The Shin Megami Everything Thread

[CMoon]

I just got my hands on the 3DS release of Soul Hackers. This is my 4th SMT game, but my first Devil Summoner game. So far I'm digging the overall vibe. The combat (at least early on) feels easier than previous SMT games I've played, especially compared to Strange Journey. I think I'm ok with the easier difficulty . I forgot how much I love the mood in SMT games. The soundtracks are just so perfect, and the hub areas give off a surreal soothing feeling.

Yeah, Soul Hackers is definitely on the easy side, especially if you keep some good buff spells around. Shouldn't really have to think too hard or mess around fusing ultra-strong demons (actually, the non-random skill inheritance almost keeps you from doing this anyway.) Early on lack of magnetite and money seem intimidating, but as long as you keep your demons put away and let Nemissa do the heavy lifting, you'll soon find yourself having more resources than you know what to do with.

Agreed on the vibe and everything else--not the hardest or best SMT game, but overall pretty nice.

[BulletMagnet]

This... explains so much.

Tensei x Emblem wasn't a casual fling, it was them getting ready for marriage.

Just got an email saying that if you register both SMT4 and Fire Emblem 3DS to your Club Nintendo account by the end of August you get 30 bucks' credit.

The conspiracy deepens.

[RNGmaster]

There are like 4 days left till release, i'm pumped as fuck

[cj iwakura]

Driving me crazy that I can't get it at midnight on Monday like I thought. Maybe I'll find a SoFla mom & pop that's broken street date.

[BulletMagnet]

Picked up SMT4 yesterday, not very far in but definitely feeling the pain (and driving myself nuts deciding which demons to fuse).

In semi-related news, Atlus USA's spate of questionable publishing choices continues.

[CMoon]

Amazon hasn't even shipped mine yet.

[cj iwakura]

It's been said the tutorial dungeon is the toughest area to adjust to, and no joke. I died like 11 times.

It throws you right into the shark pit.

Once you get past THAT, it gets manageable, but that is the nastiest intro to an SMT I've ever seen.

[dcharlieJP]

I've been a bit too tied up to play the Japanese version lately but i'd disagree with that notion that the tutorial dungeon is the toughest adjustment - because later on i'm getting my squad handed to me on a plate and my 300 coin stash has quickly went down the tubes. :/

The area directly after the tutorial is a lot easier though - don't be lulled though - it comes back to bite.

[cj iwakura]

Good. I expect no less. Just got through the Maraku Dungeon(fifth stratum boss).

Such great atmosphere. Especially the demon voices.

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

I'm getting really hooked on SMT IV. I played it for about seven hours straight yesterday. I like the convince of being able to save and fuse demons anywere. The use of the 3D effect is stellar.

[dcharlieJP]

Picked up the US version because I DONT KNOW

Wife has taken up the JPN version, i've started again and it's surprisingly breezy after being through a good portion of the pain already. I was really curious to see how some of the interactions played out in English and so far they're pretty damned good.

[cj iwakura]

Tokyo is incredible. If this game keeps escalating in quality, it may surpass Nocturne, and that's my favorite RPG ever.

[CMoon]

OK, finally got my hands on SMT4 today. Just wanted to take a quick gander at it, and suddenly found I'd blown 2 hours. Seems like a really nice, well made game. Battle system is what I wish Strange Journey had and the demon whisper function feels like a nice spin on Nocturne's Megatama. Interesting to note that I'm already having to make some tough choices on what skills I want to inherit. Feels like old times.

Oh, ran across this handy SMT4 database: http://erikku.github.io/smt4tool/

[MX7]

Just spent 4 solid hours on SMTIV. Seems pretty good so far. Looking forward to the world opening up and all that. Voice acting is really horrible though, with the exception of a few demons etc that means I haven't quite resorted to muting all voices yet. atlus USA really need to get with the times and offer both JP and US voices. Virtues Last Reward did it. Simply saying 'oh but we worked really hard on the voice acting' doesn't cut it. If someone dubbed The Bicycle Thieves, left the original Italian soundtrack off the DVD and released it thinking that it was in some way preferable, the publisher would be derided. Just because videogames are seen as being secondary in quality to 'serious media' doesn't mean we have to endure such shoddy logic. At least the voice acting isn't as bad as Digital Devil Saga...

Also the music isn't really grabbing me so far, but I'm expecting a stylistic shift when the game inevitably shifts setting so still keeping my hopes up. Also, it's nice and hard, not too bad yet but I have died, and I didn't die in Etrian Odyssey IV until about 30 hours in, so that's promising!

[dcharlieJP]

Tokyo is incredible. If this game keeps escalating in quality, it may surpass Nocturne, and that's my favorite RPG ever.

i've jumped over to the US version so the wife can start the Japanese version and, yeah, at 20 hours or so i was calling GOTY so unless something goes badly wrong i can see this being one of the best RPGs there is - period.

[RNGmaster]

Also, it's nice and hard, not too bad yet but I have died, and I didn't die in Etrian Odyssey IV until about 30 hours in, so that's promising!

I wiped like 10 times to each boss fight in that game so you must be some elder god or somethin

Yeah this game is balls hard even if you know how to handle stuff. It's more about planning than coinflipping unless you're trying to defeat something way stronger than you (and even that feels satisfying and not just luckshit). I'm loving it, I have like 20 hours in ATM.

[drunkninja24]

This image makes me both laugh and die a little inside

[MX7]

I wiped like 10 times to each boss fight in that game so you must be some elder god or somethin

Yeah this game is balls hard even if you know how to handle stuff. It's more about planning than coinflipping unless you're trying to defeat something way stronger than you (and even that feels satisfying and not just luckshit). I'm loving it, I have like 20 hours in ATM.

I suck at RPGs. I think I just play Etrian Odyssey in such a methodical way that I'm usually super prepared for the bosses.

About 10 hours in to SMTIV and yeah it's getting pretty hard. Have died 3 times at the first proper boss, so have slunk off to do some fusion. The first dungeon (Naraku or something) has this Vagrant Story/Dark Souls vibe that I'm enjoying

The story so far is your half arsed quasi-Marxist critique of right-wing ideology, but it's working for me. I'm even starting to enjoy the dodgy voice acting, even if it is in a so-bad-it's-Manga-UK-good way.

The above image is great rage fodder

[dcharlieJP]

Thing with the rage-image above....

"The demon laughed at me, called me stupid, and bit me in the face killing me"

- yeah, that's what's so great about the game.

As said elsewhere by greater people : SMTIV - it's a gamers game.

[RNGmaster]

It's a hilariously, stupidly brutal game, and I will never not laugh at the ways it finds to own me. But pretty much anything is winnable with strategy, ultimately, not luck.

Also Energy Drain is pretty broken (though not as much as a good gun skill on a Dex build protagonist)

[CMoon]

Also Energy Drain is pretty broken (though not as much as a good gun skill on a Dex build protagonist)

Looking forward to the mana walk (or whatever they are called) apps. Will be awesome on my magic build character.

[Phellan Wolf]

This image makes me both laugh and die a little inside

Where do those comments come from??? Neogaf??
Guess they come from the "true hardcore gamers" uh??

[RNGmaster]

Where do those comments come from??? Neogaf??
Guess they come from the "true hardcore gamers" uh??

Mostly from reviews and youtube comments. 4chan made it.

[CMoon]

I know this thread is just gonna be me swooning about how much I love this game, but it beats that nonsense above...

Anyway, I love the standard SMT logic that an early boss fight will require a skill only found on a low level demon that you have to discover through fusing. Nothing really out of the ordinary here, and I found the demon anyway by exploring every nook and cranny before pushing the main quests ahead, but was talking with a friend who found himself in this jam and was chuckling. Well played Atlus!

I've heard so much talk about the new interface, but I really love it. The fusion program might at first seem extraordinary streamlined, but bust into its menus and you can do some pretty intense searches (including searching for demons will certain spells regardless of whether the demons needed to fuse it are in your stock or not.) I haven't fully explored this, but it seems much more robust than I initially thought, and that's a good thing with 400+ demons.

[cj iwakura]

I usually just select a demon I want to be rid of and view all results, or view all results period.

His recommendations aren't bad either.

[BrianC]

I actually find the "souless characters" comment kind of funny since it's a game about catching demons. This will be my first SMT since I ordered it from amazon.

[CMoon]

All the people writing about shallow characters are missing something--most rpgs that have good character development do so with angsty teen characters that I for one can't stand. Honestly I've always enjoyed the silent MC, and I love how SMT characters are really not characters but representatives of alignment choices. I actually think the far too developed characters of modern RPGs has pushed me away from the genre.

There's an amazing review which states SMT4's character development doesn't live up to Nocturne, which almost doesn't have any characters. Are the people who write this stuff coming exclusively from P3 and P4? I'd like enjoy those games more, but they are both game-play lite, dating sim/choose-your-own-adventure heavy. It isn't what SMT is supposed to be.

I've also heard some comments about the bland story, but people said Nocturne's story was non-existent and I love it. I'll admit this one is starting off rather slowly, but I feel like it is trying to establish something about the innocence of these characters, and this peaceable little kingdom before I have to pick a side and things start falling. If that is what it is doing, then people are complete dumb asses for writing of this story.

[sjewkestheloon]

While waiting for a release date for PAL SMT4, I decided to pick up Overclocked. Thankfully the patch to fix the stupid bugs has come out and I haven't encountered any problems so far.

I am really enjoying the game so far but finding it pretty brutal. I am at the end of Day 3 and the Beldr boss fight is far beyond my characters at the moment. I think I have figured out what I need to do but it essentially involves a whole lot of grinding to get there so I guess I am going to be using free battles for a little while to build up some money, crack a few skills and allow some serious fusion.

I love the SMT franchise, and am lucky enough to enjoy the mainline and spin off games almost equally.

[KAI]

Gonna replay Nocturne Maniacs.

[CMoon]

You know, there's been a lot of talk going around about how the new artwork in this game doesn't seem to fit well in the smt universe (a weird argument given some of the crazy demon designs), but I finally got to a demon (Medusa) who's style just felt wrong to me. I mean, the same exact design would have been fine, but the way she was drawn was almost cutesy (like out of skull girls.) Don't know how much more of that we'll see, but really thought it was a miss-step. Really don't get why Kaneko didn't do the artwork for this one.

As far as other negatives, I think I'm starting to miss random encounters. Always exploring at break neck speed because a demon is going to materialize right behind me and get first strike which has a good chance of wiping out half my party because first strike is magic that way. I'd rather just know I'm going to get the random encounters and play at my own pace.

The other bit seems so minor that maybe other people haven't noticed, but with combat being so frequent, you want it to happen FAST, but after every fight, there is a screen that shows experience, items etc. and there is a forced delay here of something like 3 seconds. I know, 3 seconds, right? But those 3 seconds start becoming extremely annoying, when fights might only last 5 seconds or so, and your getting in multiple fights per minute. I don't know why they put in that delay, but it is starting to annoy me.