Shin Megami Tensei V – Review In Progress

The traditional and Penalties Shin Megami Tensei franchise is back with a new mainline entry, and it’s full of everything we’ve come to expect from the series: challenging Battles, demon negotiations intense, and philosophical questions about the state the world. I’ve been playing Shin Megami Tensei V, already clocking close to 40 hours, but I haven’t reached the end to deliver my final verdict. Until then, I’ll say: Shin Megami Tensei sticks close to its roots – for better or worse. Common series problems like bad navigation and confusing instructions still exist. However, Atlus has enhanced some aspects by expanding areas and offering more skills customization. If you’re an SMT fan, you should feel at home with the long, hard-fought journey that awaits. If you’re a newcomer, some of the game’s more archaic and arduous ways might turn you off.

As a longtime fan, I’ve enjoyed a good portion of my journey through SMT V. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit I’ve also spent my fair share of time yelling at the screen due to infuriating bosses or searching for a needle in a haystack to find some well-hidden path. Sometimes it feels like the game does everything it can to prevent you from succeeding or progressing, and that’s always been part of the point: things don’t come easily in SMT, but overcoming the greatest obstacles does come with big rewards and satisfaction. It’s hard to beat the feeling of having your boss outwit you with one attack and then coming back stronger with more skills.

I love the adrenaline rush of the do-or-die fights, but I’ve been a bit disappointed in the story. Narrative has never been SMT’s forte, but I always looked forward to the interesting ways the series presents issues about the world that don’t have clear-cut answers. SMT V was a game I had played for over 35 hours. The story offered meaningful options about how to rebuild the world. You can choose the way you wish to make the world a better place, just like previous entries. Decisions represent the chaos and law ends. The story’s slow pacing hurts, especially in making you care about this world you’re supposed to save and recreate. Considering the big stakes, I haven’t felt much for the characters or the world’s impending doom. These characters feel more like background noise, to keep you moving and fighting. Some characters represent different philosophies on how you can reshape the world – such as keeping the status quo or knocking down all the structures in place – but it doesn’t help that these characters are very one-dimensional. So far, I haven’t gained much insight into their logic and what these paths mean for the world. I hope that changes by the game’s finale. 

 

The game’s tried-and true gameplay keeps me interested enough to overlook the boring story. I am primarily interested in the demon recruitment system and the fusion method, which like previous games remain the core of the game’s experience. The basic idea is to get enemies on your side using dialog options. After that, combine different monsters into better units for combat. The freedom and increased customization available for your demons, as well the player characters is something I enjoy. Beyond the choice of deciding which skills to carry over when you fuse demons, you can also infuse a demon’s essence to transfer their skills. For the main character, you can also gain a demon’s affinities using their essence. For example, if you find a demon’s essence that blocks multiple elements – your main character can inherit those. Although it may seem like an insignificant thing, this can be a significant advantage when fighting difficult bosses. This was a great advantage as I faced bosses that had deadly elements attacks. I blocked their attack for extra turns and made sure my main character survived. 

The turn-based combat is at its best in SMT V, and it’s reminiscent of III’s Press-Turn system. To optimize your turns it takes thought. This is due to the use of both buffs/debuffs, and taking advantage of elemental weaknesses. When you land critical, your turn numbers will increase.Strikes or hitting an enemy’s weaknesses is a delight. Special “Magatsushi skills,” which can be used once you fill a gauge by doing things like landing attacks, only add to the fun, as these can do everything from refilling your party’s MP to making their next attacks be criticals. I experimented more than I ever have with finding complementary skills to increase damage, and I loved coming up with new tactics based on my demons’ powers.  

This entry expands the scope of exploration. I enjoyed how I felt compelled and obligated to explore every corner. I found great rewards in doing so, as you can find statues that raise all your demons’ levels, valuable items, and special bosses/quests. Miman are the creatures that can be found in this area, as well as hard to reach places, and they’re hidden all over. Collecting these little fellows and reaching certain milestones reward you with extremely useful items. These items were fun to stumble upon and I felt they were worth the effort.  

The areas aren’t only bigger, but there’s a lot of verticality to the world this time around. You’ll find yourself platforming to reach higher points and using height to your advantage to locate paths and items in the distance. Platforming can be quite difficult, as missing one jump will result in you going back to the start of an extended platforming sequence. Sometimes the confusing layout of the world can make it difficult to navigate. I didn’t like constantly consulting the map just to find certain destinations; having your head in a map kills the immersion and thrill of exploration. 

My time with Shin Megami Tensei V has been full of highs and lows, but that’s what I’ve come to expect from the series. I like a lot that’s here, even if it makes me curse sometimes. For instance, save points are pretty plentiful, but they don’t prevent the easy loss of progress from one battle gone terribly wrong, which happens a lot in the world of SMT. I respect Atlus for knowing what SMT is and not trying to rewrite the formula and turn it into something it’s not. It’s a good thing there is still some mystery to be had before I end the game. It lacks something that will make the game memorable beyond its demon designs. 

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