Shin Megami Tensei IV... is a great story-based game, with gameplay issues for me personally.
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I think fundamentally the story is wayyyy better than SMTV's Story, not to say V's is bad, just I finally understand why people love SMT 4 so much...however.
As cool as the characters of Walter, Isabeau, and Jonathan are, as well as the other supporting characters and antagonists, and as cool as it is to have a massive... MASSIVE COMPENDIUM in comparison to previous SMT Games and Persona games.
I don't care what anyone says, this game was a chore to play through, the biggest problem with this game isn't so much lack of an icon of where to go. More so the biggest issue is TOKYO's map, YOU WILL GET LOST.
And before SMT4 hardcore fans try to cope and say "JUST MEMORIZE OR USE A FANMADE MAP" I did do the latter, however it's ridiculous as hell to navigate Tokyo when it has a bunch barriers, poison areas, blocked paths.
Now it wouldn't be an issue if it had all of that, but why the hell didn't ATLUS label the locations. Now here's my logic with it, if you started the game, the map should be blank, thats fine, however after going to key locations like Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Ginza etc, the minimap at the bottom screenshot tell you what locations are where after you discover them. I swear half the time you're wondering where the hell you have to go.
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I got the neutral ending, and I loved it. However I don't what anyone says, the way of getting the NEUTRAL ENDING is the most convoluted way of getting it. The way you obtain it is by getting neutral affinity/alliance by subscribing to both law and chaos answers, however you really need a guide to let you know which one is which. From there you essentially need to worry about maintaining a neutral stance, and not only that but complete required side missions in order to continue to the neutral route.
After you finally get to the neutral route, and you know you're in it, if you wake up and Isabeau is there with you, the game now doesn't really tell you where the heck you have to go.
After you figure it out via random chance/guess or look at a guide, you then have to go and do 4 more SIDE QUESTS, and then finally you can confront the final bosses.
And as awesome as it to see the ending be a somewhat peaceful ending (considering the neutral ending leads into SMT IV APOCOLYPSE) it's certainly a chore to get through.
I did really enjoy the story though as it's more philosophical about how the world should be ran.
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As for gameplay, I don't have much to talk about other than that it essentially plays like every other SMT game, however has that classic SMT BATTLE Design Style I really think is outdated as hell.
What I mean by "DESIGN STYLE" is this game could've been much cooler if they actually had 3D MODELS of all the demons instead of just still images that occasionally move at 4 fps. And before anyone says "It's probably because game couldn't handle that many models since it's a 3DS game", I understand, however if they ever do a remaster, I feel like they should do the switch from 2d art to 3d models personally.
Another weird thing was how Flynn was the only SAMURAI made in 3D, it would've been better/cooler if they made 3D models of Isabeau, Walter, and Jonathan, as well as the Black Samurai and a few others like Nozomi. Only because it's kind of weird to think your character is traversing on his own, even though the game shows you that Jonathan, Walter, and Isabeau are sometimes in your party, just a little critique.
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I think the story is fantastic and I would love to see a remaster someday for both SWITCH (or Switch 2), and PS4/PS5 and XBOX I really hope ATLUS one day just does a general collection of all games featuring:
- SOUL HACKERS 1
- STRANGE JOURNEY REDUX
- DIGITAL DEVIL SAGA DUOLOGY
- DEVIL SUMMONER RAIDOU DUOLOGY (VS SOULLESS ARMY & 2: VS KING ABADDON)
- DEVIL SURVIVOR DUOLOGY (OVERCLOCKED & 2: RECORD BREAK)
- SMT IF...
- SMT DEVIL SUMMONER 95
- SMT 1 & 2
- MAJIN TENSEI 1 & 2
- Megami Tensei 1 & 2
Kind of like the recent METAL GEAR SOLID COLLECTION VOL 1 except with actual effort (though considering ATLUS halfassed SMT III NOCTURNE when it first released) we'll see if they ever do any other SMT remasters, here's to hoping.
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Anyway I hope this game does get a remaster so more can experience it's great story, I also hope the remaster has quality of life changes, if adding a map with label is what they need to do, I'm all for it.
I would've given the game a 4.5 out of 5 however, the game being confusing with navigation making the game feel like a chore to play and the randomness that is achieving certain endings by doing convoluted things, made me drop it to a 4.
I think the story is fantastic. I would recommend SMT 4 just make sure to have a a lot... and I mean A LOT of patience with it.
Thanks for reading.
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I think fundamentally the story is wayyyy better than SMTV's Story, not to say V's is bad, just I finally understand why people love SMT 4 so much...however.
As cool as the characters of Walter, Isabeau, and Jonathan are, as well as the other supporting characters and antagonists, and as cool as it is to have a massive... MASSIVE COMPENDIUM in comparison to previous SMT Games and Persona games.
I don't care what anyone says, this game was a chore to play through, the biggest problem with this game isn't so much lack of an icon of where to go. More so the biggest issue is TOKYO's map, YOU WILL GET LOST.
And before SMT4 hardcore fans try to cope and say "JUST MEMORIZE OR USE A FANMADE MAP" I did do the latter, however it's ridiculous as hell to navigate Tokyo when it has a bunch barriers, poison areas, blocked paths.
Now it wouldn't be an issue if it had all of that, but why the hell didn't ATLUS label the locations. Now here's my logic with it, if you started the game, the map should be blank, thats fine, however after going to key locations like Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Ginza etc, the minimap at the bottom screenshot tell you what locations are where after you discover them. I swear half the time you're wondering where the hell you have to go.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I got the neutral ending, and I loved it. However I don't what anyone says, the way of getting the NEUTRAL ENDING is the most convoluted way of getting it. The way you obtain it is by getting neutral affinity/alliance by subscribing to both law and chaos answers, however you really need a guide to let you know which one is which. From there you essentially need to worry about maintaining a neutral stance, and not only that but complete required side missions in order to continue to the neutral route.
After you finally get to the neutral route, and you know you're in it, if you wake up and Isabeau is there with you, the game now doesn't really tell you where the heck you have to go.
After you figure it out via random chance/guess or look at a guide, you then have to go and do 4 more SIDE QUESTS, and then finally you can confront the final bosses.
And as awesome as it to see the ending be a somewhat peaceful ending (considering the neutral ending leads into SMT IV APOCOLYPSE) it's certainly a chore to get through.
I did really enjoy the story though as it's more philosophical about how the world should be ran.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
As for gameplay, I don't have much to talk about other than that it essentially plays like every other SMT game, however has that classic SMT BATTLE Design Style I really think is outdated as hell.
What I mean by "DESIGN STYLE" is this game could've been much cooler if they actually had 3D MODELS of all the demons instead of just still images that occasionally move at 4 fps. And before anyone says "It's probably because game couldn't handle that many models since it's a 3DS game", I understand, however if they ever do a remaster, I feel like they should do the switch from 2d art to 3d models personally.
Another weird thing was how Flynn was the only SAMURAI made in 3D, it would've been better/cooler if they made 3D models of Isabeau, Walter, and Jonathan, as well as the Black Samurai and a few others like Nozomi. Only because it's kind of weird to think your character is traversing on his own, even though the game shows you that Jonathan, Walter, and Isabeau are sometimes in your party, just a little critique.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I think the story is fantastic and I would love to see a remaster someday for both SWITCH (or Switch 2), and PS4/PS5 and XBOX I really hope ATLUS one day just does a general collection of all games featuring:
- SOUL HACKERS 1
- STRANGE JOURNEY REDUX
- DIGITAL DEVIL SAGA DUOLOGY
- DEVIL SUMMONER RAIDOU DUOLOGY (VS SOULLESS ARMY & 2: VS KING ABADDON)
- DEVIL SURVIVOR DUOLOGY (OVERCLOCKED & 2: RECORD BREAK)
- SMT IF...
- SMT DEVIL SUMMONER 95
- SMT 1 & 2
- MAJIN TENSEI 1 & 2
- Megami Tensei 1 & 2
Kind of like the recent METAL GEAR SOLID COLLECTION VOL 1 except with actual effort (though considering ATLUS halfassed SMT III NOCTURNE when it first released) we'll see if they ever do any other SMT remasters, here's to hoping.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Anyway I hope this game does get a remaster so more can experience it's great story, I also hope the remaster has quality of life changes, if adding a map with label is what they need to do, I'm all for it.
I would've given the game a 4.5 out of 5 however, the game being confusing with navigation making the game feel like a chore to play and the randomness that is achieving certain endings by doing convoluted things, made me drop it to a 4.
I think the story is fantastic. I would recommend SMT 4 just make sure to have a a lot... and I mean A LOT of patience with it.
Thanks for reading.