Shin Megami Tensei 4 Quick Review/Thoughts

  *Just a quick review of Shin Megami Tensei IV*

Shin Megami Tensei IV for the Nintendo 3DS, by Atlus

      The tensions of our lives are generally what makes them worth living. Rare is the person who can, in the end, praise the merits of a flat existence. With that said, one should keep this in mind as Shin Megami Tensei 4 implores all the tension that is at once reminiscent of a journey worth taking--and a life well lived.

      Have a Dark Souls style  experience without the perceived need of quick reflexes or heightened maneuverability. Megami Tensei 4 will see you through a calamitous 40 hour-plus adventure. Incurring upon yourself the trials of world shaping proportion as you take charge of a familiar--to the Shin Megami faithful-- yet vibrant and provocative assortment of Pokémon-esque demons. Starring as a samurai charged with the protection of your nations status quo and with it the theological underpinnings that seemingly hold fast the entire structure of society and its sanity.

Gameplay and story are a complement, sporting a turn-based, press-turn system that deepens with time and understanding, ultimately contributing to hours upon hours of drastic tactics and desperate, exhausting last-minute victories-- or unsurprising defeats. The atmosphere within the game rivals that of the combat, it is foreboding and impresses upon you the gravity and mystery that its narrative assumes. It would be a neglectful oversight to give away too much plot, but I shall attest to its captivating, if familiar, post-apocalyptic beats.

      The journey, which starts within the Kingdom of Mikado, twists and turns in an attempt to explore moral grays and the true depravity of human desperation. Though at times the narrative takes a back seat to the grind of combat, and this can be a deterrent for some as combat is a prime focus here. Some will wander about desperate and hoping for the next flourish of story, as at times it is drip fed and lacks a momentum that is indicative of the preceding session of dialogue and presentation. But, thankfully, the consistency of the atmosphere keeps you immersed in the world. This immersion is not unlike a Dead Space or a Dark Souls, and it truly shows a level of care by the developers. Although, I cannot begrudge those that can potentially be distressed in these moments of tireless search. 

       While the combat is good and the difficulty not quite overbearing (but just right) the experience can be an intimidating one for new comers. This, however, is where the apps and other pain easing additions come in. The compendium of demons (found in-game within the Cathedral of Shadows), where players can fuse and peruse their collection of demons to summon new creations or re-summon old ones, has been streamlined and even trumps the compendiums found within the Persona series. This is because the app system, which I just mentioned a moment ago, is tightly integrated with this collection system; and together with an added search system that informs users of all the combinations available--and more effectively all the combinations specific to the demon types to which they are in pursuit of, the collecting and fusion of demon's within the Cathedral of Shadows--which is to say the compendium within--is made joyfully accessible and wholly absorbing. So much so that the game becomes a collect-a-thon at times, where being side tracked for hours fusing demons together is the engrossing norm, rather than an aggravating and necessary side-mechanic. There are more applications which have little to do with demon fusion, these include Hp and Mp refueling apps, which--as their names imply--restore Hit points and Magic points as the user walks; apps that increase the number of abilities that can be utilized in battle both by demons and the number that can be inherited from demons by the player character; In all, apps that soften the difficulty curve a bit are  available a plenty. They do not, however, become game-breaking, as--in my observations--the cost of such applications increases as you unlock new tiers: this means, for instance, that you will not be able to reliably restore all of your Hp with one sole app at the outset of your journey. 

       Some issues related to the game include the frustrating overworld traversal that begs for revision. The navigation on the overworld can prove to be a trying experience, as the indistinct turns, corners, buildings and the lack of useful navigation indicators--besides the odd npc who may offer directions, though, again, without navigation interfaces that are clear this is limited in its usefulness, and the 3DS's other screen utilized as a map that fills as you go--but lacks clarity and readability. I will add that once the player does reach a level within the overworld, the experience of exploration is much better, as moving throughout the levels is done in third-person, with your character sporting any unique armor that you chose to wear in the equipment menu. Also, with regards to the story, some characters do lack personality --and so they come across as flat cut-outs who don't elicit your care--this, at least, is in regards to your fellow samurai who accompany you. This to me can be a divisive topic, I list it as a probable issue for some, to me it seems that the characters are representative of more than mere individuals and therefore must take on a broader expression of human ideals and realities and so, with this in mind, I see these characters as being dissimilar to the typical bundle of quirks and kinks that make up a typical cast. 

 Shin Megami Tensei 4 is a long game and it should be experienced by those dungeon crawling lovers. But, being such an accessible entry, it would be a shame if those on the fence or those the least bit interested didn't give it a go. Shin Megami Tensei 4 released on the Nintendo 3DS on July 16th, 2013. While this isn't a typical review, if I had to give it a score, it would be an 8/10.