Review: Shin Megami Tensei 5 brings familiar pain, new pleasures

As I roamed the Netherworld, Shin Megami Tensei 5One day, I was able to see a Mandrake. So I decided to try and recruit this demon. My outstretched hand led to a match of rock, paper, scissors — during which the Mandrake wondered how my character’s Luck stat would play into it. Turns out, it wasn’t on my side. “Too bad!” the Mandrake exclaimed. “Now I get to kill you.”

These were just a few of many encounters I have had in my life. Shin Megami Tensei5, the newest entry in Atlus’ sprawling JRPG series. I helped Black Frost to secure booze for a “hee-high-end” underground club in Ginza. Kelpie (a mysterious floating horse) challenged me to a texting challenge to determine who could type fastest. I was also defeated. A particular standout came from an Oni, who said he had a “big question” for me: “top or bottom?” Between the “top”, “middle” and “bottom” choices, I went for the first. “So you like to set your sights high, do ya?” Oni said. “I like that.”

It wasn’t always possible to foresee what would happen. Shin Megami Tensei5What would they say to each other during conversation? Some conversations were hilarious while some were oddly sentimental or horny. These were moments that gave me some relief from the Netherworld’s constant hostileness. Playing was a great experience. SMT5It was dark, oppressive and brutal. And any time I got too comfy, the game would remind me of my place in this realm: The main character may sound important on paper, but he’s just another unwanted visitor in a demonically twisted version of our world. Around the decaying ruins of a Tokyo long gone, demons won’t think twice to chew him out and leave him to rot in the streets.

Image: Atlus via Polygon

It’s been a long time since Atlus has revisited this world — five years since the release of Shin Megami Tensei 4: ApocalypseThis is a continuation of the 2013 main entry in SMT Series. SMT5’s arrival also comes after a long period without teasers or relevant development updates since its reveal as a Switch exclusive — a time during which Persona 5It became a huge sensation and helped push the franchise into mainstream.

I’m someone who has ventured into both series. In addition to spending over 100 hours playing the Persona game, I also played a lot of rhythm games spin-offs. I will never forget the thrill of jumping into Shin Megami Tensei 4You don’t need any previous knowledge to get around the flashy menu screens and big screen of PersonaIt was a simpler, but still smartly integrated 3DS experience that I treasure. It was something I was looking forward to. SMT5, and despite a few shortcomings, it’s been worth the wait.

If you’re also a newcomer like I used to be back then, let me break it down for you. In the Persona series, there is always a turning point in the story — an otherworldly catastrophe that turns the world upside down. The game then ramps up for the final fight against God, just like most JRPGs. But by this time, you’ve already become more comfortable with the people around you and are growing stronger along with them every month. Shin Megami Tensei games also kick off with a similar catastrophe, but instead of giving you a couple dozen hours to save humanity, you’re forced to inhabit the chaos for way longer.

As a result, the experience is much darker, but it’s also free from the shackles of having to portray the main character’s ordinary student life in a modern-day setting. In SMT games, there’s a clear tonal shift from the beginning. In SMT games, there is a clear tonal shift from the beginning. PersonaThe act of fighting the shadows is typically an evening activity. Shin Megami Tensei, it’s your whole routine.

Image: Atlus via Polygon

The new entry places you in the uniform a random student. He suddenly finds himself in a different Tokyo. The Tokyo Tower and other landmarks are nothing more than remnants from a previous civilization. The conflict continues years after angels and demons participated in an enormous war. Unknown being stops the attack on main character and encourages him to accept help if he is to survive. The Nahobino is a fusion of both characters. It’s neither an angel nor a demon but has very good hair.

After a brief tutorial, you’re thrown into the world. You will be taken to the next stage if you mark the map. This also works for side quests. SMT games), and you’re free to head there at any point. Explore areas fully 3D. SMT5You will not be able to switch between the Overworld and Local view. There are a handful of exceptions for certain sequences. This is a refreshing change. You can now run through big areas and ruins without losing control.

The combat system is the same as in previous SMT games. It’s turn-based and focuses on exploiting weaknesses of enemies to create additional turns. This can be done by your enemies as well. The demon negotiations mentioned above allow you to invite enemies to your fight. SMT5This system has some new twists. If you happen to successfully negotiate with a demon who is a higher level than you, they’ll remember this in the next conversation after you’ve finally matched their level, which is both helpful in practice and smart in a narrative sense.

Image: Atlus via Polygon

SMT5’s standout battle feature is the introduction of Magatsuhi skills, which are powerful additional attacks that can be performed once a gauge bar is filled (either by letting turns pass, or after obtaining upgrades by performing certain actions). It adds another strategic layer to combat, as figuring out the right time to use it is key — especially considering that enemies can make use of these skills as well, turning encounters around if you’re not careful.

You will find more updates to your quality-of life that extend beyond fighting. As you travel through the area, you’ll find orbs to recharge your health, magatsuhi, and SP. You can return to any checkpoint that you have visited previously without being penalized. This is a great way to save your game and restore your health for a fee. The loot you get is generous. A companion character that follows you around will point out items spots. These can lead to fights but most often grants you an object.

These additions can help to streamline the experience. From where players come Persona These updates will likely be welcomed by the majority of the population, although the mysterious nature of the past SMT entries may have been lost. All of the updates I received were welcome. My biggest complaint is with Shin Megami Tensei 5The platform comes as standard. As I said earlier, SMT 4 Made excellent use of 3DS. Its UI was so integrated, that it felt almost like a part of in-game menus. You can find more information here SMT5, while I did find the new interface compelling, it’s far more generic. It felt more like a port rather than a game made with Switch in mind. SMT5 still manages to be a gorgeous showcase of Unreal Engine 4, particularly around animations, and it’s a shame that the hardware has the tendency to hold it back. It’s not unplayable by any means, but frame drops and slow texture loading were noticeable enough to become bothersome.

Image: Atlus via Polygon

This is the first entry of the series. Shin Megami Tensei 5This story is all-out action and continues past stories’ out-of-bounds quality. While the combat feels fresh, it retains that same inviting feel. You can feel the beat pounding the battlegrounds with its fast drum beat and heavy riffs.

But it’s the way demons inhabit this world that left its biggest mark on me. Although performance is a problem, some of the creatures can be breathtakingly terrifying thanks to the larger areas and the new engine. The smallest details were fascinating to me, including demons gliding through traffic like monkeys and bats in caves. It empowers the idea that this is their home, and I’m the one trespassing.

Although I played as Nahobino, it was not often that I felt powerful. My small victories granted me satisfaction — guessing weaknesses, anticipating an attack that would have otherwise wiped my entire party — because whenever I entered a new area, I knew enemies wouldn’t go easy on me. If they were lucky enough, they might offer money or goods in return for my safety. Unfortunately, luck does not work in my world.

Yet it’s one I couldn’t wait to get back to — and I don’t want to leave any time soon.

Shin Megami Tensei 5On November 11, 2009, the following information will be available: Nintendo SwitchThe game is available in English. Atlus provided a prerelease code for the game to be reviewed on Nintendo Switch. Vox Media is an affiliate partner. Although these partnerships do not impact editorial content, Vox Media could earn commissions when products are purchased through affiliate links. Here are some links to help you find. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here