Get your OCD on: Disgaea 3

OK, I'm going to say, right off the bat, that this game is definitely not for everyone... first, because it's only available on PS3; second, because it is not nearly as "pretty" as you would expect most PS3 games to be; third, because it will let you be as OCD as you want, which can be either a major turn-off for some folks or an extreme hazard for others. In fact, that third part is a big part of why it's taken so long for me to write about this game... so far as I can determine, I have had this game for nearly a year, the playtime tracker on the save games says I just went over the 300 hour mark, and I just recently completed the "main" storyline in the game. So, yes, it's a long game, but it held onto me well enough to get me through the story, too... which is by no means certain in a video game, even these days.

For those of you looking for a proper review, I'd suggest taking this link off to Metacritic, to see if it's your cup of tea. The highlights... it's a "tactical RPG", which means a role-playing game where you control a team of characters and fight out your battles in a turn-based game. The setting is quite unusual... "demon high school", with a strange cute/anime mix to the blend. Beyond that, there are multiple story tweaks and game mechanics to spice up the adventure... and, being demons involved, they pretty well invite you to game those game mechanics as hard as you can.

Speaking of game mechanics, there's one basic concept that I find missing in party-based RPGs in general that Disgaea 3 nails spot on... if you have multiple people ganging up on a single person, the effect should be more than simply additive. Better still, this game gives you multiple ways to embrace that concept, whether it's team attacks, combos, linked attacks, tower attacks, characters wielding other characters as weapons... there are many, many ways to bring great amounts of hurt to your opponents, often in visually satisfying ways (well, given the limitations of the game engine, at any rate).

But now, here's the kicker... like I said, I managed to spend 300 hours over the course of a year getting through the main story. What I've come to realize, especially after sniffing about online, is that the main story line is there, as much as anything, to get you accustomed to the behaviors of the game engine and advance your characters to the point where they are, tactically speaking, interesting to work with. There are extended story lines to pursue after the main story line, if you are so inclined, or you can just play randomly-generated battles if that's your thing. Any way you look at it... I've just completed a 300 hour tutorial on the game. Off and on, I'm going to be playing this game for as long as I use my PS3... and liking it, a lot. What can I say... between what I've written here, and the reviews available through Metacritic, if this game sounds interesting to you, pick it up... if it gets its hooks into you, it will be one of the better game purchases you ever make, especially in terms of playtime to dollars spent.