Disgaea 7 Complete Review

I got into the Disgaea franchise through the PS Vita and PSP releases, and I've since made it a point to play every single entry on a portable system as far as possible. This has resulted in some great experiences like Disgaea 5 Complete on Switch and Disgaea 1 Complete on iOS, but also some mediocre ones like Disgaea 6 on Switch. Disgaea 7 in a lot of ways felt like a return to form, and I was glad that it even had a better Switch port compared to how Disgaea 6 was handled. That brings us to Disgaea 7 Complete. Disgaea 7 Complete launched for PS5, PS4, and Switch in Japan last year. The Western release is exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. Disgaea 7 Complete is basically Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless with DLC and a few extras in a single package. 

Having played Disgaea 7 before on 3 platforms, I will be focusing on the technical differences across consoles and PC, but I will also cover how Disgaea 7 Complete is for newcomers. As with my other comparison articles on the site, I'm going to go over how Disgaea 7 Complete on Switch 2 compares to the Nintendo Switch version, the Nintendo Switch version played via backward compatibility on Switch 2, the PS5 and PS4 versions, the PC version, and general thoughts on the release. For comparisons across platforms, I will cover visuals, performance, and load times tested across multiple devices. If you're curious about Disgaea 7 itself, you can read our original review of Disgaea 7 here.

If you already own Disgaea 7, Disgaea 7 Complete includes the base release, DLC (not all of it), new features, and added story and post-game content. In Japan, existing owners of Disgaea 7 had the new features added via a free update with the new content available as paid DLC. In the Western version, all of this is locked behind this new Disgaea 7 Complete Switch 2 version. One more thing to note is that not all DLC is included because Disgaea 7 Complete has its own DLC menu on the main menu, and when you visit the Special Content (DLC) NPC in the hub, you can view what DLC is available and what is included. Despite being a new release, Disgaea 7 Complete feels designed like a bundle that has the base game with DLC rather than a bespoke complete package. 

Disgaea 7 Complete DLC

When looking at what DLC is actually included, the season pass (seven bonus story sets with their own characters and Pleinair completion bonus), costume sets, weapon sets, a starter support set (HL, Mana, Healing Items, and a Boost Ticket), and the new post-game bonus story: The Nethertime Support Force featuring Asagi are included. What isn't included, and the reason for the DLC structure in Disgaea 7 Complete, is the various consumable item sets. These include consumable packs for money, Mana, and boost ticket packs just like the base game had on consoles and Steam. One could argue that these are pointless to buy, but it is disappointing that despite being a new version at full price with no upgrade path, Disgaea 7 Complete still has extra optional purchases on top.

As for the new features and DLC included, Disgaea 7 Complete is definitely the best version of Disgaea 7 with even more over-the-top possibilities with new and higher stat limits, Hell Mode being available for more than just the few characters in the base game, and even more post-game content. These additions are great, and they make this package feel even better for newcomers, but it is not worth a brand-new purchase for existing owners even with Switch 1 saves carrying over. Speaking of existing owners, you're probably wondering about the Disgaea 7 Complete Nintendo Switch 2 visuals and performance.

Disgaea 7 Complete visuals vs D7 Switch, PS5, PS4, Steam, and more

Disgaea 7 itself wasn't amazing on Switch 1, but it was more polished compared to the technical mess of Disgaea 6. When I played Disgaea 7 on consoles and PC last year, it was excellent on Steam Deck and PS5, but the Switch version was lacking with many visual and performance downgrades. Disgaea 7 on consoles has a performance and graphics mode on PS4, PS5, Switch, and even on Switch 2 for Disgaea 7 Complete. These two modes made the biggest difference when playing on Switch 1. The PlayStation versions target 60fps in both modes and the PS5 version hits its target with ease. In fact, I was disappointed to see Disgaea 7 not offer a 120fps mode on PS5.

Disgaea 7 on Switch was an unstable experience regardless of the visual mode, but when playing Disgaea 7's Switch 1 version on Switch 2, it hit 60fps. This got me thinking about what I'd like to see in a native Switch 2 version. I was hoping to see it match the PS5 version docked and offer a 120fps performance mode. Sadly, Disgaea 7 Complete falls short of the PS5 version docked, but is a huge upgrade over Nintendo Switch. There is no 120fps mode though, and it targets 60fps in both its graphics and performance modes. NIS America tells me the visual impact when changing the mode will be limited to the certain areas where the hardware is pushed more. 

Having spent a lot of time with Disgaea 7 Complete on Switch 2 for testing both handheld and docked, and then revisiting the game on other consoles and PC handhelds, I've come away impressed with Disgaea 7 Complete's handheld experience, but docked it feels lacking. That isn't to say that Disgaea 7 Complete on Switch 2 isn't a big upgrade over the Switch 1 base game, but I just hoped for more when playing docked when it comes to image quality. In a lot of ways, this release reminds me of how Disgaea 5 Complete on the original Switch ended up being great for portable play, but the docked experience was lacking compared to PS4. 

For my TV or docked comparison (above), I wanted to showcase how the Disgaea 7 Complete graphics and performance modes when played docked compared with the PS5, Switch, and PS4 versions. For this I used 4K capture to avoid any image quality loss. For my portable comparison (below), I used the system capture on Switch and Switch 2 in addition to the Steam version's screenshot functionality. 

Disgaea 7 Complete Switch 2 load times compared to Disgaea 7

When testing load times, I was also curious to see how Disgaea 7's base release would be via backward compatibility. For my test, I loaded the game's title screen from the dashboard, an early save file into the hub, and a battle. I made sure to use the same early game location save on all platforms. I had Disgaea 7 Complete installed to the Switch 2 internal storage, Disgaea 7's Switch 1 version installed to the Switch 2 internal storage, Disgaea 7 on Switch OLED SD card, Disgaea 7 on Steam Deck internal storage, Disgaea 7 on ROG Ally internal storage, Disgaea 7 on PS5 internal storage, and Disgaea 7 for PS4 installed to an external hard drive on PS5 (not the SSD). I also mashed A/X/B to skip any logos and get in-game as fast as possible on all platforms. 

Note: All load times above are in seconds.

All versions of Disgaea 7 load quite fast once in-game, but I was surprised to see Disgaea 7 via backward compatibility load faster than Disgaea 7 Complete on Switch 2 for save files. Beyond that, the ROG Ally had the best results. You will not really notice major load time issues while in-game outside of the PS4 or Switch 1 versions. 

Disgaea 7 Complete on Switch 2 would have been an easy recommendation for existing owners if it offered some sort of upgrade path. I appreciate the save data transfer option, which I tested, but those who bought the base game and all DLC need to buy this new version at full price to get the new features, content, and visual upgrades. 

As much as I enjoyed Disgaea 7's original release last year, I hate that I'm conflicted about Disgaea 7 Complete. On the one hand, this is a great package for newcomers when it comes to value, but it also is annoying to see the free patch and DLC that were released in Japan not be made available at all to the existing base game owners in the West. It is a shame that a re-release of a great modern Disgaea game has a few too many caveats attached to it right now.