Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome

Last updated
Makai Kingdom:
Chronicles of the Sacred Tome
Makai Kingdom.jpg
PAL region PlayStation 2 version cover art
Developer(s) Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher(s) Nippon Ichi Software
Director(s) Shinichi Ikeda
Producer(s) Sōhei Niikawa
Designer(s) Yoshitsuna Kobayashi
Programmer(s) Masahiro Yamamoto
Artist(s) Takehito Harada (character)
Writer(s) Sōhei Niikawa
Series Disgaea
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Release
March 17, 2005
  • PlayStation 2
    • JP: March 17, 2005
    • NA: July 26, 2005
    • EU: October 28, 2005 [1]
    PlayStation Portable
    • JP: October 6, 2011
    Nintendo Switch
    • JP: March 31, 2022
    • NA: May 10, 2022
    • EU: May 13, 2022
    Windows
    • WW: May 10, 2022
Genre(s) Tactical RPG
Mode(s) Single-player

Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome [lower-alpha 1] is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Nippon Ichi Software. It was initially released for PlayStation 2 on March 17, 2005 in Japan, July 26 in North America, and October 28 in Europe. An enhanced port of the game, Phantom Kingdom Portable, was released for the PlayStation Portable in Japan on October 6, 2011. The game was later ported to Windows as Makai Kingdom: Reclaimed and Rebound, and to Nintendo Switch as part of the Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 2 compilation, with those versions released worldwide on May 10, 2022. [2]

Contents

A spin-off of the Disgaea series, the game follows a godlike being, Overlord Zetta, after he attempts to avert the destruction of his Netherworld and, due to his foolishness, is forced to confine his soul to the Sacred Tome, a reality-controlling book. He is forced to seek out other Overlords for assistance in reconstructing his Netherworld. The PSP, Windows, and Switch versions also contain Petta Mode, a route featuring Zetta's future daughter, Petta, who has gone back in time. The game was praised by critics for its humorous dialog, story, and deep gameplay, although it was criticized by some as being too similar to previous games from the publisher.

Plot

Setting

The main characters of Makai Kingdom are Overlords, beings of godlike power who rule over pocket universes called Netherworlds that also appear in the Disgaea series.

Characters

The protagonist is Zetta, a self-proclaimed "Bad-ass Freakin' Overlord". Other main characters include Pram the Oracle, a young overlord who can see the future, Alexander, a God of Destruction who wields thunder-based powers and considers Zetta his rival, Demon Overlord Seedle, a former samurai, Salome the Traitor, Zetta's former pupil, and Trenia, a mysterious girl with an unknown identity.

Story

After the destruction of his Netherworld is prophesied by Pram the Oracle, Overlord Zetta travels to the Forbidden Library to prevent it. Finding the Sacred Tome, a book that controls reality, Zetta finds a passage claiming that his own stupidity would be the downfall of his Netherworld. Infuriated, he burns the book, only to remember immediately afterwards that destroying the book would destroy his world in a self-fulfilling prophecy. He quickly responds by confining his soul to the Sacred Tome and ventures to rewrite his world into existence by having the other Overlords of Netherworlds write wishes within his pages.

After fighting through a number of different Netherworlds, Zetta is supposedly fatally cursed by a godlike being known as The One. Soon after, his lost former pupil, Salome, asks him to marry her. Traveling to her Netherworld, Zetta fatally wounds Salome in battle, but she reveals that she was already dying beforehand. The true strongest Overlord, Salome was giving all of her mana to Zetta in secret due to her unrequited love for him. Realizing this, Zetta asks Pram to revive Salome, but she is thwarted by the vengeful Overlord Seedle. Alexander defeats Seedle, but Zetta is left without hope of reviving Salome or returning to his body.

Trenia reveals herself to be the spirit of the Sacred Tome that was exiled from the book when Zetta put himself into it. Believing that Zetta has learned his lesson and become a more humble person, she confines herself back into the Sacred Tome, giving him back his body and full power. Zetta then proceeds to revive Salome using his immense power. Meanwhile, it is revealed that the curse of The One is fake, and that the true The One is actually Ophelia.

Gameplay

The gameplay is somewhat similar to the gameplay found in Phantom Brave and Disgaea: Hour of Darkness , other games created by Nippon Ichi. The characters summoned in battle have freedom to move within a circle set by the characters' movement points. Victory is achieved by scoring a set number of points, which are given by interacting with items on the map, discovering extension maps, and eliminating enemies. Several of the classes from Disgaea: Hour of Darkness exist in this game as well, such as Warrior and Mage, but some of the equivalents of previous classes are different. Some classes also have distinctions between sexes.

There are a variety of weapon types, each with their own expansive sets. Characters can equip armor and various other accessories to aid in combat. Each class has four weapon types in which they are proficient, and can learn new moves to use in combat as characters master the weapons.

Vehicles are a new addition from previous Nippon Ichi games. They are similar to moving, battle-capable buildings. They vary in size, shape, and purpose, but are generally faster than travelling on foot. Vehicles can damage opponents and can level-up, but levelling a vehicle is different from levelling a character. Leveling up high ranked vehicles is difficult, and in actuality, impossible to raise them to 9999, as the cost will effectively be more than the player can ever make.

Many of maps are randomly generated. While, in many cases, the first map in a storyline mission is pre-set, the "extensions" to the map are often randomly generated. The randomly generated maps creates the potential to have vastly different situations even when replaying the same map. Within the game, there are two separate types of extensions: "Locked" and "Secret". While both extensions can be revealed by throwing something out of bounds into the extension, "Locked" extensions can also be unlocked by destroying a specific unit on the field, which is marked with an icon saying "Key".

Once an extension is revealed, there may occasionally be "special events" which occur as soon as the extension is unlocked. While many special events simply affect the enemies that appear in the extension, others will paralyze everyone on the battlefield, put everyone to sleep, or other effects.

Reception

The game received an aggregate score of 77/100 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [3]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Phantom Kingdom (Japanese: ファントム・キングダム, Hepburn: Fantomu Kingudamu)

Related Research Articles

<i>Disgaea: Hour of Darkness</i> 2003 video game

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness is a tactical role-playing video game developed and published by Nippon Ichi Software for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console.

<i>La Pucelle: Tactics</i> 2002 video game

La Pucelle: Tactics is a tactical role-playing game developed by Nippon Ichi Software for the PlayStation 2. It was released in Japan in January 2002, and in North America by Mastiff in May 2004. The game was ported to the PlayStation Portable in Japan on November 26, 2009 as La Pucelle Ragnarok. The Ragnarok version was later ported to Windows and Nintendo Switch as part of the NIS Classics Volume 3 in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prinny</span> Fictional character

Prinnies are a fictional race of creatures primarily in Nippon Ichi's Disgaea series of role-playing games. First appearing in Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, they have appeared in all later titles by the company, as well as on various merchandise such as hats and plush toys. With a few notable exceptions, they are voiced by Junji Majima in Japanese releases and Grant George in the English releases from Disgaea: Hour of Darkness to Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten. The Prinnies are regarded as the mascots for the Disgaea series and have received generally positive reception.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenpei Sato</span> Musical artist

Tenpei Sato is a video game composer and voice actor. His most notable works are his soundtracks for Nippon Ichi Software games, such as Disgaea and Phantom Brave. He also provides voice-over for games and movies.

<i>Disgaea 2</i> 2006 video game

Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Nippon Ichi Software for the PlayStation 2 video game console. Disgaea 2 is the sequel to 2003's Disgaea: Hour of Darkness and was released for the PlayStation 2. It is also the predecessor to Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice for the PlayStation 3.

<i>Makai Senki Disgaea</i> Anime television series

Makai Senki Disgaea is an anime series based on the video game Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. Makai Senki Disgaea follows the same general plot as the game, but with several alterations to characters and chronology. The anime was licensed by Geneon Entertainment before they closed their doors in 2007. On September 1, 2010, North American anime distributor Funimation announced that they had rescued the series, and they released the complete series in 2011.

<i>Soul Nomad & the World Eaters</i> 2007 video game

Soul Nomad & the World Eaters is a strategy role-playing game (SRPG), developed and published by Nippon Ichi Software. The game was initially released for PlayStation 2 on February 15, 2007 in Japan, September 25 in North America, and June 26 and 27, 2008 in Australia and Europe, respectively. It was later ported to Steam and Nintendo Switch and released worldwide in the August of 2021.

<i>Rhapsody</i> (video game series) Role-playing video game series

Rhapsody is a series of RPGs developed by Nippon Ichi Software. The three main games in the series are Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess, and Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom.

<i>Disgaea 3</i> 2008 video game

Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice is the third video game in the Disgaea series by Nippon Ichi. It was released for the PlayStation 3 video game console. Jack Niida, Localization Director for NIS America, said, "Disgaea 3 will have a downloadable content feature through the PlayStation Network to download new and old returning characters."

<i>Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?</i> 2008 video game

Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? is a 2D side-scrolling comedy platform video game for the PlayStation Portable, developed by Nippon Ichi Software. It is a spin-off title in the Disgaea series.

<i>Disgaea</i> Video game series

Disgaea is a series of tactical role-playing video games created and developed by Nippon Ichi. The series debuted in Japan on January 30, 2003, with Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, later re-released as Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness and Disgaea DS. One of Nippon Ichi's most popular franchises, it has branched off into both a manga and anime series. The Disgaea games are known for complex gameplay, extremely high maximum stats and humorous dialogue. The Disgaea series has shipped 5 million copies as of 2021.

<i>Makai Wars</i> 2018 mobile video game

Makai Wars was a mobile video game released by Nippon Ichi for Android and iOS in 2018. It was originally planned for the PlayStation 3 video game console and the PlayStation Portable.

<i>Disgaea 4</i> 2011 video game

Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten is a 2011 tactical role-playing video game for the PlayStation 3 and the fourth in the Disgaea series by Nippon Ichi Software. The game tells the story of Valvatorez, a former tyrant leading a party to rebel against the president of the Netherworld. Originally released in February 2011 in Japan, the game was released in September that year in the U.S., with a European and Australian release in November. A western release of the Vita rendition of Disgaea 4, subtitled A Promise Revisited, was released in North America and Europe in August 2014. This version was released for iOS and Android in November 2022. A second rerelease titled Disgaea 4 Complete+ was released on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on October 29, 2019, and was released on PC through Steam and Microsoft Store on September 10, 2020. The game featured voice-overs in Japanese and English, with texts also translated into French.

<i>Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness</i> 2013 video game

Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness, known in Japan as Disgaea Dimension 2, is a 2013 video game in the Disgaea series developed by Nippon Ichi Software. The game is a direct sequel to 2003's Disgaea: Hour of Darkness for the PlayStation 2, where the respective main characters of that game are once again the focus. It was released on March 20, 2013, for the PlayStation 3 in Japan.

<i>The Guided Fate Paradox</i> 2013 video game

The Guided Fate Paradox is a roguelike role-playing video game developed and published by Nippon Ichi Software for the PlayStation 3. It was released in Japan on January 24, 2013, the PAL region on October 25, 2013 and North America on November 5, 2013. A sequel, The Awakened Fate Ultimatum, was released September 25, 2014 in Japan, March 17, 2015 in North America, and March 20, 2015 in Europe.

<i>Disgaea 5</i> 2015 video game

Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance is a 2015 tactical role-playing video game developed and published by Nippon Ichi Software, and part of the Disgaea series. It was initially released for PlayStation 4 in Japan in March 2015, and by NIS America in North America and Europe in October 2015. A port for the Nintendo Switch was released in Japan in March 2017, as a launch title for the system, and worldwide in May 2017, under the title Disgaea 5 Complete, containing all DLC content from the original, but no new content. This version of the game was released on Microsoft Windows through Steam in October 2018, albeit without network compatibility.

<i>Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny</i> 2021 video game

Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny is a tactical role-playing video game developed and published by Nippon Ichi Software as part of the Disgaea series. It was released for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on January 28, 2021, in Japan, and by Sega on May 27, 2021, in Asia. NIS America released the Nintendo Switch version worldwide on June 29, 2021. In total, the game was translated into French, English, Traditional Chinese and Korean. A version with all previous downloadable content, titled Disgaea 6 Complete, was released for PlayStation 5 on June 16, 2022, in Japan, followed by a worldwide release on June 28, 2022, alongside PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows platforms.

<i>Disgaea RPG</i> 2019 video game

Disgaea RPG is a spin-off title of the Disgaea series for iOS and Android devices. It is published by Nippon Ichi Software and jointly developed by Drecom and ForwardWorks. It was released in Japan on March 19, 2019. The game is free-to-play and monetized with microtransactions to obtain in-game currency; this in-game currency allows players to collect randomized characters in a gacha system.

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is a tactical role-playing video game developed and published by Nippon Ichi Software, and part of the Disgaea series. It was released on January 26, 2023 in Japan for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch and was released in North America on October 3, 2023, also for Microsoft Windows.

References

  1. 1 2 "Koei To Publish "Makai Kingdom" In Europe". www.gamedeveloper.com. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  2. ↑ Lada, Jenni (2022-01-25). "NIS Classics Volume 2 Release Date Set". Siliconera . Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  3. ↑ "Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome". Metacritic. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.