Shin Megami Tensei Thread

[Dragard]

I've only finished two of the games, but I love the series in general.

So far I've finished Devil Survivor, Devil Survivor Overclocked (which I'd count as 1 game), and Persona 3 Portable. I am, however, playing Strange Journey, Devil Survivor 2, and Shin Megami Tensei (SNES) at the moment. I'm also playing Persona 2: Innocent Sin, but I kinda feel like getting Persona and playing that first, as there are refrences to the characters and stuff. I also have Devil Summoner 2, DemiKids Dark Version, and Shin Megami Tensei II waiting to be played.

I'll end up getting Persona 4: The Golden and Persona 4: Arena (really looking forward to that one, since I'm a fighting game fan) when they're released. Oh, and lets not forget Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2 on the PSN as PlayStation 2 classics! Oh, and Eternal Punishment xD So many to play.

I've also been playing the MMO, Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine. It's pretty fun, the combat isn't your typical MMO stuff. I'm only Lv.24 at the moment, walking around with my Lilim ^^

 

[Sonozaki Maya]

I've also been playing the MMO, Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine. It's pretty fun, the combat isn't your typical MMO stuff. I'm only Lv.24 at the moment, walking around with my Lilim ^^

Sorry to spoil your fun, but IMAGINE is your typical late-game grindfesta. Once you do all the acts, it degenerates into an incredibly boring grind at around Lv65+ when the EXP curve shoots up considerably.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

To keep you entertained, here's a few screens of the new scenario for Eternal Punishment, which will center around Tatsuya.

 

[Mariya Shidou]

Sorry to spoil your fun, but IMAGINE is your typical late-game grindfesta. Once you do all the acts, it degenerates into an incredibly boring grind at around Lv65+ when the EXP curve shoots up considerably.

I wish some of these games could tone that down. In the RPG genre as a whole (counting all the subgenres), I can pinpoint two games that are REALLY horrible about it, but most of the SMTs that I've played haven't been too aggravating so far (though maybe that's just to offset the fact that you start off rather vulnerable).

PSO gets to it once you hit about level 80, if I had to estimate. Off-topic, but.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

I have to admit that the battles in DS2 seem to play a LOT harder than DS.

 

[MidnightMelody]

Is it true the booklet for DS2 is long and thick?

Just ordered the game for 21.99 and waiting for the delivery.

 

[Chris]

As I mentioned on the PS thread, Europe's going to be getting Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2 on the PlayStation Network's PS2 Classics section soon. It'll be the first time they get it. On a related note, Atlus reprinted the games in the US. So now you can pick up DDS for around $30, while DDS2 will run you around $25.

As for the announcement of Persona 2 EP getting a PSP port - SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY, ATLUS!

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

Is it true the booklet for DS2 is long and thick?

Just ordered the game for 21.99 and waiting for the delivery.

Yes it is. It's the bulkiest DS booklet I've ever seen, but that's because it has two languages.

 

[Zazie]

As I mentioned on the PS thread, Europe's going to be getting Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2 on the PlayStation Network's PS2 Classics section soon. It'll be the first time they get it. On a related note, Atlus reprinted the games in the US. So now you can pick up DDS for around $30, while DDS2 will run you around $25.

As for the announcement of Persona 2 EP getting a PSP port - SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY, ATLUS!

They reprinted PS2 games in 2012? Awesome, though used copies were going for 30 dollars in the past anyway its nice that there are now more copies floating around. Did they also reprint Nocturne? I am seeing it online for around the same price.

I to pick those up, but my wallet is kind of cringing at the 55 dollars. (not expensive by any means, but I have no income) Do I really need to get both or are the games fairly self contained?

Still waiting for Devil Survivor 2, I should get it in the mail by monday.

 

[General Nonsense]

I still haven't finished Devil Survivor 1. I ragequit against one of the bosses at some point and haven't picked it up since. I really need to finish it, it's a great game.

 

[Charizard Champion#06]

You should definitely back track afterwards and play some of the older stuff. The following games are all great:

Persona 3
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon
Nocturne (this is the best IMO)
Strange Journey
Digital Devil Saga
Digital Devil Saga 2
Devil Survivor Overclocked
Devil Survivor 2

At the very least, you should play one from each series. So one main series game, one Persona, one Devil Summoner, one Digital Devil Saga, and one Devil Survivor. They're all different from each other, but they have the same demons and mythology (God is a douchebag, and if a character is blonde and pale, they're Lucifer, no matter if they're male, female, young, or old).

Whoa whoa, hold on there. I'm not sure if I'll even LIKE the game yet. I probably will but maybe it won't be enough to delve further into SMT, who knows?

 

[ForeverFlame]

Whoa whoa, hold on there. I'm not sure if I'll even LIKE the game yet. I probably will but maybe it won't be enough to delve further into SMT, who knows?

Don't use Persona as your judge as to whether or not you'll like SMT. As I said, each SMT series is different from one another. Devil Survivor is a deconstruction of Pokemon. Persona 3 + 4 are part dating sim, part slice of life, and part dungeon crawler. The main SMT series (Nocturne, Strange Journey, etc.) are dungeon crawlers set in dark futuristic worlds. Key word being dark. You won't be able to social link with cutesy Anime girls in Nocturne.

The characters, plot, and gameplay aren't even similar. If it wasn't for SMT being in the title and some of the demons/personae being the same, you wouldn't even know they were in the same series.

 

[Jb]

long and thick?

Someone had to do it.


Anyway, I've had my eye on DS2 for a while, gotta get the cash up.

 

[Charizard Champion#06]

Don't use Persona as your judge as to whether or not you'll like SMT. As I said, each SMT series is different from one another. Devil Survivor is a deconstruction of Pokemon. Persona 3 + 4 are part dating sim, part slice of life, and part dungeon crawler. The main SMT series (Nocturne, Strange Journey, etc.) are dungeon crawlers set in dark futuristic worlds. Key word being dark. You won't be able to social link with cutesy Anime girls in Nocturne.

The characters, plot, and gameplay aren't even similar. If it wasn't for SMT being in the title and some of the demons/personae being the same, you wouldn't even know they were in the same series.

Well, if you say so. I'm not really interested in Persona 4 for the dating sim aspect (I don't play dating sims) but the anime was a kind of gateway drug.

 

[Zazie]

Well, if you say so. I'm not really interested in Persona 4 for the dating sim aspect (I don't play dating sims) but the anime was a kind of gateway drug.

If you play games for the story then the other Shin Megami Tensei games may not be your cup of tea. This isn't to say they have poor stories, but they are primarily well liked for their gameplay.

Also Persona 4's video game story is better in most ways. The Kanji storyline in particular is handled pretty poorly in the anime.

 

[Chris]

Did they also reprint Nocturne?

Yeah, Nocturne's been reprinted several times now.

Well, if you say so. I'm not really interested in Persona 4 for the dating sim aspect (I don't play dating sims) but the anime was a kind of gateway drug.

The "dating sim" aspect is required to make better Persona through Fusion. Not to mention, it helps flesh out the characters as well as gives your team more options during fights, such as taking attacks that would one-shot the leader or healing status effects, as well as jumping in to attack an enemy that's been hit with an attack of its weakness or a Critical Hit.

 

[Charizard Champion#06]

If you play games for the story then the other Shin Megami Tensei games may not be your cup of tea. This isn't to say they have poor stories, but they are primarily well liked for their gameplay.

Also Persona 4's video game story is better in most ways. The Kanji storyline in particular is handled pretty poorly in the anime.

I don't ever play games entirely for story, but I don't ignore stories either. I enjoy the really good ones of course. I know it probably sounds kind of lame but the setting is what got me the most interested.

The "dating sim" aspect is required to make better Persona through Fusion. Not to mention, it helps flesh out the characters as well as gives your team more options during fights, such as taking attacks that would one-shot the leader or healing status effects, as well as jumping in to attack an enemy that's been hit with an attack of its weakness or a Critical Hit.

I still intended to explore the dating sim Fusion thing too. I don't want the game entirely for that part but I still want to try it out is what I guess I'm saying.

 

[Sonozaki Maya]

Seeing that Nocturne got mentioned, for those willing to import or CAN find a copy that can be imported (and is able to understand it), I recommend Nocturne Chronicles instead as that is basically Nocturne+, including Raidou as a potential team member. I think that it's a great enhancement of the original game and I recommend it for those people who are interested in it. However, since it's Japanese-only as far as I know, there may be a language barrier concern.

If you play games for the story then the other Shin Megami Tensei games may not be your cup of tea. This isn't to say they have poor stories, but they are primarily well liked for their gameplay.

Not sure I can agree entirely with this; while the majority of SMT popularity does stem from the gameplay, a bulk of actual Shin Megami Tensei discussion and debate are based on the plot itself. For instance, the differences regarding the Law/Neutral/Chaos route splits - which ones do people consider as the morally best one? Which one would be canon? Questions like that. While more often than not it leads to flame wars, it can still yield some heavily interesting discussion.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

Devil Survivor 2 mixes the "dating sim" aspect of Persona 3 & 4. However, the plus side is that you have over 10 people to talk to with 5 levels each. The bad side is that...wait, there's no bad side.

 

[Zazie]

I just got Devil Survivor 2 in the mail today. I am pretty hyped right now. The instracution booklet is so thick the staples are barely keeping it together.