For a while now I’ve been playing the game Shin Megami Tensei IV, which released on the 3DS. I can honestly say that I wasn’t sure what to expect since I’m new to the series, since the only other Shin Megami Tensei game I played was Soul Hackers. with the amount of time I’ve put into the game already I had a great time with that game, but Shin Megami Tensei IV brought me into a new world to experience and a new way to play.
Will Shin Megami Tensei IV be the must own 3DS game for JRPG fans? Will the game cause sleepless nights? Let’s find out!
Now with Shin Megami Tensei IV there are several new features to me such as being able to run around locations in-game and not moving block by block. Plus within the game you’ll meet many new demons and some from past games. As I’ve said I’ve yet to play any of the past games other than Soul Hackers. Many JRPG fans know that Shin Megami Tensei IV’s story is one that will have plot twists and a mature story-line. If you enjoy dark games, then get ready! You’ll start the game as a young nobody who has come into the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado. This is where everyone finds out if they’re destined to become a Samurai within the Kingdom. Luckily you find out that you’re worthy to become Samurai, which is the reason you’re now wearing a gauntlet. A Samurai’s job is to take down demons while recruiting some to become your allies.
One day you hear that something very pivotal has happened within the game. Sadly I can’t get into more details than that due to it being a spoiler. You then find out that someone has turned the citizens of the kingdom into demons. From that point in-game, the dark vibe will develop more and more. You’ll be sure to visit many places like Tokyo and much more. The game will have many plot twists as I said above, but you’ll be helped by the three other in-game players seen in the picture above.
The gameplay is very slow-paced when it comes to completing quests, finding out what’s going on and simply leveling up. You’ll be grinding quite a bit as you play. Some bosses are powerful enough to take your team out if you’re not near the stated level in-game or higher. Hence the grinding of levels, which seemed at times to be very time-consuming. In the game itself, you’ll have so much to do: it ranges from the main quests that push you farther into the storyline, the side quests that help you earn XP for yourself/demons, in-game currency and chances to befriend new demons. The controls to this game are very easy to grasp and will take no time at all to learn.
One big feature I liked about this game is being able to control my main character in a new way. (At least for me.) Past games from Atlus that I’ve played seemed to only let you move around block by block without really seeing the main character other than during cut scenes. In Shin Megami Tensei IV, you’ll be in a third person view controlling where you walk or run to and when you throw an attack at a demon before going into battle. This is a plus since you can see your character and demons coming your way. However, as you can customize your character with different weapons you’ll have a new look along with different types of attacks when an attack is issued. After an attack, the game will bring you to its traditional first person turn-based combat where you will see the monster’s image on the top screen and your party at the bottom. Nothing really new about that feature, but very enjoyable to see.
Included in this game are many cool features such as being able to befriend demons, having them transform and even apps that grant many perks. As you start the game and use the aforementioned gauntlet and learn that you can access apps. Each level you to go up will give you app. points, which can be spent to unlock an app. Applications range from adding extra demon slots to your gauntlet, giving more experience points when recruiting or fusing demons, learning what attacks will hurt demons more, and adding more skills slots for you and the demons on your team. There are a lot of apps to choose from and download, and this added feature makes game customization more fun.
The graphics of Shin Megami Tensei IV are very pleasing to the eye even though they’re dark in tone. The further you get within the game the darker it’ll get with the things you read and see. My favorite area that I’ve seen so far is Tokyo because it is massive and has so much to explore and do. I would love to get into talking more about Tokyo, yet I can’t due to location spoilers. Just look at the pictures throughout the review and you’ll be seeing a lot of that quality throughout the game. You can clearly tell the developers spent a lot of time making sure the music matched in any site you visit. The quality of voice acting in cut scenes is evidence of the developers’ effort to make the game as professional and presentable as possible. The farther you get in the game you can clearly tell that the developers wasted no time with this game. They wanted to give us a great story and great acting during key points.
Overall, I think this game is well worth the money and that any Shin Megami Tensei or JRPG fan will enjoy this. Shin Megami Tensei IV offers huge replay value since you’ll be taking a long time to beat this game. Personally I’ve put in around 60-70+ hours alone in the game. Shin Megami Tensei IV is a one-of-a-kind game that will keep you coming back for more! If you own a 3DS and enjoy JRPG’s grab this game.
