Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is an apocalyptic improvement over its already great predecessor, fixing almost everything fans didn’t like about the original game. With an altered story, new locations, better characters, and a near-infinite amount of content to dive into, RPG fans should screw justice and give into Vengeance.
On paper, Vengeance is similar to Persona 5 Royal and Persona 4 Golden: A re-release that adds more story content and quality-of-life features to improve an already-great game. But unlike those games, which essentially added new epilogues and more side content, Vengeance completely changes the original RPG’s story and revitalizes previously boring characters.
For the first few hours of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, fans would be forgiven to think that this is essentially the same game with some new improvements. You’re a high school student who somehow ends up in post-apocalyptic Tokyo and then becomes the Nahabino after fusing with a being called Aogami. However, everything changes once you meet new character Yoko Hiromine, who is a harbinger for all the new additions in this JRPG.
Without wishing to spoil anything, Vengeance twists how the story is told during the game’s second chapter. Even if you end up in familiar locations or fight the same bosses, the reasons why you’re there are completely different from the original game, making Vengeance’s story a lot more captivating. Characters like Tao and Yuzuru are now much more compelling figures in Vengeance, as they now have reasons to act with urgency. New bosses like Naamah and Lillith also add to this story, feeling like a constant antagonistic presence that will keep players on their toes.
The original SMT V had great gameplay, but its story left a lot to be desired. Most of the supporting cast didn’t get a lot of screen time, leaving their motivations later on often to feel rushed and uninspired. Now, these characters have a lot more screen time and they’re given more urgency to participate in the story. Tao in particular has a much stronger arc about becoming “The Saint,” torn between her human desires and her role to save humanity, it’s compelling stuff.
As if the new character motivations weren’t enough, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance also lets you control these would-be heroes during specific portions of the game. Yoko, Tao, and more can join your party as guests, giving you access to some of their powerful skills during combat. These guest characters are also optional, so if players prefer using the demons they recruited, they can easily be swapped out.
The rest of the game’s combat is largely the same. Players still get an advantage over their enemies when they discover their elemental or physical weaknesses, giving them an extra turn to deal out more damage. Enemies can also do this to you, so players have to be strategic with their party members and items. Players will spend most of their time fighting demons and it’s still a ton of fun, though there are times when it can feel grindy.
Vengeance and the original SMTV are pretty difficult, but they’re also the most welcoming games in the SMT series thus far. A proper tutorial is given so players know about the weakness system right away. Save points will allow you to heal your party for money and buy items, ensuring you’ll be ready for the next big boss. Fast travel between save points will help anyone out in a giffy and you get an item early on that teleports you to the last save point you used.
Recruiting demons in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is also mostly the same, though there are new additions to this mechanic. You can gain Gold Cards that will let demons immediately join the party. The demons can also quiz you with guessing games, which are fun enough and won’t break the bank like normal interrogations.
Exploration has also seen some welcome changes, which makes traveling through Vengeance's pseudo-open-world hubs a lot more appealing. For starters, players can now save the game anywhere, so they no longer have to rely on the Leyline Fonts for checkpoints. New Sonic the Hedgehog-style grind rails have also been added, which often lead to useful items and new side quests to partake in.
Side content is where players may start to get intimidated with the sheer amount of content available in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. Aside from the new side quests we just mentioned, there are also timed side quests that players will need to take note of. These can only be completed in a short amount of time, giving you some urgency in this open-world-like RPG.
All of the DLC quests from the first game are also here and they’ve been reworked into traditional side quests. This means you can now recruit the Demi-Fiend earlier than expected, which should please fans of Shin Megami Tensei 3. More DLC is also expected to be added, so prepare for even more quests that will eat up your time.
Challenge Battles are another new addition to SMT V, but they’re somewhat uninspired. These difficult challenges test a player’s mettle via a series of Boss Rush battles. Players can also talk with the Demons they’ve recruited in Demon Haunts, which often leads to skill boosts and new items. Special Magatsuhi Demons also roam the land and can give players more experience, similar to the Disaster Shadows in Persona 5 Royal, except they don’t explode.
If nothing else, Vengeance is also a gorgeous-looking game, especially on more powerful systems. The original game already looked great on Switch, but seeing these graphics hit their full potential is a sight to behold. I reviewed this game on Steam Deck, where it ran at a glorious 60FPS and had much cleaner textures. The game will look even better on a high-end PC or current-gen console, but Atlus’ dedication to optimization means it looks great no matter where you play it.
Overall, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a vast improvement over the original, which was already a pretty good game in its own right. With an improved story, better characters, and more quests adding to the already excellent combat system, this is a must-have RPG that all fans of the genre should own.
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