After playing Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance for 2 hours, we ‘d wished to have the ability to provide a hodgepodge of information concerning brand-new additions, efficiency enhancements, and story nuggets, however fact be informed, Sega’s sneak peek session felt quite tailored towards those who may be betting the very first time over on PS5 or Xbox. We experienced the video game solely on the PS5, so while we’ve got an excellent concept of how it runs on Sony’s hardware, we’re unfortunately not able to go over how the Switch variation fares.
That stated, 2 hours is still a significant quantity of pre-release time to invest with Vengeance, so we can totally verify that if you’re a fan of the initial, or if you’ve dipped your toes into a few of Atlus’ other video games, then you can be positive that you’re in for a wild trip (if just for the ever-amusing existence of the phallic-shaped devil, Mara).
After listening to a number of Sega’s representatives offer a brief, initial discussion, we walked into a space loaded with demonstration stations, popped on a set of earphones, and got to work. Motivated to dive directly into a conserve state that would offer us with a glance at the video game throughout the mid-stage of the story, we desired to see simply how Vengeance’s plot would start and how we ‘d figure out which narrative branch to pursue. We picked ‘New Game’.
As a tip, Vengeance consists of 2 stories: Canon of Creation and Canon of Vengeance. The previous is the initial Shin Megami Tensei V story through and through while the latter is brand name brand-new, beginning in familiar area yet diverging dramatically throughout the middle and late phases of the story. Your option boils down to whether you pick to take the hand of a shadowy figure throughout an opening cutscene, which’s truly it. When you’ve done so, the video game clarifies which story course you’ve selected before offering you the choice to alter your mind.
Given that the video game essentially continues in the very same method as the initial, that was rather sufficient for us, so it was time to dive into the mid-game save state and truly get a feel of how Vengeance looks and plays.
In other words, it’s quite excellent. We were hung back into Da’at, the apocalyptic variation of modern-day Tokyo, with a couple of partners and the newly-introduced female character Yoko Hiromine, and from there we were basically complimentary to check out, battle some devils, and take in the sensational (albeit rather barren) environment. Mentioning Yoko, she’s an interesting brand-new addition that we’re eager to get more information about. A powerful ally, she boasted abilities such as the fire-based ‘Agidyne +2’, the lightning-based ‘Ziodyne’, and the dark energy attack ‘Mudoon +4’ throughout the demonstration, the latter of which showed especially reliable versus numerous opponents.
If you’ve played the initial SMTV, then Vengeance will instantly feel familiar. It’s quite the equivalent of Personality 5 Royal or Personality 4 Golden because the video game is generally similar in regards to gameplay and discussion, however with some significant plot modifications and quality-of-life enhancements that, mainly, weren’t truly evident throughout our session. The video game’s lead character whips through the environment like butter when you click the sprint button in, and moving down high embankments or grinding throughout the red, radiant Megatsu Rails to reach brand-new locations is a pleasure. All of this is made more tasty in Vengeance thanks to the included capability to conserve anytime, anywhere, which is good.
The real marvel of Vengeance lies within its ‘Press-Turn’ fight system, which stays as deep, satisfying, and, let’s face it, harsh as ever. The area we played came packed with an entire lot of devils to help in fight, which worked given that the opponents were no piece of cakes. As ever, attaining triumph is quite a case of determining your opponent’s weak points and exploiting them by changing out your active characters for better choices from your lineup. When you handle to target an opponent’s weak point, you’ll get an opening to assault once again, so there’s adequate chance throughout every fight to release a combination of attacks versus your opponents before they even get an opportunity to react. Company as normal for veterans, then.
Naturally, it does not constantly exercise by doing this. Shin Megami Tensei V is popular for its severe trouble, and the tide can turn throughout fights at the drop of a hat, so you’ll wish to make certain you’re taking note at all times. Or you can decrease the problem – approximately you. In either case, if you’re up for the obstacle, Vengeance will certainly show to be among the most rewarding JRPGs on Switch or any other platform for that matter.
Aside from that, whatever we saw throughout our hands-on session was quite foregone conclusion. There’s something abnormally meditative about roaming around such a stunning, desolate wasteland and we’re excited to check out the brand-new locations, missions, devils, and everything that’s altered in our own time. If you weren’t encouraged by the initial video game’s Switch release in 2021, then it’s not likely anything here will alter your mind.
All in all, there’s a sense of spirituality that feels entirely special to Shin Megami Tensei V and hasn’t been duplicated in other places. It’s an interesting experience, however though we completely delighted in Vengeance’s buttery-smooth 60FPS gameplay on PS5, the jury is quite still out for the Switch variation. Considering that the original’s frame rate would typically drop listed below the target 30FPS, we’re not anticipating any wonders here, however at the very same time, we’re positive that Atlus will a minimum of accomplish efficiency parity.
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