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Shin Megami Tensei appreciation thread
- Thread starter U5230
- Start date
I'm playing DDS1 right now, I love it! The art style, the graphics, soundtrack and the weird storyline. Characters are pretty cool, same with some of the bosses some really challanging battles.
Now I haven't finished playing DDS1 but to anyone who has finished the game can you tell me how far I am from the end?
Now I haven't finished playing DDS1 but to anyone who has finished the game can you tell me how far I am from the end?
I'm at one of the gangs base that is led by a military commander or something
Chairman Yang
if he talks about books, you better damn well listen
So...I haven't played any SMT games yet. I'm a little scared of the apparent grinding in SMT 1 and 2 for the SNES, but does anyone have any more opinions on whether it's worth downloading the fan translations and going through these games?
SatelliteOfLove
Member
sonarrat said:
DDS 1 & 2 have Dual Guitar Attack Metal boss music tracks. This guarentees them a high placement in the OST quality list. \m/ >_< \m/
Nostrildamus
Member
So, anyone care to explain to me what exactly makes these games so awesome and great? I'm serious guys, I don't mean to troll or anything, I'd just like to appreciate these games just like you do. I mean, it's like I played SMT3 when it got released over here in Europe, but for some reason it never really 'clicked' with me and about 5 hours in I got so bored and frustrated by it that I just couldn't play it anymore. 
I really hate that this had to happen, since I do recognize and appreciate the artstyle of these games, the apocalyptic setting and how it tries to be different from other RPGs. Still, I just couldn't get any fun out of it while I was playing. First thing that put me off a slight bit was the running animation of the main character. It didn't feel very natural or polished. I also didn't like the looks of the character himself. I didn't like the way he was dressed and how he looked like this assy, skinny and bleak tanned individual. I got over that relatively quickly though, since it's an RPG and because a game is much more than just it's running animation or the look of the main character. When I got to the hospital in the beginning, I started to like the game because other characters were introduced (which I DID like), some dialogue was going on and because of the eerie feeling you got while in the building.
Then the exploration starts. Ok so most corridors and the like look very similar. It isn't exactly what one would call versatile and lively level design. But hey, it's a hospital so what would one expect? So you get into fights, figure out the gameplay a bit, get your first demon(s) and all in all I start to think: well, this could turn out quite good and challenging at that.
Oh ok, so all NPC's in the hospital
and not many are very forthcoming or nice to you. Well, shit happens. It's probably part of the hospital and it will be all different as soon as I get out of here (you could probably guess already where it'll go from here). Well, the first boss battle is fought out. Fairly easy, didn't seem to need much strategy or anything. It's the first boss so that'll probably change.
Fast forward a bit to the first "town" you get to and it becomes clear to me that the whole NPC aspect of the game probably isn't going to change much. Too bad, since I was really hoping for some more sentient contact
. Yay, I get to meet up with the girl again (sorry, but it was too long ago and I didn't play the game enough for me to remember all the names)! Oh but wait, she isn't coming with me? She's actually staying in that club with all those nasty guys? Hmmm, that's too bad, I wouldn't have minded some more down to earth company next to these demons. Oh well, let's hope some of this will change later on in the game. So let's continue through...all these....mazes with endless...corridors which all seem to look...the same and with...constant random encounters...which never feel really deep or exciting to me...since it's most...button mashing. Oh wow, so now you can fuse demons and cool stuff like that. Awesome! If only the dungeon crawling wasn't so...endless and...dare I say, boring? When will the environments display some more variety in them? When will these dungeons become more interesting and exciting? When will these battles actually become deep and fun? When will I finally be able to rest a bit without random encounters to worry about and just interact a bit with NPC's and stuff? Maybe after I'm finally out of this hellhole (it's that otherworldy dungeon with the yellow/orange "walls" where that photographer/reporter is trying to get you out of). Oh what is this? Why is this boss battle so insanely difficult all of a sudden! Dammit, I just want to see what's past this point. Don't hold me up like this right now!
Well, after quite a bit of frustration because of the sudden increase in difficulty, I managed to defeat the boss. But after this point, the game just seemed to continue on from where it left. I at least expected some nice little haven with nice NPC's, where I could power up a bit and stuff like that. I didn't seem it would happen. Another long dungeon seemed right around the corner AGAIN. That's when I quit and never picked the game up again. I just never managed to totally grasp me as you can see. Some elements like
, no other human beings in your party etc. probably take some getting used to if you haven't played these kind of games before. It's just that the gameplay (and the battles in particular) felt shallow, unexciting and annoying to me up to that point. Since the battles are many and the dungeons quite long with hardly any pauses or rest points, my overall experience quickly deteriated and I just gave up at a certain (and still quite early) point in the game.
So please other GAFfers, help me like these games! What did I do wrong? Why didn't it click with me? What am I missing here? Show me what makes these games so great, especially gameplay-wise. Was I too early with my judgement? Didn't I play the game like I was supposed to? I know I didn't put much time and effort into recruiting demons and fusing them and stuff at first. Were my expectations just wrong? I actually didn't expect a hardcore dungeon crawler like this (at least that was what it seemed to be up to that point). I don't mind dungeon crawling, as long as it is fun. So again, show me the light! I really, REALLY want to like these games!
I really hate that this had to happen, since I do recognize and appreciate the artstyle of these games, the apocalyptic setting and how it tries to be different from other RPGs. Still, I just couldn't get any fun out of it while I was playing. First thing that put me off a slight bit was the running animation of the main character. It didn't feel very natural or polished. I also didn't like the looks of the character himself. I didn't like the way he was dressed and how he looked like this assy, skinny and bleak tanned individual. I got over that relatively quickly though, since it's an RPG and because a game is much more than just it's running animation or the look of the main character. When I got to the hospital in the beginning, I started to like the game because other characters were introduced (which I DID like), some dialogue was going on and because of the eerie feeling you got while in the building.
Then the exploration starts. Ok so most corridors and the like look very similar. It isn't exactly what one would call versatile and lively level design. But hey, it's a hospital so what would one expect? So you get into fights, figure out the gameplay a bit, get your first demon(s) and all in all I start to think: well, this could turn out quite good and challenging at that.
Then the whole end of the world stuff happens and you know it's on.
are ghosts
Fast forward a bit to the first "town" you get to and it becomes clear to me that the whole NPC aspect of the game probably isn't going to change much. Too bad, since I was really hoping for some more sentient contact
other than the ghosts and demons
Well, after quite a bit of frustration because of the sudden increase in difficulty, I managed to defeat the boss. But after this point, the game just seemed to continue on from where it left. I at least expected some nice little haven with nice NPC's, where I could power up a bit and stuff like that. I didn't seem it would happen. Another long dungeon seemed right around the corner AGAIN. That's when I quit and never picked the game up again. I just never managed to totally grasp me as you can see. Some elements like
all the NPC's being unfriendly or cautious ghosts
So please other GAFfers, help me like these games! What did I do wrong? Why didn't it click with me? What am I missing here? Show me what makes these games so great, especially gameplay-wise. Was I too early with my judgement? Didn't I play the game like I was supposed to? I know I didn't put much time and effort into recruiting demons and fusing them and stuff at first. Were my expectations just wrong? I actually didn't expect a hardcore dungeon crawler like this (at least that was what it seemed to be up to that point). I don't mind dungeon crawling, as long as it is fun. So again, show me the light! I really, REALLY want to like these games!
Himuro said:
Yeah, that could be it. Just feels strange to me, since my taste in gaming is VERY wide. I like all kinds of games from almost any genre, so it's unusual for me to not really like a game because of taste.
But maybe that's actually part of the reason. Because of my wide tastes, I never get hardcore into any genre and the MegaTen games are probably the pinnacle of hardcore jRPGs.Thanks for clearing that up. Seems I was right about my assumptions then. It's gameplay heavy, story takes kind of a backseat, it's quite difficult and it doesn't follow the usual RPG structure at all.
Heh, yeah I kinda figured that. That's why I said I could probably get used to that. It's all part of the atmosphere and setting. If one isn't used to that yet, it takes some time getting into it.
Yes, I'm really curious about this part. I hear this praising of SMT's battlesystem all the time, but I didn't really get to experience it myself firsthand (except for maybe that one boss battle). So I'd appreciate some further explanation about this part, what exactly makes it so great, deep and interesting compared to other RPG's. These kind of things simply interest me in general, so I'd like to know. Maybe someone should indeed post some gameplay movies.
Himuro said:
It's going pretty well so far... like I said earlier I'm in love with the massive dungeons filled with puzzles and traps (by now you should know my favorite game of all time is Phantasy Star 2 which has some of the most sadistic dungeons in RPG history), and the combat that requires strategy to win, instead of use the best attacks/heal ad nauseum of most RPGs. Not too big of a fan of how the turn order is always 1-2-3 and how if you miss a major attack sometimes it switches over to the enemies turn... don't quite have all the intricacies of the press-turn system down pat. Also I've run into situations where I've used the wrong attacks on enemies and they proceed to utterly DESTROY me with super moves... though I actually like dying every now and then in an RPG. I'm also really liking the music.
Haven't played the game since I made that last post, got a LOT of work to do for school unfortunately this week, and I'll be in Miami for UMF at week's end... About 10 hours on my timer right now... I hear its only about a 25 hour long game, right? Which is a total relief for me after those 80+ hours of DQ8! Nocturne is another game I need to delve further into at a later date... got it for Xmas 2004 but haven't had much of a chance to play, and hearing reports of its insane difficulty (I last saved after the 2nd Amala Network part) has scared me off a bit honestly.
And oh yeah, the club in Nocturne with the DJ ghost you can talk to was freakin' badass!
Himuro said:
Ah thanks for clearing that up. So it's quite hardcore indeed.
Thanks for the info. Both DS3 and Persona 3 already sounded kinda interesting to me while skimming through this thread, and you seem to confirm what I expected from these games. It could very well be that these games are more up to my taste. Especially Persona sounds really interesting. Now, how do I get to play these games with a PAL PS2? Guess I have to hold out hope that the games will get a European release.
Does anyone know what the song from the Soul Hackers commercial is? I've been trying to find out for the longest time and it still drives me crazy. :lol I put it up on YouTube last month.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GVZJOY5f4gc
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GVZJOY5f4gc
Woah Persona is related to SMT? Didn't know that... Anyways my question is would I need to play the first Persona in order to fully understand Persona 2? I started playing Nocturne early last year but got tired of it and decided to take a break, just didn't have a clue on where to go . And I think I need a break from the whole monster merging thing since Dragon Warrior Monster drained me pretty badly of it back in the day. Hopefully DDS1 will do a better job as that's coming in in a few days.
. And I think I need a break from the whole monster merging thing since Dragon Warrior Monster drained me pretty badly of it back in the day. Hopefully DDS1 will do a better job as that's coming in in a few days.Ok, I need an advice my man,I NEED AN ADVICE.
I loved Persona. I played SMT:N, I think the same thing happened with R0nn happened with me. But the diff is that I liked everything about the game. The battle system is the best in this gen imho. BUT what killed it for me is the pace of the story. It's purely FUCKED UP :s. Last thing I hit was
. Two questions (to you Himuro because I think you know what you're talking about) :
1. Is the pace going to change any time soon?
2. What's the diff between DDS and SMT?
I loved Persona. I played SMT:N, I think the same thing happened with R0nn happened with me. But the diff is that I liked everything about the game. The battle system is the best in this gen imho. BUT what killed it for me is the pace of the story. It's purely FUCKED UP :s. Last thing I hit was
when that longed hair guy explain how things work in the demon world, and you fight that Knight Cat
1. Is the pace going to change any time soon?
2. What's the diff between DDS and SMT?
I'm not Himuro, but then again, I've been a MegaTen fan ever since playing the SFC games, so you can make of this what you will.jGuru said:
1. The pace pretty much stays the same.
2. DDS has a much bigger emphasis on main characters as there is no demon summonning/recruiting persay as there is in SMT. What goes with this character development gameplay-wise, also applies story-wise with DDS. SMT, I've felt was all about grinding/recruiting. Certainly not something easy to get into if you're not used to a game of the sort.
There's much more substance in terms of story line and character development in the DDS games, thus more accesible to MegaTen newcomers, much like Persona was.
Tachikoma said:
I see, so for me who LOVED everything, but the pace, and want more engaging story, do you think DDS is better for me?
Btw the Himuro thing because I liked his well written post to R0nn, other than that, I really take your advice as good as any MegaTen fan, which is very credible.
jaundicejuice
Member
jGuru said:
Simply put, yes. Not only is the Digital Devil Saga more plot oriented, rewarding you with plentiful cutscenes, interaction with the party memebers and villains but the gameplay is a little less punishing in DDS since you don't have expendable skills but interchangable ones.
Nocturne was my first experience with a SMT game, and I was almost lost at times with how to develope my character, how I should develope my party, what I should recruit, what I should fuse, what skills were worth having, ect. It was frustrating in some respects.
The battle system is largely the same in DDS, only instead of having to worry about developing completely new skill sets and party members you can swap them in and out at will, if you've learned the proper abilities.
chaostrophy
Member
jaundicejuice
Member
jGuru said:
You mean the battle against Ose, a giant leopard manthing with a cape and a sword in each hand, deep in the Assembly of the Nihilo? Quite a bit to go.
Himuro,
Encoded the trailer, 36.7MBytes
http://s30.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=215Y59TDM1R5G3BWEG5H9QNWU8
Get it while it lasts.
Encoded the trailer, 36.7MBytes
http://s30.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=215Y59TDM1R5G3BWEG5H9QNWU8
Get it while it lasts.
Himuro said:I would suggest going into DDS before SMT3. Doing that, I was already accustomed to the play style, abilities;etc. so I experienced a much more soothing transition compared to others it seems.
Niiiiice!
Eeeehhhhh? SMT3 wasn't about saving the world, I think. And while, DDS ends UP being about saving the world, it's a saving the world plot done RIGHT.
So does this mean it's not as dark as SMT3, Persona, or DDS? Don't tell me they went all Shadow Hearts on SMT!
LoL
Anyway, I'll check the nearby GameStop if they have it in stock used or new. They have this cool policy I did with a couple of games, you can buy a used game for 44$ or whatever, and play through it for a month,for example, and you can return it if it's damaged in 3 months , 7 days for any reason. So basically rent a game for free.
Btw Himuro, how long is left for me to clear SMT N from the point I stated above? and how long is DDS 1+2 ?
jaundicejuice
Member
jGuru, for Nocturne I'd say you've got possibly 30-40 hours left if you just stick to the main quest. For DDS 1 & 2 the main campaigns are about 25-30 hours long each. Those are rough, rough estimations.
why is this so far down? bumph!
anyway, I have a question for the people who were fortunate enough to be born in countries where gaming isn't raped and neglected:
Is there need for Persona 1/2's story to understand the third and upcomming persona game?
If yes, what console are these games on, and are they released in english?
PS: is there given a english release date to P3?
anyway, I have a question for the people who were fortunate enough to be born in countries where gaming isn't raped and neglected:
Is there need for Persona 1/2's story to understand the third and upcomming persona game?
If yes, what console are these games on, and are they released in english?
PS: is there given a english release date to P3?
Brobzoid said:
1) Nope, I believe they are all separate stories
2) Persona 1 - PSX, Persona 2 Eternal Punishment - PSX (another alternate Persona 2 story, Innocent Sin, was released for PSX but never came to the US)
3) Not yet, I asked an Atlus rep when at E3 and he said sometime in 2007.
Brobzoid said:
The only Persona games that are related are Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, EP is an alternate history of IS.
You can learn more in: http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/megaten/megaten.htm
this thread will live atleast till I finish Nocturne and DDS1/2!
Currently playing Nocturne:
Digital devil saga isn't even out yet in PAL, so I had to import it and my tv doesn't support 60hz
Currently playing Nocturne:
just beat the matador and got to the ninth sephiroth, yay.
Digital devil saga isn't even out yet in PAL, so I had to import it and my tv doesn't support 60hz
Black/white image
since I didn't want to make a new thread about it, here is a neat interview with the person in charge of the localization of Devil Summoner.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner Interview with Tomm Hulett of Atlus USA
Shortly after E3 I got into contact with Atlus in an attempt to shed some more like on Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner. Today, I was lucky enough to receive a response from Tomm Hulett, the Assistant QA Manager / Editor at Atlus USA. He is responsible for the localized text and helped direct voice acting for DDS and DDS2. Currently he is writing the text for Devil Summoner as well. I sent off a dozen questions about the title, which are listed below. (It is worth noting that the company currently won't talk about Persona 3 directly, so be patient on that one.)
hr
D3: Could you tell us a little bit about Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner?
Tomm: Devil Summoner takes place in Japan during the 1920's. You play as Raidou Kuzunoha, a detective who also happens to come from a long line of "Devil Summoners" who watch over Japan. Your assignment is Tokyo (called "The Capital" during the time of the game). Because of your occupation, each Chapter is a different case, and they all end up tying together into the overall plot. A lot of your time is spent gathering clues or interrogating people, so it has a really neat kind of period-piece detective-story thing going on. And of course, what's more noir than demons?
D3: What differentiates this title from the other Shin Megami Tensei titles released in the US so far?
Tomm: Well despite the setting, it's also a little more lighthearted than previous SMT games we've released, which are primarily end-of-the-world doom and gloom. Which isn't to say Devil Summoner is a comedy or anything, but it definitely has a more playful vibe. I'd say that if the backstories of Nocturne or DDS turned anyone off, they might want to give Devil Summoner a try. Also, there's the battle system...
D3: The battles are more action based than other titles released so far in this franchise. What are the main features of the combat system in this case?
Tomm: Combat is more action based this time around, and you control Raidou directly; swinging his sword, firing his gun, etc. You still have to summon demons, of course, and you can have one join you in battle at a time (but as long as you have magicite reserved, you can keep switching demons in and out of battle at will). Each demon has a specialty, such as healing, fire attack, ice attack, etc. So the idea is to exploit your enemies weakness with your demon's power and then move in for the kill. Attacking a "weakened" enemy with your sword will give you critical hits for higher damage.
But, the demon use doesn't stop when the battle does! Your demons have powers on the map screen as well. For example, I mentioned interrogation earlier. What if your mark doesn't want to spill the beans? Well, you whip out your psychic demon and you just read the info you need right out of his mind.
devil summoner screen
D3: Graphically, the game is going for a much more realistic style compared to DDS and Nocturne. Is there a specific reason for this?
Tomm: I'm not sure if it's necessarily more realistic--the characters still adhere to character designer Kazuma Kaneko's signature style. However, the backgrounds are pre-rendered this time instead of cell-shaded polygons. I believe this was done to enhance the look of 1920's Japan with locations based off actual places and the like. It really goes a long way in making you feel like you're in that time period.
D3: In terms of sound, is the music in the vein of Nocturne and DDS? In addition, does the game feature English voice overs, and if so, how is that being handled?
Tomm: The music is still being handled by Shoji Meguro, the SMT composer. However, Devil Summoner has lighter jazzier tunes to fit with its tone and setting. Still, when the battles get serious I'm sure fans of Nocturne and DDS's music won't be disappointed. There actually isn't any voice acting, so redubbing dialogue isn't a concern.
raidouD3: The screens released thus far all still contain Japanese text. How far along would you say the localization is and when would you estimate its release? Are there any potential obstacles for meeting this date?
Tomm: We're currently immersed in the localization process. What is interesting about this project is that, because of the setting, I compiled a large list of 1920's slang to sprinkle into the dialogue. This way (hopefully) the American localization will lend itself to feeling like you're actually back in that time period. We're aiming for release this fall, but like always, the world could end before then and throw our schedule out the window. You never know in the game industry.
D3: Was this a game you planned to release all along or a decision made after the Japanese version was completed?
Tomm: We'd always intended to release SMT: Devil Summoner, we just wanted to watch our fans sweat it out for a bit.
D3: Ghostlight Interactive has helped bring DDS and Nocturne to Europe. Are there currently any plans to do the same with this title?
Tomm: I don't know anything about that at this time, but I do hope our European friends will get to play the game as well. It's a lot of fun.
D3: Any thoughts on possible special editions like with the previous Shin Megami Tensei titles released here?
Tomm: To my knowledge, we won't be doing any special editions with Devil Summoner.
D3: Noticably, all recent Megaten related titles have been released in the US under the heading of "Shin Megami Tensei". Do you feel this has proven to form a strong brand for Atlus USA?
Tomm: I do believe it's working to sort of get the brand out there, which makes sense since we're still using it.
D3: Now that this is announced, are there any possible thoughts on the Devil Summoner PSP port coming to the US, or is that still a no?
Tomm: Unfortunately, there are a number of top-secret reasons Devil Summoner PSP cannot be released in the US. So, sorry to say, it won't be happening. However, I assure you none of those reasons are censorship or content related.
devil summoner screen
D3: Is there anything else you'd like to note about Devil Summoner?
Tomm: Devil Summoner is a lot of fun to work on and it's a unique entry into the SMT series. If you enjoyed the previous SMT games we've released you're sure to love Devil Summoner because of its deep gameplay and gothic overtones, but if you shied away from the earlier games I would recommend you give this one a try. Like I said, it's a bit lighter in tone and you might find it easier to get into. Since you play a detective and have to talk to a lot of people, the NPCs in the game have a lot of personality--you follow a number of them through the game and watch them change and/or experience various life situations. So, if you like characterization or just exploring towns and seeing what you find--Devil Summoner is an SMT game you won't forget.
hr
I'd really like to thank Tomm for his time. I'm sure anyone interested in this title greatly appreciates it. I wish him and the rest of the company good luck with this title and greatly look forward to the talent he's lending to the localization.
Greenpanda
Banned
gooooo atlus
def. getting Devil Summoner on day 1
def. getting Devil Summoner on day 1
SolidSnakex
Member
Error2k4 said:sadly yeah, VP:L could get past SCEA because you know it's SE, but Altus....
f u SCEA
VP got past SCEA because there's new content in it. SCEA's PSP porting policies are pretty simple to follow. Adding new content means they'll let the port through, having it be the exact same game isn't going to fly with them. They do this to try to prevent companies from flooding the system with a bunch of cheap ports. And overall its better for the gamers because they get more. Look at Tengai Makyou, it has a bunch of new content which basically assures that if anyone wants to pick it up they can.
SolidSnakex
Member
Himuro said:
http://www.gamespot.com/psp/rpg/valkyrieprofilelenneth/news.html?sid=6148554
When the PSP was announced people started joking about how the system was just going to be flooded with a bunch of last gen ports, this was just SCEA's way of preventing that to an extent.
I find it stupid that SE could get pass sony policy with ports on PSP so easy (adding just a couple of cutscenes which don't even look that good), when we already got VP before while with Devil Summoner we didn't get a chance to play the game in the first place it's like Himuro says the whole fucking game is new content for us.
SolidSnakex
Member
Himuro said:
Is Suikoden 1+2 even being released in Europe? If not then there's a good possiblity that Konami didn't want to bring it over, especially given how SV performed.