Makai Senki Disgaea 3: Hour of Darkness Limited Edition

Three CDs of Netherworld audio and an art booklet that could double as a demon catalog. The Makai Senki Disgaea 3: Hour of Darkness Limited Edition on Playstation 3 packages everything a strategy RPG collector wants: a two-CD soundtrack with 36 tracks, a character and locale illustration booklet, and for first-production copies, a bonus "Devil Label" Music CD featuring opening themes from all three Disgaea games in the series.

What makes this particular release noteworthy for collectors is the first-production distinction. That bonus Devil Label CD transforms a solid Limited Edition into a definitive one. Three Disgaea opening themes on a single disc, spanning the series' evolution from PS2 cult hit to PS3 powerhouse, is a piece of franchise history you can hold in your hands. Once the first production run sold through, later copies dropped to just the two-CD set, making the three-disc version the one serious collectors target.

Disgaea 3 pushed the series onto HD hardware while keeping everything fans loved about the formula intact. The soundtrack reflects that transition, blending the quirky energy of earlier entries with compositions that took advantage of improved audio capabilities. Having it spread across two physical CDs with proper track listings and packaging gives the music the presentation it deserves.

The illustration booklet rounds out the package with Takehito Harada's distinctive character designs printed in full color. Mao's demonic academy and its inhabitants look their best on paper, not pixels.

For SRPG collectors hunting the complete version, the first-production three-disc variant is the one. Accept no substitutes from the Netherworld.