I have always been an avid fan of the Disgaea series-with their colorful characters, interesting settings, and insane-as-hell battle animations. The game I liked the most out of the Disgaea franchise is Disgaea 2-a love story between a human warrior fighting to release the curse of his family, and a daughter of a demon overlord; forced to fight alongside the hero in order to return to her father. I remember fondly when I fought the Tyrant Overlord Baal with a Majin maxed out in its stats and level; easily flooring the horned beast with one or two Dimension Slashes.
That was 7 years ago, when I first played it on PSP. Now, 21 years old, in college majoring in game design; I have forgotten when the last time I gave the game away to my cousin. I checked my wallet to see at least $25.00 in cash. With the Playstation 2 stored in my dorm, I decided to go to a nearby game shop that sells even games in the old NES era. The bell chimed when I walk inside the establishment and checked the shelves containing the PS2 games; all lined in alphabetical order. To my surprise-as a slide my fingers to the games that start with D-I came across peculiar Disgaea 2 copy; with the subtitle "Director's Cut" placed next to the "Cursed Memories" subtitle. I've never noticed an updated re-release of Disgaea 2 on the PS2- NIS had released ports of Disgaea 1-4 on the PSP and Vita respectively; I'd assume that this particular copy had a limited release with little-to-no advertisement. I took the game off the shelf and place it on the counter; wanting to purchase it. The game is $9.99, the same price of any old games. I happily paid the game in full and take it home with me in a plastic bag.
I swung the room door open and power my Playstation 2 on. The room is well lit and a bit messy with clothes thrown here and there. My roommate wouldn't mind, however-as long I clean up his side of the room. Even so, he doesn't come home until late after 3. He works the overnight shift at a Kroger away from campus; so I have plenty of time to play my reacquired Disgaea 2 game. I put the game in the disk drive and let it load; as I plopped into a bean bag chair and with controller in both hands. It feels nostalgic to watch the opening cinematic with Sinful Rose blasting in the room; reuniting with memorable characters like Adell, Rozalin, and Etna. After the opening has played, I'm taken to the title screen-where "Director's Cut" is placed alongside with "Cursed Memories" like in the box.
I hit new game and trek through the chapters, nothing changes from the original game. I made my characters to fight alongside Adell and the others; all named after my old friends in high school: Joseph the Warrior, Sarah the Archer, Terry the Skull, and Beth the Rune Knight. Understandably, the game is too long to play overnight-grinding is a chore without the right amount of felonies and Cave of Ordeals unlocked, so I turned in for the night.
Day after day, weeks into months, I've picked up the pace and got my units to a favorable level to fight the final boss, unlocked the Majin class and named it after myself, and watched nearly all the endings. Now, the only ending I haven't touched upon is the worst ending-an ending that's even bad as this game's bad ending. I have heard about how the worst ending is nightmarish to some; not giving away spoilers. Since I've done everything in Disgaea 2 and now, the worst ending is calling to me. So, I decided to tackle that route after killing Baal for the umpteenth time.
Selecting my cleared save file again and it takes me back to the usual story where Overlord Zenon cursed Veldime, and Adell's family summoned Rozalin. Seeing enough of these, I skipped the cutscenes and head straight towards the ending. Each stage goes by, and I willingly massacred my own allies in order to achieve the ending. Now, for Rozalin, I have to use Adell-whose felony exceeds 99-to kill her in order to unlock the worst ending. I was hesitant at first, because Rozalin was my favorite character in the game. But I decided to go through it and attack her via a Big Bang. After Zenon is defeated in the final level, the cutscene plays as usual where Rozalin transforms into True Zenon. However, the cutscene soon ends where the true final battle takes place against Rozalin herself. Rozalin herself is level 2000, whereas the rest of my party is levels beyond hers. She attacks Adell with no avail as I finish it with Vulcan Blaze. After the fight, Rozalin lies in a pool of blood; killed by Adell's hands. A soul emerges from her lifeless husk and bury itself into Adell. A swirling darkness surrounds our hero as he begins to transform. The credits roll as a single picture of what used to be Adell is displayed. After the credits, I've come across the horrified screams of Hanako and Taro; plus the gruesome sound of something chewing the gory entrails of what used to be them. Afterwards, a single line is uttered by Adell: "I am a being of Solitude…"
The very sound horrifies me. I've spoiled myself on the ending I've watched on YouTube 3 years back, but I have never heard such a thing my old copy. Is this what they mean by director's cut? After I saved my game, I shut the game off and head to bed-the nightmares of both Hanako and Taro eaten alive by their own brother was enough for me to toss and turn, unable to get a good night sleep. It affected my performance somewhat, as I do poorly on a pop quiz. Disgruntled, I came home around 11 PM and start the PS2 again to get the good ending in order to rid myself of the nightmares. However, as the game starts, it leads straight to the title screen-no anime opening this time-and to my immediate surprise, the background is replaced with a reddish hue and the moon is replaced with the maddening grin of the dark sun. Everything is locked out except the continue selection, like the game wants me to make a new game plus. Swallowing a lump, I select continue and play my only save file in the screen. Instead of the usual prologue, I was met with a black screen with the chilling words of "I am a being of Solitude..." uttered by Adell. The game replays with the worst ending where Adell is possessed by the soul of Rozalin or rather Overlord Zenon-the True Overlord Zenon. Instead of blacking out, it shows a detailed transformation of Adell's new form. After Hanako tried to plead her brother, she and Taro were immediately killed by Adell-replaying that horrible crunching sound now met with the visual representation of their gruesome deaths. Blood flying everywhere, entrails being snapped in two; it was horrible enough for Yukimaru, Tink, and even Etna to flee in terror. After Adell has finished devouring his former siblings, he began to leave the area in a slow, menacing walk; ending the cutscene.
The stage starts in the penultimate stage of Zenon's castle. There is no base camp, Adell is the only playable character amongst the many enemies in front of him. His portrait is that of his silhouette in the credits, his name is under Adell?, title is "Being of Solitude", all of his stats are maxed out and his level-in a most unusual fashion-is ?. Predictably, none of the enemies attack faze him, and he wiped out all of them with ease. As chapters progress, I realize that the episodes are playing in reverse, with no returning to a hub. It's all one huge marathon to Holt Village. At episode 10, I was confronted by both Yukimaru and Fubuki; teaming up to stop the menace known as Adell. They've conclude that their friend is no longer Adell, only Zenon whom they are set to kill. After a one-sided fight, I was met by Adell, impaling Yukimaru with his own hands-ripping her in two in the most graphical manner. Angered by her brutal death, Fubuki lash out and attack Adell. Only to have his arm severed and his entire body vaporized by a blast of energy. I nearly threw up on the sight of the poor ninja's death; thinking of myself why did NISA put this game on a T rating if they have gore like these? I decided I had enough and turn the game off. To my horror, the PS2 didn't power down as I flipped the switch repeatedly, the disk drive won't open, even the main power plug won't budge. I cursed under breath as I wished I could leave to get help. But it's already dark enough for the moon to not appear, and things get rather unsafe after dark. The only inevitable option is to finish the game all the way through. As I progress, I was stopped by my own characters; the ones I made after my friends. Realizing what's going to happen, I tried to quit the game. But the quit selection is locked off, as if the game won't let me stop playing. Begrudgingly, I picked them off one by one-going from Terry to Sarah. After the gameplay, the cutscene plays with Adell gruesomely devouring my dead allies. I can only watch in horror, seeing that I reap what I sow after I chose to go for the worst ending.
As Adell advances onwards-going from killing Etna as she trying to escape, to squashing Tink like a bloated insect-We've reached the final chapter: chapter 1. As the game progress, the BGM of the whole game devolves from a quirky variant of songs by Tenpei Sato, into distorted, bleak versions of their former selves. The stage plays in Holt Village where all the villagers are turned against the monster of what used to be Adell. It was a futile effort to fight him, as they are lower than Etna's Prinny squad. Afterwards, the game did the unexpected-instead of a cutscene, I am now allowed to move around in Holt Village; now red with blood and fire burning in the trees and houses. Adell is slow in movement-as he walk his menacing walk. Nearly everyone is killed by Adell's hands, there are no responses in them as I tried to converse. The only thing left Adell has to do, is walk to his house and kill his parents. I shook my head furiously-enough is enough, I am through playing this game! I unplug the controller and threw it to the side. I never thought that the game controller is the only one that is removable from this cursed game, but then it hit me-like a truck to the face… The game decided to let me remove the controller because now Adell is moving on his own, on his way to the house of he once lived. I tried to turn the TV off, but this damned game wouldn't let me-as if it took control over this entire room. I pleaded Adell not to kill his mother as she is on the ground, staring back at her own son in absolute horror. The father valiantly stood against Adell's path in order to buy time, but the beast shoves his right arm through his father's pimple; tossing him aside like yesterday's trash. The mother pleaded him-trying and failing not to hold back the sobs. But Adell would not listen as he lands a killing blow to his own kin…
But suddenly, in a nick of time, Adell's mother is saved by none other than Axel! The once flashy, washed out buffoon is now replaced with a more serious, resolved hero. He called him out on the many atrocities Adell has made, including the murder of his own family; and declare that he will personally stop him from wreaking more destruction throughout the Netherworld outside Veldime. The fight starts and Axel is leveled enormously to 5000 with favorable stats, his portrait is replaced with a grim angered look on the dark hero, and his title is now called "Dark Avenger". Axel is the one who moves first and hits Adell with a mighty swing of his fist. It did not scratch the former demon hunter that much, but it's enough to push Adell back. He walked up to Axel and swipe his claw, only to have a miss. As the fight presses on, I instinctively cheer the Dark Hero on to stop the menace. But the cheering is abruptly silenced as Adell used his ultimate skill: Dark Liberation. The attack end the stage; averting the crazy attack animations, and reduce Holt Village into a crater. No one survived the onslaught but Adell's mother, whose lower body are charred beyond recognition and is forced to crawl. Adell approached behind the poor woman and grabbed her by the head. After a small period of silence, the screen fades to black and a wail echoes through the room and then, crunch…
I fell to my knees, unable to process what has happened. Eyes widened in despair as if I personally murdered the casts with my own two hands-as if I was the monster in there. But the game didn't stop there as the next scene opened up with another stage start. Only except my Omega Sentinel named after my own liking-Andrew-stood in the black void alone, devoid of music. Footsteps are heard progressively louder as Adell approaches ever so slowly to my character, whittling away his health with each swipes of his claws; and then finishing it with impalement. Blood leaks out of my character's body, and Adell drops the Majin to a heap of meat. As the body fade away, he turns to the screen. I recoiled in horror as he faces me, but I froze completely as if something big is behind me, placing its hands on my shoulders, and the screen abruptly changes to a message written in red:
"Are you my enemy?"
Five are reported dead in their homes, four have shown to be mangled and organs scattered about with no signs of a break-in of each respective houses, and one of the victim's roommate found his friend dead on the ground, white as a ghost, and holding the Disgaea 2 box in his hands. He yanked the box out of his hands and inspects it. Seemingly normal, but as he opens the case and pops the game in, one line is uttered in a distorted mixture of Adell and Rozalin's…
"I am a being of Solitude…"