Summary
Marred by woeful performance issues thanks to being constrained to the Nintendo Switch, the original Shin Megami Tensei 5 was easy to push aside for more reliable fare. Despite vibing immensely with the turn-based combat, intriguing narrative, and utterly compelling demon-collecting mechanics, I never finished the game. In light of this, I am entirely grateful forShin Megami 5: Vengeance- it’s a second chance. Atlus had a Press Turn and made the second round worth it.
Vengeance is many things. As a port, it allows us to experience the Netherworld as intended: away from the ageing Switch, silky smooth and free of jarring lag and pop-in. As a remaster, it adds some beautiful quality-of-life features that cut down on the backtracking. As an expansion, it almost doubles the amount of time it would take to reach 100 percent completion. In short, Vengeance is one of the most accomplished second editions I’ve ever seen.
When we reviewed the original, my colleagueJade King gave SMT5 a hefty 4/5 stars. I agree with this score for the original, despite my protestations, and it’s with this in mind that I must tell you right now that Vengeance is better in each and every single way. you’re able to consider the original review the basis for this one.
More Than A Lick Of Paint
In terms of mechanical improvements, SMT5 almost feels like a different game entirely. While the combat is largely untouched, being able to save anywhere and bound across the expansive maps through static and conveniently placed quasi-teleporters cuts down on a bunch of tedium and backtracking. Performance is smooth as butter - on my PC rig, I never hit a single second of slowdown. This is a game upgraded by people who listen when there’s something to fix.
The standout addition is the Canon of Vengeance, a whole new story route that diverges from the original (now termed the Canon of Creation) at the very beginning of the game thanks to the interference of a new character, Yoko Hiromine. Many characters get more screentime, deeper personalities, and different fates. Notably, Vengeance has you travelling with other humans more, even letting you use them in battle as Guests. This is just one way that the Vengeance route feels more akin to archetypical RPGs.
A Dish Best Served Cold
SMT is a series about the dichotomy between law and chaos. From the very first title in the series, you are forced to choose between these philosophies or take a neutral path that eschews them both. Vengeance seems to do away with this tradition - your party of friends are too close to be outdone by philosophical differences.
While they face the same dilemmas, the trials and tribulations faced in Vengeance seem to empower them to overcome their fates. Without knowledge of the split in the story that got us here, it would be easy to paint the new route as a stereotypical tale of friendship winning the day. But Shin Megami Tensei manages to make that plot hook feel earned - you witness each step on the road to averting the big choice that would upset the party balance.
Vengeance places a bigger focus on the relationships between the protagonist and his allies. While not absent in the original SMT5, his personality was a little lacking; Vengeance gives him a chance to shine, along with his companions.
The same can be said of Aaogami, the constructed Proto-Fiend who makes up half of the protagonist’s Nahobino form. He’s more talkative now, often expressing his concerns regarding humanity, the nature of free will, and his young companion - there is far more depth to his character.
Fittingly, this new route also comes with new villains. The Qadistu, a group of witch-like demons who make for some of the most exciting combat encounters in SMT history, are a compelling and convincing new threat. They slide into the narrative cleanly, giving Vengeance some obvious antagonists right from the off and helping cement it as a more traditional RPG than the Creation route.
The Demons Are The Stars Of The Show
This more standard approach to making an RPG is exemplified by the conversations you can hold with Aaogami at the Demon Haunt, a new mechanic added to Vengeance. This little hideaway, which changes based on the region you’re in and is accessed via fast travel points, allows you to rest and chat with your allies, your demons, and Aaogami.
This is a surprisingly robust addition; demons will have dialogues that change based on their species and their surroundings, everyone reacts naturally to current events, and you’re encouraged to engage with the mechanic through the promise of building relationships with your demons and gaining stat boosts and items.
My favourite moments involved getting cursed at by foul-mouthed demons and bonding with my team staples. It even convinced me to keep select demons around longer than I probably should, investing them with stat-boosting items to keep them current just because I liked their personalities.
Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance is what happens when you take a very good game, tackle every one of its flaws, and add far more content than anyone could ask for. It is a joy to play, devilishly difficult in all the right ways, and replayable to a fault - it’s proving hard to find the motivation to play anything else.
