Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is an enhanced re-release of Atlus’ 2021 dungeon-crawling RPG, initially unique to Nintendo Swap, and makes its long-awaited debut on PS5 and PS4. It takes an excellent recreation and makes it even higher with a slew of important quality-of-life enhancements, a shiny graphical improve, and a brand new storyline, all working at a constant 60 frames per second. That mentioned, it is a considerably extra hardcore expertise than gamers of Atlus’ different tentpole franchise, Persona, would possibly anticipate. It’s totally combat-heavy, with its dense narrative stretches, stuffed with pontification in regards to the nature of God and demons, being few and much between.
Vengeance’s largest draw is the brand new storyline, the Canon of Vengeance. It introduces many new characters to cope with and is extra participating than the sport’s authentic narrative, now often known as the Canon of Creation. Gamers are locked into one or the opposite from the beginning, taking over the function of a student-turned-demigod often known as the Nahobino. Whereas the Canon of Creation tells a extra conventional SMT story, primarily involved with the machinations of Heaven and Hell, the Canon of Vengeance introduces new antagonists within the type of a mysterious demon group often known as the Qadištu, as nicely all new companions, akin to Yoko Hiromine.
Each paths initially share a lot of the identical content material however diverge in a while, and the Canon of Vengeance has a number of completely new endings. Atlus says a single playthrough will take gamers round 80 hours, which is correct; much less for those who performed the unique, are acquainted with its mechanics, or aren’t trying to do all the things. What’s fairly good is the addition of human visitor characters this time, who can struggle alongside the Nahobino and captured demons, often chiming in with further story snippets.
Set in modern-day Tokyo, the protagonist is an extraordinary high-school pupil who, after being caught up in a mysterious earthquake, finds himself within the post-apocalyptic Netherworld of Da’at, the place the everlasting battle between angels and demons rages. Nearly killed in an opportunity accident, he’s saved by a being often known as Aogami, with the 2 fusing to create a creature often known as the Nahobino, neither human nor demon and nearer in essence to a god. The stakes solely enhance from there, and the semi-open areas of Da’at correspond with precise areas of Tokyo, akin to Shinjuku and Yoyogi, and function dense open-air dungeons stuffed with demons to battle, converse with, or seize as you see match.
It is well-known that Persona is a subseries of the mainline Shin Megami Tensei franchise — however these evolutionary pathways diverged nearly 30 years in the past now. Whereas Persona has solely grow to be extra fashionable, innovating and interesting to ever bigger audiences, SMT has stayed doggedly true to its roots, for higher or worse. Each sequence have points with pacing, but when Vengeance goes to be your first SMT recreation, it is value realizing that fight and demon fusion is the main focus right here, and what you’ll spend the overwhelming majority of your time participating in. All the things else is secondary.
Constructing upon the sequence’ Press Flip system of elemental exploitation, fight is a tense, turn-based affair the place a single mistake or lapse in focus can lead to a recreation over. Gamers should try to focus on weaknesses and, by doing so, acquire further turns to beat the enemy. The issue stage is kind of excessive, and calls for consideration of every transfer. In fact, the devilish AI operates beneath the identical system and can ruthlessly exploit any weak point that you just current. If the Nahobino falls at any time, that is an prompt recreation over, and so one dangerous flip can seal your destiny.
Whereas high quality of life enhancements are hardly ever something value writing dwelling about, in SMT V: Vengeance, the inclusion of two, particularly, are genuinely game-changing: the flexibility to save lots of the sport anyplace and the flexibility to teleport again to the final visited Leyline Fount (quick journey factors / demon fusion stations, beforehand the one place the place you possibly can save) considerably reduces the quantity of backtracking required, and the frustration skilled when fight inevitably goes fallacious.
Already serving as a way more mature model of Pokémon, the addition of 40 new beasties in Vengeance means there at the moment are over 270 demons, with most of the strongest solely obtainable by fusion. Demons born of fusion can inherit their former abilities, so you will spend a major period of time attempting to create new, extra highly effective monsters, tailoring them to beat the following progress-blocking boss. All these demons now have innate abilities, which can set off mechanically beneath the precise circumstances, and new Magatsuhi abilities, which give particular demons distinctive assaults and are solely useable after filling the related gauge.
Demon conversations have acquired a little bit of a buff, and fairly than being paper-scissors-rock-coded, they now embody some genuinely shocking quizzes or minigames. Profitable these battles of wits will lead to further EXP and Macca (cash) being awarded, and the Nahobino can now chain collectively consecutive battles for higher threat and reward. To assist within the necessary grinding, Auto-Battle has additionally acquired an overhaul and may now be divided between Auto-Assault and Auto-Ability, permitting gamers to preserve or spend MP as wanted. In the meantime, Magatsuhi Rails dot the surroundings, permitting simpler traversal and granting entry to secret areas.
If the Netherworld ever begins to get you down, Demon Haunts are newly added locations of respite, the place the Nahobino can work together with the demons beneath their command, human allies, or Aogami, relying on the state of affairs. Demons could be given presents discovered all through the overworld, leading to stat will increase, with helpful objects typically supplied in return. You’ll be able to even use a free digital camera mode in these areas, taking comfortable snaps of your favorite fiends.
Lastly, the music is about as glorious as anticipated, with haunting, evocative soundscapes for exploration interspersed with black steel and howling guitars for tense boss encounters. Character dialogue is fairly good, too, and there’s a shocking quantity of voice appearing within the recreation, however barks from Demon navigators shortly grow to be grating, reusing the identical three traces advert nauseum.
Conclusion
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is the definitive method to play Atlus’ devilish recreation of demon fusion, with a brand new suite of bells and whistles to clean over what can, at occasions, nonetheless be an abrasive gameplay expertise. It is extremely combat-heavy, which may grow to be oppressive, however working in the direction of elevating that good demon stays as participating as ever.
