Shin Megami Tensei V

Shin Megami Tensei V is a classic jRPG with turn-based combat system. It was developed by Atlus, a Japanese studio. Game belongs to the Shin Megami Tensei series, which dates back to 1987. Despite such a long presence on the market in the West, its spin-off - Persona - is much more widely recognized. The fifth main installment of the series was announced in January 2017, as a project developed for the Nintendo Switch .

Plot

The action of Shin Megami Tensei V begins in modern-day Tokyo, where an unknown danger appears. Unsure how else to explain the sudden rise in crime and suicide, some people have begun to blame these misfortunes on "monsters." To save himself from an accident, the main character - a high school student - has to move in a group outside the school premises. So, wanting to return home safely, he finds other people with whom he travels to the subway station together.

When the students arrive at the station, they find out that there has been an accident. Soon after, two people get separated from the group. The protagonist sets out to find them, eventually ending up in front of the Tokunawa Tunnel. He meets two other students who claim that there are monsters in the tunnel. The risky students head inside, recording everything with their video camera. The main character hesitantly follows them in. After a while there is a violent earthquake. One of the shards of the ceiling hits the protagonist, leaving him unconscious.

When the boy wakes up again, the world is no longer the same as it once was. The Tokyo he knows has turned into a post-apocalyptic ruin, haunted by all sorts of demons. To survive in this bleak place, the protagonist accepts the help of an unexpected ally. He unites with him, creating one powerful being, called Nahobino. At the same time, he is drawn into a conflict between the forces of darkness and light, and the decisions he makes from now on will affect the fate of the world.

Game mechanics

Game focuses mainly on world exploration and fighting with various enemies. As in previous parts, skirmishes use the "Press Turn" system. First one team attacks, then the other. Each character has one action per turn. If the fighter manages to hit the enemy's weak point, he receives an additional action. However, in the moment when the enemy dodges or repels the attack aimed at him, the player loses two actions. An interesting option is the magatsushi gauge, which offers access to powerful skills that can change the course of the battle.

The player's team consists of up to four demons. New allies are gained through negotiations and choosing the right dialogue options. In exchange for joining the group the character can also demand money or certain items. Through conversations, the player has the opportunity not only to recruit new sidekicks but also to obtain additional tools or a peaceful end to the battle.

The second way to recruit units is to merge already possessed demons with each other and in this way acquire completely new types of creatures. Thanks to the appropriate use of the fusion option the player has the ability to create more powerful allies, which will become a great support during battles with increasingly stronger opponents. The right choice of companions turns out to be essential in the fight against bosses. The player can choose from a pool of available heroes, deciding which of them will work best on the battlefield. This option proves to be especially useful during multiphase fights.

Even the first skirmishes can turn out to be extremely demanding. It's up to the player to decide whether he wants to take on the challenge and face enemies on higher difficulty levels (there are three available in the game: Hard, Normal and Casual), or focus more on just exploration and learning about the story. If he is interested in the most story-oriented aspect of the gameplay and does not want to waste time on complicated fights, he also has the opportunity to download a free Safety level.

During the gameplay the player traverses vast locations which hide various useful items, sometimes he also encounters other inhabitants of the land on his way. Shin Megami Tensei V has a lot of side missions, most of which are based on finding objects or defeating specific demons. It's worth accepting a task from time to time, as the hero receives valuable rewards in exchange for completing one of the side missions.

Technical aspects

The game features 3D graphics, developed on Unreal Engine 4. The character designs are in the style of Japanese animation.

Last updated on April 6, 2020