When I originally played Disgaea 1, I had a lot of time for video games. It felt different than anything I had played and became my game of comparison for all tactical RPG's going forward. Looking back it actually has a lot of features and stylistic choices that would put me off from a game in 2017. I'm not a huge anime fan and these days I tend to avoid playing addictive games that can pull you in for multiple hundreds of hours.

Had I never played Disgaea 1, Disgaea 5 never would have been an option. Because I love Disgaea 1, I want Disgaea 5 to be a priority. Because I played Disgaea 1, I want to make sure I start off on the right foot with Disgaea 5 and don't end up losing track of dozens of hours to level up meaningless items and characters.

Let's get into it

After watching the intro and playing through the first tutorial battle of Disgaea 5, a lot of my initial fears were laid to rest. I loved the main characters of Disgaea 1, Laharl and Etna, and I was worried that I wouldn't have that same connection to Disgaea 5. It turns out that Killia and Seraphina are cut from the same archetypes as Laharl and Etna, and the gameplay itself felt like home.

It may see like a small victory, but you need a hook to pull you into Disgaea 5 if you are going to stick with it. Disgaea games are convoluted and somewhat impenetrable. I read reviews that basically say that Disgaea 5 revels in its aimlessness. It's not that there's not a story to follow, it's just that there's too much to do. Leveling characters and managing their equipment is one thing in an RPG. Disgaea allows for every item in the game to be leveled up by literally jumping into battles inside of the item. This means it's easy to get sidetracked from the tangents you took at the original fork in the road after you ended up on the opposite side of the map from where you expected to go when you selected 1 of dozens of quest objectives.

Sounds like fun

Why would I do this? Why should you do this? Selecting one execute command on a battlefield that has destroyed you multiple times to see methodically devastated by an endless combo full of beautiful animations and entertaining anime screams makes it all worth it. When you figure out what you are doing in Disgaea, the elation of victory is unmatched. I'm playing to become an awesome demon general with an army of quirky allies that I love to despise alongside a few exploding penguins for good measure. I want to become good enough to casually kick all asses on my Switch because I never knew how much I wanted a great portable version of Disgaea.

Ironically, this means I haven't been playing Disgaea 5 much in the past week. After the tutorials, I started reading online guides and watching handfuls of YouTube videos. I want to make sure I prioritize the right quests, items, and characters so that I've got a powerful army as quickly as possible. I want to be able to play Disgaea 5 without worrying about the details or micromanaging my quests. I want it to become second nature so that I can play it regularly in short sessions inbetween other games. It's intimidating and I don't know if I'm up for the challenge, but I'm willing to fight for a great tactical RPG fix. Disgaea 5 and the Switch feel like the perfect combination.

Let's be clear. I expected to have a good and silly time with Puyo Puyo Tetris. On other platforms it had achieved a bit of a buzz around its quirky world, and I genuinely enjoy fierce Tetris battles. The joy that creeped across my face from the moment I hit start on the story mode is something no one could prepare me for.

I had/have no idea what was/is happening in the story mode. I don't know why anyone is fighting, and I don't know how the writing is as entertaining as it is. I want to skip all of the cutscenes, but I want to see everything! It's all so damn adorable that I feel like my eyeballs should reward the effort that went into it. This shouldn't exist, but it makes me a happier person because it does.

I'll admit that the presentation isn't going to be for everyone, so my biggest questions going into this game were - what the hell is Puyo Puyo and will it get in the way of my Tetris? I tried to fight playing Puyo Puyo in this game as my focus was to regain my Tetris skills. After 6-7 hours though, I can't decide which puzzle mode I enjoy more.

If I'm going to go solo or I'm going to try to 3 star a story level, I still want to play Tetris. I want to get great at Tetris, and I want to get fast at Tetris. If we're going multiplayer though, and I have the chance to crush some fools... give me Puyo Puyo. The thrill of pulling off a ridiculous Puyo Puyo combo is somehow even more satisfying than setting up multiple Tetrises(?). I didn't think it was possible. In the moment it feels awesome, and then you get to hear your opponent scream which just makes you want to do it again!

There's nothing earth shattering here. Admittedly, it's been a while since I played a competitive real-time puzzle game, but Puyo Puyo Tetris just feels perfect on the Switch. Online play with strangers is entertaining and its even better with friends. Handheld mode is the icing on the blocks. This is the most fun I've had with friends on the Switch yet.

Puyo Puyo Tetris is available now on Nintendo Switch and PS4.

Persona 5 is the coolest shit.

Oops, spoilers! Let me rewind for a moment, explain why Persona 5 is the coolest shit and discuss the actions Atlus took because of that fact.

The Shin Megami Tensei games took a while to fully catch on in mainstream North America, but Persona first hooked me during my college days in 2006. Cool. Strange. Stylish. Dark. The allure is powerful.

Persona 5 is all of that and perhaps even the best version of it. The formula holds up (realize the personas within yourself, strengthen your relationships, defeat the shadows within a dungeon), but is also able to be twisted into something unique, accessible, and interesting. I've started describing Persona 5 as the "Ocean's Eleven" of Persona. It's a heist movie disguised as a Japanese role-playing game. Even the menus are stylized. It's all-around cool shit!

What can I say?

I'd love to talk about all the details surrounding why Persona 5 is so damn cool, but that's where Atlus comes in. There's a heightened sensitivity to spoilers with this game's release, ranging from discussing specific plot details to streaming past a certain date in the game's calendar. Now that I've completed the first Palace (this game's version of dungeons), I can see why the issue is a bit complicated.

The story in Persona 5 has been a blast to experience. I've got 25 hours under my belt and there's still tons to do. When it comes to the idea of having that experience spoiled, not everyone will agree. Some people do watch streamers play an entire game start to finish, while others might watch an hour of gameplay before deciding to get their own copies. It's like a unscripted demo in that sense.

The execution of these rules is a mess, don't get me wrong. While I don't see the harm in requesting that gamers do their best to avoid spoilers, strict enforcement of these rules and threats of channel or account suspensions gives Persona 5's launch a sour taste. This could be a difference in views between the North American game scene and Japan, but the contention will get worse if guidelines like these continue.

Politics aside, I am wholeheartedly loving Persona 5. It'll be hard to return to my latest Persona 4 Golden save now that I've started building up this team of amazing characters. Yes, I am aware one of them is a blue-eyed talking cat... but I'm willing to let that feline fact slide since the character is funny and kicks shadow ass.

Technical specifications don't necessarily dictate where we play games. It seems like all decisions begin with multiplayer and how important it is to that specific game. However, even the best multiplayer game can't top a comfortable seat.

How do you decide which system you are going to get a multiplatform game on today?

• Ryan Billingsley - If people are going to be playing it together, that will be the most important factor. That being said, I am going to lobby hard for PC every time because I enjoy gaming on my PC. Especially if it is a shooter, I want a mouse and keyboard, it is how I came up. If it is single player, I will probably play it on the thing it will run the best on. Nine times out of ten that is going to be PC, but there are some notable situations where it was far worse. If PC is not in the equation, I will probably check the Nintendo Switch store to see if it is there because I am having fun with that console, otherwise, it is back to my trusty PS4, which is now hooked up to the same monitor I use for both PC and Switch gaming. It is a rough life...

• Aaron McNeal - It's mostly about those sweet game deals and comfort. Where and how do I wanna sit when I'm playing the game? How big is the download if I go the digital route? Will I play the game once and could I trade it in afterwards? I'm usually wrestling between the PS4 and PC for these kinds of decisions. And, like others before me, my setups for both platforms aren't created equally in terms of screen size and sound system. Thankfully, I own a Steam Link for when I really wanna recreate my superb PS4 experience. If we're talking multiplayer, I follow the crowd for Tom Clancy and loot.

• JB Buckner - The first question I ask about a new game is if my friends are getting it what are the multiplayer options? Staying on that thread will my friends play this game online long enough for me to care where they are playing? If online isn't a thing, I consider graphics next. That doesn't always win over playing convenience though. My PC is in the basement and with my PS4 upstairs I can play more often and get through the game faster.

• Cole Monroe - While the "where are my friend's are playing" thing is definitely important for multiplayer games that I'm interested in, everything else can be answered with a "it depends." For a game that's out on all the consoles, right now I'm leaning towards the Switch just so I have more games to play there with the caveat that it doesn't suffer from the Switch not being as powerful. If a game is being released on multiple platforms including the PC, I'm going PC all the way and that's for longevity and access to games. With other consoles struggling with backwards compatibility options throughout the years, right now the PC is a safe bet to be able to play old games at my discretion instead of waiting on console makers to come up with a solution.

• Andrew Cooper - The multiplayer question is the first that comes to mind. If that's a focus, I'll buy for the platform that has the most of my friends who will also be playing. Outside of that I default to PC as much as I can for my single player experience mainly due to it usually being capable of higher quality visuals and framerates. I have the ability to play my PC at my desk or in my living room with full surround so I don't have that need to use a console for the "couch experience." Consoles are more or less reserved for their respective exclusives at this point.

• Justin Gifford - My answer is similar to JB's. Where to get/play Destiny 2 is a different discussion than where to get/play DOOM - we're going to be playing Destiny 2 together for a while (assuming it doesn't suck), so the consensus on where to play is going to color that decision. I'm the reverse of JB on the location: the PC gets priority since it's on the first floor and I do most of my gaming after the kids go to bed. It's easier to hear them if they wake up by playing in the living room rather than on the consoles in the basement. Ideally, it's cross-play enabled so I can play in the basement on the Xbox or on the PC, like I did with Gears 4, but those options seem somewhat few and far between. One last consideration, which hasn't been an issue yet in this generation of consoles for me, is whether or not there are some kind of in-game bonuses for having save files from the last game (e.g., the original Mass Effect trilogy and I think some other games whose names escape me). Ultimately, though, I have been converted to a PC Master Race in the last year, so if its available there, and my friends aren't playing, I'm going PC.

• Justin Lacey - Multiplayer is definitely my first consideration when looking at platform. If it's available and interesting I have to guess on how much our crew or even myself will actually play multiplayer. There's definitely a tipping point when the single player is more important to me where I will decide solely based on the best platform for the single player experience. It's handy that recently PC multiplayer has been working out for us, but PC ports are starting to have issues again so I'm considering consoles as an option more than I was a year ago. Usually though, it's PC until there's a reason not to PC (thank you, Blizzard chat) and that's most likely because the game is a console exclusive.

This was supposed to be just another year in the middle of a video game console cycle. Instead, we're trying to figure out what VR means for gaming and now all the consoles are freaking out. We previously discussed the moddable future of the Xbox One, but all of these PS4.5 rumors are getting too loud to ignore.

There are just too many details out there to ignore this any further so once the hardware upgrades involved in a potential fall update for the PS4, codenamed NEO, we tried to make sense of our uncertain console future once again.

Gut Reaction

Coop - That new PlayStation is bullshit. They're going to fuck up the reason people buy consoles.

Justin Gifford - I know the idea was floating around with what Phil said at the MS thing, but an 'elite' model of the PS4? Are they going to continue to make the 'base' model? But overall, yeah, you nailed it.

Justin Lacey - Well it’s either that or people are going to stop buying consoles anyway. I think it has to happen. And as long as games work back to 2-3 hardware revisions it will work out.

There was some interesting quote I heard on a podcast last week about interviews with high school students that basically said consoles are for their parents. They aren’t buying PCs either, so at least they (Sony and MS) are being a bit preemptive to try to break the cycle before it is forced on them.

• JG - If high school students aren't buying PCs or consoles, are they not gaming at all? I'm a little confused. It's not like they're effing going outside.
• JL - They are playing Clash of Clans and fighting about it in the hallways, and I’m not joking.
• JG - I weep for the future of our youth.
• JL - Gotta be different than your parents somehow. That’s why Snapchat is popular.
• JG - Wait, why is Snapchat popular? Clash of Clans? I may have to raise Thomas and our daughter in isolation.

JL - And if you think about it, my 360 broke so often, I was buying a new one every 3 years anyway :) At least this time I’ll be able to run my games better and at higher resolutions.

C - Bahaha, that is actually a very good point. I think I'm on my 3rd 360.

JL - I guess I came into this console generation accepting that consoles as we knew them were doomed. And I honestly expected one of Microsoft or Sony to stubbornly fight it and fall on their face.

The Wrong Foot

How did we get to 3 year consoles already needing upgrades? Was the bar just too low to start this generation or is has something else changed?

JL - I think the only frustrating part for me is that the NEO is actually the 1080 60fps console they originally promised the PS4 would be. But at least MS and SOny are both making plans, which is good, and it should help games push boundaries faster rather than stagnate like the final 2 years of the 360.

C - The PS4 didn't quite get there.

JL - Well, you were delusional if you thought that was real. The summer before launch they were barely promising 1080p 30fps. Cuz barely any games do that now, especially on Xbone. But hey, Ratchet and Clank is pretty :)

C - Yeah, the good ones don't. Oh yeah, Xbone is struggling even more. Sony has quite a few 1080 60 games. Just the big open world ones can't get close.

JL - Does it?

C - It does actually.

JL - What, like 2D indie games? :)

C - I think the graphics look shitty on the ones that hit it. Here we go -
Xbox One and PS4 Native Framerates - Looks like it is mainly the battlefields, call of duties, sports... It's more than I thought originally.

JL - So old games and sports games. Fucking Killzone couldn’t do 1080p 60 and MGS V was originally supposed to be on PS3.

C - Yeah, I thought Killzone was supposed to hit it. I guess it didn't.

JL - But hey, Rocket League :) Yeah, there’s nothing “new” that runs at 1080p 60 on the list that isn’t a sports game or a last-gen port.

C - Yeah. The Last of Us Remastered, but again, it's an old game.

JL - Exactly, and we aren’t even 3 years in.

C - Games got way bigger when these consoles came out. CD Projekt Red kicked that bar way up :)

JL - CD Projekt Red was held back by the consoles if anything. I think it [NEO] is a good idea, and I’m glad we have an option as long as it doesn’t render old PS4s useless for another 2 years. 'Cuz if you get 5 years out of your console that's :thumbsup:

C - Yeah, sounds like we're good for a while. I still have my 970 if I want a game to look pretty :) I didn't buy a PS4 for the graphics.

JL - Nooope. I bought it for Naughty Dog and multiplayer games.

C - Apparently, I bought it for Rocket League and MMOs.

What about Microsoft and Nintendo

While none of this will be cleared up until some formal announcements are made, if this is what Sony is not telling us, you have to wonder what Microsoft and Nintendo aren't telling us.

C - I'm sure Microsoft has a 1.5 one in the works, too. Might just be waiting on Sony to see if they're gonna go for it or not.

JG - Did I miss something? I thought Microsoft specifically brought up something about modularity or was that just pie in the sky talk?

C - He talked about it as a concept, but he said regarding a 1.5, if Xbox is going to move forward, it'll be in a big way. Whatever that means. Could still be modular. But it sounds more like a new modular console, rather than an upgrade for your current one like people initial thought they might be working on.

JG - Gotcha. it's interesting - these boxes are what, two and a half years old? And they're talking upgrading/replacing? Shit, we got like 9 years out of the 360, right?

C - If they drop a new console, that is upgraded with the ability to continue to upgrade it for lesser chunks of money, they might be onto something, but then, then just put a PC in your living room. Well, @JDevL brought up the fact that we're all on our 2nd and 3rd Xbox 360, so did we really? :)

JG - I'm only on my second, but that's fair.

C - So I'd rather buy a console every 3 years and get a performance boost, than buy a new one and get the same one to replace my broken one.

JL - It's easy to forget how the last gen went on for a year or two longer than normal. I still think 5 years is a good run for a console so (modular) upgrades at the midpoint (2-3 years) makes sense.

Coleman Monroe - If these consoles do get updated this year... Nintendo might be left behind again if they’re building to compete with current PS4/Xbone.

JL - That’s the hilarious part. They are so secretive about the NX and denying that they are killing off the Wii U and the NX is behind before they formally reveal it.

JG - And since they haven't revealed it, it means they don't have third party devs knowing what they're developing for? There's no way NDAs would totally prevent any leakage.

JL - You’d be surprised, but also Nintendo shits on third parties anyway.

CM - Plus they probably don’t have a ton of 3rd party developers lined up so not a lot of NDAs going out means less chance for them to leak.

JL - Plus all the PS4.5 rumors are based on loudmouth developers at GDC.

JG - I'm guessing those devs may have had NDAs since there are no attributed quotes in either Polygon or Giant Bomb's articles.

JL - The Wii U somehow made Nintendo's terrible 3rd party relationships even worse.

JG - Yeah, I know they do, which is why I'm saying, "Man, guys, learn?" Not that they're hurting for cash, but you said it: they may be behind before they formally reveal it.

JL - Nintendo has always been that way though, go back and look at TenGen games for the NES, right @colefacekilla ?

JG - Right, I remember that article. God, that story is hilarious. "You want ​_how_​ much money per cartridge to license your game? Fuck you."

What isn't clear

It looks like incremental console improvements are inevitable, but no one is talking about pricing or a roll out plan.

JG - Interesting they didn't say whether it was going to be tiered pricing or if the NEO is just going to be the new PS4 model. Or did I not read that right?

JL - It’s all rumors. Nothing confirmed yet so they won’t announce that shit. I’m assuming they use Apple’s pricing model and the NEO comes out at the current price of the PS4 with the current PS4s getting dropped in price further. They could get away with maybe $50 higher for the NEO.

The real question is if they will allow some sort of trade-in/upgrade program or just let me subsidize that shit and just treat it like my phone. Bundle up my PlayStation Plus subscription with a console fee.

JG - Now, that's an interesting idea.

• JG - Couple that with unlocking the box for your tv and we could have a Verizon/Sony partnership! Everyone wins.
• JL - Fuck cable. Plus Sony has PlayStation Vue. Pairing up with cable after finally evolving console upgrades would be 2 steps forward with 1 step back.
• JG - I hope you recognize that I was being facetious.
• JL - Hey, you bought an Xbone for a reason. You people are weird :)
• JG - I bought an Xbone for several reasons.
• JL - All of which were TERRIBLE :troll: ... Goddammit... My heart died during their e3 press conference. I was all in, man, and they gave me nuthin.
• JG - hahaha
• JL - Just oblivious assumptions they made about fan loyalty for a shitty product, just like Sony did years ago. So sad.
• JG - Yeah, that E3 presser was a goddamned hot mess.
• JL - The back peddling afterwards was some good reality television/internet. Plus, the subtle firing of that entire team over the next year.
• JG - Oh, shit. you're right. I guess I hadn't thought about the fact that everyone from that team is toast.
• JL - It’s quite remarkable that Phil Spencer’s sense of humor survived intact. That’s why he’s smirking all the time though, I guess, he just has to make the best of a bad situation and none of the decisions that got them here were his.
• JG - It makes him look like a recovery mensch, though.
• JL - They needed a likable/trustable face after Don Mattrick.
• JG - Uh, yeah, that's for sure. That absolute silence when they said that they were not supporting backward compatibility it was going to be always on?
• JL - Shoulda' never let Peter Moore walk.
• JG - Yeah, that's the truth.

What am I going to do with multiple PS4's?

This sounds ridiculous, but maybe there's an upside to having multiple versions of the same console?

CM - All of this NEO PS4 rumor mongering means is that @JDevL and I will now just have 2 PS4s in our houses. With the NEO getting the main living room space (for me) and the old one gets relegated to the bedroom.

C - Oh shit, @colefacekilla has an idea there. You can play Rocket League without moving your console.

JG - I was going to say 'bathroom'

CM - EXACTLY @coop. Instead of anger, I thought about possibilities.

C - I suddenly feel better about it. I'm just interested to hear what Microsoft response to it is. Since Phil kind of shut down the idea of an Xbox 1.5.

CM - They’ll probably wait until the NEO is confirmed and we will see all of this shit go down at E3... could be an exciting year.

Cole is right. E3 is going to be crazy this year and by the time E3 2017 rolls around we may no longer recognize the consoles or gaming devices in our living rooms.

Image Credits

Xbox 360 Red Ring - YouTube (Lord Karnage)
Killzone - PlayStation Store
Angry Reggie - Nintendo Life