Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance Review: Dark and Exciting

How would you feel if you were suddenly dragged to another dimension on your way home from school? Even though you feel like you're nobody, not an important person, or someone who has special abilities. Anyway, when you get home from school and are walking home, you are suddenly teleported to another world and don't know how to get home.

That's what happens to the main character we play in Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance. Unlike Persona 3: Reload that we have reviewed before, Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance presents a darker JRPG feel and is wrapped in a complex story plot.

Even with these advantages, Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance is not a game for everyone. The nuances of the story are very unique and niche, the character designs are different from most JRPGs, and the game mechanics are a little complex, making this game likely to be more difficult to accept than its sibling, the Persona series.

But that doesn't mean this game needs to be avoided completely. There are plenty of interesting things about Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance that you can try.

Also Read: Review of Granblue Fantasy: Relink, a Must Play for JRPG Lovers

Legendary Games

Talking about Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance cannot be separated from its long history. Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance is the fifth installment of the Shin Megami Tensei game series that was first released in 1992.

The first Shin Megami Tensei was also a continuation of the Digital Devil Story game: Shin Megami which was released in 1987. So Shin Megami Tensei is basically a legendary game whose fan base has been around since before I was born.

Unlike many JRPGs that have a European Fantasy theme, Shin Megami Tensei uses a dark modern world that is always associated with demons, gods, and monsters. Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance certainly continues that tradition and I think the foundation of the story is very solid.

Coming back to Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance, this game is an advanced release version of Shin Megami Tensei V that has arrived in 2021. This game offers one new storyline, the "Vengeance Route" which promises a very different experience.

In addition, the Shin Megami Tensei game series has so far been developed and has several derivative games. One of the most popular Shin Megami Tensei derivative game series is of course Persona.

Please also read our review of Persona 3: Reload, so you can find out where the differences and similarities are between these two games.

Nine Hours in the Prologue

A little note for those of you who want to play this game, I recommend that you be patient and follow the story slowly. Prioritize understanding the conflicts and relationships between characters that occur in this game because that is the main selling point of Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance.

Honestly, I haven't finished the full game yet. However, I did enjoy the storyline for about 20 hours.

One thing I can't forget about Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance is the lengthy prologue section. I spent about nine hours in the first map area introducing the storyline and gameplay mechanics of Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance.

The map with the topography of the destroyed city of Tokyo and the desert is presented very large and has quite a lot of side quests. Of course, I tried all the side quests which resulted in a long gameplay time in the map.

However, I also recommend that you complete the side quest. Because the side quest in the first map of Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance also shows various important things about the characters, enemies, and most importantly the mechanics that will help you throughout the adventure.

The first map has a rather mysterious backstory. Some say that the world the main character is visiting is a world of demons, while others say that it is Tokyo in the future.

Interestingly, not all demons are enemies. Many demons are also helping your adventure and some even need your help.

What is clear is that the demons I have found so far all have unique and eccentric characteristics. There are those whose behavior and physical appearance are like children and always want to be invited to play, there are also those who are always hungry and only want to eat.

For those who rarely or never enjoyed dark fantasy stories, Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance's story may feel very complex because there are many things happening in this world.

Nevertheless, the story of Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance is still very unique and worth listening to.

Also Read: Persona 3: Reload Review, Time to Fight the Monsters of Darkness!

Unique and Challenging Gameplay Mechanics

One of the reasons why I enjoyed playing Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance was because of its gameplay mechanics. This game uses turn-base mechanics as the basis of its battle system with the addition of a very distinctive "unique spice".

Like other turn-based JRPGs, each character has the option to attack with skills or regular attacks. Each character also has its own strengths and weaknesses, and is affiliated with certain elements. More or less similar to the gameplay mechanics in Persona 3 Reload.

The difference is that Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance allows you to "befriend" enemies and make them members of your party to fight other enemies. This makes the number of playable characters in this game very large.

Not only that, enemies that become friends and can be used to fight can also be "merged" into a stronger monster. Combining two monsters into a stronger figure cannot be arbitrary and there are conditions, but it is not difficult.

All you have to do is meet a certain NPC and open a list of monsters that you can combine. Again, the process is similar to combining personas in the Velvet Room in Persona 3: Reload.

That feature is actually what made me feel most at home in Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance. Because of this feature, I spent over 9 hours in the prologue because I spent most of my time hunting monsters.

But there is one thing that I complain about this game, and that's the music. Unlike Persona 3: Reload, Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance's music feels more flat.

ATLUS probably wanted to give a darker feel to this game through the music, so it was made in stark contrast to the music in the Persona series of games. However, Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance's music remains the component that makes me a bit lazy to play this game.

Conclusion: Mysterious Story and Challenging Gameplay

Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance is probably a very niche game and not for everyone. The theme, character design, story, and all the elements within are designed for specific gamers.

But that doesn't mean this game is bad. In fact, I can say that this game has solid gameplay mechanics for a JRPG so it's worth a try.

Pros:

• The plot is mysterious, unique, and interesting to watch.
  
• It has two very different storylines.
  
• Challenging gameplay mechanics.

Disadvantages

• The music feels too flat.