Twisted Humor
Disgaea is at its best when it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the original game perfectly embodies the goofiness that the franchise has become known for. As stated before, the heroic protagonist’s story is turned on its head right out of the gate. Players control Laharl, an arrogant demonic prince who becomes physically ill at the sight of beauty or the sound of optimistic words. On his quest to reclaim his father’s throne he allies with a sarcastic devil, a naïve angel trainee-turned-assassin, a dim-witted knight, and a slew of other colorful characters.
The banter between these characters sells Disgaea: Hour of Darkness on its own, and the game never stops throwing its “heroes” into ever more hilarious hijinks. Some of the more clever instances of wordplay are lost in the English translation of the game, but that does little to diminish the clever wise cracks and colorful mirth that Hour of Darkness is able to pull off.
