Exploring the Amazing Shin Megami Tensei Series

Image from Atlus

I recently talked about what I have played from the Persona series so now it is time to talk about the Shin Megami Tensei series. I ordered the games by which ones I played first to the one that I played most recently.

Background Information

The Shin Megami Tensei series is a ongoing series of RPG games. The series goes back to 1986 with the release of Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei. From there the series has put out a multitude of games and even lead the the creation of the spin off series, Persona. The SMT series is usually set in a post apocalyptic world where demons have invaded the world. Characters recruit, fuse, and fight other demons throughout each game.

Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers

This was the first game in the series that I played. I went into the game not knowing what to expect as I had only played the Persona series at this point. I ended up enjoying this game, but it did have its issues. One part of the game that I enjoyed the most was the opening, it had such a great song that I would regularly listen to before I played. It took time to get used to the difference in game play but I eventually got the hang of it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story but I did not like the sequences where you were going through memories. I’ve got the opening song as well as another song from the game. This is one of the games in the SMT series where the setting is not post apocalyptic. This version if the game is on the eshop for 3DS and 2DS.

This song is #X and is the the opening theme of the game.

This song is the Normal Battle theme.

Shin Megami Tensei IV

I liked the story of this game because it takes the main characters go from their peaceful city to the demon inhabited Tokyo. Every character feels differently about the events that transpire as well as actions that the party should take. I like that the armor you equip is seen on your character when walking around. I also enjoy how your party members help you in battle in addition to your demons.

One of the things that I hated about this game was the alignment system. It was hard to know what choices impacted your alignment and by how much. To get the neutral ending, which is the canonical ending, it feels you have to jump through hoops. You have to do certain quests combined with having a specific alignment score. Another negative is being unable to choose who helps you in battle. This creates a situation where if you have a character that only uses one type of magic, if the boss is immune to it they basically become useless. Here are two of my favorite songs from the game. This game is available for Nintendo 3DS/2DS.

First we have Battle C3 (Domain Boss Battle).

Next up is Infernal Kasumigaseki.

Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocolypse

This game serves as a sequel to Shin Megami Tensei IV. I would recommend playing the prequel before this game to get a better understanding of the situation in the game. This game along with its predecessor are the only games in the series to show armor on your character when walking around. I enjoyed the story and it easily continued from the previous game’s neutral ending.

As you may or may not be aware the SMT series and Persona series get their demons and Personas from mythology and other media. I enjoyed the additions of other demons from mythology I had not read about. I liked how they improved upon party members from the previous game by allowing you to choose who helps you in battle. I also like the dynamics of the party as each party member has good development.

The final boss in this game’s true ending is pretty great. I will not go into details as to not spoil anything. It is one of the best final boss fights that I have come across. The music for the fight was also fantastic. This game is most likely my favorite in the SMT series. This game is available for Nintendo 3DS/2DS.

The first song I will share is Battle F4.

The second song is Battle F2.

Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey Redux

I really enjoyed the story of this one. A black hole, called the Schwarzwelt, appears at the North Pole and you and others must journey into it to stop it from expanding. One aspect I like is that the dungeons are supposed to mirror different aspects of human society. One example is that one dungeon is designed like a store to reflect the greed that humans have. One thing to be aware of is that this game is a remake of the original. It has a new dungeon, a new character, new bosses, and new endings.

I think this game does the best when it comes to showing alignment. In battles your character name changes color based on your alignment. If it is blue you are lawful, red is chaotic, and white is neutral. This makes it easier to get the ending that you are aiming for. One thing I dislike is that even though they remade it they did not do an English dub. All in all this was a pleasant experience. This game is available for Nintendo 3DS/2DS.

The first song I will share is The Great Sign.

The other song I will share is Morale.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne

I got into this game last summer and had a great time. A truly great RPG that makes you think and make use of all skills at your disposal. I really enjoyed the different Magatama that the main character could use. It gave you the ability to change your strengths and weaknesses, as well as what skills you would learn. The battle music in this game was better than all the other ones so far. This is the only game that I have played in the series where you can not buy equipment for your character.

The biggest problem I had with this game was the encounter rate. I have seen comments where people have claimed that you get more encounters because the game is telling you you need more levels, but I do not believe that at all. I was level 50 and went to an area with level 15 enemies and still had a higher encounter rate. In some places I would take two steps then an enemy encounter, then another two steps and I am in another fight. This game is available on ps2, ps3(digital), ps4(remaster), and Switch(remaster).

The first song I will share is Dante Battle. Fun fact this game has Dante from the Devil May Cry Series, at least in the US version.

For the second song we have Fiend Battle. You will have this song stuck in your head if you play the game. This is an extended version of the song.

Conclusion

As usual thank you all for reading my post. I would recommend all of these games to anyone if they were looking for a new RPG to try. If you would like to read my thoughts on the Persona series you can read this post. What Shin Megami Tensei game was your favorite? As always you can keep up with me on Twitter @realgamerwithg1.