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 important 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 extremely combat-heavy, with its dense narrative stretches, stuffed with pontification concerning 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 deal with and is extra partaking than the sport’s unique narrative, now often known as the Canon of Creation. Gamers are locked into one or the opposite from the beginning, taking up the position 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 effectively all new companions, equivalent 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 just a few fully new endings. Atlus says a single playthrough will take gamers round 80 hours, which is correct; much less when you performed the unique, are aware of its mechanics, or aren’t making an attempt to do every thing. What’s fairly good is the addition of human visitor characters this time, who can struggle alongside the Nahobino and captured demons, sometimes chiming in with additional story snippets.
Set in modern-day Tokyo, the protagonist is an atypical 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. Virtually 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, equivalent 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 virtually 30 years in the past now. Whereas Persona has solely turn into extra well-liked, 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 partaking in. Every thing 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 extra turns to beat the enemy. The problem stage is sort of excessive, and calls for consideration of every transfer. In fact, the devilish AI operates underneath the identical system and can ruthlessly exploit any weak spot that you simply current. If the Nahobino falls at any time, that is an immediate 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 power to avoid wasting the sport anyplace and the power to teleport again to the final visited Leyline Fount (quick journey factors / demon fusion stations, beforehand the one place the place you may save) considerably reduces the quantity of backtracking required, and the frustration skilled when fight inevitably goes improper.
Already serving as a way more mature model of Pokémon, the addition of 40 new beasties in Vengeance means there are actually over 270 demons, with lots of the strongest solely obtainable by way of fusion. Demons born of fusion can inherit their former abilities, so you will spend a big 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 underneath the fitting 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 moderately than being paper-scissors-rock-coded, they now embrace some genuinely shocking quizzes or minigames. Profitable these battles of wits will end in additional EXP and Macca (cash) being awarded, and the Nahobino can now chain collectively consecutive battles for better danger and reward. To assist within the obligatory grinding, Auto-Battle has additionally acquired an overhaul and might now be divided between Auto-Assault and Auto-Talent, permitting gamers to preserve or spend MP as wanted. In the meantime, Magatsuhi Rails dot the atmosphere, 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 underneath their command, human allies, or Aogami, relying on the state of affairs. Demons might be given items discovered all through the overworld, leading to stat will increase, with beneficial gadgets generally provided in return. You may even use a free digital camera mode in these areas, taking pleased snaps of your favorite fiends.
Lastly, the music is about as wonderful 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 performing within the recreation, however barks from Demon navigators shortly turn into grating, reusing the identical three traces advert nauseum.
Conclusion
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is the definitive technique 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 might turn into oppressive, however working in direction of elevating that excellent demon stays as partaking as ever.