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Shin Megami Tensei Community Thread: Be Your True Demon

I'm playing through Persona 4 right now and really loving it. Im only about 10 hours in, should I do P3 first? It seems like a surprising number of you in this thread are doing P3 playthroughs. Is that the better game overall?

Nah, you're fine with Persona 4. I like them both alot and they're both great games. Persona 4 has a more polished system then 3, and the characters are a bit more appealing, imo, because you can social link with all of them. Really helps flesh out your allies, as opposed to Persona 3, where you can only social link with the females (not including P3P) in your cast of dungeon crawlers. Plus, Tarturus, the only dungeon, is kind of lame compared to the multiple ones in 4.

All that being said, I do like Persona 3 better because I dig the tone and atmosphere more than that of 4. And I imgine everyone is playing 3 because it recently got released on PSN
 
Actually finished FES after starting it at least a half dozen times. Really glad I stuck with it. Enjoyed it alot. I don't really want to play The Answer, though. From my understanding, its just alot of dungeon crawling. I'm sure I'll play it some day, but not now. Kind of burned out on Persona 3 -_-

Jumping straight into Nocturne. A couple of hours in and liking it. The controls are bit wonky after P3 spoiled me, but whatever

Prepare...

Guildkillerwithouttheguildpart.jpg
 

JJD

Member
Guys just got a Vita and with it Persona 1, 2 and 3.

Any guides or tips I should read before I start playing the games?
 
No, not really. They're pretty straight-forward to play. If you haven't played a Megami Tensei game before then it'll take a while to get accustomed to the Japanese spell names.
 
Playing P3 FES for the first time right now after I already beat it for the first time a year ago on PSP. Why do I have to talk to people to change their equipment? Why can't I save at my desk? Why does Mitsuru cast Marin Karin when the enemy is weak to Bufu???

It was only 10$ so I don't mind, but the anime cutscenes are the only thing that make this better than P3P. I haven't played The Answer yet, though.
 
I love this series it has some of the best art design in games.

The cherry on top is how correctly they're inspired by the source material:

434px-587_Seraph.jpg


Playing P3 FES for the first time right now after I already beat it for the first time a year ago on PSP. Why do I have to talk to people to change their equipment? Why can't I save at my desk? Why does Mitsuru cast Marin Karin when the enemy is weak to Bufu???

It was only 10$ so I don't mind, but the anime cutscenes are the only thing that make this better than P3P. I haven't played The Answer yet, though.

Don't.
 
I know this may sound messed up but i hope the next main SMT game is not First person only and is like nocturne which had both.
 

randomkid

Member
So I recently found out that SMT:Online is kind of relaunching or something and I decided I'm going to try it out on my new laptop. I remember last time I went to the site it was plastered with lovely Kaneko art, but now it looks like this:

DbnQF.jpg


I'm so grossed out, haha. Offensive!

Also it's classified an an "Anime MMORPG" which kinda makes me chuckle for some reason.
 

randomkid

Member
Yeah MMOs are like completely outside my wheelhouse but I'm trying to see if I've become more open-minded since I last tried this out a couple years ago. I love the music and the visuals, and making my own Kaneko character is pretty neat, although it seems they've decreased the customization options from what I remember. They've also added fanart during loading screens which is also comically repellent ha.

I keep running into weird glitches, whenever I try to play with my tv as a monitor the game sort of freezes, I can rotate the camera and the music works but mouse movement stops and I can't even close the game, have to use task manager to stop it. Then when I played on my laptop screen, mouse movement kinda worked intermittently and when I killed the slimes in the tutorial one of them froze on screen for quite a while. I can't tell if I'm doing something wrong or if it's my setup or what, haha this is why I hate playing games on PC.
 
So I recently found out that SMT:Online is kind of relaunching or something and I decided I'm going to try it out on my new laptop. I remember last time I went to the site it was plastered with lovely Kaneko art, but now it looks like this:

DbnQF.jpg


I'm so grossed out, haha. Offensive!

Also it's classified an an "Anime MMORPG" which kinda makes me chuckle for some reason.

Boooooo! The diversity-in-Japanese-gaming-artstyles proponent in me seethes!
 

cj_iwakura

Member
Yeah, the original launch of Imagine was a lot more Kaneko styled... then when it got big, they redid the art design.

For the worse. I liked it enough that it took up weeks of my life, but when I cleared the campaign(the Ogami quest), I stepped away; wisely.

It really has some great music and nails the atmosphere though.
 

Link1110

Member
I disagree, partially. Raidou 2 is a better game, Raidou 1 has a better story.

Definitely play both. Funny about Raidou 1, it was $12.99 until the sequel was announced. No one wanted that game, then the demand went sky high.



See also: 'Revelations' Persona. That game's worth like $100+ now.



Digital Devil Saga added!
I should get to selling that. I have perona 1 for psp, and need to buy the remakes of Ep and soul hackers, and rebuy raidou 2 le.
I hope sh uses the etruan odyssey map system.
 

Teknoman

Member
So I recently found out that SMT:Online is kind of relaunching or something and I decided I'm going to try it out on my new laptop. I remember last time I went to the site it was plastered with lovely Kaneko art, but now it looks like this:

DbnQF.jpg


I'm so grossed out, haha. Offensive!

Also it's classified an an "Anime MMORPG" which kinda makes me chuckle for some reason.

Man...thats just like...I dunno...blasphemy?
 

randomkid

Member
probably the latter. don't expect full remakes from atlus anytime soon.

Definitely fine by me. Nonstop porting serves the dual purpose of giving me access to older titles I want to play and subsidizing Kaneko games the larger buying public no longer cares about. Although the wait for the upcoming Kaneko Aeana's cruelly teasing is kinda kiiiiiiilllling meee.

Man...thats just like...I dunno...blasphemy?

Haha I've been trying hard to just roll my eyes at it but the fact that this ish is embedded in the loading screens in game now sorta fills me with murderous rage to be honest.
 

Teknoman

Member
Definitely fine by me. Nonstop porting serves the dual purpose of giving me access to older titles I want to play and subsidizing Kaneko games the larger buying public no longer cares about. Although the wait for the upcoming Kaneko Aeana's cruelly teasing is kinda kiiiiiiilllling meee.



Haha I've been trying hard to just roll my eyes at it but the fact that this ish is embedded in the loading screens in game now sorta fills me with murderous rage to be honest.


The fact that it's actually on Atlus' website like that makes it crazy.
 
Definitely fine by me. Nonstop porting serves the dual purpose of giving me access to older titles I want to play and subsidizing Kaneko games the larger buying public no longer cares about. Although the wait for the upcoming Kaneko Aeana's cruelly teasing is kinda kiiiiiiilllling meee.

a second chance for greatness, i'm fine with that as well.
 
Been playing Nocturne and just got done with
Thor, who I thought was much harder than Matador
. Now I'm just exploring the first Kalpa and sort of breezing through it, running low on SP once in a while. Like the game alot so far, but whether or not I like it better than DDS will remain to be seen until I finish the game!
 

cj_iwakura

Member
Definitely fine by me. Nonstop porting serves the dual purpose of giving me access to older titles I want to play and subsidizing Kaneko games the larger buying public no longer cares about. Although the wait for the upcoming Kaneko Aeana's cruelly teasing is kinda kiiiiiiilllling meee.



Haha I've been trying hard to just roll my eyes at it but the fact that this ish is embedded in the loading screens in game now sorta fills me with murderous rage to be honest.

Ready to feel ill?

Most of that art was 'commissioned' from fans at Aeria's forums.
 

Kazzy

Member
Just got back to playing P3P am i going to have to max all S links to complete the compendium?

Yes, yes you are. Well unless you are playing a NG+ file, in which case you retain your level 10 items.

Having to refer to a guide to maximize your S-link gain does kind of kill the whole game though, think I reached around the halfway point before I got utterly bored. The fun is the spontaneity, picking the characters you connect with. To go about that in a mechanical fashion is detrimental to the overall experience, at least in my experience.

I will be so pissed if P4G decides to have some sort of Max all S-Link trophy.
 

Kazzy

Member
It does.

It was so inevitable, I don't even know why I questioned it!

At least it's much more lenient in that regard, P3 was always the one that seemed more of a chore if you are deliberately going for the perfect route. Like Yukari, and her innate ability to function outside the realms of logic, reverse my S-Link will you!
 

MechaX

Member
Man, I am so on the fence whether or not to replay DDS1/2 or Nocturne. I haven't been through either of the games in literal years. But to DDS's credit, there is some.. unfinished business I have with DDS2.
I never actually beat Satan, despite how I have beaten the Demi-Fiend.
 

SoulFist

Member
So, I had the identity of the killer in P4 spoiled for me, and it's kinda made me want to hold off on playing. Is it really THAT big of a deal? Is there more to the story than that? I appreciate any answers you guys can give.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
I prefer the originals, to be honest. The music is better, too.

So, I had the identity of the killer in P4 spoiled for me, and it's kinda made me want to hold off on playing. Is it really THAT big of a deal? Is there more to the story than that? I appreciate any answers you guys can give.

Yes. There's more to it. Lots more. Don't let that ruin it.
 

Kazzy

Member
So, I had the identity of the killer in P4 spoiled for me, and it's kinda made me want to hold off on playing. Is it really THAT big of a deal? Is there more to the story than that? I appreciate any answers you guys can give.

I would recommend that if you're invested enough at this point, that you should just carry on playing. Yes, a little bit of the shock will be lost, but it's definitely something that is more than it appears.

I experienced the same thing, but tried to convince myself otherwise, and come the reveal, I wouldn't say I felt like the experience had been tainted. So no, I wouldn't consider it that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. It's pretty much a rule of thumb for me now that I don't discuss a game until I've finished it for myself, but the internet is horrible for stuff like this; I mean, the P4 reveal was spoilt for me via someone's avatar!

Out of interest, how far into the story are you?
 

SoulFist

Member
I haven't started it yet.:p I'm still working my way through FES, and I'm really excited to start 4. I was spoiled via the thread about the persona fighting game. Spoilers definitely suck. I already have the PS2 version, but I'm debating on whether or not to get the Vita version when it comes out.
 

7threst

Member
I haven't kept up with this thread at all (I constantly forget there is a community section here, hehe), but I was wondering, did people here play Majin Tensei I or II? How are these games? Wikipedia says they are tactical RPG's, so are the Devil Summoner games kind of the spiritual succesors to these games or are they very different? If so, what are the odds this spin-off serie will ever continue?
 
I haven't kept up with this thread at all (I constantly forget there is a community section here, hehe), but I was wondering, did people here play Majin Tensei I or II? How are these games? Wikipedia says they are tactical RPG's, so are the Devil Summoner games kind of the spiritual succesors to these games or are they very different? If so, what are the odds this spin-off serie will ever continue?

Majin Tensei are basically early Fire Emblem by way of Megami Tensei. There's something similar to a Weapon Triangle (except it's by race), and perma-death. The games aren't that great.

Devil Survivor (Devil Summoner is a different series altogether) is really different, but you'd probably enjoy playing them anyway since they're honestly better games than Majin Tensei.
 

7threst

Member
Ok, well, it maybe sounds weird, but I'm hooked to the soundtrack of Spiral Nemesis, so that got me interested. And I also love Fire Emblem so yeah, I'm really interested in these games. I like Devil Survivor but tbh, I like it the least of all Megaten spin-offs (although they are still fun!)
 

Kazzy

Member
So I, uh, sorta finished P4 50 hours in. Sorta. I got the bad ending, because I wanted to see the result of a dialogue choice. Wow. Pretty crazy the game lets you do that. So completely despairing.


HELP GAF

I don't think I have the heart to ever carry out the bad ending, even watching it online is bad enough. Damn you character investment!

Obviously it's all relative to your gaming habits, but I'd say playing around the quarter of the game again (assuming its from a certain decision) before moving onto the Golden sounds like a ridiculous time commitment.
 

randomkid

Member
So yeah just throwing a question out to the three or four old-schoolers who actively post here, what do you think is the best Megaten era?

Here's a way to help you out:

PS2 era:
Devil Children: Book of Light (GBA)
Shin Megami Tensei Nine (Xbox)
Devil Children: Puzzle de Call! (GBA)
Devil Children: Book of Fire (GBA)
Shin Megami Tensei III (PS2)
Digital Devil Saga (PS2)
Devil Children: Messiah Riser (GBA)
Digital Devil Saga 2 (PS2)
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army (PS2)
Persona 3 (PS2)
Persona 4 (PS2)
Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon (PS2)
Shin Megami Tensei Online: Imagine (Windows PC)

PSX era
Jack Bros. (VB)
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner (Saturn)
Persona (PS1)
Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers (Saturn)
Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku (PC98)
Majin Tensei: Ronde (Saturn)
Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PS1)
Last Bible II (GBC)
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (PS1)
Devil Children: Red Book (GBC)
Devil Children: Card Summoner (GBC)

Super Famicom era
Shin Megami Tensei (SF)
Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible (GB)
Last Bible II (GB)
Majin Tensei (SF)
Shin Megami Tensei II (SF)
Shin Megami Tensei If… (SF)
Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible (Game Gear)
Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis (SF)
Another Bible (GB)
Last Bible III (SF)
Last Bible Special (Game Gear)

I think every can agree that current-gen's 4 games and Famicom era's 2/3 games don't belong in the conversation. Most people will just go with the murderer's row on the PS2 I think cuz that's the most accessible but I'm curious what those who've played the older stuff think, I'm really impressed with the breadth and variety of all three. But mainly I'm just listening to Revelations: Persona's OST again and wallowing in sweet sweet nostalgia.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
Pound for pound, I'd reluctantly say PS2 era. Raidou, Nocturne, DDS, Persona 3, consistently amazing stuff. The earlier eras had their gems, but their bad stuff too. PS2 is near perfection.
 
The remixes for P2EP PSP are just right.

Time Castle and Kaori sound so light and airy and mystical. <3 <3 <3
Padparcha is so synth now. And the Psychotherapy shop sounds so different but so familiar!
Kasugayama High is suitably creepy/eerie...
 

randomkid

Member
Pound for pound, I'd reluctantly say PS2 era. Raidou, Nocturne, DDS, Persona 3, consistently amazing stuff. The earlier eras had their gems, but their bad stuff too. PS2 is near perfection.

Yeah, I mean, I sure do love all those games, I just wish I had more experience with the other eras. Can't wait to shore up my PSX era knowledge with Eternal Punishment and Soul Hackers though.

And hopefully the holy grail SNES era will be next if Atlus continues to move backwards in remake time.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
The remixes for P2EP PSP are just right.

Time Castle and Kaori sound so light and airy and mystical. <3 <3 <3
Padparcha is so synth now. And the Psychotherapy shop sounds so different but so familiar!
Kasugayama High is suitably creepy/eerie...

Need links. Links!
 

cj_iwakura

Member
Yep, EP PSP's OST is good stuff. Gonna take me a while to get a feel for the covers, since the tracklist is assorted with the originals(not separate), but they're nigh indistinguishable. Just updated instruments.
 
Yep, EP PSP's OST is good stuff. Gonna take me a while to get a feel for the covers, since the tracklist is assorted with the originals(not separate), but they're nigh indistinguishable. Just updated instruments.

And really that's all that was needed for a lot of them. The tracks for P2:EP were dynamic and rather fantastic on their own. A simple cover to rework them is more than enough in my opinion.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
And really that's all that was needed for a lot of them. The tracks for P2:EP were dynamic and rather fantastic on their own. A simple cover to rework them is more than enough in my opinion.

On the other hand, some of IS' more liberal arrangements were DAMN good, like Kasugayama HS.

Ah well.

The important thing is:

CHANGE YOUR WAY IS STILL ON THE OST!
:D

It's got a HOT instrumental version too. Gotta reupload this somehow, unless someone beats me to it.

Funny, I own EP's PS1 OST, and it did NOT have Change Your Way, at all.
 

Psxphile

Member
Funny, I own EP's PS1 OST, and it did NOT have Change Your Way, at all.

I was pretty pissed about this too after ordering the soundtrack years ago (unfortunately it was one of those bootleg SonMay/EverAnime deals). Change Your Way was one of my favorite end game themes of the PS1 era. Some kind of exclusivity deal with the singer Elisha La'Verne?
 
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