Summary
Like other Atlus games before it,Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeanceis an improved and enhanced version of 2021’sShin Megami Tensei 5releasing years later and adding in new story content and balance tweaks. While it might not be as significant of an upgrade asPersona 4 GoldenorPersona 5 Royal,Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeancemarks the first time that the title is available on platforms other than the Nintendo Switch, opening up Atlus' excellent demon-taming RPG to a whole new audience. In terms of the improvements that this new, enhanced version ofSMT 5makes over the original, it’s hard to not focus on the Press Turn system and its combat as being the highlight.
Shin Megami Tensei’s Press Turn battle system is one of the many hallmarks of the franchise and the foundation on which thePersonaseries' varying battle systems are built. However, what makes the Press Turn system arguably more engaging and strategic are the ways that multiple demon allies play into targeting enemy weaknesses and exploiting them. Unlike in thePersonagames, though, one wrong move or missed attack can cause a strong lead to fall apart in an instant, and the newVengeance-exclusive Miraclesand Essences make party composition more important than ever, serving to enhance an already excellent combat system.
Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance’s Improvements to Combat Take the Tedium Out of Grinding
Anyone familiar with bothShin Megami Tenseiand its offshootPersonacan attest to the necessity of fighting as many random encounters as possible to strengthen party members ahead of some truly nail-biting boss encounters.Shin Megami Tensei 5was already a challenging game, andVengeancegoes a long way toward rebalancing the difficulty curve to make the early game easier and the mid-to-late game much harder. As a result, players will find themselves needing to endlessly engage with enemies on the map, but the improved Press Turn system inSMT 5: Vengeancemakes this less of a chore and more of a boon.
The Press Turn system remains intact as one of the definitive elements of theShin Megami Tenseiseries inSMT 5: Vengeance, but the improvementsVengeancemakes over the coreSMT 5experience shake-up combat in some significant ways.
Combat isn’t just faster inVengeance(especially on PC or current-gen consoles where the title runs at a solid 60FPS), players have a host of new options at their disposal that can significantly shorten the length of tougher encounters. Primary among these are thenew Magatsuhi skillsthat unlock based on specific party compositions, with some of them having the potential to completely turn the tide of a losing battle. Every demon inSMT 5: Vengeancealso now has a Unique Skill that they bring to the table, and experimenting with these skills and different party compositions during the necessary grind adds some variety to the proceedings.
The Addition of the Demon Haunt Grants Massive Combat Boosts to the Nahobino
Aside from the practical enhancements that players can apply in-battle inSMT 5: Vengeance, the inclusion ofthe Demon Hauntis one of the more important additions that the game makes over the original experience. It may appear like a simple “hangout” for demons and a place to build social bonds with party members at first, but the conversations players have with Aogami here hide one of the best bonuses in the game. Every so often, conversing with Aogami provides the Nahobino with 3 bonus stat points for players to allocate as they choose.
Not only do these three bonus stat points equate to almost being a free level-up, but players can also strategically allocate them based on their party composition and playstyle with greater flexibility than the traditional 1 custom stat point granted at level-up. Depending on where players choose to allocate these stats, it’s entirely possible for the Nahobino to gain a strong advantage over most random encounters early on in the game, especially when putting points into Strength and Vitality to improve their offense and defense, respectively. It’s a small, but welcome, bonus that helps eke out a slight combat advantage for players wherethe originalShin Megami Tensei 5experience didn’t.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
WHERE TO PLAY
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance consists of two complete story paths: experience a brand-new route, the “Canon of Vengeance” – a dramatic tale of revenge by the fallen, centered around new characters and an enigmatic cohort of demons, the Qadištu, who plot their own dark designs apart from the war of those who fight to maintain order and those who seek to defy it. Or explore the original story told in Shin Megami Tensei V, the “Canon of Creation” – an eternal conflict between angels and demons, in which the protagonist fights for the world’s fate.When a grisly murder scene in modern-day Tokyo blocks our protagonist’s walk home, an unplanned detour leaves him buried and unconscious. He awakens in a new Tokyo, a wasteland ravaged by apocalypse now called Da’at… but before bloodthirsty demons can claim his life, a savior emerges, and the two of them unite to become a mighty being, neither human nor demon: a Nahobino.With newfound power, the protagonist ventures through Da’at, an enigmatic realm filled with mythical deities and demonic tyrants in constant conflict for survival. Searching for answers, the protagonist must forge his own path in a battle between angels and demons to dictate the fate of the world.
