As Atlus has come to be known to do so, they have released a “definitive” version of their latest game, Shin Megami Tensei V (Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance). Set to revitalise the series that followed on from what started it all, SMT V was a 2021 follow-up to IV in 2013 and its consequent sequel, Apocalypse, in 2016. Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance has been released 3 years after the initial version to fix many of its issues and expand upon the opening release.
Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance, known as SMT V: V, keeps the original releases’ story in the form of the Canon of Creation, while adding in an altered storyline with the Canon of Vengeance, allowing first-time players to experience the story as it first came out. Both Canons, however, include quality-of-life improvements, new sidequests, and an enlarged OST, alongside numerous changes.
SMT V was met with quite a bit of hate for its story on debut, with many long-time fans disappointed in their first console release since SMT III: Nocturne. With one of the main aims being to “fix” the story by adding a refreshed one, has Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance done enough to satisfy fans?
Knowledge and Life
SMT V has two stories that are closely linked to one another. The tying bonds are that of your character starting a new year of school with few friends to begin. With rumours of missing people you’re advised to pick a buddy to walk home with, said buddies throw themselves at you. Walking home, the mysterious happenings continue as the station crossing is blocked.
Retreating to find a lost brother you find yourself under a low-ceiling tunnel that becomes ever-low as it comes crashing down. Transported to a desert with nary a person in sight you’re quickly assaulted by flying demons, only to be saved by a flash of light that carries an otherworldly being who offers you a hand to safety. Taking that hand transforms you into the Nahobino, a creature with immense power and all the responsibility that comes with it.
From here your main objective is survival and to find other humans in this netherworld, or Da’at. With demons in the way and forces both high and low working against you, you’re thrown into the eternal conflict of good versus evil, law versus chaos, angels versus demons.
While the Canon of Creation follows closer to characters such as Dazai and Atsuta, your male classmates and their dilemmas, alongside the pantheon of gods vying for power, the Canon of Vengeance follows Tao and Yuko, your female classmates and Saints both, following a more straight-line mythology rather than the multi-faceted one of Creation.
Comparing Creation to Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance easily shows the faults in the original story design. Creation does little you build up some characters, as many are out of frame for most of the game, and even rushes its ending with the final area revealing all of its story at once. Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance does a much better job at portraying the characters by having them more often show up and even join you for a spell.
Both storylines will run between 35 and 45 hours, depending on how much of the side content you engage with. With 6 endings on offer, you can expand that playtime quite a bit, though consecutive runs will last less than 10 hours if you choose the NG+ option. The endings for Creation are a more disappointing final choice option, akin to something like Mass Effect, while Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance follows a classic Shin Megami Tensei style of having your alignment matter over a final button press.
There is a bit more to the replayability than 6 endings, most of which you can just make a safety save in Creation to experience. Completing parts of one story can affect the other, with an item in Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance unlocking a more difficult boss in Creation. The two stories also feature 1 city that is different and different dungeons.
Chaos Shall Envelop The World
Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance plays like most of the Shin Megami Tensei games before it. It is a turn-based RPG that heavily features a companion mechanic. As you fight demons you can coerce or persuade them to join you, offering hundreds of allies to add to your 4-man team. Demons can also be fused to make other, stronger, ones with handpicked abilities. The game does not feature equipment, instead, your stats and skills are the main part of your power, alongside items to use in and out of combat.
As is the case with many Atlus titles, elements play a big part in combat. Whenever you hit an enemy’s weakness or land a critical hit you are granted a press turn. Press turns are an additional action for your turn of combat, allowing up to 8 total turns instead of the normal 4. Making use of these extra turns is the difference between a difficult fight and one you can win in a single round.
Winning fights will grant you experience with all party members, and those in your stock, enough will grant you a level. You gain a random set of 3 points to your stats and 1 more to spend where you please, allowing you to craft your own build. Both Strength and Magic builds work wonderfully in this release, as was the case with Shin Megami Tensei IV giving more power to casters. Demons always have randomly assigned stats, but they can be changed out much easier than your character.
At the beginning of the game, you will find quite a tight belt when maintaining your HP and MP, though Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance did introduce orbs to collect in the world for some recovery in that aspect. Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance is probably the easiest title so far for resource management, something hardcore fans of the older titles might not be too happy with.
As well as combat, the world is full of friendly demons who will ask you to undertake tasks for them. Sadly, a good 90% of these are just “go here, kill this guy”, with a few requiring you to father several items in a time limit, answer a quiz, or fuse a particular demon. Quests will grant a chunk of preset exp, items, and access to new ultimate attacks for certain demon races.
God’s world is not eternal.
As the definitive edition of Shin Megami Tensei V, Vengeance is sadly only slightly polished when it comes to graphics. The PC release features quite the barebones options for graphics, not even allowing you to turn off the god-awful bloom that is prevalent in the sandy areas of the map. It is, at least, quite a smooth process with only a smattering of laggy sections.
The OST for Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance is leagues beyond the original release. Atlus is known for some banger soundtracks and many fans found the vanilla release to be lacking in that regard at times. Thankfully, with 80% more tracks, and an extra 20 new battle themes I was finding myself saying “Oo, new music” quite often. The music leans more towards Shin Megami Tensei IV with its synthesised tones and samurai influences, while some boss themes bring so much more energy than they did before.
Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance has also addressed its difficulty levels, making the main game easier and only a few bosses harder, similar to how Persona 5’s Royal edition did. Level difference doesn’t matter as much as it did before, allowing fights of 10+ levels above you to be completed without a grind. This will be a change that is subjective based on your preference though, those who want a harder experience might want to play on hard mode instead.
One big change, that I feel is only a good thing, is the addition of Magatsuhi rails. These rails act as both shortcuts to previous areas and grant access to hidden areas with new loots, fights, and even a few quests. The rails cut down on a lot of unnecessary backtracking padding that the game features quite a bit of, though I feel they could have been utilised even further, with one rooftop area in the last zone requiring 5 trips to get all of its items still.
With over 50 adjustments made to the game, it’s easy to see the love they poured into this updated version. It does feel like a strange acceptance of Creation being a bad story that they didn’t attempt to fix it, but having both stories only gives us more content. Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance does rely on a bit of information from Creation, especially when it comes to Odin, Zeus, and the other end-game demons, so you might need to play both stories to get the whole picture.
Overall, Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance gets an 8/10. Most of the changes are great with a handful being controversial based on gaming preferences. It is polished amazingly, outside of graphics, and offers a lot of content for your buck. If you did not get the original Switch exclusive, now is the time to get it on many other consoles, if you played the original, I’d suggest waiting for a good sale as you’ve experienced a good chunk of this game already.
It is cheaper than most AAA releases and is rightfully so as a re-release of most of the base game, but I do feel original owners should have got a discount. Atlus DLC practices are still a shambles, sadly, as content is locked behind a paywall, as well as boosters to just not play the game. The addition of Denuvo and an EULA agreement saying you don’t own the game will also be a turnoff for some.
Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance Trailer
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