Disgaea Mayhem review for Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch
Posted on July 17, 2026 by Ellie Lutes in Reviews, Switch, Switch 2
System: Switch 2 (reviewed), Switch
Release date: July 23, 2026
Developer:Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: NIS America
For more than two decades, the Disgaea series has carved out its own corner of the strategy RPG genre. Rather than chasing gritty fantasy or grounded warfare, the franchise has built its reputation on over-the-top humor, lovable and sometimes adorable demons, sarcastically large damage numbers, and a level of mechanical depth that encourages players to break the game’s systems in the most entertaining ways possible. Traditionally, Disgaea titles are turn-based tactical RPGs, challenging players to outthink opponents on grid-based battlefields through careful positioning, clever abilities, and layered strategic planning. Disgaea Mayhem, however, takes an action RPG route. While the gameplay has changed dramatically, the series’ unmistakable identity remains intact, delivering the same silly humor, over-the-top personality, and delightfully ridiculous numbers that longtime fans have come to expect.
Mayhem’s protagonist is a surly mercenary that goes by “N.A.”, who is retained at the request of the overlord of the demon realm of Super Duper, Tichelle. Tichelle’s father recently passed away, and sadly enough, his last creations were stolen just afterward. Tichelle is understandably heartbroken and tasks you with the recovery of these items – six special flans, all stolen by six former generals. Yes, you’re recovering desserts.
The biggest departure from traditional Disgaea titles isn’t just the shift from tactical RPG to action RPG, but the overall structure of progression. Disgaea Mayhem is divided into roughly eight chapters, each containing several bite-sized episodes. The objective rarely changes: defeat a set number of enemies, then eliminate the area’s boss before moving on to the next mission. Fans of games like Dynasty Warriors, Dragon Quest Heroes, or Hyrule Warriors will immediately recognize the formula. Unlike those games, however, Mayhem keeps its battlefields relatively compact.
Maps are easy to navigate and rarely take more than a minute or two to cross, which is fortunate because you’ll frequently be running between enemy spawn points before finally confronting the stage boss. The downside is that this simplicity becomes apparent rather quickly. During the opening hours, the game rarely asks the player to do anything beyond repeating this same routine, making the early chapters feel more repetitive than exciting. Thankfully, Disgaea Mayhem slowly introduces more systems as the story progresses, giving players additional reasons to experiment beyond simply clearing the next mission.
After the first few chapters, Mayhem begins revealing the systems longtime Disgaea fans have come to expect. The Dark Assembly returns, allowing players to vote on gameplay modifiers and bonuses, Item World makes its welcome appearance, and monster companions can eventually be reincarnated to dramatically improve their long-term growth.
The Assembly ended up becoming one of my favorite progression systems. Some of the most valuable bills dramatically increase experience gains, money earned after battle, or other useful rewards. Getting those bills passed isn’t always easy, though. Representatives each have their own likes and dislikes, meaning you can improve your odds through careful bribery, intimidation, or eventually brute force if diplomacy fails. Early on, resources are limited enough that every gift matters, but later in the game it becomes much easier to manipulate the system in your favor. These mechanics help preserve the series’ trademark feeling that every system can eventually be bent to your advantage if you’re willing to invest enough time into it.
Item World continues to be one of the franchise’s greatest ideas, and it ended up being the highlight of my entire playthrough. As in previous Disgaea games, every piece of equipment contains its own miniature dungeon filled with randomized battles. Clearing wave after wave strengthens the item itself while also providing valuable experience, equipment, and resources. It’s an addictive gameplay loop because every run simultaneously improves your gear and your character. In fact, I enjoyed Item World so much that I unintentionally broke the game’s balance.
Reincarnating N.A. or your recruited battle buddies resets their level while significantly improving their long-term stat growth. Starting over may initially sound discouraging, but veterans of the series will recognize it as another layer of progression rather than punishment. Each cycle leaves your character substantially stronger than before, rewarding players willing to embrace the grind.
While the gameplay experiments with a new genre, the writing remains unmistakably Disgaea. The humor is intentionally ridiculous, characters constantly play off one another, and the world refuses to take itself seriously for very long. Unfortunately, this approach didn’t resonate with me as strongly as it has in previous entries. Overlord Tichelle herself is charming and immediately likable, but I struggled to become invested in the journey because the central objective never felt particularly meaningful. Had these been priceless heirlooms carrying emotional weight, I likely would’ve connected with the premise much more. Instead, I often found myself thinking, “…they’re flans. Surely we can just make more.” But then again, this is a Disgaea game, and they are well known for writing that can’t bring itself to be serious, even with a gun held to its head. That disconnect made it difficult for the story to carry me through the game’s repetitive structure – something that’s especially important in an RPG where narrative often serves as motivation between battles.
One area where I believe Disgaea Mayhem misses an opportunity is exploration. The maps serve their purpose as combat arenas, but they rarely encourage players to look around or dem one monster spawn to another before defeating the boss and immediately moving on to the next mission. I couldn’t help imagining how much stronger the gameplay loop would feel if exploration fed into a crafting or gathering system
Harvesting resources from each map and turning them into randomly generated weapons, armor, or consumables would have added another compelling reason to revisit stages. Given Disgaea’s love of randomized loot, rarity tiers, Innocents, and endless progression systems, crafting feels like a natural fit that could have made these environments feel much more alive. Instead, the maps often feel like simple corridors connecting combat encounters, leaving little incentive to engage with them beyond finishing the objective.
Disgaea Mayhem does successfully translate many of the franchise’s defining mechanics into an action RPG framework. The humor remains intact, the progression systems are as addictive as ever, and Item World continues to be one of the best features Nippon Ichi Software has ever created. Where it struggles is maintaining momentum between those systems. Repetitive mission design, underwhelming environments, and a story that never fully grabbed me made the campaign feel longer than its relatively modest runtime.
I found myself looking forward to diving back into Item World far more than progressing the main story. For longtime Disgaea fans, there’s still enjoyment to be found in experimenting with builds, exploiting progression systems, and watching absurd damage numbers climb into the millions. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that this spin-off sacrifices too much of the tactical series’ unique charm in exchange for competent – but ultimately familiar – hack-and-slash gameplay.
Disgaea Mayhem is a short adventure that may not be worth the full price tag to newcomers especially. However, series fans may find a lot to love. While I personally see a lot of room for things to expand here and hope that the next game has loftier goals and more systems, I would say to catch this one on sale if you’re not absolutely in love with the demo.
Disgaea Mayhem copy provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review.
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