Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories review

The strategy RPG has never been the most accessible or inviting genre out there. You've got pages upon pages of rules to follow, a grid-based map loaded with enemies and troop deployment data to crunch at any given second of gameplay - enough to scare off all but the most hardcore gamers. But Disgaea 2 makes all of it seem easy and fun by wrapping all those thick details around an eccentric cast of demonic warriors and their lone human leader.

And yes, it's the cast, the dialogue and the overall sense of callous humor that makes Disgaea 2 so much fun to sit through. Even though you're spending 20-30 minutes per battle, the back-and-forth banter adds character and depth to a game that could easily be nothing more than a collection of sorcerer-against-swordsman war games.

Case in point - because everyone's been turned into a demon, all their feelings are gone. Your mother knows she should care her son has been kidnapped and could possibly be dead, but all she can muster is slight concern for all the food she may end up wasting for dinner that night. Putting this silly, lighthearted touch on such a dense game makes it easy for anyone to hop in and, at the very least, want to learn more about this series.

Not that the bottomless options of the last Disgaea aren't here - fans can expect everything they already loved and more. The never-ending Item World is back, as are the monstrous senators of the Dark Assembly. This time, however, you've also got the Dark Court to deal with.