Shin Megami Tensei Video Game Series

The breakthrough, however, turned out to be only the third part - Shin Megami Tensei - released in 1992. It also permanently introduced the word "shin" (Japanese for "new") into the naming of the series. The fourth production from under this banner, i.e. Shin Megami Tensei II, appeared in 1994. At Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, players had to wait much longer, until 2003. Since then, ten more years had to pass before the series lived to see its next big installment, in the form of the game released in 2013. Shin Megami Tensei IV. The next major production, namely Shin Megami Tensei V, appeared instead in 2021.

Over the years, the series has lived to see a number of games released for a variety of platforms - from desktop consoles to handhelds to personal computers. In addition to the main installments, the brand has received, among other things, numerous spin-offs. Among the latter, the most prominent is the game released in 1996 Revelations: Persona, which gave rise to its own series (Persona), in the West enjoying much greater popularity and recognition than its original. In addition, a sub-cycle deserves mention Devil Summoner, started by the game released in 1995. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner.

The plot of the games in the series Shin Megami Tensei is based on the themes of the novel horror series Digital Devil Story. It presents a vision of a world struggling with demons. Usually the action is set in modern times or the near future, while the player commands a team of heroes endowed with unique powers used to fight the forces of evil. The mechanics vary depending on the production. Most often, however, games in the series Shin Megami Tensei are tactical jRPGs with a turn-based combat system.

From the very beginning, the visual layer of the series Shin Megami Tensei is maintained in a manga style. Initially, the games in the series Shin Megami Tensei offered only two-dimensional graphics, although with the advent of more advanced hardware platforms, developers from Atlus reached for 3D graphics.

The popularity of the series Shin Megami Tensei was also reflected outside the video game industry. The brand has lived to see, among other things, collectible figurines, its own manga, board and card games, and even a collection of clothing and accessories inspired by it.