Introducing
As most of you are aware I’ve been waiting for Shin Megami Tensei V game for a long time. I remember when it was first announced back in 2018. After playing for 14 hours I can now share my thoughts. I unfortunately can’t share any video because that feature is not allowed.
Story
The story so far is pretty good. It definitely reminds me of Shin Megami Tensei III. It appears as though something similar has happened to what happened in SMT III. I’m around 14 hours in so I haven’t gotten super deep into the story.
Game Play
The game play is good. It’s very reminiscent of SMT III and SMT IV. Battles function the exact same with you having a team of four fighting enemies in turn based combat. The press turn system works the exact same as in the previous entries. One battle mechanic that has changed are Magatsuhi Skills. During combat you have a gauge that will fill up over time. After it fills up you can use a Magatsuhi skill. The default skill makes every attack a critical hit for one turn.
One of the biggest changes from the previous games is that you can see enemies on the map. In SMT III there were random encounters and in SMT IV they were these red digital looking beings. If you played the game you know what I’m talking about.
As I mentioned before SMT V feels like a mix of SMT IV and SMT III. SMT V has Miracles that you can purchase that impact game play, like increasing your demon stock. If you’ve played SMT IV or SMT IV: Apocalypse, it will remind you of the apps that are purchased with app points.
Side Quests
Just like in SMT IV and IV Apocolypse, you can find a multitude of quests to complete. An acceptable quest is indicated by a icon on the map or mini map. Quests that require you to go to a specific place or get a specific item are marked on the map. There are some quests that will not though. Doing quests will reward you with items, experience, new demon fusions, and demons possibly joining your team.
Performance
So far I am not having too many frame rate issues. I think the only time I saw frames dropping was in a cut-scene in hand held mode. This has only occurred during one scene so far. I’ve experienced some slight frame rate drops when looking at demons in the menu.
Conclusion
I am enjoying this game a lot. It feels good to play a SMT game again. Last time I played one was SMT III over the summer after l played Strange Journey Redux. I highly recommend this game if you’re looking for a new RPG to play that will give you a challenge. I’ll be honest and let you know up front that you will be grinding in this game.
If you have Shin Megami Tensei V how are you enjoying it? How would say it compares to the other entries in the series? As always tgank you all for reading!
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Here is the full review
3 Comments
sinisterdarksoul
Nov 15, 2021 10:29 amI’m really enjoying the game thus far. There’s always lots of grinding in SMT games whether it be for levels, angels/demons or specific fusions. I’m playing on Hard & it is a nice challenge that lives up to its name. I’m closing in on 20 hours & have only really beaten the 1st boss (to give you an idea of how much grinding, exploring/collecting & all that I’ve done).
I got a demon from a side quest that originally started as a side quest to slay them but, when talking to them, I changed my mind & slayed the one that gave me the original contract instead (which was nice as I didn’t entirely agree with the OG contract givers actions), leading to the other demon joining me. The 1st boss I literally came out of with a next hit I die circumstance & that was after many times of just getting wiped by them while changing up team composition & experimenting with different essence fusions & such.
Speaking of, I’ve only gotten through the 1st boss but, it feels as though the amazing boss design & music is back in full swing in this game. I can’t wait to see what later bosses & demon encounters look like & also what later boss music is gonna be like.
The game is excellent so far & I’m enjoying it a lot!
TheGamerWithGlasses
Nov 15, 2021 10:50 amWhen it comes to Shin Megami Tensei I don’t mind the grind. I know people that don’t like grinding so I wanted to make them aware.
I’ve definitely made sure to do all the side quests I can as they are available. This game is honestly real close to being my game of the year. I think they’ve done a great job addressing issues I had with the previous games.