Shin Megami Tensei V. Oh my god, did I just say that? The Shin Megami Tensei series has always been
known for its challenge, so for this video, I’ve decided to challenge myself and not
compare it to Persona! Shit, this is hard. Over the years, the Shin Megami Tensei series
has gained quite the cult following thanks to its intricate and punishing turn-based
battles within a bleak, post-apocalyptic atmosphere. After the monumental success of a game that
shall not be named, which catapulted Atlus into the spotlight, more eyes than ever were
on the series, and dark, hellish descriptions began to crop up in an attempt to compare
its individuality to other titles. One guy even called it the Dark Souls of JRPGs. Heh. oh that was me With all this attention came a larger promotional
campaign and more general interest for Shin Megami Tensei V, and despite my pessimistic
outlook, the game really did manage to have a simultaneous worldwide release in 2021. And what do I think? Ladies and gentlemen, please stay on high
alert, we got a good video game on our hands. Also, just a heads up, there will be minor
visual spoilers throughout this video so I can show a wider range of gameplay, but I
won’t talk about major plot points or show important cutscenes. Anyway! While I failed to appreciate the intimate
sensibilities of an outdated PS2 game filled with random encounters - despite my affinity
for turn-based RPGs - I loved Nocturne from a conceptual standpoint, and wished for nothing
more than to not need a GameFAQ for the dungeons this time around. After recently finishing SMT V, I am more
than happy to report that this new entry magically cuts out just about all of the headaches commonly
associated with the genre. It’s easily the most accessible game in
the series while still maintaining that demonic flair and style. My goal with this review is not to confuse
the overall quality of SMT V with how much it lives up to "similar" games, but I do wanna
talk about RPG conventions, because I think there's an interesting problem that this game
solves when it comes to confusing tedium with difficulty. After my sixty hour abusive relationship with
Nocturne, I felt like I was breezing through the early stages of SMT V, to the point where
I was wondering if the game had lost some of its edge. When compared to the aggravating mechanics
of many other turn-based games, it's easy to think of SMT V as "easy" from a glance. There's tons of ways to regenerate health
and mana in the overworld, tons of tools and items to help customize builds to your liking,
and fantastic quality-of-life improvements to demon fusion. Also no random encounters! Or grinding! At least on normal mode… and ignoring the
level 96 secret final boss but that’s another discussion for another time! As I progressed through the game and thought
about these aspects some more, I realized that Shin Megami Tensei V is simply disposing
of the antiquated mechanics we've come to accept over the years, and the result is a
turn-based RPG built on an incredibly strong foundation that doesn't feel like it's trying
to drive you insane. The 60 hour playtime is 60 hours of constant
progression and exploration, not a couple cutscenes to compliment sixty hours of grinding. I rarely found myself turning on auto-battle
during my playthrough, as almost every encounter felt intentional and designed, like a stream
of constant boss fights. Apologies to all you folks with Stockholm
syndrome, this game's actually fun. The feature that I believe defines this entry
in particular is exploration. Rather than send you through pre-built corridors,
dungeons and story events, the game allows you to take the main quest at your own pace
while giving you more choices than ever before. You can avoid enemies you don’t want to
fight while getting the jump on powerful ones, choose which demons to side with in optional
quests, and peek your luxurious locks around every corner to look for secrets. Movement isn't something that often comes
up when discussing a game where the majority of “movement” is through menus, but they
actually made traversal into a core mechanic, and it’s fantastic! I’ve talked about my appreciation for fast
movement in previous videos, and I think Atlus has really nailed it with their approach to
the overworld, as being able to sprint across the map removes the tedium of slowly walking
back to a quest location or collectible. While I expected the majority of the experience
to be combat-focused, there’s so much more to discover. Not including random encounters requires a
much different approach to map design. Instead of fearing for your life and resources
while running down repetitive hallways, you’re encouraged to check every corner of the map
for secrets, treasures and NPCs. Items aren’t just hidden in chests at the
end of an alternate corridor, as the game will have you climbing bridges and jumping
through crumbled buildings to find a variety of collectibles, from Glory points that let
you purchase useful upgrades to little Miman that can be turned in for rewards. Instead of climbing a tower and pressing a
button, revealing sections of the map requires you to fight a mini-boss. This doesn’t mean there’s no stakes to
the game, though, as regular enemies can kick you straight to the game over screen if you
aren’t paying attention, and giant mini-bosses roam the ruined cities to keep you on your
toes while adding even more reasons to revisit old areas. Unfortunately, I don’t think the open-world
is perfect, as I did find myself missing the occasional puzzle-solving and resource management
that comes with exploring a dungeon. There are only three major dungeons in the
game, and while a bit simple, the confined spaces allow for new gameplay opportunities,
like observing patrol routes and sneaking behind corridors to avoid fights with powerful
enemies. However, it doesn’t feel like these mechanics
were fleshed out enough during the short time you spend indoors. Overall, though, SMT V manages to stay incredibly
engaging for its entire runtime at the cost of slightly less tension, which feels like
a more than acceptable trade-off. Tying an intense boss fight to the danger
of losing an hour of progression is already a slippery slope, so tough battles are recontextualized
to be exciting, rather than upsetting. This isn't to say that any inconvenience is
bad, as the concept of tension and release is interesting to consider when it comes to
turn-based RPGs, but I think SMT V chooses to avoid leaning into the broken controller
zone. Things like save points, recovery mechanics,
dungeon layouts and boss designs all have to meld together into a tightrope act of applying
the right amount of pressure. You don't want a player to feel bored and
overpowered while roaming the apocalypse, but you also don't wanna make hour-long dungeons
with doors that randomly teleport you back to where you started. I’ll stop being petty soon, I promise. For the first nine hours and fifty-nine minutes,
I was worried that the copious quality-of-life improvements were gonna make the game a cakewalk
on Normal mode, but in the tenth hour I hit that classic Shin Megami Tensei wall. And damn, the wall has never looked better. Like, don’t get me wrong… I like the funny skeleton… but that’s
a… that’s a nice wall… Nuwa: “The man beside me is Yakumo… I suppose one could say he’s my other half.” aw man Getting absolutely smashed by a boss because
you weren't sure what was coming doesn't mean you have to trudge through the sand for twenty
minutes to try again. Instead, you can immediately hop into the
fun part: revamping the fellas into a team that exists for the sole purpose of blasting
the absolute fuck out of the specific boss that killed you. The need to constantly switch up your team
results in combat never feeling the same for too long, as hanging onto most demons isn’t
reasonable when they’re quickly outclassed by stronger ones. Going from fusing dead chickens and cute fairies
to literal gods that summon meteors is an incredibly satisfying form of progression,
and alongside essences that let you give anyone new skills on a whim, the sky’s the limit
when it comes to team composition. are you okay- Now, I mainly centered this review around
the gameplay, as it’s the defining factor of SMT V, and the part of the game you’re
gonna spend a majority of your time experiencing. However, that also contributes to its biggest
disappointment: the story. I touched on the idea of Shin Megami Tensei's
worldbuilding in my Nocturne video, and I still think atmosphere is one of its greatest
strengths. While the series is often much lonelier than
your typical RPG, striking visuals, a haunting soundtrack and comical interactions with demons
manage to give the world a real sense of life, but when it comes to telling an overall story,
SMT V just... doesn’t. Even more so than Nocturne, which is often
viewed divisively for its lack of a storyline until the later stages of the game. While it has its flaws, I really enjoyed the
twists and turns of SMT IV’s story, but SMT V is easily one of the weakest I’ve
ever seen in an RPG. Turn-based games are often lauded for their
elaborate stories told over many hours, and I think SMT V could’ve done something great,
considering the scale of the rest of the experience. I wish the game did interesting things with
its setting, rather than being post-apocalyptic Tokyo again… or that it didn’t just boil
down to Law vs. Chaos again. While some surprising story moments help to
reflect the harsh reality of the apocalypse, most of the main characters are pretty flat
and uninteresting. The game saves almost the entirety of its
storytelling for the last few hours, which is a shame, because it’s awesome! A race to claim the throne of God while weighing
the value of both demon and human lives has limitless potential, but the depth of each
final decision mostly comes from pondering the philosophy after the credits roll, not
from within the game itself. This doesn’t mean SMT V skimps out on its
writing, per say, but optional events build more of the world than the main story ever
does, and it’s a real disappointment considering the quality of said writing. The demons easily steal the show with their
witty responses and amusing requests. They’ll ask you to deliver love letters
or kill someone they think is annoying, and tug at the sides of your morality to see if
you feel like being a square, or... releasing a couple sex demons into Tokyo. It'll be fine, right? Ok, so I was just reading the lore, and…
oh no- Talking to the demons was easily one of my
favorite aspects of the game, as there’s so much unique dialogue for their unhinged
personalities. Sometimes I’d lead a demon on only for them
to say some shit like “damn I’m hungry I should go cook dinner” and peace the fuck
out. There are even specific interactions that
by no means need to exist but demonstrate just how much care was put into the experience. So here’s the big question. Top or bottom? Uh… wh-middle? Now, while chatting it up with Satan and his
homies might be a relaxing activity, you are not meant to feel safe in the Netherworld,
and there are tons of little details that help drive home that sense of danger. Oppressive, ominous music plays as you wander
through the decaying ruins of human civilization, with hidden demons and world bosses ready
to surprise you at every corner. Entering a battle with advantage plays a calm,
yet foreboding track, choosing to withhold the kickass music until you’ve initiated
your first move. And oh man, here we are, it’s time to talk
about the music! What more can I say other than, uh, holy fucking
shit? *music plays* The only other complaint I have is in regards
to the graphics. Now, I know this sets me up to sound like
an entitled gamer, but I'm more so just upset that Nintendo likes to sweep up exclusivity
but force developers to make console-quality titles run on a slightly amped-up toaster
that sounds like it’s screaming for dear life every time I boot up the game. This isn't to say that frame rate drops majorly
affected my experience, but the jagged edges and laggy menus made me wonder if they could
have cut back on certain elements like sand particles or crazy transitions to make the
game feel at home on the Switch. Or if they could’ve just... put it on a
different console, maybe... There’s a ton of stuff I could continue
to talk about, like how Jack Frost apparently looks cute so he can murder people more easily??? But I wanna keep my review short and sweet,
so! If you're looking for a game that prides itself
on character writing and a complex plotline, you might wanna look elsewhere, but if you're
willing to sink your teeth into the dense atmosphere of a gritty netherworld where the
main question in your mind isn't "I wonder who the villain is" but "what if I just became
God I’m so much cooler" then I highly recommend checking out Shin Megami Tensei V. The turn-based
combat, demon fusing and map exploration is so finely tuned through decades of trial and
error that the gameplay itself carries the entire experience. But that’s about it! If you enjoyed the video, consider subscribing,
and if you wanna help support my channel, you can check out my Patreon in the description. Sometimes I get sick of a game part-way through,
or can only stomach playing it for a few hours a day, but the time simply withered away every
time I launched SMT V, and after clearing every single side quest and getting the true
ending, it’s probably my favorite game of 2021. Wait, why is the video not ending? Oh fuck, I gotta end on a joke, uh… PENIS CHARIOT
YEAH
