We’ve now learned that it’ll also provide some bonuses for those who played the original version on the Switch. The details were posted to formerly-known-as-Twitter on May 31st, and translated with the help of personacentral.com. Which bonuses you receive will be determined by which path you chose in your original play-through, and by just how far you made it.

For instance, if you completed the Uphold God’s Order path and finished the game, you’ll get:

• Abdiel (Archangel) Essence x1
• Abdiel (Fallen Angel) Essence x1
• Vitality Balm x10
• Vitality Incense x10
• Grimoire x10
• Gospel x3
• Whittled Goat x1

If you chose to Destroy the Throne on your way to clearing the game, you’ll get:

• Nuwa’s (Human From) Essence x1
• Nuwa’s (Snake Form) Essence x1
• Agility Balm x10
• Luck Balm x10
• Agility Incense x10
• Luck Incense x10

If you played the game but didn’t complete it, don’t fret. You’ll still get:

• Large Glory Crystal x1
• Healing Potion x20
• Chakra Drop x5
• Revival Bead x5
• Spyglass x20
• Smoke Ball x5

So, not bad, but not nearly as good as the bonuses the completionists will get for playing through all paths in their entirety. I’ll let you get the details on that and everything else from the source, but suffice to say it’s a lot. If you were debating whether to play it again on the Switch or try it on a different platform, these bonuses may sway you; you won’t get those bonuses on PlayStation, Xbox, or Windows.

Bonuses or not, be sure to watch this Complete Guide which Atlus posted a few weeks back. It’ll serve to introduce the game to new players and hype up those of us who played it on its original release.

As you may recall, I was a bit sour on the game in our original review from 2021, although it still earned a 7/10. It looks like Vengeance will address some of my major complaints while also providing plenty of new content and features. I’m quite confident Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance will be worth double dipping. We’ll find out soon enough.

For more information on Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, visit atlus.com/smt5v where you still have time to get in your digital or physical pre-order.

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Unicorn Overlord is a tactical strategy RPG from ATLUS and Vanillaware. It follows Alain, the would-be prince of Cornia had the kingdom not been overthrown by General Valmore. Before her last stand against Valmore, Alain’s mother, Queen Ilenia, tasks a guard, Josef, with protecting her young son and the Ring of the Unicorn. Valmore takes control of Cornia, places all the kingdoms of Fevrith under Zenoiran rule, and changes his name to Galerius, as would we all, right?

Ten years later, the island of Palevia is invaded by Zenoiran forces. Josef, Alain, and a few buddies are able to repel the attack, and we learn the Ring of the Unicorn has the ability to dispel the magic that is forcing one-time allies to serve under Galerius. Armed with this knowledge and a can-do attitude, Alain decides the time is nigh to gather an army to liberate Fevrith.

The plot is typically melodramatic for the genre, but not nearly as heavy as what we’ve seen in the past. Everything moves along at a breezy pace, or at least as breezy as it can be with all of the side-battle action at your disposal. Let’s not get into that, yet, though. Let’s start with the world map.

In most JRPGs, the map is either something that pushes icons around under grave narration or a means to get from here to there with as few random battles as possible. In Unicorn Overlord, it’s a living thing, and a key component to gameplay. Alain has to explore the world to build his army, and there’s a lot to do.

Completing liberation battles will free towns for Alain to utilize, provided he’s gathered enough resources to build them up. Towns can provide armor and provisions. Larger cities can also provide taverns where Alain’s troops can share meals to increase rapport. You can station guards to help collect materials and to present with gifts, also to increase rapport. Some towns have ports that allow you to sail to secluded areas for rare items or to solve quests.

The map also contains forts where you can recruit mercenaries, expand your unit size, engage in mock battles, and more. Numerous relics are scattered about, many of which you won’t even know how to use until you’re about halfway through the game, or deeper. One of my favorite moments was when I stumbled upon a hidden catapult with the suggestion to disable it. In a later battle, the enemy officer was miffed to learn a catapult was down, making my victory easier to achieve. There are numerous moments like that scattered about, making map exploration not just a rewarding endeavor, but also an important key to progression.

Of course, the meat of the game is in the battles, and there’s far too much nuance to go into full detail here. Basically, you’re able to assign units of up to six soldiers from those you’ve recruited or hired. Unicorn Overlord offers over 60 characters by game’s end, all of whom come with their own unique skill set across a multitude of class types. How you place them in their unit, how you arm and accessorize them, what skills you give them, and how you trigger those skills determines how effective they’ll be in combat. It’s a lot to think about, and it can easily become overwhelming if you’re not constantly managing who gets what new accessory/weapon and who gets paired with whom.

The game does allow you to engage in mock battles to test a unit’s effectiveness, but I found it easier to just mimic enemy units. If a fight is particularly troublesome, I’d set up a unit using the enemy’s formation, then tweak it to suit my needs.

But that’s just the preparation. The battles take place in real time on wonderfully designed maps that remain diverse throughout the game’s entirety. They generally consist of deploying a few units at a time to attack the enemy’s stronghold while protecting your own. Valor points determine how many units can be deployed. More valor is achieved throughout the battle, allowing you to deploy more units or utilize special skills that can enhance attacks, buff or heal your units, transport units around the battlefield, and myriad other capabilities.

It sounds like a lot, but there’s more. Assigning a unit’s leader determines the basic skill of that unit. Making a flier the leader allows that entire unit to fly over otherwise impassable mountains and rivers. But flying units are susceptible to arrow attacks, so switching the leader to one with the ability to repel ranged attacks is then a good idea…provided you have the valor points to do so. Running low on valor? Pick a unit leader who has the ability to replenish it more quickly or just use an item that negates ranged attacks.

Between the available unit tweaks, the valor skills, and countless items you can find/buy to use on the battlefield, I never felt I didn’t stand a chance in a fight. Even if you don’t prepare well, there’s usually a way to push through if you just pause the action and think about it—there’s almost always a soldier on the with a valor skill to save the day.

That’s actually one of my two minor complaints about Unicorn Overlord. If you happen upon a couple unit setups that really maximize efficiency, you can use them to push through the entire game without much difficulty. I had two (maybe three) such units, and it wasn’t long before they seemed capable of clearing entire battle maps on their own. Units can tire on the battlefield, but there are so many ways to replenish their stamina that fatigue is pretty much a non-factor.

I also felt there were too many soldier classes to keep track of. The developers could’ve reduced this by half and still had an intricate party-assembly system. Once I approached the game’s midpoint, I just had no desire to slow things down to tinker with unit symmetry, other than to figure out who to add when expanding units from four to five. As such, a lot of interesting characters were barely utilized. There was just no need.

Maybe that’ll open up the game to multiple playthroughs. The world of Fevrith will definitely be worth additional trips, as the scenery is also fantastic. The fantasy landscapes are richly illustrated and a joy to explore, the character designs are heroic and fun (if not a bit dated in a few instances), the music fits the world and the action well, and the voice acting is solid, for the most part. In short, the game’s design is cohesive; each part fully complements the others.

So, yes, Unicorn Overlord is definitely an early candidate for my 2024 game of the year. It achieves everything it sets out to accomplish, it manages a few surprises along the way, and only by nitpicking can I find anything wrong with it. Remember that joy when you first played a JRPG or strategy game that really clicked for you? It’s about to happen again.

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Following Shin Megami Tensei V’s initial release in 2021 (which sold over a million copies worldwide), the enhanced Vengeance version includes the entirety of the original game along with a new story path. Vengeance also features fully evolved visuals tailored to modern consoles, though we’ll have to see what that means on the Switch. What the Switch will get are new areas to explore, new demons to fight and recruit, new music, and an improved battle system, all of which combine to produce “…a smoother and richer RPG set amidst a war between demons and angels.”

At the beginning of the story, the player is presented between two routes. The story told in Shin Megami Tensei V, the Canon of Creation, and a brand-new route, Canon of Vengeance, a dramatic tale of revenge by the fallen.​

The Canon of Vengeance follows the scenario of SMTV but changes drastically from the latter half of the game. The outcome will be completely different. Enjoy the two divergent stories to your heart’s content.​

The new scenario will feature the Qadištu—four female Demons who stand in the way of the game’s protagonists.​ Lilith, a key member of the Qadištu, calls the protagonist the Key of Resurrection, ​and herself The Oppressed.​ What does she mean, and what is the purpose of the Qadištu? ​We’ll have to find out as the Oppressed seek their revenge.

All DLC from the original release will be included with Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, but never fear—the new edition will offer new DLC of its own. It’s also worth noting that the qualify of life enhancements will reportedly include the ability to save anywhere. That will certainly ease one of my main frustrations with the original release.

Pre-orders for the physical release of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance are now available in standard and launch editions, the latter of which comes in a Steelbook case and includes two sacred treasure sets. Nintendo Switch digital edition pre-orders will open at a later date. If you’ve already got a pre-order in, no updates need to be made; you can just expect your game a week earlier.

For more information on Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, visit atlus.com/smt5v.

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If you’ve played the demo (which hopefully you’ve done by now), you know much preparation goes into optimizing your various parties for battle. Equipment, placement, support, leaders—there’s a lot to consider, most of which comes together in ways strategy gamers may not have experienced before. So, whether you struggled with the demo or are just making sure your strategies are as tight as they can be, Josef is here to help.

This final training video offers tips and tricks on how to succeed in combat, highlights details about battle mechanics, and more.

I never saw “Game Over” during my run through the Unicorn Overlord demo, but I also know I could’ve handled some situations better. This was largely due to not spending enough time on active and passive skill management. I often yelled at a particular character for healing a soldier who didn’t need it when she was drastically low on health herself. That was on me. Check out the video above, and don’t make the same mistakes I did.

Unicorn Overlord will release digitally and physically on March 8th, and preorders are open now. For more information, visit unicornoverlord.atlus.com.

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My thoughts? I’m hooked. But before I list off the reasons, here’s a little on why I knew I would be. Unicorn Overlord is a tactical RPG on a grand scale. Set in the fantasy world of Fevrith, the game follows Alain, a would-be prince now exiled when the kingdom is overthrown by General Valmore. Alain seeks to reclaim the throne, but will need to unite the individual countries of Fevrith to do so.

A corrupt ruler to face, an army to build, a world to explore, a tense political climate to navigate…it sounds pretty Fire Emblemy, doesn’t it? Well, it is, but it’s so much more. Let’s take a look at what I’ve already learned via the demo.

• The demo is timed, so how far you get will depend upon how quickly you move. You’ll get five hours, which is more than enough to whet your appetite for strategy gaming goodness.
• Of course, your progress will carry over to the full game should when you decide to buy it. However, it doesn’t look like there will be any bonuses for those who tried the demo before buying.
• We get our traditional act of heroic sacrifice straight away, with a more surprising turn of events soon thereafter. If you’re as into JRPG melodrama as I am, Unicorn Overlord looks sure to satisfy.
• The overworld is a living thing here. Unlike other tactical RPGs that just shove icons around a map as a narrator speaks, Unicorn Overlord charges you exploration. There are items to find (designated and hidden), characters to speak with, and enemies to engage or avoid.

• Conversely, there are no towns…at least not yet. You’ll see and can interact with cities and buildings on the map, but just to pull up menus for buying/selling items, recruiting mercenaries, chartering ships, etc. Building up these towns makes them more useful to you,  a unique spin that keeps the game active when you’re not engaged in combat.
• Speaking of mercenaries, you get to customize them! The game gives you plenty of plot-driven characters to control, but you also have the ability to hire reinforcements with some options for altering their appearance. Oddly, when naming them, you have to select from a predetermined list. So much for my idea of naming characters after members of the band Unicorn. Sorry, ABEDON!
• Why the need for mercenaries? This begins our string of combat bullets, starting with engagement. Overworld battle scenarios happen in real time, with you deploying squads of 1 to 3 combatants (in the demo) for engagement. Each squad can be customized with the soldiers of your choice, including where they’re placed on a 2×3 grid. That placement will be determined by who is on that grid. Archers and healers in the back, of course. Fighters and guards in the front. Maybe. If you’re going up against an enemy that can attack an entire front line, you may want to move a lower defense attacker to the back. I found I didn’t have to tinker much with placement in the demo, but it’s obvious that’ll become more important as I get deeper into the game.

• Who’s fighting together in these squads is important, as teammates will build rapport with one another the more they fight together. The game makes it clear who can share rapport and how far they’ve progressed.
• The fighting animations we’ve seen are just that: animations. Like Fire Emblem, the gameplay focuses on determining who should fight whom, and making sure the right squad is within range. You can see the likely result of the fight before you engage. If you have multiple squads within reach, you can cycle through them to determine which will achieve the best results.
• Each squad has a leader that can be assigned for various bonuses. If you have an archer leading a squad that’s within reach of a fight, you can call in a volley of arrows from his/her squad to do damage before you even engage. How cool is that? Other leadership skills include the ability to move faster on the world map, cross over mountains and rivers, etc.
• The battle scenarios are timed. Once you engage the enemy and start moving your squads around, you have a limited amount of time to claim victory. The demo is generous with the time provided, giving you plenty of options to rest your squads (they can get tuckered out) and to compensate for mistakes as you spread them out for engagement.

That’s barely scratching the surface of what the demo highlights, but 11 bullet points is my traditional stopping point. I didn’t even get to the game’s lush graphics, the moral dilemmas (already with the tough choices?), the intricate item/skill management, and the sidequests that help you build up the territories you’ve freed. Unicorn Overlord gives you a lot to take in within the first few hours, but it’s also manageable…for now. I have a feeling it’ll get pretty complicated pretty quickly.

But I’m looking forward to that. The demo is a clear indication that Unicorn Overlord will keep gamers busy for quite some time. Exploration and combat are equally addictive and rewarding, and we’ve already met a handful of engaging characters. I’m more than ready to meet more and dig deeper into Fevrith when the game releases digitally and physically on March 8th.

For more information on Unicorn Overlord, visit unicornoverlord.atlus.com/.

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Today’s Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase highlighted a wide variety of games coming to the Switch in the coming months. One of the more surprising of these (well, surprising if you haven’t been following social media) is Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. This repackaged and expanded release of SMTV is due on Switch June 21st.

In addition to the including the full original game, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance will allows players to follow a new story that was untold in the original. In addition to new areas, demons, and music, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance will also feature more accessible gameplay, an improved battle system, new demon experiences, and greater field exploration.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance delivers a full-fledged RPG that can be enjoyed by existing and new fans. At the start of the game, players will choose between two paths: the story told in Shin Megami Tensei V, the Canon of Creation, or the brand-new Canon of Vengeance. This dramatic new tale of revenge introduces brand-new characters, an enigmatic cohort of demons called the Qadištu, a new dungeon and map to explore. Additionally, the original Shin Megami Tensei V battle system, demon merging and field exploration have been evolved and expanded in this newest entry in the series. 

The Canon of Vengeance follows the game’s original scenarios, but will change drastically in the latter half of the game and provide a completely different outcome. Additionally, new demons will be distributed via DLC on the release date, as will DLC that makes it easier to gain experience and in-game currency.

Although I liked the game overall, my review of the original Shin Megami Tensei V came in on the lower end compared to my peers, as I was put off by the opening slog and my general lack of concern for the game’s characters. More accessible gameplay could certainly help new players push past that, and the additional story will be welcome for those who reached the original conclusion.

The big question, of course, is whether all this will be enough for players of the original release to double dip. Atlus has not yet announced the price for Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, just that physical pre-orders will open on February 27th with digital pre-orders to come at a later date. We will keep you posted at Pure Nintendo, of course, but you should probably sign up for updates at atlus.com/smt5v.

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To help us get a grasp on the game’s scope and mechanics, publisher Atlus is releasing a series of “Josef’s Guide to…” videos. The latest was published this week, in which the former Holy Knight explains Unicorn Overlord’s social interaction system.

If Alain—the game’s protagonist—is going to successfully unite the continent of Fevrith, he’s going to need to make sure the leaders and warriors of the individual kingdoms are getting along. That, of course, means hanging out, sharing meals, exchanging gifts, and standing with one another in combat. Judging from the trailer above, those who played Fire Emblem: Three Houses will be right at home with Unicorn Overlord’s social aspects and their effect on gameplay.

But that’s just one part of Unicorn Overlord’s larger picture. Atlus previously gave us an introduction to navigating the game’s world, and we’ll surely see more as approach the game’s March 8th release.

Unicorn Overlord is available now for preorder at the Nintendo eShop in standard and Monarch editions. Physical preorders are also open for the standard ($59.99) and collector’s edition ($129.99) wherever finer JRPGs are sold.

For more information on Unicorn Overlord, visit unicornoverlord.atlus.com.

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ATLUS recently announced that Persona 5 Tactica will be hitting the Switch on November 17, 2023. And today at Anime Expo 2023, they debuted a character trailer for some of the game’s combatants, including someone we haven’t met previously.

Check out the trailer above, where you’ll learn more about the backgrounds and unique skillset for Joker, Morgana, and the all-new Erina. These are just some of the characters you’ll be using to fight against the tyrannical Legionnaires.

And unlike with Persona 5—which is now also available for the Switch—the turn-based combat in Persona 5 Tactica will be grid-based along the lines of XCOM 2 or Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. An isometric view of the battlefield allows players to strategically position the Phantom Thieves so they can take advantages of their individual strengths and attacks.

As for the story:

After a strange incident, the Phantom Thieves wander into a bizarre realm where its citizens are living under tyrannical oppression. Surrounded by a military group named Legionnaires, they find themselves in grave danger until a mysterious revolutionary named Erina rescues them and offers an enticing deal in exchange for their help. What truth lies behind Erina and the deal she offers to the Phantom Thieves?

Persona 5 Tactica will launch on Nintendo Switch and other platgorms on November 17th. For more information, check out the Nintendo eShop or visit persona.atlus.com.

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Just a few weeks after social media mocked the very idea of Persona on Nintendo Switch, Persona is coming to Nintendo Switch. The big announcement to close today’s Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase is that ATLUS is finally bringing the critically acclaimed Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable to Nintendo gamers.

Things will kick off October 21, 2022, with the release of Persona 5 Royal.

Persona 5 Royal: Forced to transfer to a high school in Tokyo, the protagonist has a strange dream. “You truly are a prisoner of fate. In the near future, ruin awaits you.” With the goal of “rehabilitation” looming overhead, he must save others from distorted desires by donning the mask of a Phantom Thief.

The Switch version of Persona 5 Royal will include all previously released DLC.

We’ll then move on to…

Persona 4 Golden: They say your soulmate will appear if you stare into a television set on a rainy night… This strange rumor slowly spreads through the rural town of Inaba, the protagonist’s new home, just as a chain of mysterious murders begin. As the protagonist and his teammates chase after the truth, they find themselves opening the door to another world.

For the first time, enjoy Persona 4 Golden with text in French, Italian, German, and Spanish!

Persona 3 Portable: If I say there’s an hour “hidden” between one day and the next…would you believe me? This unknown time is the “Dark Hour.” Unfamiliar stillness swallows the city, people turn into eerie coffins, and otherworldly monsters called Shadows swarm. One night, the protagonist is attacked by these Shadows. When all hope seems lost, the power of the heart, their Persona, is awakened.

Featuring enhanced graphics, Persona 3 Portable will also be available with French, Italian, German, and Spanish text for the first time!

Release dates for Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable have not been announced.

For more information on the Persona series, visit persona.atlus.com.

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There are a couple of reasons for this, the first of which is that the game gives you absolutely no one to care about. We’re introduced to a few students whose personalities are outweighed by their stylish school uniforms, only to have them almost instantly pulled away by a demonic apocalypse. What’s left is a futuristic (or parallel?) Japan—referred to as Da’at—that’s almost entirely covered by sand. Our hero is merged with a god to become what’s called a Nahobino, but even that isn’t as interesting as his new hair and the possibility that he’s become the fifth member of the reformed ABBA, judging from his new ABBA-tar outfit.

So, with practically nothing to motivate me, I trudged my way through the first 15 to 20 hours of Shin Megami Tensei V. It took that long to get back to civilization, of sorts, and any kind of story or character development. Should I have been surprised when I was quickly shoved right back into the apocalypse with little more incentive than to save a fellow student I barely knew or cared about? No, because it’s very clear this JRPG is not about the story or characters. Who these people are and why they’re fighting is given little more than occasional cutscene consideration.

I guess there’s no point in introducing us to the characters’ demons when there are so many actual, by-God demons we’ll be meeting instead.

Anyone who has played a Shin Megami Tensei game understands this. As with the previous entries, V revolves around a war between angels and demons, with modern-day Japan caught in the crossfire. This time, however, we’re told right away that God is dead. The demons have won, but the angels haven’t accepted their fate. Have you? Do you care? There will be plenty of confrontations and decisions throughout the game that allow you to choose a side, if either.

But again, the game does practically nothing to make you care one way or another. I made every decision based on what I’d do, not on what the characters would do, and that disappointed me.

Thankfully, most of the disappointment ended there, as the battle system and demon fusing/collecting elements are so effective. Battles are turn-based, using what the game calls a press turn system. You’re given a single turn for each character in your party (up to four, including yourself). You can attack, defend, pass, use an item, or buff/debuff your team or the enemy. If you attack an enemy’s weakness, however, you will earn yourself an extra turn (as well as cause more damage). You, therefore, want to stock your party with demons that can exploit these weaknesses, but you don’t know what those are when you meet a demon for the first time. It’s also not always clear which demons you’ll face when approaching one, so balancing your party (or keeping an online guide handy) becomes key.

It’s important, then, to keep evolving your list of available demons. Some are given to you via the story, but the vast majority of them must either be coerced into joining you or fused (more on that in a bit). Coercion happens via dialogue during battle, and usually results in you correctly (and randomly) answering a few questions, followed by a bartering phase in which you give up health, macca, items, and such. Tip for newcomers; make sure there’s only one demon left before attempting to recruit. If negotiations go south, you give up your party’s turn.

The other major acquisition method is fusion. This is the act of combining two demons to form a (hopefully) stronger and more useful one. Some of the demons skills can be passed along via fusion, so you want to make sure the new demon can take advantage of them (you don’t want to pass along fire element skills, for example, if the new demon has strong physical attacks and weak magic attacks).

This process is key to proceeding in the game, as demons quickly become useless and must be fused into something better. The level bosses serve as a check to make sure you’ve been working hard, as you won’t stand a chance if you don’t have the correct demons (or, more accurately, the correct demon skills), ready to go. No worries if you’ve already lost a demon that you now need, however. All acquired demons are added to a Compendium that allows you to give up macca for a new one if you need it for a specific demon. In other words, you don’t need to track down that specific demon again and start the bartering process all over.

Shin Megami Tensei V helps you out in other ways, too. Da’at is literally littered with vending machines full of items you can exchange for macca. There are also numerous elements and power-ups to discover and acquire, as well as Leyline Founts where you can save your game, buy/sell items, heal up, fuse demons, and fast travel to other Founts you’ve previously unlocked. Using items in battle is surprisingly helpful, especially the dampeners which repel even the most powerful demon attacks. This is why you can only hold up to three at a time, and why you need to unlock the demons’ ability to use items.

What you can’t do this time around is purchase weapons and armor as you could in previous entries. Powering up your Nahobino now involves acquiring essences from various methods (demons, item drops, etc.) and making them your own. Going up on a boss with a nasty force attack? Acquire a force repelling essence from a demon. Of course, that’ll make you weak to different elements, too, so juggling essences with your party becomes very important.

The same can be said for the miracles you learn. 200 Miman demons are hiding through Da’at, and finding them (along with some other more easily located items) will give you Glory that can be used to level up your Nahobino in numerous ways. Increase your skills (and the number you can acquire), unlock additional demon slots, gain additional battle options…the opportunities for advancement are crazy, and wrestling over how to level up is part of the fun. You can’t upgrade everything, so it’s important to understand your own style and work in that direction.

Getting all of this requires a ton of exploration and constant battles, so it helps that Shin Megami Tensei V’s greatest strength is the level design. Gone are the confusing and tricky overworld maps that led you to specific “dungeons,” replaced by huge maps to unlock as you progress. Yes, the environments are boring to look at, but they’re so expertly laid out and layered that I never grew tired of seeking out their hardest-to-reach areas.

I just wish the game was a bit friendlier when it comes to saving. Pushing deeply into a new territory became nerve-wracking after 30 to 45 minutes, and too often I was killed with a one-shot critical attack before I was able to find that area’s Leyline Fount to save my game.

I’m not sure I can count that against the game, however, when I knew going in that it would be tough. All Shin Megami Tensei games are, and that’s part of the appeal. Unfortunately, the story has always been part of the appeal as well, and there simply isn’t anyone or anything here to care about. It’s combat and exploration for adventure’s sake, and your reward becomes nothing more than knowing you had the better strategy.

If that’s enough, Shin Megami Tensei V is going to give you more than your money’s worth. The battle system is simultaneously engrossing and infuriating, and always engaging. If you need more than a good fight, however, I suggest digging back into any other game in the series, all of which are part of a crazy SMT sale in the Nintendo eShop at press time…provided you can find your 3DS in the Da’at that is your game library, of course.

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