Review: Shin Megami Tensei 5 Brings Family Pain, New Pleasures


While wandering through the underworld of Shin Megami Tensei 5, I came across a mandrake. This demon was not registered in my collection, so I tried to recruit them. My outstretched hand led to a rock-paper-scissors match, during which the Mandrake wondered how my character’s Luck stat would play out. Turns out, he wasn’t on my side. “Too!” exclaimed the mandrake. “Now I can kill you.”

I experienced dozens of encounters like this in my time with Shin Megami Tensei 5, the newest entry in Atlus’ extensive JRPG series. I helped Black Frost get booze for a hee-high-end underground club in Ginza. Kelpie, a haunting floating horse, challenged me to a texting competition to see who could type the fastest (which, sadly, I lost too). One standout in particular came from an Oni, who said he had a “big question” for me: “Up or down?” Among the “top”, “middle” and “bottom” options, I chose the first one. “So you like to set your sights high, right?” Oni said. “I like that.”

Most of the time, it was impossible to predict what the demons in Shin Megami Tensei 5 The following will occur to you during conversations. Some exchanges were downright funny, while others were unexpectedly exciting or strangely sentimental. These moments gave me a brief respite from the constant hostility of the Underworld. The overall gaming experience SMT 5 it was grim, oppressive, and ruthless. And every time I got too comfortable, the game reminded me of my place in this realm – the main character may seem important on paper, but he’s just another unwanted visitor in a demonically twisted version of our world. Around the decaying ruins of a long-gone Tokyo, demons won’t think twice to suppress it and leave it to rot in the streets.

The ruinous and demonic Tokyo version of Shin Megami Tensei 5

Image: Atlus via Polygon

It has been a long time since Atlus has revisited this world, five years since the launch of Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse, a sequel to the last main entry in the SMT series in 2013. SMT 5The arrival also comes after a long period of no relevant development previews or updates since its reveal as a Switch exclusive, a time during which Person 5 it became a massive sensation that pushed the franchise into the mainstream.

I am someone who has ventured into both series. I enjoyed spending over 100 hours on the latest Persona games, as well as logging ridiculous playtime on all three spin-off rhythm games. But the memory of jumping to Shin Megami Tensei 4 without any prior knowledge, away from the big screen and eye-catching menu screens of Person, to a more streamlined but cleverly integrated 3DS experience is something I still appreciate. I had high hopes for SMT 5And despite some shortcomings, the wait has been worth it.

If you’re also a newcomer like I used to be back then, let me break you down. In the Persona series, there is always a turning point in the story: an otherworldly catastrophe that turns the world upside down. After this, the game accelerates its climactic fight against god, as is the case in most JRPGs. Except by then you will have gotten used to the company of the characters around you, becoming stronger with them month after month on the calendar. The Shin Megami Tensei games also begin with a similar catastrophe, but instead of giving yourself a couple dozen hours to save humanity, you are forced to live in chaos for much 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 setting. In SMT games, there is a clear change of tone from the beginning. While in Person The act of fighting the shadows is usually a nocturnal activity, in Shin Megami Tensei, it’s your whole routine.

The protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei 5 is an ordinary student, at first

Image: Atlus via Polygon

This new entry puts you in the uniform of another regular student who is in the wrong place at the wrong time, and suddenly finds himself in an alternate Tokyo. There, landmarks like the Tokyo Tower are not landmarks, but mere vestiges of a bygone civilization. Angels and demons participated in a massive war years ago and the conflict continues. An unknown being avoids an attack on the main character, encouraging him to accept help if he wants to get out alive. Both characters merge into a Nahobino, a being who is neither angel nor demon, but has extremely good hair.

After a short tutorial, they launch you out into the world. The location for the next step is always indicated on the map (this also applies to side quests, which is a departure from the rather enigmatic objectives of the past SMT games), and you are free to go there anytime. You have the opportunity to explore areas in 3D in SMT 5, rather than toggling between the overworld view, with only a few exceptions during certain sequences. Traversing city ruins and large, sprawling areas with full character control is a welcome change.

The combat remains largely the same as previous SMT games, focusing on turn-based encounters with an attention to exploiting enemy weaknesses to chain additional turns (which is something enemies can do with you as well). There are also the aforementioned demon negotiations, which allow you to recruit enemies to fight alongside you. SMT 5 introduces some cool tweaks to this system. If you manage to successfully negotiate with a demon who is higher level than you, they will remember it in the next conversation after you have finally matched their level, which is useful in practice and smart in a narrative sense.

Shin Megami Tensei 5's protagonist prepares for battle

Image: Atlus via Polygon

SMT 5The most prominent 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 skipping turns or after gaining upgrades by performing certain actions). Add another strategic layer to combat, as determining the right time to use it is key, especially considering that enemies can also make use of these abilities, changing encounters if you’re not careful.

There are more quality of life upgrades that go beyond combat. While wandering through areas, you will now come across orbs that can recharge your health, SP (mana for magic attacks), or Magatsuhi meter. The Return Pillar allows you to return to the last checkpoint you interacted with on a whim without any penalty (perfect for saving your game, restoring your party’s health for a small fee, visiting the merchant, or fusing demons). The loot is also quite generous; An accompanying character that follows you identifies item points that sometimes lead to fights, but most of the time only grants you one item.

Some of these additions end up simplifying the experience. Players coming from Person You will most likely accept them, but the enigmatic nature of past SMT entries has been somewhat lost in the process. I appreciated all these updates; instead, my biggest complaint with Shin Megami Tensei 5 comes with the platform. As I already mentioned before, SMT 4 made excellent use of the 3DS; its user interface was so well integrated that holding the console seemed like an extension of the game’s menus. On SMT 5Although I found the new interface attractive, it is much more generic. Coupled with the fact that the Switch is constantly struggling to keep up in terms of performance, it ended up feeling more like a port than a game built with the Switch in mind. SMT 5 It still manages to be a magnificent showcase for Unreal Engine 4, particularly when it comes to animations, and it’s a shame the hardware has a tendency to slow it down. It’s not unplayable by any means, but the frame drops and lazy texture loading were noticeable enough to get annoying.

Some demonic enemies with hairpins in Shin Megami Tensei 5

Image: Atlus via Polygon

As a new entry in the series, Shin Megami Tensei 5 it all goes with a new story that continues nature outside the limits of the previous entries. The combat has just enough additions to feel fresh while retaining the ever-attractive foundation that’s hard to give up. Meanwhile, the soundtrack is relentless, unafraid to intensify the battles with fast drums and heavy riffs.

But it’s the way demons inhabit this world that left their biggest mark on me. Despite the performance issues, the larger areas and the new engine allow some creatures to be truly impressive and terrifying. I never got tired of witnessing details of smaller characters, like demons sitting in the sand, acting like bats inside caves, or swinging at traffic lights like monkeys. Strengthen the idea that this is your home, and I am the one invading.

Even though I played as Nahobino, I rarely felt almighty. My small victories gave me satisfaction, guessing weaknesses, anticipating an attack that would otherwise have wiped out my entire group, because every time I entered a new area, I knew that enemies would not be easy on me. If I was lucky, they would offer to forgive me in exchange for items or money. But alas, this is not a world where luck is on my side.

However, it’s one that I couldn’t wait to get back to, and I don’t want to leave anytime soon.

Shin Megami Tensei 5 will be released on November 11 on Nintendo switch. The game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch using a pre-launch download code provided by Atlus. Vox Media has affiliate associations. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. You can find Additional information on Polygon’s ethics policy here.


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