The Nintendo 3DS is quickly becoming the go-to console for role-playing game aficionados: Fire Emblem, Etrian Odyssey and Kingdom Hearts are just some of the big RPG franchises to make a splash on the handheld. Now the 3DS can add the Shin Megami Tensei series to its illustrious RPG ranks with the release of Shin Megami Tensei IV.
For the uninitiated, the best way to describe Shin Megami Tensei IV is dungeon crawling meets Pokemon. Your party will largely consist of the demons that either agree to work for you through negotiation or that you have created yourself. Negotiation is a key component in the game as you traverse a literary minefield where one wrong answer will cause a demon to attack, but on the flipside saying the right things will entice a monster to join you. This aspect of recruiting and then combining monsters to create stronger ones makes the game feel like Pokemon for adults.
Much of that has to do with the demons themselves, as Shin Megami Tensei IV takes inspiration from all manners of religious followings and myths to craft its monster gallery. Though if you’re expecting that to follow through to the story, prepare to be disappointed. While Shin Megami Tensei IV’s story is passable, this is a game that relies solely on its gameplay. While there is a clever twist within the story, your main motivation for the game will be seeing that next area, new demon or overcoming a new challenge. Additionally, exploration is limited to just static text menus, in many ways drawing comparisons to the Etrian Odyssey series.
As you’d expect from a Shin Megami Tensei game, the fourth series in the entry is difficult: expect one-hit deaths if you are unprepared. Enemies will frequently take advantage of your weaknesses, forcing you to switch up your strategies on the fly. The game never seems unfair; rather, you’ll feel like you lost due to your own mistakes. Death is easily reversible in Shin Megami Tensei IV as well so the only thing you will lose is a little bit of time in exchange for the knowledge of how to approach a battle the next go-around.
Shin Megami Tensei IV looks and sounds just as good as any other entry in the series despite being on the 3DS. The game features full voice acting, and while the cast won’t win an academy award it is serviceable nonetheless. The graphics are well-detailed and bring each demon to life.
If you are a fan of the Shin Megami Tensei series, you most likely already own a copy of Shin Megami Tensei IV. If you’ve always wanted to check out the series, now is your chance: the game is easily accessible, has a good learning curve and the gameplay is second-to-none. If you favor great gameplay over story, you will have a blast during the 50 to 100 hours it takes to complete the story, especially with the multiple endings available for the game prompting replayability and the promise of future DLC.
Shin Megami Tensei IV was released July 16th, 2013 exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS.