Welcome to our review of Shin Megami Tensei V, the newest entry in the franchise and it is a spicy one.
Godhood Awaits. 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 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.
Shin Megami Tensei V is a feisty RPG, it really is. We all know what to expect when we start any RPG, from turn-based combat to full-free combat. Shin Megami Tensei V is the turn-based combat one, but it comes with a serious twist, you can enlist demons to fight on your side by talking to them. They usually ask for the strangest things in return and once you pass the test, they become part of your crew, so to speak. Each with their own attacks or healing, all staying true to the RPG principles.
This game actually has a really nice innocent feeling to it at first. By innocent I mean you do not think the game is going to be this challenging. It all comes down to the magical world of grinding. In order to keep the edge over your enemies, you have to level up frequently or constantly switch out demons in your crew. Personally, I went for the initial option, but it takes a real combination of both to really go for gold.
I like how your main assistant, the one whose help you are getting, warns you when you are too close to real danger. His words are not to be taken lightly except with the flying faery, she appears to be harmless. At least up to where I am in the game, many hours in. She is most helpful in helping you retrieve items, which are easily accessible thanks to her help. Not just her help, but the fact that you can move around really smoothly, that really helps you move around fast and effectively. From enemy to enemy or to treasure chests. Chests that are not always as easy to access, often take some creativity to get to their location.
I am rather disappointed by the toughness of the game though. Not that it is too hard, just hard enough that if you want to skip out of a few fights, you may end up getting underpowered, and well, it takes no rocket scientist to know that will end up badly. Graphically, it looks your typical top-level Switch game, great on the screen but rather disappointing on a massive TV like mine. It kind of looks blurry, but I never really found them to be disturbing.
Shin Megami Tensei V is also a very intense game, it just drags you into the Netherworld and before you know it, it is way past midnight, the lights in the house are out and you are playing on your bed. That is the kind of game Shin Megami Tensei V is, niche in a rather obscure way, unusual to see so much grinding required but it is just so damn weird, I love it. From a demon in a treasure room to other obscure demon designs, the weird names to boot.
In conclusion, Shin Megami Tensei V is a true RPG for the seasoned fan of JRPGs, it can get longwinded for casual fans, but do stick to the grinding, you will be presented with a cool storyline and a great game overall!
