As you may already be aware, ATLUS is currently preparing for the release of an enhanced definitive version of the original Shin Megami Tensei V in the form of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. With so many changes and content brought to the game, there are certainly worries when it comes to difficulty becoming easier.

As one of ATLUS’ longest-running pillar franchises, Shin Megami Tensei has a notable reputation, especially among hardcore RPG players who still appreciate challenging strategic gameplay. In an era where many games are increasingly spoiling players with more accessibility, especially in the aspect of difficulty, ATLUS still ensures that Shin Megami Tensei retains one of its strongest selling points, something that they even still maintain in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. More than just that, there were many new elements we were curious about, including the overall scope of content offered and how far they maximized the experience.

Some of our curiosity has finally been answered because a few weeks ago SEGA was kind enough to invite our team directly to their headquarters in Tokyo, Japan to try out Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance ahead of launch. We were given more than 6 hours of playtime, which included the initial portion of the playthrough for a new route to see the differences with the original game. That’s quite a generous amount of time for a hands-on session and while there’s still a lot to see, at least we got the initial impressions we wanted.

Canon of Vengeance

The biggest difference as well as the main selling point of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is definitely the Canon of Vengeance route. In essence, you will be given the option to choose two different routes at the beginning of the game that will determine the main story direction of the entire playthrough. More specifically, your character will be met with a mysterious girl who can potentially be freed from her fate by extending your hand to her, initiating the Canon of Vengeance route, or ignoring this option completely, leading you to the Canon of Creation, which is a similar route to the original game.

Longtime players who plan to return to Vengeance will definitely have no problem choosing a route to take as most of them will focus on the Canon of Creation, but what about newcomers? Then our answer is definitely whichever because after all, this will be your first experience with Shin Megami Tensei V. We don’t want to make any assumptions about which route is the most definitive, but we have to admit that Canon of Vengeance does have a more interesting plot to follow.

Through this route, you will be taken on a storyline with a focus on the theme of “vengeance” which also brings some interesting original characters such as Yoko Hiromine as a new ally, and especially the antagonist group – Qadištu, consisting of four alluring female demons led by Lilith.

Each character left quite a strong impression on our play session, from the first encounter with Yoko as a new partner who is shrouded in mystery, to when faced with Qadištu, especially Na’amah, who we believe has the potential to become a fan-favorite demon when the game launched. Even the old original characters get the main spotlight, such as your school friends who can join as party members throughout the game. 

There might be a bias effect going on since we finished the original game before, so Canon of Vengeance naturally feels a lot more refreshing – but the comparison isn’t just limited to the more interesting story and characters, as Canon of Vengeance will also give you access to Nahobino’s new form which we can’t go too in-depth in this preview. It’s possible that there are so many other surprises that make the new route more likely to make us want to recommend it as the definitive option, but again as long as you’re a newcomer to Shin Megami Tensei V, we think playing either route will still provide a satisfying experience. 

ATLUS has also maximized the potential of the Canon of Creation route. So rather than bringing changes that are way too significant in order to maintain the originality of the old story, players will be given access to a variety of new side quests, new mechanics, and other major overhauls to the gameplay as well as the overall quality of life that make Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance a whole lot more enjoyable to play. 

Brand New Da’at

Most of your adventures in this game will take place in Da’at, a Netherworld parallel to Tokyo inhabited by demons. At first glance, the scenery of Da’at hasn’t changed drastically, at least until we realized various interesting implementations such as the Magatsu Rail to reach distant areas quickly that also serve to open up shortcuts. Navigation is also made easier with the sky view feature that allows you to see the surrounding area from the air. This might not seem very useful considering the game already has a minimap, but there will be times when you’ll be exploring much busier areas that need a clearer view to make navigation easier. 

You’ll also be given access to the new “Shinjuku” region, which has its own set of challenges to explore, especially the different types of demons that inhabit an area or region. One example that overwhelmed us the most was the Mad Gasser, where these demons often appear suddenly in a group that forms a lined-up formation to block your path and ambush you with their gas spray. They’re quite a challenging opponent to deal with, and their ambush tactics never fail to trap you unless you’ve memorized where they’ll spawn on the map. 

The presence of new demons in the game contributes to Da’at’s new scenery such as Dormarth, Gremlin, Halphas, Karasu Tengu, Unicorn, Tzitzimitl, Fenrir, and many more. As always, these demons will not only be opponents but also new partners to recruit into your party. The capabilities of each demon are also maximized through the Innate Skill, which is a kind of passive skill with a variety of different effects such as those that can give you buffs or various other bonuses depending on the conditions. This makes Innate Skills further increase the potential that can be achieved with certain team combinations, so no matter how weak the demons in your party are, there is always some kind of potential to be maximized. 

Progressing further enough into the game, there will also be Demon Haunts, which sort of function as a hub for you and your demons to gather, where you can also interact with them and even gain items from them or as a bonus way to level up. This is definitely one of our favorite additions where it sort of functions as a way to relax after all the exhausting battles, and how there’s even a feature to use the free camera and appreciate all the demons up close. 

The Challenge

Going back to the question that many longtime fans are most curious about regarding the difficulty level itself, we can confirm that Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is still a challenging game. Based on our experience in this preview session, we were still overwhelmed by some of the encounters such as Hydra, the first big boss that can be quite brutal to face without proper preparation. In Vengeance, the boss battle against Hydra itself is still just as difficult, especially with its thick HP and consecutive attacks with big damage. You must at least have a high-level party, including one that can launch attacks according to its weaknesses to consistently get 8 consecutive turns or make use of Magatsuhi Omagatoki: Critical to convert every attack as a critical hit.

The point is that we were still made to struggle quite a bit and if you don’t focus on grinding or preparing a sufficiently built party. Hydra can be a difficult opponent to beat even on Casual difficulty, so there are many other challenges to follow after that. Shortly after defeating the demon, Canon of Vengeance also sees you face off against one of Qadištu’s members who, while not quite as brutal, does have a phase where you can get wiped out with a succession of attacks that keep stealing extra turns and can only be stopped with the right strategy. So even with all the changes that the game has brought, including features and other quality-of-life aspects, it’s all about making your experience more comfortable rather than directly affecting the difficulty level. 

Impression So Far…

At least from our limited play session of six to seven hours playing through the beginning hours of the new route in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, the experience feels fresh and much more satisfying in many aspects. Even the parts that we haven’t fully highlighted such as visual quality and performance are also a major plus, because we still remember very well how the game has the potential to shine on the technical side if it is no longer exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, and finally now the fans’ wishes have been granted. 

Of course, there’s so much we still want to explore more after playing the game in full, but overall we can see that the developers are really serious about taking fan feedback to make Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance the best version to play. Even keeping Canon of Creation as a story route option to choose from further maximizes the replayability aspect of the game, especially for newcomers who feel like they’re getting two games in one. 

In short, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a definitive version made of love with many exciting new elements and changes that gave exciting fresh experiences for fans of the original while welcoming newcomers.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is set to launch for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam on June 21, 2024.