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Shin Megami Tensei IV Developer Q&A Session

Soriku

Junior Member
http://www.siliconera.com/2013/04/27/shin-megami-tensei-iv-developers-answer-fan-questions/
The crowded NicoNico Super Meeting 2’s second day is still going on, and Atlus’ booth has been one of the main attractions, where the developers of Shin Megami Tensei IV answered several questions from fans as part of the Atlus Live 2 Days event. Here’s what Siliconera gathered from their Q&A session:


There are no direct connections between Shin Megami Tensei IV and the previous three numbered games. However, there will be remixed versions of their soundtracks.


The world isn’t tied to that of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, but the Black Samurai character will have some sort of connection. It was hinted that there may also be a connection to the first Shin Megami Tensei, in the future.


Total play time to clear Shin Megami Tensei IV will be over 50 hours. Some of the developers claimed that it took 60 and even 100 hours.


There will be paid DLC. Atlus say that it won’t make you feel as though they’re just trying to make money. and will be worthwhile content.


Lucifer will be making an appearance in Shin Megami Tensei IV. However, Louis Cyphre won’t be showing his face for now.


The three Jack brothers will also be making a reappearance, along with a new Jack Frost demon to the series.


Character voices can be turned on and off.


You can now acquire experience points through demon fusing and also by conversing with them.


The “Macca Beam” used by the Preta enemy in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey will be back to haunt players.


Atlus hinted at a harder difficulty mode being included.


Shin Megami Tensei IV boasts over 100 tracks used in game. An original soundtrack is expected to be released in he near future.


According to the map designer, he’s been asked about his reason for focusing so much in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo. He admits that his reason for that is because it’s where he’s been going out to drink lately, but he also wanted to make it clear that other parts of Tokyo will be in the game.


One fan asked about Shin Megami Tensei lead roles always being male characters and if there’s a chance we could be seeing a female lead in the future. The possibility of a future female lead wasn’t ruled out, although different development team members seemed to have different feeling towards the idea. Some welcomed the possibility of there being a choice of gender, while others felt that Shin Megami Tensei games are better suited to male leads.


Another interesting question was with regard to the different-colored scarves the Samurai wear and how it seems to clash with the Japanese style. According to Atlus, the various colors do symbolize something, but they didn’t reveal what exactly. The reason for including the scarves to the design is to give them a unique look, rather than it being a strictly Japanese style.


The Moon Phase System won’t be part of Shin Megami Tensei IV.


A comic in V-Jump magazine has been confirmed.


Shin Megami Tensei IV will be released on May 23rd in Japan and July 16th in North America. Europe is getting the game, too, but a European release date hasn’t been announced yet.

Lots of interesting info here. Playtime length and 100+ tracks sounds awesome. Not sure how I feel about DLC till I see it.

Too bad nothing was asked on the new demon designs.

Edit:

At this event they had they had a demo.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/672441-shin-megami-tensei-iv/66116342

Impressions:

Tweets are coming in from the play session

Apparently there is death, death everywhere
It has not been made easier.
Charon apparently won't put it on your tab when you resurrect, you pay up or pass on.
e: Difficulty to escape from battles, general sense of hopelessness

ee: More choice tweets.
"Issachar lololol"
"lololol death spree"
"can't escape! (despair)"
"Who said this game would be easy?!"
"Crap, I need to save frequently"
"Need to save a lot, holy crap. Finally cleared Naraku. Navarre is creepy lol"
"lololololol died again lolololol"

More info!
"Turning up the 3D effect to max, the depth is crazy"
"Name input is via touch"
"First town doesn't let you roam freely, you move via ADV"
"Movies are also in 3D"
"Lower screen is like the screen of the gauntlet"

"Unlike SJ, you can freely allocate parameters when leveling up. You get 5 points"
"Only 2 save slots"
"I was wearing headphones while playing, and the bass was amazing. The music was perfect. The music that played in the Ueno underground center was totally to my liking, the tracks were all entirely dark/gloomy and very Megaten!"

jack-nicholson-nodding-gif.gif
 

Soriku

Junior Member
Please be true.

Should be. Nocturne was easily 50+ hours. I spent 80 hours myself. I also spent 60 on Strange Journey. This game has 100 sidequests so that playtime should be accurate. Some people could even go 100+, especially those wanting to get the 400+ demons. And we'll see what DLC adds.
 

ryushe

Member
Seriously, why do I even own any other consoles?

The 3DS is pretty much at nirvana levels, and most of its 2013 line up isn't even out yet.

It's ridiculous!
 

Xedah66

Member
Seriously, why do I even own any other consoles?

The 3DS is pretty much at nirvana levels, and most of its 2013 line up isn't even out yet.

It's ridiculous!

Someone should make a thread "Owning a 3ds in 2-3 years will be godlike!" lol
 
One fan asked about Shin Megami Tensei lead roles always being male characters and if there’s a chance we could be seeing a female lead in the future. The possibility of a future female lead wasn’t ruled out, although different development team members seemed to have different feeling towards the idea. Some welcomed the possibility of there being a choice of gender, while others felt that Shin Megami Tensei games are better suited to male leads.
:\
 

Velcro Fly

Member
All of this sounds fantastic.

I'm interested what the DLC could be. I'm new to the whole DLC thing so I'm not sure what they could mean with worthwhile but not cash grab DLC. Maybe some kind of fan service stuff?
 
the only thing wrong with rpgs with turn-based combat is nothing :) ...

if the story/characters are interesting, if the game looks & sounds good, & if the mechanics are interesting, clever, & allow for challenge, these games can still be as rewarding & enjoyable as they ever were...

that said, please, atlus - no final boss battle (see: strange journey) that involves a boss having an unblockable one-hit insta-death attack, okay? because that's just cheap, not clever...
 

Sinople

Member
Game is already preordered but I can't help to be a little worried.

that said, please, atlus - no final boss battle (see: strange journey) that involves a boss having an unblockable one-hit insta-death attack, okay? because that's just cheap, not clever...

I saw another poster mentioning that in the Boss you can't kill thread.
If I remember correctly, it's a counter to any skill or item that reflects attacks. I agree that's unfair, especially with the absence of any kind of warning, but it's avoidable with the correct strategy.
 
This will be my first SMT and first MegaTen game - so hyped. I love the soundtrack I'm hearing so far. I think I might go on media blackout now.
 

jineha

Neo Member
From this session
Till SMT3 they prayed at Jinja(japanese temple) during development. They killed almost all gods in the world as you know and some of their staffs experienced psychic phenomena.
Fan asked "Did you go to pray?" Directer answered "Not this time. Because we need demons. They came all the way, how dare you let them go."
 

Soriku

Junior Member
I didn't ignore all the exclusives, all I'm seeing are games that are matched by other systems. The great exclusives are all sequels from series that are present on other system, some are better, but some are worse as well. Radiant Historia(I didn't own a DS) is still the best game I've played on my 3DS, so I personally haven't been all that impressed by the 3DS games. It just seems like a good successor to the DS to me.

Honestly when you need to list shit like "tales of the abyss". Then I yeah, I'm going to question, that you've played everything you'd like on other consoles. Unless games magically become better when played on a 3DS.

Tales of the Abyss is good.

And what sequels do you consider worse?

From this session
Till SMT3 they prayed at Jinja(japanese temple) during development. They killed almost all gods in the world as you know and some of their staffs experienced psychic phenomena.
Fan asked "Did you go to pray?" Directer answered "Not this time. Because we need demons. They came all the way, how dare you let them go."

What? lol.
 

Diablos54

Member
Yeah, it's on track with the rest of the consoles. Still how is it so much better then the rest? That you don't even need the rest of the consoles.
Those RPG'S!

No. but seriously, there's almost too many of them, and I fucking love it.

This is one of those RPG's, hurry up Atlus!
 

GeekyDad

Member
Shin Megami Tensei IV boasts over 100 tracks used in game.

Yummy

The Moon Phase System won’t be part of Shin Megami Tensei IV.

I suppose I can live with out it, but it will be weird, yeah.

Very curious about the DLC.

There will be paid DLC. Atlus say that it won’t make you feel as though they’re just trying to make money, and will be worthwhile content.

Hopefully, that rules out costumes and useless shit like that. New areas or whole story components/quests would be nice.
 

MagiusNecros

Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
I wonder if the DLC is extra quests and whatnot. Maybe bonus boss battles of past installments in the series or something else entirely.
 

Soulhouf

Member
50-60 hours, DLC, harder difficulty.

Almost everything I asked for. I just hope that the hard difficulty will be available from the start *fingercrossed*
 

Soriku

Junior Member
50-60 hours, DLC, harder difficulty.

Almost everything I asked for. I just hope that the hard difficulty will be available from the start *fingercrossed*

There's apparently only two difficulties at the start, and the harder one has to be unlocked (unlocked when you beat the game, presumably).
 
I heard the Japanese boards reception to this game is more cold than ours.

Also I remember back when everyone thought cockrack haired mc was a girl, good times

I wonder if this has various battle tracks like Nocturne?
 

Soriku

Junior Member
I heard the Japanese boards reception to this game is more cold than ours.

Also I remember back when everyone thought cockrack haired mc was a girl, good times

I wonder if this has various battle tracks like Nocturne?

Aren't JP boards pretty critical in general?

SMT IV was #3 in Famitsu Most Wanted last time I checked if it means anything...
 

Forkball

Member
Most of the 50 hours will be spent trying to fuse a demon with a ridiculously specific skillset. I still have nightmares about trying to fuse a demon with four elemental attacks in Persona 3.
 

Soriku

Junior Member
Most of the 50 hours will be spent trying to fuse a demon with a ridiculously specific skillset. I still have nightmares about trying to fuse a demon with four elemental attacks in Persona 3.

Rejoice, for you are able to manually pick the skills you want now. In fact they've done a lot of things to simplify the fusion process.

I will miss rerolling though.
 

NeonZ

Member
Is SMT set in the present day or the past?

All past "mainline" games were present to near future. This one has a setting in the present and a setting seemingly the past, but with some futuristic gadgets, so people are speculating that the past isn't really the past.
 

Soulhouf

Member
There's apparently only two difficulties at the start, and the harder one has to be unlocked (unlocked when you beat the game, presumably).

It always boggles my mind when they do that. Why do they prevent players from starting directly with hard mode?
If it's a harder difficulty mode than hard itself I would understand, but there are many megaten veterans who would prefer to start directly from hard.

Rejoice, for you are able to manually pick the skills you want now. In fact they've done a lot of things to simplify the fusion process.

I will miss rerolling though.

It's only an option right? I pretty much prefer rerolling the fusion to get what I want.

I heard the Japanese boards reception to this game is more cold than ours.

Also I remember back when everyone thought cockrack haired mc was a girl, good times

I wonder if this has various battle tracks like Nocturne?

Japanese boards always freak out when a series changes a lot.

It would be great if there are various battle tracks like Nocturne. I trust the 2 composers to make a kick ass soundtrack for the game and definitely the DLC will open the possibility to add awesome side quests with hopefully new music.
 
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