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SMT IV EU eShop release date confirmed - 30th October 2014

S

Samurai_Heart

Member
Alright then I'll try and post it before the eShop updates lol, so before 2/3pm (clocks would've been moved back an hour, and not sure when eShop updates then and whether it accounts for it lol)
 
K

Korigama

Member
Refreshment.01 said:
Interested in the game, what are your main criticism?

Also does it have random battles or can you see and avoid enemies?

What other 3DS RPG's are over it?
Click to expand...
A bit of shameless self-promotion on my part, particularly since I wasn't asked, but since I did respond to the same person regarding what I thought about the game in an earlier post in this thread...
Korigama said:
For me, it's easily one of the best SMT games. A lot of people complain about the all-or-nothing nature of the combat, but I appreciated being able to wipe out fodder every bit as quickly as they could kill me, rather than have it be more of a slog as the case was in Nocturne (being able to save anywhere also helped to mitigate potential frustrations). Having to strike enemies to initiate battles was preferable to me over keeping random battles, but special ones that gave them the pre-emptive advantage instead even if you succeeded were a load of crap (as was anytime battles brought in reinforcements and they just happened to get to act first). Others complain about the dungeon design, but again, that's one of the things I liked best about it: those environments generally being clearly defined and typically being places that appeared as though they were once inhabited (rather than tedious labyrinths geared toward dungeon-crawling that never resemble anything plausible, one of the main complaints I had about Soul Hackers in spite of otherwise enjoying that game). The soundtrack and atmosphere were also excellent, especially once the game truly began after moving beyond the beginning locations.

At the same time, however, I admit that Nocturne's desolation and absence of cyberpunk elements hold less appeal to me than SMT IV's approach. If I were to criticize one other thing about SMT IV, it's the fact that the margin for error in getting the Neutral path is so slim (I had no problem getting it my first try, but I was no less concerned that I wouldn't get it seeing as I didn't use a guide to keep track of point values per decision).

One bit of advice I can impart for new players: consider saving the Chaos path for a replay, as it's the only one with alignment-specific New Game+ content.
Click to expand...
 
Refreshment.01

Refreshment.01

Member
Korigama said:
A bit of shameless self-promotion on my part, particularly since I wasn't asked, but since I did respond to the same person regarding what I thought about the game in an earlier post in this thread...
Click to expand...
Oh, no need to apologize when you are helping. XD

About how much time for a first playthrough, does the game incentivizes multiple playthrougs, how do the graphics compare to other RPG's on the system? And what other game in this genre and for this system you consider better?

Asking these questions because im interested in picking a 3DS RPG,. Are there other games i should give priority for playing first?
 
K

Korigama

Member
Refreshment.01 said:
Oh, no need to apologize when you are helping. XD

About how much time for a first playthrough, does the game incentivizes multiple playthrougs, how do the graphics compare to other RPG's on the system? And what other game in this genre and for this system you consider better?

Asking these questions because im interested in picking a 3DS RPG,. Are there other games i should give priority for playing first?
Click to expand...
Time for a first playthrough generally depends on which alignment path you follow. Neutral takes the longest (went for more than 100 hours for me), while both Law and Chaos should run for around the same length (apparently around 40-60 hours, IIRC). And then of course is the Nothing ending, which makes the game much shorter by rejecting all three of the other options before being locked to a single alignment. There is content that can only be unlocked by playing on specific alignment paths (quests, demons), some bonus weapons dependent upon what you prioritize with player build, and some DLC that expands on the story and grants new demons, but pretty much requires waiting until post-game before you stand a chance, so it definitely encourages you to play it more than once.

Graphically, the environments look pretty good, about what you might expect on 3DS, and the lead character's appearance can be customized through equipment found and bought throughout the game. It's also one of the rare 3DS RPGs not to use chibi representations for the characters. That said, some have been disappointed by the return to SMT I/II (and Strange Journey and Soul Hackers) style use of sprites for characters viewed from a first-person perspective in dialogue, the same approach being used when encountering enemies in battle. However, the artwork used for character portraits is exceptionally well done, though there's a lack of consistency for the ones for demons thanks to a variety of artists having been used for them.

Admittedly, I could stand to check out more 3DS RPGs than I've been able to, but as far as SMT goes, I'd say that this is the best one on the system. Other non-SMT RPGs I'd recommend checking out are Fire Emblem Awakening (a strategy RPG), as well as Bravely Default.
 
Refreshment.01

Refreshment.01

Member
Korigama said:
Time for a first playthrough generally depends on which alignment path you follow. Neutral takes the longest (went for more than 100 hours for me), while both Law and Chaos should run for around the same length (apparently around 40-60 hours, IIRC). And then of course is the Nothing ending, which makes the game much shorter by rejecting all three of the other options before being locked to a single alignment. There is content that can only be unlocked by playing on specific alignment paths (quests, demons), some bonus weapons dependent upon what you prioritize with player build, and some DLC that expands on the story and grants new demons, but pretty much requires waiting until post-game before you stand a chance, so it definitely encourages you to play it more than once.

Graphically, the environments look pretty good, about what you might expect on 3DS, and the lead character's appearance can be customized through equipment found and bought throughout the game. It's also one of the rare 3DS RPGs not to use chibi representations for the characters. That said, some have been disappointed by the return to SMT I/II (and Strange Journey and Soul Hackers) style use of sprites for characters viewed from a first-person perspective in dialogue, the same approach being used when encountering enemies in battle. However, the artwork used for character portraits is exceptionally well done, though there's a lack of consistency for the ones for demons thanks to a variety of artists having been used for them.

Admittedly, I could stand to check out more 3DS RPGs than I've been able to, but as far as SMT goes, I'd say that this is the best one on the system. Other non-SMT RPGs I'd recommend checking out are Fire Emblem Awakening (a strategy RPG), as well as Bravely Default.
Click to expand...
Very detailed and informative explanation, was interesting to read.

It is interesting that it's one of the few RPG's in the system that forgoes the chibi styled character presentation for something, to some extent, more aimed to an older audience. Which makes me wonder if the game holds up a slightly more mature tonality than the rest of RPG's on the system.

Wonder if it's worth the 22 a store near me is selling it for.
 
R

ramyeon

Member
Refreshment.01 said:
Very detailed and informative explanation, was interesting to read.

It is interesting that it's one of the few RPG's in the system that forgoes the chibi styled character presentation for something, to some extent, more aimed to an older audience. Which makes me wonder if the game holds up a slightly more mature tonality than the rest of RPG's on the system.

Wonder if it's worth the 22 a store near me is selling it for.
Click to expand...
Yes, SMT games are generally mature tonally (Especially the mainline series). They focus on post-apocalyptic environments and have a lot of strong religious themes as well as making the character question their morality and decide whether to follow the path of Law or Chaos (Or Neutral) etc.

It's worth that, yes.
 
J

Jisgsaw

Member
Refreshment.01 said:
Interested in the game, what are your main criticism?

Also does it have random battles or can you see and avoid enemies?

What other 3DS RPG's are over it?
Click to expand...

The game is pretty good. My main criticism would be the inverted difficulty curve: the first few hours are quite hard, but after 10 hours or so it gets really easy.
There are some minor ergonomy problems (mainly: no map in the pause menu+ confusing overworld map, and the fusion system that only works threw fusion searches), but nothing too bad.
I also disliked some new demon design/redesigns.

Yes, you see the enemies (avoiding them is another story, it's not always possible).

Are there even any good jRPGs (outside of tacticals) on the 3DS? I found it better than Bravely Default, but then again, I am a SMT fan.
 
Refreshment.01

Refreshment.01

Member
ramyeon, Korigama and Jisgsaw glad you took the time to explain some aspects of the game and influencing me towards it's acquisition. Seems like a pretty unique entry among it's peers.

However my playthrough will come when the New 3DS lands in America, and not just this game, every other one i'll get my hands on from now on XD Also physical releases of old 3DS games that are not such in high demand are becoming hard to come by, so i might as well secure it before it's too late.
 
K

Korigama

Member
Refreshment.01 said:
ramyeon, Korigama and Jisgsaw glad you took the time to explain some aspects of the game and influencing me towards it's acquisition. Seems like a pretty unique entry among it's peers.

However my playthrough will come when the New 3DS lands in America, and not just this game, every other one i'll get my hands on from now on XD Also physical releases of old 3DS games that are not such in high demand are becoming hard to come by, so i might as well secure it before it's too late.
Click to expand...
One more thing I'd like to add: though whether it's still possible would likely be dependent upon the stock of stores in your area, if you're going for a physical copy of SMT IV, you could try to find one of the limited edition copies. It sold for the same price as the game standalone during the first few months ($50 back then, yet went on sale for around half that for a while during the holiday season) but came with a longer box containing the game, a sampler soundtrack CD (something of a disappointment, as it's more of something that spans the series rather than focuses on IV's music specifically), and the more notable bonus, a full-color 176-page artbook/mini strategy guide that covers a large portion of the game before nearing some of the more critical alignment-related points of the story (quite welcome, given the game's lack of a physical manual).

As said, though, I can't say for certain whether you would still be able to find one of those at this point, but your best chance would probably be asking at a GameStop or ordering off of Amazon. With that in mind, the former would probably be your only shot at getting it for the lowered price of the game standalone if they still have any LEs lying around, as Amazon seems set on charging a premium. Try not to worry too much about it if not, though, the key would still be picking up the game itself.
 
Refreshment.01

Refreshment.01

Member
Korigama said:
One more thing I'd like to add: though whether it's still possible would likely be dependent upon the stock of stores in your area, if you're going for a physical copy of SMT IV, you could try to find one of the limited edition copies. It sold for the same price as the game standalone during the first few months ($50 back then, yet went on sale for around half that for a while during the holiday season) but came with a longer box containing the game, a sampler soundtrack CD (something of a disappointment, as it's more of something that spans the series rather than focuses on IV's music specifically), and the more notable bonus, a full-color 176-page artbook/mini strategy guide that covers a large portion of the game before nearing some of the more critical alignment-related points of the story (quite welcome, given the game's lack of a physical manual).

As said, though, I can't say for certain whether you would still be able to find one of those at this point, but your best chance would probably be asking at a GameStop or ordering off of Amazon. With that in mind, the former would probably be your only shot at getting it for the lowered price of the game standalone if they still have any LEs lying around, as Amazon seems set on charging a premium. Try not to worry too much about it if not, though, the key would still be picking up the game itself.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice again.

Sadly the Limited edition is out of the realm of my possiblities since the price is almost double of the standard edition. XD
 
B

Bjoern the Smexy

Member
Never played a SMT game, but I wanted to play this since last year.

So glad it finally comes out.

Seriously Atlus, what is your problem with Europe?


Malio said:
I came here all excited for it coming to the Wii U!

I really should have known better.
Click to expand...
What you want is SMT x Fire Emblem.
But that's what we all want.
And it hasn't happened yet.
We didn't even hear anything about it since it's announcement.
 
W

walnuts

Member
What time will the game be released? Tonight at 00:00 CET time?

Believe...

Anyway, I can't wait for tomorrow. I will bring my 3DS to the office and download it there if necessary.
 
S

Starwolf_UK

Member
walnuts said:
What time will the game be released? Tonight at 00:00 CET time?

Believe...

Anyway, I can't wait for tomorrow. I will bring my 3DS to the office and download it there if necessary.
Click to expand...
As it is an eShop game and not a first party retail game it will go live at the usual 15:00 CST. People will still here at 00:00 making crappy jokes that its been delayed again...
 
W

walnuts

Member
Starwolf_UK said:
As it is an eShop game and not a first party retail game it will go live at the usual 15:00 CST. People will still here at 00:00 making crappy jokes that its been delayed again...
Click to expand...

So the game will be delayed again for 15 hours? Atlus please....

Just joking, haha. Talking seriously, I though they usually released eShop games around 20:00, but 15:00 is great. Tomorrow will be a very long day, and a very short night.
 
NeonZ

NeonZ

Member
Jisgsaw said:
Well, maybe it was to compensate the difficulty of the "tutorial" stages of the game, these are horribly hard. I hope it won't make too many people stop it because of that.
Past this point, when you start to get more and more demons and skills, the fusion system lets you create insanly powerfull demons quite fast, and if you know how to develop your MC (choose Magic or Dexterity as main stat, and stay with that choice), he'll destroy everything.
Click to expand...

I don't think SMT IV's difficulty is specifically downplayed later, the main issue is the freedom of the fusion and skill systems of the main character, which, alongside the low hp (and no defense stat) of all demons in this game, and the pres turn system allow one to easily exploit and break the game if you know what skills and demons you're going for. If you know what you're doing, the game quickly drops in difficulty once it opens up, but I've seen people still having problems in the "easy" part of the game too.

An actual odd decision regarding difficulty scaling though is that in the last part of the game, the actual final bosses are fairly easy, while you'll get the hardest battles from optional battles and the only really hard ones are stupidly unpractical to trigger (the individual battles against the Fiends with their 1/256 spawn rate).
 
I

Imp the Dimp

Member
Hard SMTs:

- Nocturne
- Strange Journey (hardest last boss ever, holy shit)
- Devil Survivor

Medium:

- Persona 3
- Soul Hackers
- Persona 2: EP

Easy

- Persona 4
- DDS 1
- DDS2
- Devil Summoner 2

From what I played
 
R

ramyeon

Member
Anyone know what time this is likely to be up in Australia? eShop says the 31st, what are the chances of a midnight release?
 
G

gngf123

Member
Strange Journey is definitely the hardest SMT game, but that final boss was something else entirely.

Even when I did finally beat it, I still kind of felt like I could've easily have been killed in just a couple of turns if AI roulette didn't go in my favor. And that was with a very very carefully crafted team.
 
I

Imp the Dimp

Member
jgminto said:
I wouldn't call Persona 3 a hard game.
Click to expand...
Me neither. It was harder than the 4 below though. Also definitely harder than P4 which I played almost immediately after.

I think Devil Survivor on 3DS is the hardest SMT. Day
7
was so hard, it's not funny. The additional Day in the OC version was tough as balls as well.
 
I

Ivan el Trolazo

Banned
but SMT IV is hard because of all the japanese names, and places to go...i got the neutral route i HAD to use a guide... but when there is a difficult boss that kills you if you make a mistake its very very fun...
 
T

Tenrius

Member
Imp the Dimp said:
Hard SMTs:

- Nocturne
- Strange Journey (hardest last boss ever, holy shit)
- Devil Survivor

Medium:

- Persona 3
- Soul Hackers
- Persona 2: EP

Easy

- Persona 4
- DDS 1
- DDS2
- Devil Summoner 2

From what I played
Click to expand...

People keep saying SMT IV has an inverse difficulty curve. I didn't play SMT IV yet, but that's how it was for me in Nocturne, actually. The first third (~20 hours) of the games had been pretty hard, but after then it came to a point where I had a really powerful party and made my way through the rest of the game with relative ease. Didn't use any guides or anything, too.
 
Z

ZeroX03

Banned
Oh damn, that's like some time early in the morning AM for me. I'm not staying up that late.

Yes I am. I'll stay awake to start the download and wake up to the game.
 
D

Dragon1893

Member
Even though we were trolled hard with this release I hope it does well, that way maybe next time Europeans get treated with some fucking respect.
 
4

40detectives

Neo Member
Mmmmm.... btw:
Who is publishing it for EU territory?

Edit: it looks for the eShop info that it's ATLUS USA, didn't expect that.

Damn, I'd love have an ATLUS EU or something, they do it really well there from my point of view.
 
B

Bjoern the Smexy

Member
40detectives said:
Mmmmm.... btw:
Who is publishing it for EU territory?

Edit: it looks for the eShop info that it's ATLUS USA, didn't expect that.

Damn, I'd love have an ATLUS EU or something, they do it really well there from my point of view.
Click to expand...

The European branch of Atlus closed earlier this year, if I remember correctly.
 
artsi

artsi

Member
4 hours left

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