Definitely lives up to how good the first game is, gameplay changes are good and storycharacters are also enjoyable, I don't think its better than the first one but its not far behind at all.
Massive upgrade over the first Devil Survivor game.
Discarding the addition of a compendium, a severe mistake the 3DS release of DeSu1 addressed, there are so many aspects that were improved in the formula that make this game immaculate
For one, none of the bosses have a gimmick that abuses the lack of a hyperspecific team composition.
In DeSu1, not having Flight or Phantasm almost meant a death sentence later in the game due to all bosses having a much larger range than anything you ever get access in the game, thus able to pick you apart without being able to retaliate
Record Breaker's specific additions are also a slam in the park. Race abilities getting an upgraded form add much more utility to already stellar demons, and some that were not as viable suddenly become powerhouses capable of making several encounters a joke (Dragon and Vile race demons now turn YOU into a DeSu1 boss with unfair range)
Story is fantastic, and I would call the added Triangulum Arc as essential to the experience
Discarding the addition of a compendium, a severe mistake the 3DS release of DeSu1 addressed, there are so many aspects that were improved in the formula that make this game immaculate
For one, none of the bosses have a gimmick that abuses the lack of a hyperspecific team composition.
In DeSu1, not having Flight or Phantasm almost meant a death sentence later in the game due to all bosses having a much larger range than anything you ever get access in the game, thus able to pick you apart without being able to retaliate
Record Breaker's specific additions are also a slam in the park. Race abilities getting an upgraded form add much more utility to already stellar demons, and some that were not as viable suddenly become powerhouses capable of making several encounters a joke (Dragon and Vile race demons now turn YOU into a DeSu1 boss with unfair range)
Story is fantastic, and I would call the added Triangulum Arc as essential to the experience
If you liked the first game, this is more of the same with gameplay additions, like the Fate System (which is like a light version of Persona's social links). Whether that makes it better or worse is up to you.
Pretty much the same thing as the first game, but with a much worse story. Otherwise it's a tactical SMT game so you know what you're getting into if you haven't played a Devil Survivor before. Which you should because they're great and one of my favorite SMT spinoffs.
The changes made to the combat were great and I see some really unique ideas in the plot MegaTen never really attempted tackling, but the writing is mostly garbage. Seems to also be suffering from an identity crisis on what it wants to be.
It draws most of its inspiration from NGE and modern Persona, but doesn’t try to make its own identity otherwise. Interesting mesh, but the over abundance of anime tropes, way too many filler characters, and a plot that drags on for much longer than it should, it further clutters the product with nothing but incomplete concepts. Really disappointing, yet I’ve seen much, much worse.
It draws most of its inspiration from NGE and modern Persona, but doesn’t try to make its own identity otherwise. Interesting mesh, but the over abundance of anime tropes, way too many filler characters, and a plot that drags on for much longer than it should, it further clutters the product with nothing but incomplete concepts. Really disappointing, yet I’ve seen much, much worse.
puta que p ariu
This review contains spoilers
Pretty good. A step down from the first game in terms of narrative and atmosphere, but still incredibly fun and a pretty interesting twist at the usual alignments that I wish more games in the franchise could do.
There's actually two parts to this game; the Septentrione Arc (aka DeSu2 vanilla) and the Triangulum Arc (which was added in this game). The vanilla arc itself is fine, but not that interesting narratively. The stakes are a lot higher than in DeSu1, but the atmosphere is severely lacking, especially with the presence of the JP's giving the protagonist and the group nearly everything they need. I did like the ideological alignment split though, and I wish more SMT games would go with a similar alignment split. That said, the game really didn't need to be as light-hearted as it did. It really weakened the game's atmosphere, with it also having one of the weirdest moments I've seen in these games (the Airi/Kama scene).
The Triangulum Arc is a lot better. The stakes feel a lot higher this time, with it having some actually interesting story beats and revelations (Miyako, the protagonist "glitching", the world regressions, the many Administrators, etc.) I feel the game really shined here, with the overall writing getting considerably better (both plot-wise and character-wise), with one of the cooler endings in the series (Human Admin).
The gameplay of DeSu2 itself is a lot better than its predecessor, with demon race upgrading skills, more skills in general, and Phys getting buffed.
I also liked more characters in this game (Joe, Makoto, Fumi, Daichi, Miyako) than in DeSu1 (Yuzu and Atsuro), but the weakest characters are really weak (Jungo, Keita).
Overall it's no Devil Survivor 1, but it's very good in its own right. Easily one of the most underrated (and overhated) games in the franchise.
There's actually two parts to this game; the Septentrione Arc (aka DeSu2 vanilla) and the Triangulum Arc (which was added in this game). The vanilla arc itself is fine, but not that interesting narratively. The stakes are a lot higher than in DeSu1, but the atmosphere is severely lacking, especially with the presence of the JP's giving the protagonist and the group nearly everything they need. I did like the ideological alignment split though, and I wish more SMT games would go with a similar alignment split. That said, the game really didn't need to be as light-hearted as it did. It really weakened the game's atmosphere, with it also having one of the weirdest moments I've seen in these games (the Airi/Kama scene).
The Triangulum Arc is a lot better. The stakes feel a lot higher this time, with it having some actually interesting story beats and revelations (Miyako, the protagonist "glitching", the world regressions, the many Administrators, etc.) I feel the game really shined here, with the overall writing getting considerably better (both plot-wise and character-wise), with one of the cooler endings in the series (Human Admin).
The gameplay of DeSu2 itself is a lot better than its predecessor, with demon race upgrading skills, more skills in general, and Phys getting buffed.
I also liked more characters in this game (Joe, Makoto, Fumi, Daichi, Miyako) than in DeSu1 (Yuzu and Atsuro), but the weakest characters are really weak (Jungo, Keita).
Overall it's no Devil Survivor 1, but it's very good in its own right. Easily one of the most underrated (and overhated) games in the franchise.
Yamato was the awakening of my pansexuality
funny chawanmushi guy is funny
Yamato Hotsuin please marry me
the (somehow) worse Persona 5
There is just 1 word to describe the ultimate strength of Devil Survivor 2. Variety. Just one listen to the OST and you will come across calm music to contemplate your options, upbeat yet stressful music for fights, sad & creepy music to reflect tragedy and revelation, goofy and odd music for having fun, or hopeful songs to raise your and the cast's spirit. With the characters, you will come across people ranging from charming hardcore meritocratic demagogues to justice-loving rebels to people who just want their lives back. In the combat, you will receive a constant drip-feed of new enemies, new allies, new abilities, new win scenarios, bosses that completely frazzle your pre-conceived notions, and more. This is my most replayed game and it is because every playthrough offers something new, exciting, and fun to try. This is some of the peak gaming as a whole can reach.
Personal Note/Devil Survivor 1 comparisons: I will grant that Devil Survivor 1 is much more grounded in its story and weaves a more emotionally compelling experience (it is also a bit harder but just in the way of "damage number bigger and more enemies resist physical"). But with all that drama comes exhaustion and being frozen up over choices. Devil Survivor 2 is my most replayed game because it gives me more freedom, it provides more ups rather than just downs, and the build diversity and achievement system is also more forgiving which makes it more tempting to just do "one more playthrough" (as I just finished my 4th playthrough and still want to 100% the game & get the other endings.)
Personal Note/Devil Survivor 1 comparisons: I will grant that Devil Survivor 1 is much more grounded in its story and weaves a more emotionally compelling experience (it is also a bit harder but just in the way of "damage number bigger and more enemies resist physical"). But with all that drama comes exhaustion and being frozen up over choices. Devil Survivor 2 is my most replayed game because it gives me more freedom, it provides more ups rather than just downs, and the build diversity and achievement system is also more forgiving which makes it more tempting to just do "one more playthrough" (as I just finished my 4th playthrough and still want to 100% the game & get the other endings.)
Raw, kino, goat, swag
I first started this game thinking I would find it inferior to the first game, which was my mindset going in and I didn't have any fun. But after I got past that, I had a wonderful time with it, it exceeds in its gameplay and honestly the septentrione arc is really good. I really enjoyed it on a second playthrough especially when on that second run I did Anguished One's route, really fucking good.
For as much as I don't like the Triangulum arc, I will admit it got me to cry a couple times, my god this game hits way different than the first game and I love it for that.
Good shit
For as much as I don't like the Triangulum arc, I will admit it got me to cry a couple times, my god this game hits way different than the first game and I love it for that.
Good shit
I've played this game so much in high school as it was one of the first SMT games I actually bought store front when it first released. I stopped playing after a while with only three more endings left, so I recently came back to finish where younger me left off.
While my opinion on the story may have changed over the years, the gameplay and the amount of content this game delivers was still enough to keep me invested. If you'd like to hear more on my overall thoughts, as well as what I think about Overclocked, you can read about it in a retrospective I've recently posted on my blog: https://artbycarlyh.wordpress.com/2024/05/04/human-of-bel-devil-survivor-retrospective-5-4-24/
While my opinion on the story may have changed over the years, the gameplay and the amount of content this game delivers was still enough to keep me invested. If you'd like to hear more on my overall thoughts, as well as what I think about Overclocked, you can read about it in a retrospective I've recently posted on my blog: https://artbycarlyh.wordpress.com/2024/05/04/human-of-bel-devil-survivor-retrospective-5-4-24/
Aother REALLY damn good Megaten entry, and quite an overlooked one at that!
This has some of the best characters in themes in the series, and while it has more questionable moments then the first game, I still liked it about as much
This has some of the best characters in themes in the series, and while it has more questionable moments then the first game, I still liked it about as much
DeSu 2 is markedly more fun to play than the first one, and with two stories effectively making for two games, this was quite the package.
Solid game, but overstays it's welcome
As a big fan of the first game, I didn't really know what to expect going into this one hearing a lot of negativity about how it's not really as good as the first one. But now having beaten the game I wonder.... Why is everybody lying!?
While I am definitely not going to use this game to downplay how fantastic the first one is, because really it is still amazing, I found that this game built off of that game in the best way possible. With more demons, skills, and a lot more content, and a bunch of new mechanics that fit in almost perfectly with the loop that the first game established, this game feels like it truly lives up to, and even surpasses the original in more ways than one.
I do completely understand however, if someone were to prefer the tone/story of the first game. It is very tonally different, and not all of the story beats hit as hard, just due to the overall nature of trying to show a different side of the tragedy here. I don't find it to be necessarily worse however, frankly it would have been bad if they just tried to tell the same story again, or relied on the same beats, but if I'm being completely honest I really wasn't as immersed as I was in the first game, but I still definitely enjoyed it all the same. The last act here however, I found to be infinitely more interesting/engaging than the original games.
And another thing I really like about this game over the original is how its sort of structurally designed. In this game you get access to a whole bunch of party members pretty early on, all with different strengths and weaknesses, and you're given ample time to use everyone and figure out who you like in your squad. Very unlike the first game where you're kind of stuck with the same 3 for first half, a fourth for a little while, and then right at the very end they drop so many more on you, but its almost like what's the point at that point, I'm already set.
And bosses here are MUCH better. The first game pretty much shoved in every single boss fight in the last 15% of the game. Which I found to be a downright bizarre design choice for an rpg such as this, but this game thankfully has fun and interesting boss fights sprinkled all throughout the game, which created a more interesting day to day gameplay loop.
But both of these complaints from the first game, a la characters and bosses, were backed up pretty heavily by the excellent narrative, and it all did make sense within the story it was telling, and I will never try to undermine it for that. But at the end of the day from a purely mechanics standpoint this game no doubt takes the cake in my eyes. Tl:dr, play both of them NOW.
While I am definitely not going to use this game to downplay how fantastic the first one is, because really it is still amazing, I found that this game built off of that game in the best way possible. With more demons, skills, and a lot more content, and a bunch of new mechanics that fit in almost perfectly with the loop that the first game established, this game feels like it truly lives up to, and even surpasses the original in more ways than one.
I do completely understand however, if someone were to prefer the tone/story of the first game. It is very tonally different, and not all of the story beats hit as hard, just due to the overall nature of trying to show a different side of the tragedy here. I don't find it to be necessarily worse however, frankly it would have been bad if they just tried to tell the same story again, or relied on the same beats, but if I'm being completely honest I really wasn't as immersed as I was in the first game, but I still definitely enjoyed it all the same. The last act here however, I found to be infinitely more interesting/engaging than the original games.
And another thing I really like about this game over the original is how its sort of structurally designed. In this game you get access to a whole bunch of party members pretty early on, all with different strengths and weaknesses, and you're given ample time to use everyone and figure out who you like in your squad. Very unlike the first game where you're kind of stuck with the same 3 for first half, a fourth for a little while, and then right at the very end they drop so many more on you, but its almost like what's the point at that point, I'm already set.
And bosses here are MUCH better. The first game pretty much shoved in every single boss fight in the last 15% of the game. Which I found to be a downright bizarre design choice for an rpg such as this, but this game thankfully has fun and interesting boss fights sprinkled all throughout the game, which created a more interesting day to day gameplay loop.
But both of these complaints from the first game, a la characters and bosses, were backed up pretty heavily by the excellent narrative, and it all did make sense within the story it was telling, and I will never try to undermine it for that. But at the end of the day from a purely mechanics standpoint this game no doubt takes the cake in my eyes. Tl:dr, play both of them NOW.
I have only done one route in this game. I don't see why people like it better than DS1. It's got better things that DS1 like battle doesn't take a million year . OST is good, story is fine.
it's no Debiru Sabaiba...but at least it IS Debiru Sabaiba Tsu... 😭😭
A step down from the original but still a very great game in its own right
Absolutely fantastic, the characters and story may not be as in-depth as other MegaTen games but they're still enjoyable and fun from beginning to end. The music is great it fits with the game's theme and tone and makes you feel the impact of key moments in the story. I managed to sink in over 200+ hours of playtime to the game.
Love Joe but it´s just as mid as the first one
This game tickles me in the right way, shame I haven't gotten to the Triangulum arc tho.
Good writing, gameplay and music.
Play it.
Good writing, gameplay and music.
Play it.
in terms of gameplay it's essentially the same as the first game but improved
story isn't as strong as the first game though and the characters are alot more forgettable (specifically keita and otome) though there are examples to that such as al saiduq
story isn't as strong as the first game though and the characters are alot more forgettable (specifically keita and otome) though there are examples to that such as al saiduq
im down terrible for fumi
(Copy pasted from a Discord post I made in July 2020)
Overall, a damn good and damn hard (especially near the end) game. Worth your time, especially if your new to this sort of thing (me).
Overall, a damn good and damn hard (especially near the end) game. Worth your time, especially if your new to this sort of thing (me).
The best rpg, best choices, best gameplay, best characters, best dlc, best difficulty, and ost. Yes, I love this game.
It's ok, but a definite step down from the first title in writing. The story is excessively slow in the first few days, and while I enjoy the scenario and endings, it's hard to slog through the beginning to get to that point again. Characters are all worse, very tropey, very annoying, outside of a select few which shine. The extra content, the Trianglulum campaign is better all around and is the length of a whole new Devil Survivor title, but suffers from sharing the same cast. It's still good though on merit of its gameplay, but it could have been a whole of a lot better.