General SMT discussion thread

[Fynn]

We haven't had one of these for a long time, and we can only use Formy's Persona thread for so long :p

Which games have you played? What do you love about the series? What else do you expect from it in the future?

So far, I've beaten I, IV and both Digital Devil Saga games, as well as Personas 2 (IS), 3, 4 and Q. Playing P4 DAN, and Strange Journey. Played a bit of Nocturne, but didn't get too far and don't have the means to play it now, Raidou Kuzunoha vs the soulless army - same; almost beat Persona 1 but ragequit, and now I also started Devil Survivor Overclocked, with DS 2 Record Breaker and Soul Hackers in my possession, but still on my backlog. I can't wait for SMT II to be released in English on iOS, but P5 and SMT IV: Final are what I'm most looking forward to now.

NOTE: Mark your spoilers, people! Some people on here are still getting introduced to the series ;)

[CactuarKing]

Probably a noob question, but what is SMT?

[Fynn]

Probably a noob question, but what is SMT?

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/0/0d/Shin_Megami_Tensei_1_Official_Poster.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120425200613

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/2/2d/SMTIV_Cover_Large.png/revision/latest?cb=20130312154220

http://www.gpgr.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/SMT_Nocturne.jpg

http://static.zerochan.net/Shin.Megami.Tensei.III%3A.Nocturne.full.410750.jpg

http://static.zerochan.net/Shin.Megami.Tensei.III%3A.Nocturne.full.755006.jpg

This, basically. And lots of tears and pain.

Ah, and here's a handy little newbie guide. (http://www.technobuffalo.com/2014/05/25/shin-megami-tensei-beginners-guide-where-to-get-started/)

[NeoCracker]

Me and Nocturne are not on speaking terms. Three times in a row this is exactly how the first Random Encounter went.

Turn 1 - Enemy hits Critical. Follows up. Another Critical. Game over.


Otherwise I love P3 and P4, couldn't get into 1. A bit too cheesy, and I hate First Person view in RPGs like this.

I beat both Digital Devil Saga's last Year, and it was a lot of fun. One of the most interesting concepts in a game I've played. Not perfect, but a lot of fun.

Devil Survivor 2 is also my favorite Strategy RPG. The 3DS remake actually added a lot of fantastic things.

SMT is probably my favorite dev team right now, if not of all time.

[Fynn]

Persona 1 was trash :p

Persona series aside, I think IV and Strange Journey are my favorite SMT games. I'm also really interested in Soul Hackers, but I'm still kinda worried it'll feel like P1, which was a mess.

[NeoCracker]

I do love SMT IV. Looking forward to the new one. :p

And I didn't enjoy Soul Hackers at all. Didn't really feel like P1, but again I hate First Person in my RPG's.

[Fynn]

Well, I happen to adore Strange Journey, so here's hoping it is to my liking :monster:

[Formalhaut]

Is it just me, or does the main character of SMT: Nocturne seem really evil? Look how he grabs Angel's head like that! He seems rather menacing.

[Fynn]

He's actually pretty much a complete blank slate and you get to decide how he shapes the world in the end. He is called the demi-fiend for a reason, however, as he becomes half-demon near the beginning of the game because of Lucifer.

[Formalhaut]

Huh, he seems totally relatable. :p

Anyway, I've just started SMT: IV. I'm currently in the Kiccigorgi forest, looking for survivors. I'm getting an indication that events are beginning to progress at a clip now, which is nice. I'm really liking my faithful A.I Burroughs, even if she deems it necessary to register breakfast as a 'quest'.

[Fynn]

AI Lightning is best Lightning.

[Formalhaut]

AI Lightning is best Lightning.

Wha? Eh? Hmm?

[Fynn]

AI Lightning is best Lightning.

Wha? Eh? Hmm?

Ali Hillis voices Burroughs.

[Formalhaut]

I thought they sounded similar! :jess:

[Fynn]

I actually all the AIs in the series I've met so far. Burroughs is awesome, but Arthur, her predecessor in Strange Journey was also really great. And I don't think I even need to bring up Aigis, do I ;)

[Wolf Kanno]

I've dabbled in most of the series but have only managed to complete SMTIII, SMTIV, the four (technically five...) main Persona games, Strange Journey, and Devil Survivor. Also Catherine if we want to count that one too.

I've played SMT1, The first Raidou title in the Devil Summoner series (technically it's DS3) and Digital Devil Saga. I have a bad habit of playing too many of these games at once so I get burnt out which is why I haven't completed the above titles. I also have Soul Hackers, the second entries for Raidou and DDS, Persona Q, as well as SMT2; but I'll have to get to them later when I get my backlog in proper order.

Love the franchise, both in terms of subject matter, excellent detail from religious and mythological lore, as well as the gameplay that tends to favor status effects and thinking outside of the box. Press Turn is probably my favorite battle system in a long time. I'm also a huge fan of Kazuma Kaneko's artwork. I actually prefer him over Shigenori Soejima's art style.

I'm looking forward to SMTIV:Final and Persona 5.

My fave games in the series is SMTIII: Nocturne for the mainline games and a tie between Persona 2 and 3 for the Persona series. I feel Devil Survivor is my least favorite entry so far thanks to the grating characters and choppy way the game tried to meld classic SMT with modern Persona. It would take too long to mention which characters I like...

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[Vyk]

I perpetually keep attempting and faltering, and though I've thoroughly enjoyed a handful, and was completely turned off by a couple, I am always grateful the series exists, and I keep giving them money, and someday one of them will stick. I've never beaten one, but I've put my most hours and efforts into P4, both Golden and Original. And dabbled in both Devil Survivor games, the first Digital Devil Saga, Strange Journey, Persona 2, P3P, and ... well, I guess that's about it. I still need/want to check out SMTIV, Soul Hackers, Digital Devil 2, Nocturne, and the Devil Summoner games. Which I think the Devil Summoner games interest me the most. But I've went through 2 PS2s in the past couple years, and it's hard to rely on that technology anymore. I've had to put an end to playthroughs of the original P4, Tales of the Abyss, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, Zone of the Enders: Second Runner, and the Champions of Norrath games because the PS2s just kept fritzing out, and neither mine, nor my girlfriend's computers can emulate PS2 very well, because they seem to be designed around NVidia archetecture, and we both have AMD rigs which struggle no matter what we do

But one day, I'll get back into the foray. And I think Summoner is the most likely to keep me entertained since it's so different and supposedly more puzzle and task oriented rather than being a grind slog like some of the others can be. Digital Devil Saga burned me out fast, since the story was sparse and vague, and the battles were many, with very little down-time in between. And the Devil Survivor games do what all Japanese strategy RPGs do these days, just battle battle battle, with a bit of story sprinkled in between. I want to do more than just battle and read. I think that's why the Persona games got so popular. The simulation aspect was massive and gave lots of down time between the grind, and story events

And sadly, I loved Strange Journey, but it's story bits was also few and far between, and it was very dungeon crawly grindy

But, they got my money, and I'm glad they exist. So it's all good. And I'm always willing to try a different game once I get over being burned out from a previous. So it's not a detriment to the series/franchise

[Wolf Kanno]

Yeah the Raidou games are interesting. While they are not exactly stellar action-rpgs, the whole detective aspect of the game is actually pretty cool since you use demons to do your leg work for you. The time period stuff also makes the games really interesting as the Taisho Era was a pretty cool one for Japan (it's like their Roaring 20s but combine it with trying to "Westernize") so the game has a real fresh design that separates it from the more done to death high school and 80s cyberpunk post-apocalypse settings the series tends to gravitate to.

[Hollycat]

I uh... don't like the SMT games. ANy of them. I just cant bring myself to even finish any of them. I wonder if it's because I played P3P first and Persona ruined me for SMT games because it was too good.

[Yellow_Magic]

@Wolf Kanno: I love the "All my friends are assholes" image. So freaking much.

And I'll just pretend Hypoallergenic Cactuar didn't make the above post >_<

I started properly getting into SMT a couple of years ago. So far, I've played through:

- Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (and played 50 hours of Innocent Sin before my save got corrupted #fml)
- Persona 3 FES
- Persona 4
- Persona 4 Arena(/Ultimax)
- Soul Hackers
- Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2
- Nocturne (/Lucifer's Call featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry (TM) series)
- SMTIV
- Devil Survivors 1 and 2

I've also touched Revelations: Persona, Strange Journey and Persona Q, but didn't properly get into them for whatever reason: I'll try them again some day.

It's hard to choose a favourite but I think Nocturne just about edges it, thanks to its atmosphere, killer soundtrack and my love for demi-fiend.

I really want to play the Devil Summoner games, but the last Raidou CD that I bought didn't work =(

[Formalhaut]

I've seen a lot of love for the Demi-fiend; what makes him so great?

[Fynn]

Well, he's pretty much the only protagonist that isnt human, but instead a human-demon hybrid. That, and the True Demon Ending make him one of the most badass character in the franchise :monster:

[Formalhaut]

But would you really want a true demon ending? That sounds horrible!

[Fynn]

Well, a lot of people love it. It's something you don't really encounter in many games

[Formalhaut]

Well, a lot of people love it. It's something you don't really encounter in many games

I suppose I'm always the person who chooses the 'best' ending whenever possible. :p

[Fynn]

Well, you rarely get "best" endings in SMT :p

And to many, the true demon ending IS the best ending. It all depends on your views.

[Wolf Kanno]

The True Demon ending is the best ending and one of the more difficult ones to obtain since it requires you to fight the game's hardest optional boss Lucifer himself. It's also considered the canonical ending for the game, considering what the Demi-Fiend is like in every other game he's shown up in.

I think he's well liked because he's one of the more unique takes on a MC in the series and because his game lacks more rigid paths like traditional SMT games do. Just about every ending in Nocturne can be described as a hard pill to swallow, and considering the Demi-Fiend walks away from every ending as a physical god helps as well.

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[Formalhaut]

It's interesting, because from what I've played of SMT: IV so far, and knowing general information about 'alignments' and all that, neutrality appears to be the best option, unless I'm mistaken.

[Fynn]

Except Nocturne doesn't follow the traditional alignment system. You get to choose from a set of personal philosophies though. Or you can follow your own path, abandon any philosophy whatsoever, or just follow Lucifer and just wreck shit up :monster:

[Yellow_Magic]

I've seen a lot of love for the Demi-fiend; what makes him so great?
Well, he's the motherfreaking demo-fiend, so there's that. Literally half a fiend!!!

zlJrEwEMIpM

[Wolf Kanno]

It's interesting, because from what I've played of SMT: IV so far, and knowing general information about 'alignments' and all that, neutrality appears to be the best option, unless I'm mistaken.

Neutral is generally the best option in the early games but starting in Nocturne, the series has found ways to make neutrality less ideal. This has been pretty interesting to the story and themes of the series as it finally gives more weight to actually choosing Law or Chaos as well as giving Neutrality a bit more bite.

[Fynn]

Idk, neutrality is still pretty much the optimal choice in Strange Journey and IV. It may be treated much more realistically and be just more flawed, but it's still usually the best ending.

[Wolf Kanno]

Idk, neutrality is still pretty much the optimal choice in Strange Journey and IV. It may be treated much more realistically and be just more flawed, but it's still usually the best ending.

Not really when you think about it. Neutrality is just basically avoiding the question to take a side but not actually resolving the conflict. Instead pushing the choice and fight to later generations. It's kind of the theme of SMTIV to be honest and the nature of the SMT universe brought up in Nocturne and Raidou vs. the Souless Army doesn't exactly paint a lovely picture for the series future. Hell even Strange Journey takes the wind out of Neutrality sails when defeating some of the bosses leads them to simply say they'll just do better "next time" meaning your actions are really just delaying some inevitable choice that will seal that world into the hands of Law or Chaos. Hell even the actual neutral ending in Strange Journey hints that the future may not be as hopeful as predicted.

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[Hollycat]

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[Fynn]

I'll still argue that, while the games acknowledge what you said, the main message of the neutral routes is that, unlike demons, humans are capable to change, especially in Strange Journey. So even if things go bad again, and they probably will, humans will adjust and learn again. You really can't argue that the neutral endings are the most hopeful of the bunch.

[Wolf Kanno]

I'll still argue that, while the games acknowledge what you said, the main message of the neutral routes is that, unlike demons, humans are capable to change, especially in Strange Journey. So even if things go bad again, and they probably will, humans will adjust and learn again. You really can't argue that the neutral endings are the most hopeful of the bunch.

Sometimes, I feel the nature of SMTIV and what Final is looking to be is starting to question that idea. Another recurring theme in both Nocturne and IV is that the real solution to the overall conflict is a fourth option (technically fifth) but frankly the Neutral endings tend to be just as bittersweet to some degree as the other endings when you read between the lines.