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Everybody’s heard of the Persona series right? It’s perhaps ATLUS’ most famous RPG series. A tad ironic then, that the Persona series is actually a spin-off. Yup, it was spun off the Shin Megami Tensei for its Playstation debut way back in the 90s. It’s a testament to its popularity that Persona now has as many main game installments as its parent series! In fact, if it helps, think of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance as this series’ version of Persona 5 Royal!
I never did play the original Shin Megami Tensei V. It was for the Nintendo Switch and I wouldn’t touch that system unless I really, really had to. Call me a gaming snob, but most of the games on the Nintendo Switch are crap and definitely not worth my (or your) time.
Shin Megami Tensei V (and a handful of others) are the exception though. While I never did get to play it, that didn’t stop me for longing for a version on other platforms! I guess I have to thank the gaming gods (or somebody at ATLUS or SEGA) because Shin Megami Tensei V is not only getting a release on real gaming platforms, it’s getting improved for them!
So was it worth the wait then?
You’ll read on to find the answer to that!
What is Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance?
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a 3D JRPG developed by ATLUS and published by SEGA. It is the definitive version of Shin Megami Tensei V, enhanced with a variety of new content. It is available right now on the Playstation consoles, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Our PC review code was kindly provided to us by the awesome folks at SEGA. Thanks so much!
It might be a bit hard to accept, but the Shin Megami Tensei series has largely been the same since its inception. You gather demons to fight with you and then explore a post apocalyptic wasteland of modern Japan. Along the way, you recruit even more demons and then use them to get even stronger versions to take down whoever it is you’re supposed to fight.
It was the same in Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne, in Shin Megami Tensei IV (and Apocalypse) and it’s still the same in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. Yup, Japan’s hit by another demonic invasion yet again.
While it’s still hotly debated whether Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a direct sequel to Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne, I personally hold the view that it is. There are a ton of callbacks to the events of Shin Megami Tensei III that seem more substantial that the usual easter eggs that are in the series. From the decimation of Tokyo due to an event called The Conception, to the killing of YHVH (God) and the appearance of the Demi-Fiend (the protagonist of SMT III), I don’t think ATLUS can be even more obvious than they already are.
It’s not essential to have played Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne, but I heavily recommend it nonetheless.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is actually two different games in one. There’s the original SMT V and an new, alternate ‘What If’ scenario that you can experience if you choose a certain response at the beginning of the game.
Even if you choose to play the original game, the new features present in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance will still apply. That means the new demons, innate skill feature (special traits that each demon will have), group attacks (special moves that can be trigger when a certain demons are in the party) and more!
My favourites are the improvements done to the fusing process.
You can now fuse your demons using a new Dyad Fusion mode, which allows you to fuse a demon in your party, with a demon registered in the Demon Compendium. This allows you to fuse a much more varied selection of demons, without needing to have a monster in your party.
It’s one of the best quality of life additions to a SMT game in a looooooooooooong while.
Speaking of new, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance introduces of an open world to explore instead of linear dungeons. I love the new wide open maps, but really hate their look. Everything seems to be super sandy and it gets to a point that you get to a new area only to see it’s yet another dusty place to explore.
I honestly didn’t think the apocalypse would be this sandy!
Anakin hating sand so much is so relatable after playing the game.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance definitely could’ve made the demons more integral to exploration though. Perhaps some monsters would let you fly if they’re in your party? Or can be used as mounts or have special environmental capabilities? It’s a missed opportunity to be sure.
Exploration is a core part of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance and there’s really no point in resisting it. Not only do you get rewards, you also get access to quests and hidden areas. There are even Abscesses (special stationary enemies) you can beat to unlock permanent upgrades (Miracles) that you unlock by spending a special currency called Mercy.
Miracles unlock a ton of beneficial upgrades; they can allow you to have more demons in your party, give you buffs and more. You can always choose not to go after the Abcesses, so nobody is really forcing you to explore.
It’s lucky then that exploration is fun. The maps are huge and are full of nooks and crannies and the latter ones also make good use of verticality. You really need to go all over the place as most of the good stuff is waaaaaay off the beaten path. Magatsu Rails (basically shortcuts) you unlock cuts down on the time you need to walk around the maps, but I wish there were other more efficient methods.
Whatever you do though, battles are an inescapable part of the game. Like it or not, you will have to fight. Over and over and over and over again. The grind is real and it is in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance.
That’s pretty cool (because I don’t really mind the fights) but I wish that ATLUS had made more significant changes to XP gain.
That’s pretty much the main issue with the game.
It is INSANELY slow to level.
The game rewards you with extra XP if you’re underleveled, but conversely, it also decreases your XP if you’re stronger than monsters in the area. I love to explore and fight every chance I get, so like it or not, I soon outlevel all the regular enemies wherever I’m at.
That really, really sucks because I’ll be getting into lots of fights and getting negligible XP. It makes it so that it doesn’t really make sense to fight, because you can just make up for lost time in the next area.
Even worse, there’s DLC that makes it so that you can encounter Mitamas, special enemies that give you a ton of XP per kill. Essentially, you’re being forced to pay for a quicker way to grind. Either that, or you spend hours squeezing out XP from enemies.
It’s frustrating, because the fights are one of the highlights of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance.
Like other games in the series, the battle system in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance depends on you attacking the weakness of your enemies. Hit them with an element or attack they’re weak to, and you gain an extra turn. You can get up to 8 attacks per turn (4 regular, 4 bonus turns from weakness exploits) and it’s essential that you make sure of that.
The bad guys in the game aren’t joking around, even on Normal. They WILL exploit your weakness, and they get the same bonuses you do too! Get your weaknesses hammered and you’ll be reeling as the AI hits you over and over before their turn is up.
I actually like that the enemies have that killer instinct in them. It makes fights interesting. Bosses however are pains in the asses. They have too much HP and take a hellish amount of time to whittle down. It got to the point that I’d dread facing bosses. Not because they’re tough to beat, but that it’s going to be a hell of a slog to get through, even if a team capable of beating them.
I hate that there’s no shortcut button to hit to have the game automatically select an attack the enemy’s weak to. You know, like in Persona 3 Reload? In that game, you hit a button and if you have a skill that the enemy is vulnerable to, it’ll automatically select it for you so you don’t have to waste time.
Battles don’t only serve as the way to get stronger, it’s also the way to get new allies. Again, similar to other games in the series, you need to negotiate with the enemies to get them to like and join you. Personally, I think this aspect of the series could definitely use an overhaul.
Don’t get me wrong, I think negotiating with the demons is a cool concept.
It’s the mechanics that I want changed.
As always, you pick from a handful of responses and then if the enemy is amiable and you have space in your party, it requests something from you. It could be an item, money or even your HP or MP. Agree to give it and the demon joins you the majority of the time. Even if it doesn’t, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is so forgiving that you can even talk to the monster again if you mess up.
It’s the same routine for every single monster you try to recruit, with the omission of some steps sometimes. There’s very little chance the negotiating will fail (unless you pick the wrong responses or don’t give the demon what they want).
There’s no sense of stakes in the matter.
While it’s a joy to get new monsters on your side, it gets really old, when you’re doing the same old song and dance.
I do like the idea of the Demon Haunt though.
Accessible from any save point, it’s a special place where you can chat with your demons (which in turn can unlock gifts and stat upgrades). It really gives you a spot to take a good look at your demons (because the art designs are really cool) and appreciate them.
It’s also a place where you can chat with your partner, Aogami to get some insight into what he thinks.
I do think the Demon Haunt could’ve been so much more though.
How about a hub where ALL the demons you met (instead of just the ones you have in your party) can wander around. A hub where you can find stuff from the main game and use it to customize the look of it. A hub that grants you benefits from building it up.
There’s so much unused potential here that I hope the next game in the series really takes advantage of it.
The Bottom Line.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a great new entry in the Shin Megami Tensei saga.
It’s more of the same, which at this point, is a double edged sword. The familiar gameplay mechanics are starting to feel a bit dated after so many entries with minimal changes.
It’s high time for the series to get a shakeup or it’s going to be left in the dust as the other spinoffs (such as the Devil Summoner, Digital Devil Saga, Soul Hackers and especially, the Persona series) get better and better.
That’s not to say that Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is bad. Hell no, it’s very good. Superbly polished and arguably one of the best in the series. If you’re looking for a solid JRPG with familiar mechanics, you can’t go wrong with it.
TLDR:
A safe, by the numbers entry. Excellent JRPG but the mechanics are starting to outlive their welcome.
The Good:
- Wide open maps rewards exploration.
- Character designs are still awesome.
- Battles are still fun.
- Lots of content to playthrough.
- Fusion system modes means it’s much easier to get the monster you want.
The Bad:
- Basic gameplay is still classic SMT.
- Recruiting demons follows the same patterns every time.
- XP system is super stingy and needs a rework.
- Super spongey bosses.
- No button to immediately select skill to exploit enemy weakness.
Salehuddin Husin, EIC
Sal's been in the industry since the early 2000s. He's written for a ton of gaming and tech publications including Playworks, Hardwarezone, HWM and GameAxis. Recently, Sal served as a juror for the Indie Game Awards at Taipei Game Show 2020. A geek and hardcore gamer, Sal will play everything, on any platform.
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