The unique Shin Megami Tensei V was nice. After I reviewed it again in 2021, I liked the difficult fight, the wonderful artwork design, the menagerie of mythological beings, and the general darkish and oppressive ambiance whereby humanity hangs by a thread. However there was definitely room for enchancment, so I used to be desirous to see how Atlus would deal with Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, its revised and expanded multiplatform launch. So relatively than repeat what was mentioned before–much of my unique assessment nonetheless stands–it’s extra worthwhile to take a look at Vengeance’s most vital adjustments and new additions. There’s lots that is been added and adjusted, so let’s deal with what made the largest impression on the sport total.
Maybe essentially the most noteworthy is its efficiency. As a substitute of being constrained on the Swap {hardware}, Vengeance is now multiplatform, permitting the sport to run at a a lot smoother 60fps. Although the Swap model was identified to chug when lots was occurring in its huge, open environments or in fight, that is not an issue. (Since we have reviewed Vengeance on PS5, we won’t say if the Swap model nonetheless has these efficiency hiccups, although we do understand it goals to run at 30fps.)
Visually, nonetheless, Vengeance appears to be like just like the unique; the environments and character fashions lack the type of intricate element you could be used to seeing on current-gen consoles. Nonetheless, what Vengeance lacks in ultra-detail it greater than makes up for in gorgeous artwork design, filling the world with lovely angels and goddesses, vile demonic hellspawn, and a mix of tarnished wastelands and mysterious, otherworldly constructs.
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One of many largest additions to Vengeance is the titular Canon of Vengeance story path, which you’ll select to observe on the sport’s earliest moments. (The unique SMT V story, Canon of Creation, remains to be accessible if that is your first go-around in Da’at.) This tackle the SMT V story introduces Yoko Hiromine, a scholar from a neighboring college who’s educated in exorcism and harbors a grudge towards her establishment. You will not have to attend lengthy to fulfill her, both, as she seems to assist not lengthy after your first mini-boss encounter with new demon Glasya-Labolas within the Tokyo ruins whereas additionally cleverly introducing the brand new guest-character fight component within the course of.
Yoko’s not alone, both. The Vengeance story brings in a quartet of highly effective feminine demons known as the Qadištu who’ve their very own goals within the ongoing story battle. Each the presence of Yoko and the Qadištu rework the narrative in sudden methods. Not solely are there extra story scenes and enemy encounters (which assist alleviate the gradual narrative tempo of the unique considerably), however plot beats from the unique storyline wind up getting twisted in new and attention-grabbing instructions.
It is thrilling to see how issues play out in another way and the way these adjustments reverberate within the story down the road, besides, it takes some time for the Vengeance story to actually diverge from the unique. You are still going to the identical locations and pursuing comparable goals as the unique canon for a great chunk of the game–not an enormous deal for newcomers, however a bit disappointing for returning gamers.
The brand new visitor mechanic additionally helps the presence of the opposite characters in SMT V’s tales really feel extra vital. Plot-essential characters will be part of your roster as friends for a sure stretch of the story, the place they arrive with a big set of expertise and may be summoned and faraway from fight like demons. They do not take up any slots in your demon inventory, can do issues demons cannot from the get-go (similar to utilizing gadgets), and have an even bigger ability choice. Nevertheless, since they’re story-dependent, they’ll come and go because the plot dictates, and so they lack the customization choices, similar to stat-boosting incense and skill-bestowing essences, your demon models have. Nonetheless, in lots of fight conditions, you will be glad to have their further utility round.
In the event you’re actually into powering up your demon companions, the Demon Hang-out that is newly accessible by way of leylines shall be proper up your alley. It is a particular space the place you possibly can have a pleasant little chitchat together with your demon buddies, normally about completely regular matters like how a lot enjoyable it’s to really feel poison creep into the blood of your enemies or why it sucks that there aren’t as many people round to intestine anymore. By bonding together with your darling little military of sociopaths–through fight, dialog, and even gift-giving–individual demons would possibly name you to the hang-out to both offer you presents (like gadgets and essences) or achieve stat boosts and extra expertise.
It’s also possible to hang around together with your human friends and your fusion-friend Aogami right here and focus on plot-relevant happenings. The Demon Hang-out definitely seems like an anomaly, with its cheery music and upbeat ambiance amongst an even bigger setting that’s neither of these issues, however it’s additionally good to have a spot to take a break from the terrifying occult battle occurring throughout you–and possibly get a bit of deal with as a bonus.
One of many defining options of SMT V was its huge, open-exploration environments, and a bunch of quality-of-life enhancements in Vengeance has made navigating a way more participating and gratifying expertise. The in-game maps are way more detailed than within the unique, and a easy button press offers you a hen’s-eye view of the close by space, permitting you to raised decide the topography. In the event you performed the unique, you little doubt skilled the ache of seeing one thing of curiosity indicated on the map however not realizing how excessive up (and sometimes inaccessible out of your present place) it was, so these tweaks are an enormous assist. Additionally aiding in ease of navigation are the Magetsu Rails: shortcuts that may zip you from one space to a different rapidly (and again once more) as soon as activated. These are most frequently present in out-of-the-way areas like cliffs, enclaves, and rooftops, lowering the quantity of finicky platforming wanted when backtracking to beforehand explored areas (and letting you do sick-looking Jet Set Radio grinds as well).
Demon NPC companions that discover gadgets and areas of curiosity on the map can now be recruited and used exterior of set story occasions, letting you discover numerous random loot drops scattered all around the huge areas. Lastly–and most notably–you can now save virtually anyplace relatively than at set save factors.
There’s much more price mentioning: Extra Miracles can be found to enhance the Nahobino (and you may toggle lots of them on and off as you please after acquisition), an entire bunch of latest demons have been added to the roster, there is a mess of latest aspect quests–including attention-grabbing little mini-adventures the place you are taking management of a demon and time-limited trials–and demons now have distinctive “innate expertise” that have an effect on all the pieces from ability efficacy to creating fight negotiations circulate clean.
Magatsuhi expertise have been upgraded dramatically, with each new expertise added alongside particular expertise that require both particular demons or demons assembly sure situations. A few of these expertise are eyebrow-raising in simply how good they’re, as they’ll take away enemy Press Turns even in boss encounters, depriving foes of actions. In turn-based fight the place technique revolves round getting extra turns and robbing the enemy of their actions, that is enormous.
And that is one thing odd about Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance: This sport felt notably simpler than the unique. For each the unique and Vengeance, I performed by way of the sport on the usual issue, and Vengeance felt much less attempting total. I am unsure how a lot of that perceived discount in issue comes from my very own expertise with the original–knowing enemy weaknesses and the place you will encounter them offers you a big leg up–but with the brand new innate expertise, new Miracle buffs, new and intensely useful Magatsuhi expertise, getting further gadgets and boosts within the Demon Hang-out, and the save-anywhere function, Vengeance is usually nicer to the participant. Whether or not that is a great or a nasty factor is as much as your tastes–and, bear in mind it is all the time very doable to get your self completely wrecked in a random encounter that goes south rapidly, so you continue to must play correctly. For these of you who desire a massacre, the absurd “Godborn” issue in New Recreation Plus will fulfill your want for battle.
The whole lot that made Shin Megami Tensei V such a memorable and interesting expertise stays in Vengeance, simply tweaked and massaged into an excellent higher sport. It is simpler to hook up with the narrative–having the opposite human characters in your celebration and interesting in small discuss with them go an extended approach to making the occasions occurring round them really feel extra impactful–and the assorted changes to navigation, fight, and demon-herding allow you to focus extra on savoring the darkish ambiance and the methods of battle. In the event you did not enter the tunnel to the underworld the primary time round, that is the right alternative to do so–and should you’re a veteran of the struggle for the throne, there’s a lot right here to deliver you again.