Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is Atlus’ latest release, which revives the story of Shin Megami Tensei V and gives players a nearly new adventure. The new path, Canon of Vengeance, not only features characters and enemies not present in the original release, but also a story that raises the stakes and helps explain the world around the protagonist.

There’s no need to waste time. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance immediately lets players choose which story they want to start by asking if they want to take on the hand of someone who could bring chaos and ruin to the entire world. The two options include Canon of Creation, which takes players into the familiar story of SMT V, and Canon of Vengeance, which features a new story.

New Additions To SMTV’s Story Deliver A Potent Punch

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance starts out relatively similar to the original path. A gruesome murder on the way home from school forces the protagonist to veer off his usual route, eventually ending up in Da’ath, a post-apocalyptic wilderness version of Tokyo. Here, he prepares himself for death, but is saved by Aogami. The two combine to become “Nahobino”, a fusion of human and primal demon, and the adventure to save the world begins in earnest. The differences may not be immediately obvious, but small changes gradually emerge over time.

Most of the plot changes come later, but there are some noticeable differences within the first few hours of play that create a unique enough feeling that gamers won’t feel like they’re reliving the same experience. The most notable of these changes is the introduction of Yoko Hiromine. Yoko immediately impacts gameplay, even joining the party very early on.

This is very different from what was previously seen with Yoshizawa’s introduction in P5R. Yoshizawa, due to time constraints in the game, played a mostly supporting role until the end of the base material, isolating her character from the story rather than integrating it into it. Yoko, on the other hand, immediately feels important to the plot and almost stands out more than some of the familiar faces from SMT V, giving her character uniqueness and real value to the new content from the get-go.

The Goddesses of Vengeance, led by their leader Lilith, will drive the new storyline.

In addition to new characters, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance will also feature an all-new antagonist known as Kadishtu, a group of female demons who pursue their own evil purposes outside of the traditional war of good and evil. The Goddesses of Vengeance, led by their leader Lilith, will drive the new storyline. Not only will new elements of great complexity be added to the storyline, but also compelling boss fights.

Battle Improvements Remain Overshadowed By Outdated Mechanics

Apart from the storyline changes, several quality of life improvements have been made to make the overall experience more enjoyable. The most notable change is the ability to save anywhere. The new save feature completely changes the game, as players can now save their progress through the menu at any time. For a long time, Atlus forced players to use predefined save points, which often meant they had to replay entire sequences if they lost. For a game that already felt monotonous, this feature greatly improves the flow of the game and helps alleviate some of the monotony.

Another improvement that speeds up the monotony a bit, especially during combat, is the auto-combat feature, which is intended to speed up some of the long and numerous small encounters players will experience during a playthrough. But even with this feature, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance struggles to find a pace that works well. As you explore the game’s demon-infested areas, enemies increase in intensity, from manageable at first to levels that eventually become consistently overwhelming.

On the one hand, some argue that the freedom to backtrack and track what the player likes makes the infusion and use of essences very manageable, and it’s great to have so much access to a variety of potential allies. But on the other hand, the sheer volume makes it nearly impossible to stop and investigate a given area unless the player wants to be ambushed by hordes that respawn too quickly to justify simply killing them all.

All of this can make it increasingly difficult to navigate your way around an already confusing map. Unfortunately, this makes even one of the most exciting aspects of the game – the optional side quests – hardly worth your time. This is especially unfortunate since the Revenge storyline adds a new region, Shinjuku, and several side quests to Dirt.

Final Thoughts and Review Score

Overall, the new content is a great addition to the SMT series, but it’s not enough to cover up the stiff repetitiveness of the combat. The turn-based system lacks the flair that other series like Persona have. Compared to Atlus’ other recent successes, SMT V: Vengeance feels noticeably outdated, and the story content used here might have been better left for a new entry with a completely overhauled combat system and structure to give it a chance to truly shine.

But Atlus certainly knows how to create an engaging challenge and an ending that will keep you hooked. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance takes a fair bit of time to play, and it’s aimed at those looking for a more hardcore JRPG, so it won’t be to everyone’s taste. There’s enough content in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance to encourage both returning and new players interested in checking out this new entry in the SMT series, and it’s the ultimate way to experience this epic tale of good, evil, and the forces of vengeance.