A remaster of Shin Megami Tensei
Shin Megami Tensei is a remaster of the original Super Famicom game with improved graphics and gameplay along with a new difficulty mode. The gameplay uses first-person navigation of dungeons and turn-based battles against demons. The player can recruit demons as allies by talking to them rather than fighting them, and two to three demons can be fused to create new demons.
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Old Game, hellish but beautiful
This review contains spoilers
What I enjoyed:
•The game was really impressive for something that was made 30 years ago. The PSX version was also superb with its updated graphics and music, as well as the Quality of Life additions.
•The game did a great job developing its atmosphere. From the fallout at the start of the game, to Girl’s Mind, to Flooded Tokyo, each major area was able to envoke a feel in me.
•Seeing where Shin Megami Tensei began was truly an interesting experience. All the demons, all the references, all the themes, all the melodies that would return in future games.
•It really felt like your decisions and actions had weight, far more than they do in Persona games. The Law and Chaos factions both had clear goals in mind, and you really had to do some thinking when faced with a dilemma. I went neutral, but my only non-neutral decision was aiding Yama in Ikebukuro, something I really had to decide whether I wanted to do it or not.
•In general, the game was very lore rich and thought provoking.
What could’ve been better:
•The gameplay was a little rudimentary. Out of the first-person MegaTen games, it probably had the weakest dungeons. Some of them were too long, some of them had mechanics that hampered enjoyment and some were just bland. I also didn’t like the easiness of combat or the lack of skill inheritance.
•Asura and Michael were quite underwhelming final bosses, I feel. It was nice to see them have a prominent role, but I don’t know if they work as the final embodiments of Chaos and Law that the game offers.
•The game was really impressive for something that was made 30 years ago. The PSX version was also superb with its updated graphics and music, as well as the Quality of Life additions.
•The game did a great job developing its atmosphere. From the fallout at the start of the game, to Girl’s Mind, to Flooded Tokyo, each major area was able to envoke a feel in me.
•Seeing where Shin Megami Tensei began was truly an interesting experience. All the demons, all the references, all the themes, all the melodies that would return in future games.
•It really felt like your decisions and actions had weight, far more than they do in Persona games. The Law and Chaos factions both had clear goals in mind, and you really had to do some thinking when faced with a dilemma. I went neutral, but my only non-neutral decision was aiding Yama in Ikebukuro, something I really had to decide whether I wanted to do it or not.
•In general, the game was very lore rich and thought provoking.
What could’ve been better:
•The gameplay was a little rudimentary. Out of the first-person MegaTen games, it probably had the weakest dungeons. Some of them were too long, some of them had mechanics that hampered enjoyment and some were just bland. I also didn’t like the easiness of combat or the lack of skill inheritance.
•Asura and Michael were quite underwhelming final bosses, I feel. It was nice to see them have a prominent role, but I don’t know if they work as the final embodiments of Chaos and Law that the game offers.
Para ser el primero es bastante bueno.
YOU BETTER ENJOY THOSE IDENTICAL PSX CORRIDORS YOU LITTLE B-
Probably the best version of SMT1, navigation is made slightly more tolerable due to actual 3d render of the GODDAMN CORRIDORS (instead of the pretend 3d of the snes), moving sideways and a quick map buttons were also added which are godsends for this game.
Besides that it's SMT1 with some better sprites, backgrounds and some bugfixes & correcter oversights I believe. It's outdated no way around that, but it has charm to attract curious SMT fans like myself.
Probably the best version of SMT1, navigation is made slightly more tolerable due to actual 3d render of the GODDAMN CORRIDORS (instead of the pretend 3d of the snes), moving sideways and a quick map buttons were also added which are godsends for this game.
Besides that it's SMT1 with some better sprites, backgrounds and some bugfixes & correcter oversights I believe. It's outdated no way around that, but it has charm to attract curious SMT fans like myself.
I enjoyed this game quite a bit, it's a lot more of a simple straightforward dungeon crawl. The only real issue I have with the game is the fact that demon negotiation is wildly inconsistent and often can feel like a massive waste of time. Also I wish there was a way to back out of auto combat after you choose it. Once you select it it will keep you locked in to it until the battle ends one way or the other.
I finished this game in 37 hours (Law Path). The game is good, but i gotta admit that the last dungeon is horrible. I can see redeemable qualities in this game.