As a rabid fan of the first Disgaea, Let me say this at the start of the review. The music for Disgaea 2 is a step up from the music for Disgaea. Tenpei Sato’s work continues to impress.
Remixes of themes such as “Is It Admiration for Overlord Laharl?” (an 8-bit version of the classic song) and “Etna Rock” hook you immediately. White Tiger is an awesome vocal piece; too bad it’s not a stage theme (the vocalist for White Tiger, I believe, is Tenpei Sato himself).
Wonder Castle (the first song you hear unless you watch the game’s introduction) lets you know right off the bat that Tenpei Sato has not been slacking. Even after 100 hours of gameplay, the music is still enjoyable. However, if you play the game as much as I do you may want to turn it off after about 200 hours…but even then, you’ll find yourself turning it back on for your favorite themes.
This soundtrack does not disappoint. Fans of Disgaea already know what to expect…they will get more than they asked for, especially in terms of sound quality (it’s the best I’ve heard yet). Non-Disgaea fans? …they should ask my friend “sp00ky” who is hooked after hearing the soundtrack and now plans to buy the game on its US release. The combination of high-quality musicianship and markedly wicked silliness has won him over, and it is likely to win you over as well.
Please note: this soundtrack came as a bonus with the limited edition packaging of the Japanese game. If you want to hear this music in its original form while playing NIS America’s version, you will have to set the game to Japanese audio; the English voice setting has a somewhat remixed soundtrack. An arranged soundtrack was also officialy printed and is available for wide release, but if you want the complete experience, you’ll need to find this two-disc soundtrack with the limited edition Japanese game.
