman” with a love for giving orders and fighting. And, of course, Master Big Star, charismatic and caring leader of the Sophomores. Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention, the PS Vita version of Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice, also includes a couple of new faces to enhance the experience even more so!

Disgaea 3 objectively possesses one of the most interesting worlds in the Disgaea universe. Even though the gameplay may not necessarily outperform more recent instalments such as Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance, the story and characters definitely make up for it. Between the insanity of Maritsu Evil Academy, Mao’s psychotic motives, and all of the over-the-top character interactions that boil into complex story arcs: Disgaea 3 is simply magnificent! Disgaea 3 Complete would give fans that extra taste of the Absence of Justice storytelling they need– or, maybe, the taste they’ve always been missing!

Master Big Star and Salvatore the Magnificent.

Master Big Star and Salvatore the Magnificent.

Unique Gameplay and Experimental Features

Disgaea 3 is far from being the best in the series in terms of gameplay, however, it is undoubtably home to the beginning of great evolution. Disgaea 1: Hour of Darkness and Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories are both excitingly whacky titles in terms of gameplay alone. They are the beginning of a fantastic series of JRPGs and are the fan favorites of many! However, not much changes in the gameplay department between the 1st and 2nd games in terms of mechanics or complexity. Disgaea 3 is where the experimental changes and improvement begins to form!

Although far from perfect, Disgaea 3 introduces the magichange system, evilities, clubs, and even attempts to make changes to the weapon systems, etc. It also attempts to deepen the value of the item world, the dark assembly, and post game content in general! Absence of Justice strives to take that Disgaea level of insanity a few steps further by adding many additional gameplay elements while also adjusting existing ones! This isn’t to say that Disgaea 2 doesn’t make gameplay changes compared to the 1st game: Disgaea 3 is simply the first to do so with unapologetic confidence. Some of these changes worked; some of these changes didn’t quite sit well with fans. But that’s the beauty of trying to improve! Disgaea 3 Complete would allow fans– new and old– to experience and re-experience the importance of what Absence of Justice brings to the series!

Magichange in motion!

Magichange in motion!

An Opportunity to Polish and Improve

Similar to Disgaea 1 and Disgaea 2, Absence of Justice– as beautifully amazing as it is– can definitely show signs of old age. Higher resolution sprites didn’t come around until Disgaea 4 and the overall quality of the overlays and maps in older Disgaea games barely hold a candle to the newer installments. Of course, the same goes for just about any video game series. Older, outdated graphics in no way hinder the entertainment value or worth of a game. However, updating and polishing the quality of older or unrefined graphics in certain games can place them in a new, refreshing light. The same goes for audio, as well.

Disgaea 1 Complete is the perfect example of this. Disgaea 1Hour of Darkness— released in 2003. Hour of Darkness is one of the most well-known and beloved Strategy JRPGs in the JRPG community. Laharl, Etna, and Flonne are amazingly iconic and always will be. Even so, Disgaea 1 Complete revitalizes that experience through sprite updates, cleaner graphics, crystal clear audio, and better quality overall. It also expands on post-game content and DLC, which is objectively some of the best parts of a Disgaea game. It is the same game. Nothing is taken away. It is simply a remastered version crafted to mirror today’s level of technology.

Disgaea 3 could absolutely benefit from this. We’ve seen Mao and his friends as cameos and DLC in a variety of newer Disgaea titles. However, nothing would quite compare to experiencing Mao’s own journey in a refreshing new light! Furthermore, a remake or remastered version of Disgaea 3 would also allow the developers to fix the pieces of the gameplay that didn’t work as well as the more beloved mechanics. Disgaea 3 Complete could mean the improvement of original gameplay flaws as well as the quality of both the audio and visuals, making for a fantastic updated experience!

Conclusion

At the end of the day, Disgaea 3 is just as crucial and wonderful of a game as any other Disgaea title. Disgaea 3 undoubtably has its fair share of flaws. It is by no means perfect. However, there are aspects of Absence of Justice that are simply too iconic and amazing to leave behind during this Nippon Ichi era of remastering! Mao’s story being polished and placed in a new light would not only be a win for old Disgaea fans, but also the new ones who may have never had the chance or the will to play Disgaea 3 in its current state. Absence of Justice is a fantastic piece of the Disgaea series that deserves more love; that deserves a reincarnation as Disgaea 3 Complete!

Almaz has had enough of the absurdity: but the fans haven't!

Almaz has had enough of the absurdity: but the fans haven’t!

Thank-you for taking the time to read this article! Itching for more JRPG content? Here’s a few articles to point you in the right direction here at KeenGamer:

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