Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless

About

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is a turn-based strategy RPG set in a fictional Japan-inspired world caught between two eras. Players control Fuji, a disillusioned warrior, and Pirilika, a culture-obsessed outsider, as their paths collide during a societal shift mirroring Japan’s Edo-to-Meiji transition. Combat blends grid-based tactical battles with over-the-top character customization, letting players stack abilities and exploit enemy weaknesses. Story progression alternates between episodic quests and world-altering decisions, with humor and absurdity undercutting the historical parody. The game leans into sharp satire of cultural nostalgia and modernization, balancing goofy character interactions with pointed commentary on tradition versus progress. Its dual protagonists offer contrasting perspectives on change, one weary of fading legacies, the other enamored with bygone ideals. With deep strategy mechanics and a script packed with niche jokes, it’s a chaotic but rewarding entry in the series. Launched in early 2023, it’s available across multiple platforms including Switch and PC.

Storyline

Set in a series of small Netherworlds collectively known as Hinomoto, a world that mimics the stylings of Ancient Japan during its transition between the Edo period (1603-1868) and the Meiji restoration (1868-1912). The plot and stylings are heavily inspired by the clashing cultures of the two period of japanese history and both parody and reflect the changing attitudes and behaviours of the times. The plot starts with end of the age of warriors following the military take-over of the Shogunate by a demon known as Demmodore Opener, following his victory over the strongest warrior of the time, Mugai Zesshosai and his followers. The story follows the intertwining stories of both Fuji, a former apprentice of Mugai and now wandering warrior, whose story is made to mirror the view of a Samurai of the time with the collapse of their culture and relevance in it; and Pirilika, an Otaku for Hinomoto culture who arrives in just in time to watch the culture she had come to idolise from the movies she had seen of it be replaced with the more metropolitan styling of the Meiji era, parodying the westernisation of Japan during that time period and the general japan otakus found in the west in current times.