Shin Megami Tensei 5
RRP $ 60.00
"Shin Megami Tensei 5 is another jewel for the Nintendo Switch that every JRPG fan should definitely check out."
advantages
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Strong story
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Tons of party customization
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Immersive world
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Fun exploring
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Great look
disadvantage
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A small barrier to entry
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Strong difficulty peaks that may put some players off
Shin Megami Tensei fans get an early Christmas present. Finally, a new part of the legendary Japanese RPG series has been released that offers everything fans could want and more.
Shin Megami Tensei 5 is the latest entry in Atlus' JRPG series, which has also been spun off into the Immense Popular persona Games. Like other Megami Tensei games, SMT 5 focuses less on friendship and period relationships and more on gathering a personal army of demons to fight gods and demons. It's about surviving a holy war while making decisions that will determine the fate of the world.
Shin Megami Tensei 5 takes that premise to the next level, offering a stronger story than ever, better gameplay, improved customization, key nuances, and more. As soon as I was transported to the underworld, a sandy wasteland, I knew that in this game I would keep saying, "OK, this is sick". And it did.
History of Megami Tensei
While Megami Tensei titles always contain strong stories, Shin Megami Tensei 5 focuses more on his narrative than ever before. In fact, thanks to the extra care taken, this is one of the most entertaining stories in the history of the series.
The story begins as usual for the SMT series. There is a nameless hero who leads an ordinary life. Before you know it, he will be blasted unsuspectingly into a mirror world full of demons and ruins of places he once knew. How did that happen? That question – and more – will be answered as players solve the puzzle. The hero's body-splitting buddy, Proto-Fiend – who is a mystery itself – indicates that this is the future of Tokyo after a holy war between the angelic army of heaven and the demonic forces of hell. After merging with this fiend in a new human-demon form called Nahobino, the goal is to bring order to an ongoing battle as he travels between the worlds before and after the Wasteland.
As the story progresses, players will encounter many more characters and make face-to-face various decisions that will determine which ending they will get. The most important decisions come from a classic series feature called Reasons, which is about characters who stand for different attitudes. Things like law, neutrality, chaos, justice, and more take the form of different characters. In moments similar to Persona's social link scenes, players enter into deep conversations with characters. Answers to their questions and actions ultimately determine the character and fate of his world. The story is based on the angelic and self-righteous forces of Heaven and the chaotic forces of Hell "just trying to get through or rule," and those high stakes make the decisions all the more powerful this time around.
This is what SMT has always been about – morals and the beliefs of humankind compared to those of higher beings – and the new systems add power and immersion to the mix. Questions such as whether one man should be able to take another's life and whether one should atone for his sins despite the circumstances come to the fore. It's up to the player and their own beliefs to say yes or no and shape reality. It's a beautiful concept that really serves as a commentary on human beliefs and speaks to the idea of "moral choice" better than any other game out there. In fact, the future of the world itself becomes an overlaying mystery depending on the choices made by the player, and that adds even more allure to the base narrative.
The central mystery kept me posted all along. There are certain moments when it shines, but they'll land the harder the less you know when you walk in. Just know that the lessons from the history of Atlus' SMT and persona stories come into their own here.
More freedom than ever
Speaking of lessons learned, the actual gameplay of Shin Megami Tensei 5 really feels like an evolution for Atlus. The classic turn-based combat system returns here, complete with the SMT-typical "one more" mechanics. This means that you can hit an enemy with their weakness to earn an extra round in battle. Be careful though: an opponent can do the same to you directly, adding an extra layer of strategy and difficulty to the battles as you play. Most of the time, I've been editing my character and tweaking my demon team around these mechanics to get the best possible combat results. Think of it like a demonic version of Pokémon, but avoid the thought of looking for the cutest team because they won't fly here.
While the battles are fun, I enjoy the most SMT 5 comes by immersing myself in the world of shadows and customizing my team. I spent hours working my team of monsters, finding synergies between demons, fusing demons into the form most suitable for my crew, and looking for the best Nahobino build possible.
Yes, Demon Fusion is back and better than ever, with Atlus offering the option to choose which moves players want to perform for a Demon Fusion. This makes it a lot easier to build a dream demon. And thanks to the new essence fusion mechanic, players can take this customization even further.
Essence Fusion allows players to attribute the essences of demons they have collected to other demons or even to the Nahobino himself. This means that players can get not only skills from different demons, but also affinities. I have a Pyro Jack, for example, but I'm not a fan of his innate fire abilities. So I prefer a Flaemis instead. Players don't even have to choose from skills; they can also change their Nahobino and Demon weaknesses, resistances and strengths. I have switched my Nahobino from being a buff and debuff machine to being a healer to a red mage all-rounder many times. With all the hours I've put into the game, I'm sure five of them came from messing around with team compositions.
I was absolutely blown away with what this game enables on top of the already great party customization that is always there in SMT.
The freedom of the game extends to exploration as well. Just adding a jump button to the series really opens the door to some fun lite platform segments similar to those in Kingdom hearts. Thanks to the immersive environment and the many hidden set pieces to explore, this is Atlus' best setting yet when it comes to traversing. Players can also use save points to quickly travel from place to place, making it even easier to get around.
There are even side missions where players can make powerful decisions. You have accepted a mission from Lilith but want to give it away to join an angel? Do it. Do you want to keep the loot of a quest to yourself and defeat the person you took it from? Feel free.
Another challenge accepted
If you are in Shin Megami Tensei 5 pray that the lightness of Persona hasn't rubbed off on the original demon negotiation series, fear not. Or maybe be scared because SMT 5 is a real challenge, as the series has always been.
If you're really looking for a reason to get super strategic in battles, SMT 5 is the game that tests you in the way Fire Emblem desires in Hardcore mode.
On more than one occasion I went into battle, got hit once and just let the enemy roll over my team when I said, "Yeah, I'm not ready to take down this guy." Trust me, if you are new to SMT this game will train you to save before literally any major battle or side mission, even on normal difficulty.
This can be a blessing or a curse depending on the type of player you are. If you're really looking for a reason to get super strategic in battles, SMT 5 is the game that tests you in the way Fire Emblem desires in Hardcore mode. However, if you've come out of the Persona series and are hoping for a similar experience, you might be rubbing in the wrong direction. I think this game could really have benefited from the Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster's suspend feature, but at least it allows you to instantly teleport to any save point to save your game at any time.
To make matters worse for some is the return of the demon negotiation mechanics, which can be difficult to master at first. To recruit new party members, you need to address them in a conversation. Sometimes you can get on your good side with simple words, and sometimes you have to pay the toll in items, health, money, and other means. Often times, you just get unlucky and let them run away or even try to kill you.
Fortunately, like that SMT 3: Nocturne HD Remaster, Atlus added an opportunity difficulty this time around, although I've heard that Casual Mode even has its challenging moments from time to time.
Our opinion
Shin Megami Tensei 5 showed me that Atlus has not lost its shine and probably not for a long time. It kept everything the series is known for intact while more was added and I wanted more. Not only is it a treat for anyone interested in a good JRPG story, but also for those looking for a real challenge and want to train their strategy muscles. This challenge can be an obstacle for newbies. However, it is a barrier that I highly recommend to overcome for a truly enjoyable experience.
How long it will take?
It took me about 70 hours to finish the game. However, I did follow many side quests, spent a lot of time customizing my group, and died many times. So depending on how you approach this monster, your time may vary.
Is there an alternative?
This year was brimming with great JRPGs. I recommend Tales of Arise, Scarlet Nexus, and there's the coming one too Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shiny Pearl. But Shin Megami Tensei 5 is a unique experience not to be missed.
Should you buy it?
Yes sir. It's also a must-have Switch title that every RPG fanatic needs in their collection.
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