I should preface this by saying this game is an absolute banger, in terms of the series however I find myself a little more mixed. The series doesn't exactly have a game that encapsulates all the good parts that have come before and Shin Megami Tensei V continues this trend with some incredible leaps forward, and a few stumbling points I had at the back of my mind my whole time playing.
Principally, this series has always been one of the mechanically strongest series in the genre and thankfully V continues that with an excellent system in it's own right, combining the Nocturne systems (one of many aspects it really wants to be Nocturne in) with the conveniences of the 4 duology. Unfortunately, I did find there was a seriously annoying regression with the main character's death equalling a game over, something the previous game had corrected. On the other hand, this game introduces the essence system which adds a whole new layer of customisability and preparation to the strategic gameplay which is a fantastic addition, on a more sentimental level it also allowed me to keep demons I like relevant throughout the whole game, even rewarding me for doing so since demons I kept around for a while often had higher stats than newly fused demons up until I hit the endgame demon 90+ chads.
In terms of atmosphere and world design, I quite enjoyed what this game had to offer. Instead of the dungeons the mainline series was known for, this opts for island pockets of areas connected to each other and it works well for the most part. The designers clearly did put some consideration into how a demon's circumstances dictated the kinda place they would hang out at (mermaids at a lake, Jack Frosts in a warehouse etc.) and it's very ambient in it's own way since the world at play here is also not really anything like the other games in the series, and this is where the world sorta loses me. In the other SMT games, demons at one point or another acclimate their society into the ruins of whichever Japanese city the game takes place in, but in this one they're kinda just hanging around which is strange, with the exception of the final overworld area, and there isn't really much thought put into how these demons function in this society, and yes I am aware that it's because in this entry society is just desert but later revelations make me question this viewpoint as well.
Philosophically, this series might be the weakest to date, Apocalypse aside, the representatives for each faction are somehow weaker than the 1 dimensional guys from the SNES games. It's strange because they're present throughout the entire game, and this entry opts for less extreme worldviews on the Law and Chaos spectrum, so they're views are even less pronounced to me. I actually still genuinely don't understand what the Chaos representative's character even is. SMT might not be a franchise that really focuses on stories, but the front facing characters for alignments has always been an important factor for illustrating how these worldviews align with a human point of view, and this game fails pretty hard in this regard.
And importantly I should note that this game seems really beholden to Nocturne and I don't think it works in it's favour. There are a lot of shared iconography and references which are cool nods but I'd hazard to say it contributes much to the game's own identity, which is already in a questionable state due to it's thematics and philosophy being as weak as they are.
However, these negatives don't really kill the game for me, the gameplay and encounters always had that Shin Megami Tensei seal of quality for me that at least kept the game really good and engaging that I'd just spend my free time plowing through it all as much as I can, and in a year of excellent games I'd still say this manages to stand high amongst the titans of this year. I'd overall recommend this entry as a great entry point for newcomers too, it is the most accessible SMT game for sure, while still maintaining the strengths of SMT as a series.
Principally, this series has always been one of the mechanically strongest series in the genre and thankfully V continues that with an excellent system in it's own right, combining the Nocturne systems (one of many aspects it really wants to be Nocturne in) with the conveniences of the 4 duology. Unfortunately, I did find there was a seriously annoying regression with the main character's death equalling a game over, something the previous game had corrected. On the other hand, this game introduces the essence system which adds a whole new layer of customisability and preparation to the strategic gameplay which is a fantastic addition, on a more sentimental level it also allowed me to keep demons I like relevant throughout the whole game, even rewarding me for doing so since demons I kept around for a while often had higher stats than newly fused demons up until I hit the endgame demon 90+ chads.
In terms of atmosphere and world design, I quite enjoyed what this game had to offer. Instead of the dungeons the mainline series was known for, this opts for island pockets of areas connected to each other and it works well for the most part. The designers clearly did put some consideration into how a demon's circumstances dictated the kinda place they would hang out at (mermaids at a lake, Jack Frosts in a warehouse etc.) and it's very ambient in it's own way since the world at play here is also not really anything like the other games in the series, and this is where the world sorta loses me. In the other SMT games, demons at one point or another acclimate their society into the ruins of whichever Japanese city the game takes place in, but in this one they're kinda just hanging around which is strange, with the exception of the final overworld area, and there isn't really much thought put into how these demons function in this society, and yes I am aware that it's because in this entry society is just desert but later revelations make me question this viewpoint as well.
Philosophically, this series might be the weakest to date, Apocalypse aside, the representatives for each faction are somehow weaker than the 1 dimensional guys from the SNES games. It's strange because they're present throughout the entire game, and this entry opts for less extreme worldviews on the Law and Chaos spectrum, so they're views are even less pronounced to me. I actually still genuinely don't understand what the Chaos representative's character even is. SMT might not be a franchise that really focuses on stories, but the front facing characters for alignments has always been an important factor for illustrating how these worldviews align with a human point of view, and this game fails pretty hard in this regard.
And importantly I should note that this game seems really beholden to Nocturne and I don't think it works in it's favour. There are a lot of shared iconography and references which are cool nods but I'd hazard to say it contributes much to the game's own identity, which is already in a questionable state due to it's thematics and philosophy being as weak as they are.
However, these negatives don't really kill the game for me, the gameplay and encounters always had that Shin Megami Tensei seal of quality for me that at least kept the game really good and engaging that I'd just spend my free time plowing through it all as much as I can, and in a year of excellent games I'd still say this manages to stand high amongst the titans of this year. I'd overall recommend this entry as a great entry point for newcomers too, it is the most accessible SMT game for sure, while still maintaining the strengths of SMT as a series.