As far as I’m concerned, Atlus’ Persona series is the gold standard for turn-based RPGs. Everything from the combat to the life simulation elements work perfectly for me, and I’d be hard-pressed to think of games I’d rather play when I’m looking for a big RPG to sink my teeth into. These games are technically a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei games, which is another series full of masterfully crafted monsters and RPG battles with a somewhat darker tone and generally harder difficulty. While I always enjoyed these more traditional RPGs when I played them, it wasn’t until Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance that I truly considered them all-time greats.
Our teenage protagonist has a normal school day, moving around Tokyo and chatting with his school friends. At least until a gruesome murder blocks his path and he has to change his usual route. This leads to our hero getting stuck in a cave and waking up in a completely different world. In this apocalyptic version of Tokyo, strange and dangerous monsters roam the land, and the gods and demons of folklore struggle to live in harmony. An ordinary schoolboy would have no chance of surviving in this desert, but luckily something happens that will change his life forever.
A demonic savior of this world with all kinds of powers decides to merge with our protagonist and transforms him into a powerful being known as Nahobino. Now that you have the power to defeat the demons that stand in your way, you begin a quest to return to the world you left, while changing the world you are stuck in forever. While not as story-driven as a Persona game, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance has an incredibly intriguing setting that I loved spending time in.
As someone who has already played many games in this series, what immediately stood out as special about this entry is the exploration of the world. The desert environment feels just the right amount of open and sprawling, with all sorts of secrets and side quests hidden around the corner of every ruined building. There’s just as much danger as loot, so you’d better be prepared to fend off goblins and mothmen.
The combat in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is just as well thought out and compelling as any other SMT/Persona game, with the focus being on enemy weaknesses to pull off extra moves. Figuring out each enemy’s weaknesses and taking advantage of them is more compelling than ever, but it’s really just the base level of combat. Along with that, you have all sorts of powerful buffs you can cast that are truly game-changing, healing abilities for when things go south (which they absolutely will), and special moves that guarantee maximum damage and reviews for additional moves. Even with all of this at your disposal, you can’t win alone and you’ll need to recruit a few friends to survive.
Recruiting demons is nothing new for the Shin Megami Tensei series, but it’s just as good here as in previous entries. Almost every monster you fight can be recruited by chatting with them in battle, but they’re all looking for something different. Arrogant demons may want you to tell them how intimidating they are, while benevolent fairies want to know that they will team up with someone with good intentions. If you impress a demon accordingly, it will come with you and be able to join your party of four, which, as you can imagine, is better than fighting solo.
Getting modest demons from the open world probably won’t be enough to deal with the tougher bosses waiting in the wastelands, and you’ll eventually have to fuse them in the Shadow World. Combining different demons and choosing which skills to pass down to generations is as fun as it is important to your success, and as long as your protagonist is high enough to control a new demon, you’re free to combine all the best supernatural friends. to create the ultimate team of beasts.
You’ll need to make yourself and your team stronger, and this is done either by absorbing the powers of the essences you collect to learn new skills, or by spending your glory on miracles. You’ll find this glorious resource while roaming the apocalyptic wastes, and you can use it to obtain all kinds of extremely useful upgrades. Everything from extra move slots to improved mastery of certain items can be obtained as long as you have the necessary items to do so, and for that reason you’ll want every bit of glory you can muster.
Now, if you’ve played Shin Megami Tensei V before this enhanced version of the game, you probably know all of this, but Vengeance has so much more to offer. The all-new story path is entirely different from the original game (and we’re talking all-new characters properly integrated into both the story and cutscenes), and can be chosen from the start as part of a first cutscene.
There are also huge new areas, new demons, the ability to save anywhere (which is so useful) and much more in this wonderful package. There’s even a new map option that lets you have a bird’s eye view, which can make exploring and collecting gifts much better in certain areas. Calling Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance the definitive version of the game is beyond an understatement, and it’s just a delight for fans new and old. The sheer volume of new features, bosses, and everything that’s been added makes this one of the biggest “re-ups” I can remember Atlus has ever done, and yes, that includes Persona 5 Royal.
As Shin Megami Tensei V first released as a Switch exclusive, it wasn’t the most technically impressive game (both visually and in terms of framerate). Playing the game on PC eliminated all of these issues, and if you’re a Steam Deck owner, you’ll enjoy a silky smooth experience at 60fps from start to finish. After playing the game on Deck, I can’t imagine playing it anywhere else, so those of you lucky enough to have this lovely handheld will have a great time.
There isn’t much to complain about when it comes to Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. The story isn’t exactly groundbreaking if you’ve played other games in the series, but the focus on combat means it’s not a big deal. Some will also be put off by the game’s difficulty, but with the ability to choose new, easier difficulties, this is less of a problem than ever.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a superb turn-based RPG that takes the series to new heights. The new additions to the game are both numerous and wonderful, the combat is more engaging than ever, and the world is a joy to explore. RPG fans would be foolish to miss this instant classic, so make sure you don’t.