Back in 2021, ATLUS released the long anticipated fifth numbered entry to their acclaimed Shin Megami Tensei series. The crazy thing about its initial announcement was that it was revealed to the world during the 2017 Nintendo Switch console announcement. I remember it vividly as I was in Jamaica with my family during that time, and my brothers and I were going crazy for the new Nintendo console. However, even back then I remember being kind of shocked that SMT5 would be a Nintendo Switch exclusive. At the time I didn’t really have any idea that the Nintendo Switch would have lower graphical capabilities and performance issues than what would now be considered the standard, but four years into its lifespan the idea of SMT5 being locked there had me a little bummed out… so I skipped it. But it wouldn’t be an ATLUS game if they didn’t come out with a proper definitive version with added content a few years later. Finally, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is available to the masses on every major console and PC. There is also an entirely new campaign with new villains to vanquish. But is it worth your time? Let’s discuss my experience playing it on PlayStation 5.
Shin Megami Tensei V begins with a choice – do you take the girl’s hand, or no? This is ultimately the most important decision you will make in the game, as it dictates which campaign you will play. Should you take her hand, you will follow the “Canon of Vengeance,” which is the brand new campaign. If you refuse her hand, you will follow the “Canon of Creation,” which is the standard campaign from the vanilla experience of SMT5. I followed the “Canon of Vengeance,” as that is the new content I wanted to experience. Playing the new campaign doesn’t lock you out of old content though, which is great. The story and major push and pull are obviously quite different, but there are side-quests you can do, characters you can meet, and enemies you can fight in both campaigns. Like most ATLUS games, you play as a Japanese high school student who is pulled into another world against your will. You are brought to the world of Da’at, aka the Netherworld. Da’at is a broken and devastated version of Tokyo, drowned in sand and destruction. There are demons everywhere, some friendly, most of them foes. In a moment of impending doom, you are faced with an ally named Aogami. He explains that he is a Proto-fiend and is there to help you. The two of you fuse into a demon-killing being known as Nahobino. In this slick, long-blue-hair-touting form you can kick the ass of any demon you meet. The new major villains in this new storyline are called The Qadistu, a quartet of four female demons. You also meet a new character who joins you on your journey named Yoko Hiromine. She is very mysterious and getting to learn about her reasons for joining you is intriguing.
If you’ve played a SMT game in the past you’ll be familiar with the turn-based team-building combat. If you’ve never played a Persona or SMT game, think Pokémon but with swearing, bloodthirsty demons. There is a list of 8 different affinities that are used in each combat encounter. Different demons have different affinities, again, think typing in Pokémon. Some demons might be weak to fire attacks or physical attacks, whereas others might resist or outright nullify those attacks. The five different types of resistances make things even more interesting. Of course there’s the typical ‘weak’ and ‘resist’, but there’s also null which completely blocks the enemy attack, as well as the two very interesting ‘repel’ and ‘absorb.’ Repel launches the damage right back to the attacker and absorb heals damage of that affinity type. You’ll want to make sure you have the proper team before going into a fight based on the weaknesses of the demons you’re fighting.
There is also a meter that builds throughout combat that allows you to perform a ‘Magatsuhi’ skill. Magatsuhi skills are usually buffs to your team that you can cast at the cost of your meter. These skills are great for when you need a leg-up in a tough fight. One of my favourite aspects of this franchise is how you get demons to join your crew. Once you enter a fight you can talk to the demon and persuade them to fight alongside you. Sometimes you need to give them gifts or big chunks of your health. Other demons sometimes just want to be told that they’re pretty. It is absurd in such a brilliant way, and it will always be something I look forward to when playing a game in this series. Whenever you finish combat the demons in your party gain experience, but so do the demons you have in your employ that are not in the battle. Sometimes you gain new skills and abilities you can use in battle. Every time I saw a new demon walking around I got excited by the idea of adding them to my team. You can also fuse demons together to create new demons. There are also demons who can only be obtained via fusion. Experimenting with different fusions is fun, but you want to make sure you’re not getting rid of your best teammate on accident. It happened to me!
The music is always top notch when it comes to ATLUS games, and Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is no exception. There is a plethora of fantastic metal tracks with huge layered synth sections that fill me with hype like no other style of music can. Tracks in this game have no issue setting the tone whether it is a feeling of foreboding or triumph. The music is great when loud and in your face as well as held back and hovering in the background. There is a handful of really terrific ambient tracks as well, with wailing horns, and ominous vocals shrouded in audible fog. The art style is also a shining aspect of this game, as it always is with ATLUS. The demons are all iconic and it’s always nice seeing fan favourites appear. The new demons featured are all really well designed, especially the new villains, The Qadistu. Internet forums are sure to be going at war with each other deciding which one they like the best and cosplayers are likely hard at work to dress like their favourite at their next local convention. The overall presentation is great.
My biggest issue with Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is that it genuinely feels like it is from a console generation in the past. That is unfortunately just how it is, due to the fact that this game was originally built for the Nintendo Switch. It’s very nice that we have higher resolution and a crisp 60fps now, but the game feels much, much older than it actually is. Combat doesn’t have a tactile feel to it. There isn’t a single moment in combat where I felt my adrenaline pumping in any way. I love turn-based RPGs, but if I find the combat to be dissatisfying, then what’s the point? Explosions should have more impact, slashes should feel visceral, electric shocks should be exciting and bright. The animations just don’t feed into the demon-killing-machine fantasy. Not only do I find myself bored with the combat and how it plays, but running around and exploring feels uninteresting. There is a new system called Magatsu Rails that have been implemented in the game to make traversal back and forth to be less of a pain. You can access new areas and loop around back to old ones through this new rail system. I often found myself using these every chance I got because I didn’t really enjoy the feeling of running around and exploring. If I don’t feel the drive to explore in a game it ultimately hurts it in the long run. I lose motivation to play, and I lose general interest in the task at hand. I haven’t really experienced this before in an ATLUS RPG, and that’s a major reason that I am at a loss with how I feel about this experience. While I can realize and understand that it’s well made and a great re-release and I can appreciate the absurd amount of additional content, I just can’t find myself clicking with this game or enjoying it to the fullest.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a ridiculously upgraded way of playing the 2021 Nintendo Switch locked game. People who played and loved it in 2021 will have so many reasons to come back and play it again with all the quality of life changes, new additions and campaign. If you’re a lifelong SMT fan and haven’t played the 2021 release, then you owe it to yourself to at least check this game out. If you’ve ever read my reviews, you know how much I value how good a game feels to play. I want things to have weight to them, I want to see big numbers, and I want innovation. I’ve read the reviews that others have posted, and they all sing the praises of this game, just like I have. I have no issue with RPGs from the past, in fact, I love a lot of those games. But when a game comes out in today’s day and age and it feels like the lesser games from that era? That sucks. There is so much to love here, and so much hard work and dedication went into making this version of SMTV the definitive way to play it. I just wish I could get into the game’s exploration, and I wish I found the combat and exploration to be less of a chore. It’s clearly a great game, however, I just don’t think it’s really for me.
