Shin Megami Tensei V critically misunderstands what makes the Megami Tensei franchise enjoyable. It's got the battle system! Atlus could probably churn out one hundred identical JRPGs, and if they had the press-turn system I'd probably play them. I fear deeply that SMT V marks the onset of this trend.

The open zone areas in this game are, frankly, completely uninteresting. At best, I thought nothing of the environments, and at worst, I found them to be actively detrimental to my enjoyment of the game. SMT V seems to be eternally reaching for the mystique of Nocturne, but it is incapable of creating a mystery that matching the allure of the Vortex World. Any possible intrigue generated from the post-apocalyptic world is instantly destroyed by the boring, half baked high school modern day Tokyo that the game portrays. SMT V wants to have the allure and symbolism of Nocturne, a cast similar to SMT IV with alignment creating drama between the main players in the story, and the vapid, boring high school backdrop of Persona. These varied and conflicting interests make SMT V into complete shitshow. There is quite literally nothing to latch onto here except the battle system, and that same experience can be gotten from literally any of the other entries in the franchise. This game was a complete disappointment.