It’s been three years since its original release and now the latest game in the storied Shin Megami Tensei franchise has been updated for modern consoles with the release of Vengeance. Does it add enough for returning players to catch the eye? Or should it have been left in the post apocalyptic desert?
Back With A Vengeance
I’ll be honest, I have never been a fan of JRPG’s, nor have I really experienced many throughout my years of gaming but Shin Megami Tensei V (Or simply SMTV) peaked my interest. Originally debuting exclusively to Nintendo Switch, SMTV blended different elements from past games in the franchise to wonderfully successful results and now it has hit current gen consoles with the updated Vengeance release. Along with the substantial story the original game had, it now releases with an alternative storyline. The game now sports two branches of the story, entitled “Canon Of Creation” and “Canon Of Vengeance” which create drastically different results as you progress later on into the game. The story of SMTV revolves around the player as the silent protagonist who, on one fateful day on the way home from school, has their life changed forever. Being pulled into a post apocalyptic future known as “The Da’at”, you are thrust right into the action, which I thought was a bold choice but the correct one.
From there, as you traverse this desert wasteland you come across Aogami (A proto-fiend) who you ‘fuse’ with to become a “Nahobino” which is a demon, blessed and/or cursed with vast knowledge. With the new storyline, the game offers you a choice upon fusing as to which path you want to take and I love that the options are available from the get go. Not everything is as it seems to be in the protagonist’s world and I became enthralled uncovering the mysteries of both modern Tokyo and post-apocalyptic Tokyo. Not knowing much about this franchise and story both helped and hindered my experience. In many ways it can be a lot to digest for a brand new player but also intriguing and enjoyable getting to know the vast and colourful cast of characters that are available to you to talk, fight and discover. Having now experienced both endings to the game, I feel Vengeance is a worthy addition to the tightly woven story. In truth, I prefer the Vengeance side of the story as it focuses more on the personal relationships of the humans of Tokyo. It puts more emphasis on their struggles, with the addition of a new ally called Yoko whilst also adding new villains such as the demon group Qadistu. For both returning and brand new players, the story has a lot to offer as it deals with themes of humanity, belonging and self worth. Like the story at times, gameplay is both brutal and unforgiving.
Brutal And Unforgiving
SMT has always prided itself on its unrelenting turn-based combat and SMTV does not let up in this aspect. The aim of the game is to defeat your enemies using a variety of abilities you unlock along the way. Furthermore, what makes this franchise unique is its emphasis on exploiting the enemies’ weaknesses. Throughout my time playing the game, I became more focused on building a team of ally demons that helped me to either counter, negate or downright wipe out the enemy I was facing. This makes the game really thought-provoking; whilst I was finding and adding these friendly demons to my roster, I was constantly checking their abilities and buffs to see if they could give me an advantage in battles. Like previous games, you have to negotiate and capture these demons before adding them to your side. I loved how you are able to fuse multiple demons together to create a new variant or ability. No fight is the same in SMTV and it is absolutely brutal at times.
I do not have a vast amount of experience in turn-based combat and boy did that show in this game. Many times during my playthrough I would be killed in one shot or obliterated by an enemy. At the start it was incredibly frustrating and rage-inducing but as I collected more demons, powers and items to help me in combat, I started to appreciate it more. Each fight feels like a tense chess match and you have to be on your toes to defeat your foe. I played the game on normal difficulty and a lot of the time it felt I had chosen the harder option. Despite being the same level as some of the bosses, I quickly learned that this does not equate to equal power. I was regularly bested by these bosses and had to turn to the many many side quests available to me in order to level up and gain extra buffs to help me succeed. As someone who loves to complete as much as they can during a game, I liked how you are nudged into these side quests which are varied in their subject matter. However, some players may be turned off when they cannot just progress through the main story. Each side quest felt like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle that helped show off Tokyo and its complexity and beauty. I would sum up combat and gameplay in this game as quite simply brutal but rewarding when you master it; it’s just whether you can get past the frustration to see the rewards.
Realm Bending Beauty
The world of SMTV is both massive and beautiful. With this being orginally a Switch title, the visuals are serviceable and modest, but it’s the art design that carries this game so wonderfully. Character models look as if they are taken straight out of a comic book or animated show- so superbly done and animated beautifully. The world of both Tokyo and the post apocalyptic version are dripping with style and class that truly light up when filled with the vast demons that populate the world. The desert in particular looks stunning and I could truly wander that area all day long with its dilapidated buildings and sand-engulfed towers which are really eye catching. Map design is also a strong point in this version of the game, having been updated from the original; areas are easy to navigate with the addition of better map markers and signs. The bird’s eye view of the area you are currently in is also fantastic and helped me to find every nook and cranny of the location I had been exploring. It’s these quality of life improvements that will help entice returning players into hopping back into the wasteland. The original game was also notoriously tedious in terms of its backtracking through areas but the developers have gone above and beyond to improve this with the creation of the Magetsu Rails. These are essentially shortcuts which help you zip back and forth between previously visited locations: a brilliant addition to the game.
The same can very much be said about the music and sound design. The music of SMTV is just magic. Badass synth metal courses through every fight, hyping you up as you engage in these titanic battles with the demons. A new battle theme has been added for this version which is another wonderful track in an already brilliant soundtrack. I truly felt that I was in the battle when this music started and sometimes I would prolong a fight just to hear another electronic metal beat bounce its way through. The soundtrack is also wonderfully nuanced, as during exploration and traversal moments, the music turns to an eerie creepy low drone that helps build the tension for the fights to come. Composer Ryota Kozuka has done a masterful job with this soundtrack and the new additions to it only heighten its greatness.
Similarly, the sound design is top notch. Abilities sound crisp and concise as you land them on the enemies and attacks sound powerful and violent. Each action sounds unique and different whether it’s your move or the enemy’s. Voice acting is also superb and really makes characters come to life. Each character truly sounds like they each have their own soul and that is difficult to achieve when there are so many different characters spread across the game. I had heard some criticisms that on the original release the sound effects were compressed and cheap at times but this is certainly not the case with this version at all.
Verdict
For someone who was brand new in many ways to this genre, I found SMTV enthralling in its deep and meaningful story, its superb cast of characters and its beautiful, yet haunting environments. However, I struggled at times to grasp its unforgiving combat. To sum up, this type of game and gameplay is certainly not for everyone, but for fans of the series, it’s the formula you know and love with wonderful new additions. Quality of life improvements help polish an already well-rounded game. Beautiful art style and a heart racing soundtrack complement the game to make a wonderful package for both returning players and newcomers like me. See you in the desert!
