It’s been practically three years now for the reason that launch of the unique Shin Megami Tensei V and as is custom at Atlus, the compulsory enhanced re-release (full with a brand new storyline centered round a brand new woman) has now come to all trendy platforms within the type of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. Boasting a full-length, alternate storyline and a number of gameplay and stability changes, SMTV: V is definitely the definitive model of an already wonderful entry within the long-running collection. When you’re in any respect a fan of SMT, Persona, or JRPGs usually, you owe it to your self to select this up on the earliest alternative.
For this assessment, we’ll be focusing extra on the additions and changes being made to the core SMT V expertise with this launch—in the event you’d prefer to get a extra detailed analysis of the underlying gameplay mechanics and such, we’d encourage you to learn by our assessment of the 2021 model, which nonetheless largely applies right here, as effectively.
Now, let’s briefly go over precisely what this launch is. Atlus sometimes does an enhanced model of its hottest video games a couple of years after their preliminary launch, often with some recent story content material and stability tweaks that reply to complaints concerning the authentic model. Earlier releases, resembling Shin Megami Tensei: Unusual Journey Redux, Radiant Historia: Excellent Chronology, Satan Survivor 2 Document Breaker, or Persona 5 Royal often tacked this further story content material on to the tip or sprinkled it in alongside the outdated storyline. What makes SMT V: V a bit extra particular, then, is that slightly than merely providing an ‘addendum’ to the unique plot, this model brings a full-length plotline that you would be able to select from as an alternative of the unique.
SMT V: V begins a lot the identical approach as the unique launch did, however mere minutes into the beginning of the plot, issues diverge into new and attention-grabbing territory. In a weird dream sequence, you’re offered with the spectral type of a younger girl whereas a disembodied voice tells you that she “can’t be allowed to exist” and affords you a selection. When you go away her there, the world’s destiny will proceed because it was supposed to, however in the event you select to take her hand, she’ll change into actual, and the world shall be set on an unplanned and unknown path. Finally, that is the place you select whether or not you wish to observe the plot of the unique launch of SMT V (known as “Canon of Creation” right here) or the brand new “Canon of Vengeance” story.
Must you select to save lots of the woman, she is quickly launched as Yoko Hiromine, a prim and mysterious Satan Summoner who agrees to accompany the Nahobino on his quest to find out the world’s future amid the ageless struggle between regulation and chaos. Yoko is a succesful warrior with a quiet darkness to her, and her power is a welcome asset as you’re confronted with a charismatic new gang of antagonists that decision themselves the Qadistu. The Qadistu supply up yet one more attention-grabbing perspective on the character of reality within the unusual world of Da’at, and so they change into more and more extra central to the story as occasions step by step diverge from the unique plot in ever extra important methods.
We have been followers of the divisive authentic plot of SMT V, however it’s robust to argue that Atlus’ second crack at a narrative right here isn’t an enchancment. In some ways, it looks like this was the story the builders wished to inform the primary time round—Yoko was deliberate to be a part of the unique launch earlier than being reduce partway by growth, and her addition to the core solid right here feels natural and prefer it fills a niche that wasn’t beforehand obvious. Maybe most significantly, it looks like this new plotline focuses a bit extra on the interactions between the assorted human characters, making this narrative simpler to attach with than the considerably barebones plot of the primary launch.
Whereas we’d encourage all gamers who decide this as much as begin with the Canon of Vengeance storyline, we would nonetheless counsel taking part in by the Canon of Creation in some unspecified time in the future, too—it might really feel inferior, however experiencing each offers you rather more appreciation for what they every carry to the desk. Plus, in the event you take into consideration the 80-hour runtime for both path and a number of endings, that’s a lot of SMT V content material to burn by in the event you’re hooked on the robust and interesting gameplay right here. Suffice it to say, it will take you fairly some time to lastly run out of stuff to do.
Apart from the story, varied gameplay and high quality of life enhancements have additionally been made to streamline the expertise additional and make it general extra fulfilling. For instance, now you can save anyplace on the faucet of a button, slightly than having to attend to seek out the subsequent Leyline Fount. This helps to chop down on a number of the run-backs for robust encounters, and makes it a lot simpler to keep away from shedding a ton of progress in the event you occur to get jumped by an enemy who lands a crit that our bodies you in a single shot.
Da’at remains to be simply as fulfilling to discover and platform round because it ever was, and to assist in traversal, there at the moment are grind rails strategically positioned all through the wasteland to assist expedite journey. A few of these are instantly apparent and a few should be found first earlier than they present up in your map, and we loved how they increase on the present map by giving entry to new areas whereas additionally making it typically faster to backtrack. Usually, you’ll unlock a brand new rail after taking ‘the great distance’ round a collection of obstacles to make it simpler to journey to and from the summit.
The Demon Hang-out is one other large addition, supplying you with the slightly cute alternative to spend time speaking to and constructing relationships along with your varied recruits. After a demon has been touring along with your get together for some time, they’ll ask to talk with you, and you’ll then select to acknowledge their request at a chill hangout spot accessible from any Leyline Fount. You possibly can then trade items or discuss to them, and after the dialog, the demon will often get a stat increase. Generally even the Nahobino will get some direct boosts, too. It’s no Social Hyperlink system, however we nonetheless appreciated the hassle to push you to view demons as greater than finally expendable belongings. On the very least, the Demon Hang-out supplies a pleasant breather from the pervasive stress of the remainder of the journey, whereas the gameplay advantages these exchanges supply may help provide you with that edge to beat a boss encounter you’re hung up on.
Such additions apart, gameplay is in any other case a lot the identical because it was within the authentic, which was wonderful. You discover the huge, creepy wasteland by doing all of your goofy Naruto-run, Press Flip remains to be among the finest turn-based battle techniques ever made by its strategic and interesting strategy to buffs, weaknesses, and switch financial system, whereas recruiting and fusing demons stays a compelling and addictive party-building mechanic all through the entire expertise. Even when the more durable problem may be off-putting to some, there’s hardly ever a uninteresting second all through both story given the wealth of aims and gameplay choices. Everybody has their very own tastes in relation to JRPGs, however it’s robust to argue that SMT V: V affords something lower than a sophisticated and considerate gameplay expertise.
Very like with earlier Atlus re-releases, a key factor to recollect about SMT V:V is that that is nonetheless largely the identical recreation that got here out a couple of years in the past. Certain, it’s obtained an all-new storyline and a raft of gameplay and stability tweaks that make it general a superior expertise, however these of you that weren’t enthused by the gameplay loop and problem of authentic launch gained’t discover a lot right here to alter your thoughts. Then again, in the event you did like the unique launch—and even in the event you simply had a couple of criticisms that held you again from actually entering into it—this recreation is made for you. Atlus is eradicating the unique recreation from retailer cabinets to exchange it with SMT V: V, and it is comprehensible why, as this new model nearly fully nullifies that first launch by all of the additions, changes, and authentic content material.
One thing which notably did not enhance for this re-release is the efficiency, which nonetheless isn’t implausible. Although every little thing runs at considerably constant 30 FPS, asset pop-in and fuzzy decision is par for the course right here whether or not you’re taking part in in docked or handheld. SMT V: V remains to be a visible miracle on the Change and positively looks like a recreation that has no enterprise working on such humble {hardware}, however it’s clear that Atlus needed to push the Change so far as it may go to get efficiency to the suitable although not spectacular state it’s in.
This can be a little disappointing, as we have been hoping that a couple of extra years of Change growth expertise would result in Atlus discovering methods to squeeze higher efficiency out of this one. Then again, it looks like we’ve reached the purpose the place there merely is not rather more that builders can moderately do with the restricted {hardware}, particularly contemplating that SMT V: V is constructed on an off-the-shelf engine with Unreal 4. If missing visuals or decision are a giant challenge for you in your video games, we’d counsel you skip the Change and decide up one of many variations obtainable on different {hardware} platforms, when you’ve got entry to any of them. SMT V: V is an alright expertise on Change so far as efficiency is anxious, however it scarcely feels just like the definitive model of this launch.