Disgaea Infinite is a different sort of game. It may very well skirt the definition of what a game is... but that's a discussion for another time. Disgaea Infinite is a graphic adventure novel, or "visual novel." Rather than play through an adventure with a few cut scenes tossed in between battles, it's a series of cut scenes with a few choices tossed it.

Disgaea Infinite has a lot of personality, which is good considering the entire game is one giant story sequence. Most of the cast from previous games return and put on a great show. Purists can also enjoy the game in Japanese. Most of the game takes place via character portraits. One surprising, and enjoyable, addition is animation. Rather than quickly flip between static images, there's a smoothly animated transition. It merely adds movement to the screen, but is a welcome addition.

Disgaea Infinite takes players back to the Underworld and features a cast of characters from both Disgaea and Disgaea 3. There's no definite place where Disgaea Infinite takes place in the series' timeline, but considering the play mechanic, "when" it takes place doesn't really matter.

The game opens with a lone Prinny who is tossed out of the window after a bit of a mix up regarding a new pudding shipment and Overlord Laharl. A few hours later, he wakes up only to find Laharl furious over an assassination attempt. Although Laharl recognizes the Prinnies probably don't have anything to do with the plot, he cuts their salaries anyway. Since Prinnies need the money to pay off their sins, they aren't happy.

As luck would have it, you are in possession of a pocket watch that allows you to relive any time in the past. That means you can go back in time and try to set things right. Since you weren't in on the plot in the first place, you have a bit of a mystery on your hands if you want to reclaim your full salary.

Most of Disgaea Infinite's gameplay revolves around watching cut scenes for clues, then rewinding time to influence better outcomes. Throughout the game you'll jump between characters, observing their actions and using possession to nudge them along certain paths. In some respects, gameplay flows like Rashomon or Pulp Fiction. There's no one person to follow the entire time; instead you'll need to follow different characters in order to get the entire story.

The downside to Disgaea Infinite's structure is the amount of repetition. You'll play through sequences multiple times, and though you can skip through them with (X), there's a good chance you'll miss out on an important clue or opportunity to shift the story.

There are 14 different endings depending on choices you make, leading to lots of replay value. Since you have the ability to jump through time, you can get an ending then go back and tweak the end results to try for a better one. An in-game database keeps track of every character and choice you make, which becomes incredibly helpful once you start mucking up the timeline.

Although there are less desirable endings, there's no way to "lose" the game. Instead, you have to explore possibilities and think through solutions. The catch is you have a limited amount of time to make some decisions. The timer makes sense, though a few more seconds on the clock would have been helpful. Later in the game, it doesn't matter as much, but it adds unneeded pressure to an otherwise calm game.

You don't play Disgaea Infinite as much as you watch it happen. The best analogy I can draw is to a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book, though even that doesn't fully describe Disgaea Infinite. It's a unique property for sure.

To get to the bottom of the mystery, you'll need to take multiple jumps through the timeline. Possession is the only way to affect the timeline, so you'll need to possess everything you can in order to find the correct path. There are even paths in the past that can only unlock after discovering something from the future. It's confusing, but time travel is never easy. There's even the possibility you'll possess something, only to meet an untimely end.

Once you start crisscrossing the timeline on a regular basis, events can become just as jumbled in you head. Every choice made in the game, whether a scene or mind control opportunity, is displayed on a Time Table. It will help you keep track of major elements, though it doesn't always help. I ended up keeping a notebook handy just in case I came across something.

Disgaea Infinite is a short adventure (about 7 - 8 hours depending on how many times you replay/ shift the story around), but at $20, it's a reasonable buy. It's nothing you'll keep coming back to, but it is entertaining enough that you'll get your money's worth.