Oct 15, 4:03 pm
For the past couple of weeks I’ve felt nervous, fidgety. I have suddenly realised that time is not on my side, and as the end draws near, I feel overwhelmed and lost. No, I’m not whining on about yet another birthday (although if it weren’t for the birthday cake, I’d have given up on them by now.) No, Disgaea 2 is being released on October the 20th - EEK!
I loved Disgaea, really I did… Perhaps a little too much, hence my borderline fear for when the sequel gets washed up on our shores. When I purchased the original game over two years ago, my life stopped. My passion for Disgea consumed my waking hours entirely. At first friendships suffered, then diet, then basic hygiene. I wasn’t quite freaky-Trevor-McDonald-boy weeing into a bottle, but I wasn’t too far away. It was - and still is - an extremely rare alternative to the standard, stiff upper lip of stategy RPGs. It had beautiful artwork, sharp voice acting, a great story and a wicked sense humour. Getting a laugh out of grid-based combat? I’ll be telling you it featured exploding penguins next.
So, in preparation for my life screeching to a halt part deux I’ve been trying to tidy up some loose ends in my gaming collection. I’m trying to do the impossible. I’m trying to finish Dragon Quest: Journey of the Cursed King.
For those of you who didn’t hear me bleating about this back in April, Dragon Quest kicks serious booty, perhaps almost as much booty as Disgaea. This puts me in a bit of a tricky situation - I cannot possibly play them both at once (damn my need for sleep), but neither can I resist purchasing Disgaea 2 on day of release. As such, Dragon Quest must be completed.
I’ve already sacrificed a good 60+ hours with my Yangus-worshipping antics, but to be honest with you, I’m finding it hard going. I’ve had such enjoyment in playing this game, and it shares many of the traits that made Disgaea so wonderful. The voice-acting is superb, the characters are great, the story is engaging and the music is top-notch (criminally losing out to Tomb Raider: Legend in the recent video game BAFTAS.) And because of all of its wonderful qualities, I’m genuinely relunctant to complete it. I don’t want it to end. I’m reaching the stage where I know no matter what the ending, it’s going to make me cry.
And so, the countdown begins. Disgaea 2 has some very big shoes to fill, and I’m as happy as I am sad that it’s forcing me to bring my dragon questing days to a close. I’m going to miss Yangus, Jessica, King Trode and Angelo, but my feelings are the proof of a truly great game.
Cor blimey.
