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A video game's worth is judged by a variety of criteria that, inevitably, changes from gamer to gamer.

Some value graphics. Others, gameplay. Story, perhaps, or just the characters themselves and their inherent wackiness (or lack thereof).

Me, though? I favor replay value. If a game has a built in clock that betrays just how many hours I've wasted then the one with the most time invested will invariably be my favorite.

If such is the case then I'm afraid such classics as Mario, Sonic and Pac-Man lose. The winners (yes, plural) in my heart are all covered by one glorious - if mysterious - word: Disgaea.

Running three iterations long thus far, Disgaea games are the epitome of replay. Some would argue that the true game doesn't even begin until you've beaten the story of each Disgaea, and I'd agree with them: on average, if you don't rush, the story takes around 30 hours per game to complete. (If you don't know what you're doing, anyway.)

Last I checked, my save file of Disgaea 2 clocks in at just under 200 hours. If the main game finishes after 30, what accounts for the extra 170?

It's the matter of perfection, really. Disgaea games are a completionist's dream. I don't know of any other game (outside those other titles released by Disgaea's parent company, Nippon Ichi) where you can build your characters up to level 9999. With the right weapon - and even those can be leveled - it's possible for characters to cause millions of hit points worth of damage with a single strike.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Disgaea, for the uninitiated, is a strategy role playing game. The player guides a team of warriors around massive, grid-based maps, wiping out enemies with means both muscular and magical. Your army is composed of a wacky cast: demons, angels, super heroes, cat girls, succubi, talking trees, gargoyles, dragons, thieves, gunslingers, ninja and even a perverted French frog. Given the expansive playable cast of each game, coupled with a massive list of generic soldiers, you'll find somebody you like.

Disgaea wouldn't quite as fun were it just mindless level grinding, however, and so enters the bizarre plot. Each game boasts its own form of zaniness, always centering around demon-infested 'Netherworlds' filled with nonsensical, traitorous and generally mean devils. The storylines, while wacky and weird, are usually also touching, and the humor subtly pushes the player to care for their characters - to the point that you'll favor certain characters over others in battle. It'll become a quest to make your own personal favorite stronger than all the rest.

That's where the post-game content comes in. Each game has it, and each game has more than the last. Utilizing a variety of different locales you can, with enough time, boost your characters up to near godhood. And there's always a few incredibly powerful opponents waiting in the wings, providing a few final challenges requiring dozens of hours of leveling to surmount.

Many players will doubtless question the point of leveling just for leveling's sake. Some, too, will probably question Disgaea's aesthetic: cast in last-gen sprites running around in decent (but not amazing) 3D environments, Disgaea isn't the kind of experience diehard graphics fanatics will love. It may even offend their eyes.

Admit it, though. If you've ever played an RPG, you've wanted to completely dominate a boss. To turn their once-powerful attacks into pitiful blows not worthy of your notice. Before, you had to turn to a cheating device to become a god.

Disgaea can give you the chance to humble your opponents. All you need is a lot of time and a love of nonsense plots. Disgaea asks for one and rewards, in spades, with the other.

Learn more about this author, Matt Bird.
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