There are quite a bit of Shin Megami Tensei games out there, especially for the Nintendo 3DS. Well, here comes another addition to the franchise that offers JRPG gameplay and deeply involved storytelling. Called Shin Megami Tensei IV, this game may very well be the one that fans of the genre may be longing for.
You assume the role of one of the new recruits to the Samurai group out to fight demons. Alonside, you’ll be accompanied by other recruits from the Luxurors and Casualries class. The setting takes place in modern Tokyo where the city is in ruins and populated with abnormal creatures.
As you navigate throughout the game, you’ll be subject to making choices, ultimately which will affect the type of ending you get. However, you’ll be well aware of the impact of your decisions. Thus, the outcome should not be that unexpected. During combat, you can improve on your character’s level. Specifically, you’ll be able to assign attribute points as well as purchase special skills and abilities. This level of customization definitely allows for some gratification and satisfaction on the players’ part.
You explore the worlds within Shin Megami Tensei IV via the third-person perspective. Battles are done in a turn-based fashion and utilize the rock-paper-scissor system. There is also a slight variation in such gameplay. Both your allies and enemies will have a flashing grin after successfully executing an attack on each other. Whoever possesses this grin will be able to perform even further damage later on. Hence, the outcome can vary depending on what transpires during the battle.
As mentioned earlier, the degree of customization is pretty deep. But this is not just the case for your character, but also for your squad of monsters. In Shin Megami Tensei IV, you will be constantly acquiring beasts that happen to be roaming this world. Every one of these creatures can undergo a demonic fusion. To elaborate, two or more beasts can be fused together to create a new creature. Each of the original skills will be passed on to this newborn. This process does require some time to complete. However, the system of such a demonic system is simple enough for you to figure out and understand. It’s this very feature of the game that can get you even more addicted to the experience it offers.
Considering how you’ll be collecting experience points and money, you’ll want to spend wisely and budget accordingly. This is especially important if you want to grow your team roster of beasts as well as acquire that specific item for your character. Since getting money is pretty rare, you’ll want to use this for completing quests. Such gameplay design helps bring out the thrill and entertainment behind this JRPG.
The visual layout for Shin Megami Tensei IV is really effective on account of its use of both of the Nintendo 3DS’s screens. In particular, you have the menus, stats, and maps on the bottom while the gameplay is presented on the top. This is quite intuitive since you won’t have the interface covering up your world exploration. The 3D effects leave somewhat of a positive impression, although I’ve seen other games that have a bit more depth. Nonetheless, the animations associated with the attacks are pretty trippy. The enemies do have some minor movement which could be a potential turn off to those who are used to some constant action from other types of games.
But the real highlight behind Shin Megami Tensei IV is the music. Composed by Ryota Kozuka, the tunes in the background really bring out the creepiness and darkness in the atmosphere. However, there are some soundtracks that don’t leave much of an impression. But overall, the mood and ambience really stands out on account of the game’s audio.
Shin Megami Tensei IV is pretty long and will have you deeply engaged in its gameplay for hours on end. A fan should definitely pick this one up for his or her Nintendo 3DS at the local video game store or the eShop. I would consider this to be one of the best JRPG I have encountered.
