Interview mit NIS America zum Spiel Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days

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PlaystationPortable.de: Can you introduce yourself and tell us more about the team behind Disgaea 2. What have you done before?

Steven Carlton: My name is Steven Carlton and I was the editor for Disgaea 2. The team consisted of myself, a translator, a project coordinator who keeps us in constant contact with the Japanese developers, a few graphic designers who designed the packaging and manual, a web designer for the website, and quite a few game testers. Previously, I have worked on Atelier Iris 1 – 3, Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories, Ar tonelico 1 & 2, GrimGrimoire, Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness, Disgaea DS, Mana Khemia 1 & 2, Disgaea 3, Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! 1 & 2, and Phantom Brave: We Meet Again.

PlaystationPortable.de: Why did you decide to bring the game to PSP?

Steven Carlton: The primary reason we did this was because we received a lot of fan support asking for a portable version of Disgaea 2, and because we had a lot of success with the portable versions of the first Disgaea.

PlaystationPortable.de: Will I be able to play and understand Disgaea 2 without having the first game Disgaea: The Afternoon of Darkness?

Steven Carlton: Yes, you will, since the story of Disgaea 2 has a new central cast and deals with a completely separate Netherworld from the first game. However, fans of Afternoon of Darkness will get more out of the game, since Etna makes a return as one of the main characters, but she is sort of reintroduced to the players as the new characters start to get to know her.



PlaystationPortable.de: What are the main differences to the original PS2-game „Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories“?

Steven Carlton: There are a few main additions that were added to Dark Hero Days that were not in Cursed Memories. The first of which are four new chapters that tell the story of Axel, the Dark Hero which explain how he wound up in Veldime. We have also added some battle features that debuted in Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice, such Magichange, where you can transform your monster characters into weapons that are wielded by your humanoid characters. There is also a brand new “Super Magichange” feature that lets you Magichange an additional time with another monster character for even more improved stats and experience sharing.

PlaystationPortable.de: How many hours will I spend to finish the complete game?

Steven Carlton: The main story will likely take you between 40 – 70 hours, depending on how efficient you are at developing and leveling up your characters. The Axel chapters are likely to add an additional 10 – 20 hours, and of course if you want to unlock all of the bonus post-game characters and features, you’re looking at 100+ hours of game play. The nice thing about Disgaea is that you can play for as long as you like, and there is always something more you can do. It all depends on you.

PlaystationPortable.de: Do you plan a digital Version for the Playstation Store?

Steven Carlton: Yes

PlaystationPortable.de: Will the game be localized for German gamers or is there only an English version?

Steven Carlton: This game is English only, but we hope that in the future we’ll be able to localize games in German.



PlaystationPortable.de: Are there plans to bring other games to the PSP?

Steven Carlton: Ah, of course, and as digital versions. We’ll let you know soon what’s coming out.

PlaystationPortable.de: Which other games will we see in near future?

Steven Carlton: "Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love" for Wii revolutionizes the usual SRPG system by combining it with Sim elements. The player’s human interaction affects the story and even the strengths of the characters. Basically, the game’s hero, Shinjiro Taiga, is sent to New York to combat evil powers who want to take control of the city. What he didn't realize was that he'd also be leading a carousing band of theatrical performers by night. Now he must find a way to balance his life as military leader and musical director. It’s a great game, part of a very popular Japanese series that has only come to the West in anime and manga. This is the first video game of Sakura Wars aka Sakura Taisen localized into a Western language.

We also have "Last Rebellion" (PS3) coming out as well in early March. It’s a SRPG with action features. You are able to explore your environments, but you will fight your evil enemies using a turn-based system. During combat mode, you may change between the two main characters, Nine and Aisha, so as to exploit their individual strengths.

PlaystationPortable.de: Is there anything you would like to tell our readers?

Steven Carlton: Stay in school, brush your teeth, and always check your blind spots.


The interview was held by Jakob Koch for PlaystationPortable.de
Thanks to Steven Carlton for his kind support.