Summary
Announced as an updated version of one of the Nintendo Switch’s most popular JRPGs,Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeanceseems set to match the efforts of previous Atlus re-releases. While the originalSMT5has achieved impressive sales and an overall positive reception among fans, it has also been the subject of several criticisms which tend to favor the previous mainline entries of the franchise. The elements thatShin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeancehas been revealed to feature seem aimed at addressing many of these issues that players have expressed, potentially allowing this to be a highlight of the series when it arrives.
Atlus is no stranger to improved editions of successful titles, as the likes of everything fromPersona 5 Royalto theHD remaster ofSMT3: Nocturnehave shown, butVengeanceseems to occupy a special place among these revisited titles. The game’s primary strength, its combat, didn’t particularly suffer from what may have been a troubled development, but the game’s story is one of the most minimal of the entire franchise.Vengeancenot only seems to be finally fleshing this area out, but bringing welcome adjustments to the battle system for this multiplatform release.
Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance Brings Changes to Demons and Gameplay
Vengeance Levels Up SMT5’s Compendium
In terms ofSMT’s demon summoning-based systems,Vengeance’s addition of 40 new demons, including the Nahoheeho Jack Frost variant, is likely to be one of its biggest selling points. This growth in numbers comes along with the introduction of a Unique Skill for every individual demon, adding to the depth of fusing to synergize with these. There will be day one DLC featuring demons such asSMT4: Apocalypse’s Dagda, but the originalSMT5’s DLC, including all additional demons, will also now be available by default inVengeance, bringing the total number above 270.
Improvements to Various Aspects of the Combat Experience
Outside the new potential recruits the player can meet, there’s the highly requested feature of having the game’s cast members actually available as playable companions in battle. This feature has been present in some of theclassicShin Megami Tenseititles of the past. It comes along with what appears to be a sort of combo or fusion spell system, as demons were shown to unleash unique, synergized attacks inVengeance’s trailer. Even more prevalent is the inclusion of several new quality-of-life features, including auto-battle, skipping combat animations, reallocation of stats, and the ability to save anywhere instead of relying upon a Leyline Fount save point.
A New Narrative is Set to Redefine Shin Megami Tensei 5’s “Definitive” Edition
SMT5: Vengeance Appears Especially Focused on Story
It’s confirmed that an entirely new narrative will be present inVengeanceapart from the gameplay changes, finally opening up the door to complete what many outspoken fans felt like was a somewhat incomplete story.SMT5’s new “Canon of Vengeance” story routeis centered around Lilith and the Qadistu, as opposed to the base game’s “Canon of Creation”, and is set to take the game’s plot in a totally new direction after a clear point of divergence that may lead to the new zone of Da’at shown off in the trailer.
Yoko is Atlus' Latest “Re-Release Girl”
Through several re-releases of popularSMTtitles and spin-offs alike, Atlus has developed a reputation for introducing a particular character archetype into these improved versions. Seen withStrange Journey Redux’s Alex andPersona 4 Golden’s Marie, they tend to be mysterious women who end up having significance within the changed story, and fans have taken to dubbing these the “remake girls”. With the enigmatic Yoko Hiromine now entering the main cast ofVengeanceand stealing the spotlight, this version ofSMT5follows a pattern of multiple other updated Atlus released that have come before.
Shin Megami Tensei 5
WHERE TO PLAY
When a grisly murder scene in modern-day Tokyo blocks our protagonists 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 they 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 light and dark to dictate the fate of the world.
