Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final announced by Atlus today.

[Wolf Kanno]

Not much info besides a few key things:

• Staffed by the same team who developed SMTIV
• While it shares the moniker of SMTIV, it's a new game and story.
• That game's central theme is Deicide (how original Atlus that's almost the theme of every entry)
• It's coming out in Japan next February for the 3DS.

I'm honestly pretty excited for this. I had a blast with SMTIV and Atlus has milked the Persona franchise so much lately, it's nice to see something from the actual mainline series every once in a while.

[NeoCracker]

Milked it without having released a new Numbered Persona game in smurfing ages.

But yeah, I really dug SMT IV. I'm so down for this, if it hits stateside 2016 that'll make the coming year even better.

[Mirage]

Yes, that is why he called it milking.

[Fynn]

Holy crap, yes please

[Skyblade]

Honestly, I couldn't get into Shin Megami Tensei IV.

It was a little too centered on the dungeons, the character development and story went along at a snail's pace, even by RPG standards. And it features first person RPG combat, which I loathe with an utter passion.

I don't think I completed more than the first dungeon. So, while I do adore ATLUS, I'm going to sit this one out, I think.

[Fynn]

Interesting thing I noticed. The character designs for Jonathan, Walter and Isabeau (the first to especially) were very clearly inspired by the chaos and law heroes, as well as the heroine from SMT1. Here, the protagonist stands between a brunette clad in blue and a blonde - just like Aleph from SMT2. Hmm...

Also, is that blonde girl Nozomi? The resemblence is uncanny. Could it be that this is a prequel? People have theorized that the main protagonist here is actually Akira which, while admittedly interesting, Id rather didn't happen. I'd rather this be a separate story (alternate dimension?) in IV's world rather than a prequel.

Looks like the monster designs are done by those tokusatsu people again, which is just ugh... On that note, anyone else notice that hideous Lucifer design creeping in the background at the top of the picture?

[Formalhaut]

Okay, so I've pretty much only played the Persona series: what exactly is the Shin Megami Tensei series?

[Fynn]

It's the series that Persona spun off from. All Personas you see in the game were demons in the main series. In SMT you usually control one human character and the rest of your team is composed of demons you've recruited or fused. It's all much more about the post-apocalyptic setting, themes, and choices on a law and chaos spectrum rather than the characters, but that doesn't mean they're not interesting. They're very dark games, but also seriously good and fun to play.

SMTIV is now 50% off on the European 3DS eshop and it's as good a place as any to start, so take it into consideration

[Formalhaut]

So are the SMT series not sequels to each other? I can definitely play SMT IV without really needing to have played the other three first?

[Fynn]

So are the SMT series not sequels to each other? I can definitely play SMT IV without really needing to have played the other three first?

Yes. II is a direct sequel to I, but the other three main entries - Nocturne (III, or Lucifer's Call as it was called here in Europe), Strange Journey, and IV are all completely different continuities. And IV is pretty much the easiest one to get into. It's the ultimate SMT gateway drug, IMO.

[Wolf Kanno]

Some more info:

The game appears to either be a sequel or a side story, due to a few factors mentioned in the plot summary given.

The game deals with an organization called the Outlaw Hunters who deal with the daily life under the dome of Tokyo. The main protagonist is an apprentice within the organization when he is suddenly killed by a demon surprise attack one day. He makes a deal with a mysterious demon who brings him back to life, which also grants him the power to summon demons and angels.


The only characters announced so far are the main protagonist, the mysterious demon, Asashi, who is the main character's childhood friend and a fellow apprentice to the Outlaw Hunters, and Navarre from SMTIV, who has apparently died and due to his regrets, can't pass on to the next world and instead appears in this world as a spunky green ghost.

Many monster designs are going to be borrowed from SMTIV but new monsters will be designed be series long running artist.

The game started it's life as a director's cut/Maniax version of SMTIV, but the staff decided they wanted to create a new game instead of just working on the original. With that said, they are incorporating all of the feedback they got with SMTIV for this game. They hope to make this the biggest RPG for the 3DS.

Another theme the director mentioned is that the game is about showing the necessary "reality" to mankind's limited state, and to throw the character into an ambiguous story that will have them deciding whether they "should I bond with, or kill them all?"

I honestly can't wait for this, I loved SMTIV and it will be great to jump back into the world, because it was one of my favorite things about the original.

[Fynn]

You and me both. I'm actually thinking if replaying IV now! If only my backlog wasn't so huge

I'm interested in how they intend to create the largest RPG on the 3DS with Xenoblade Chronicles available for the system Unless they mean just on the regular 3DS, excluding the New model.

[Wolf Kanno]

I think they mean in terms of popularity and sales.

[Fynn]

Hmm. Biggest is kind if a weird choice of a word then.

Still, I'm really surprised at how super stoked I am. Now let's just hope I can find my way around SMT1. And that this comes out in Europe - SMTIV almost didn't!

[Wolf Kanno]

Well since Atlus is part of Sega now, they've been doing better with releasing titles in Europe if only a little bit.

The game is apparently 90% done, so I'm hoping it comes State side as well.