LogFAQs > #962123598

4. Shin Megami Tensei V

Its intriguing to think about what humanity may do if a demonic apocalypse were to occur. How, exactly, would each individual react? How would those with military and governing power react to such an unprecedented event? And, most importantly, what would teenagers do? In the Shin Megami Tensei franchise and all of its spin-offs which I am aware of, teenagers are the only thing which stands in the way of a mass human extinction. I not only interact with teenagers on a daily basis as part of my job, but I have the lived experience of being a teenager. I can say, with confidence, that teenagers would likely be as useful as our government leaders in the event of a demon invasion.

Shin Megami Tensei V released in an awkward position. The Shin Megami Tensei franchise has never been entirely successful in the West. However, the hit game Persona 5 absolutely thrashed the other games under the Shin Megami Tensei umbrella in both acclaim and sales. The amount of love we saw the game receive beyond the subset of massive nerds who lapped up Atlus premier franchise was unprecedented. No matter how silly it is, Persona 5 set a standard for any game wearing the Shin Megami Tensei or Persona moniker.

It would make sense to bring up the strange critique surrounding Shin Megami Tensei V. IGN reviewer, Leana Hafer, famously stated, [I]t sometimes feels like Persona without the heart. Now, dumb people were very upset and began to harass her. But large-brained people, such as myself, noted that this was kind of obvious. The Shin Megami Tensei franchise is one which has always prided itself on its atmosphere, combat, and thematic cohesion above all else. Shin Megami Tensei V is more of the same in that regard. If you want a game where you can engage the characters and story with nuance, you should probably pay the main branch of the franchise no mind. However, this is still a problem which necessitates exploration. Japanese RPGs are well-known for having far more involved stories compared to other genres, though that aspect has shifted with Western adventure games leaning more into their stories than ever before. The Persona games have been one of the few to retain such quality, and I think its reasonable to be hopeful and summarily disappointed by just how lame Shin Megami Tensei Vs writing is. All of the characters are one-dimensional, with the most intriguing of the cast being relegated to sidequests or brief story segments, and the plot is lazy at best. Its fair to say the game is like Persona without the heart, because the heart of the game is so far removed from what it values.

Obviously, despite the failure of Shin Megami Tensei V to do anything intriguing with its overall story, I still loved it. This is the most engaged Ive been in a battle system in quite a while. The way you can interact with it to deny turns to enemies is addicting fun. Its probably my favorite battle system in a turn-based game. The fusion mechanic is back and better than ever. The sheer amount of demons available to you led me to constantly swap which demons I would use. Rarely did I find one I felt I needed to keep using beyond three or four hours maximum. The strategies are ever-changing due to this and I loved every second I was a part of the combat.

But quite possibly the most impressive aspect of Shin Megami Tensei V is its world design. This may be a controversial take, as I havent seen much discussion on this part at all, but its the ribbon which wraps the package up and is also somehow the best part of the package. Moving through the various areas is less like an open-world, as is described by numerous critics, but more like large dungeons. They are ultimately quite linear and progression through them is exciting. There are also little secret red boys you can find by scavenging, as well as cool items and money. This all culminates in the fourth major area, which ditches the linearity in exchange for a level which is magnificently broad and open. The way the final world wraps into itself is phenomenal. It is peak level design and I was sad when I had finally explored every inch of it.

Shin Megami Tensei V is obviously not going to leave the same mark Persona 5 did. Its not the type of game to bring people out of their comfort zone. Its a game from an obscure genre which attempts to refine every note it takes, succeeding in spades. Fortunately, this appears to be the fastest-selling game in the main Shin Megami Tensei line, which is ideally a good sign for the future of the franchise in the West. Perhaps the series will continue having storytelling issues, but if that results in a continued effort to refine the other systems, that isnt such a bad concern to have.

Shin Megami Tensei V Score: 5/6