1. lancevance8

   Jul 16, 2013

   10

   we have waited nearly a decade for shin megami tensei 4 and while I would Have loved for it to be on non hand held console I can see why they did not do so. The visuals and style are great for the 3ds but not so much a big hdtv. But i am digging the characters and the game so far. Love rpgs or things Japan get this game this is one of the most own titles for this neat little Nintendo console. plus this and fire emblem get you a 30 dollar e shop credit!!!!… Expand

   • 7 of 8 users found this helpful
2. tech101

   Jul 18, 2013

   10

   this is by no means an easy game. you will die often in the beginning till you can recruit a team of at least 3 demons. those that can get pass that part are in for a treat as this game had production value written all over it. demons look great and the story thus far is interesting to say the least. if you are new to jrpgs you might want to stay clear of this one as the learning curve is pretty high however the game does do a great jop of explaining everything.… Expand

   • 1 of 2 users found this helpful
3. Ganondork

   Jul 24, 2013

   10

   SMT IV being my first entry into the MegaTen series (spinoffs included), I only expected a few superficial concepts: demon collecting, dark atmosphere, and teenage/young adult main characters. I hope this review can make others who are newcomers to the series think carefully about playing this game.I am about 20 hours into the game, and I feel like I have seen enough of it to write this review. For those who are accustomed to this series, please be gentle as I am not an expert and am ignorant of many features.
   
   Gameplay:
   The gameplay is turn-based, but has a lot of depth which lends itself to the variety of strategies which one can utilize in any given battle. Each demon has its own elemental affinities and ailment affinities, as well as the ability to learn nearly any type of skill through demon fusion. Such skills can be "whispered" (more on that later) to your main character, giving him a great assortment to complement your demons. It also allows you to mix things up on the fly if you're having trouble against a boss. Smirks add a lot to the combat and can occur via critical hits (via the luck stat or using a skill which is super effective). As far as I know, these increase the damage next turn for that character and defend him/her from damage if the enemy attacks. You have four characters which comprise your "Party": the main character (you), and three demons of your choosing. You also have a "Stock" with which you can swap out members of your party. You can upgrade your Stock to increase the number of demons you can carry, but I am unsure of the limits. I have currently upgraded to 13 slots in my stock. The demons in your stock earn EXP, but at a slower rate than your party members. This is just one reason why demon fusion (discussed in features) is so critical. The main character can use items, varying from basic healing items to items which mimic full-blown attacks, which helps characters lacking in elemental attacks. Your demons are not capable of such a feat unless they learn a skill which allows them to use items. You can "pass" your turn to the next character in your party. This is useful for many reasons, the most basic being to avoid using an ineffective attack.
   
   When all is said and done, the most critical point of gameplay is perhaps conversing with demons. This allows you to bring them onto your team as allies. Sometimes they will steal your life, items, or MP, and won't even join your side. Other times, they will immediately join you after you have slayed their companions. You can even ask them for Macca (in-game currency) and earn additional XP for successful conversations.
   
   Finally, this is a game of exploration. Exploration occurs in third-person and you will often encounter demons who will immediately charge upon your approach. You can avoid these encounters with swift maneuvers, but often times the XP is more than worth the trouble avoiding them. You loot treasure chests and unlock new areas through exploration.
   
   Features (Menu-Based):
   1) Skill Whispering:
   This feature has been one of the most useful I've seen from any RPG: the ability to copy attacks from your demons. As previously mentioned, this gives the main character a wide array of skills to choose from and suits your needs for any situation. Each demon has a specific level at which they can whisper skills to you. Once you have learned the skill, other demons can whisper the same skill again to increase its potency and decrease its cost to use.
   2) Cathedral of Shadows
   One of my favorite features of the game. With it, you can do one of two things: demon fusion, or use the compendium. Demon fusion consists of choosing two or more demons and combining them to create another. Simple, right? Well, it's made simpler with the recommended fusions, but it is very in depth. Upon fusion, the parents provide skills to pass down to the product. This allows a huge amount of variety in the skillsets of the demon you're producing. Because you can keep fusing demons over and over again, you can get the exact skills you want on any given demon. The demon compendium allows you to acquire the demons you've aligned yourself with, something which I have used a few times after fusion to get back the parent demons.
   3) Character Customization
   Like other RPGs, you can outfit your main character with gear possessing elemental affinities and special properties. You can also specify which stats you want to specialize in after leveling up.
   4) Apps
   Apps are paid for by leveling up your character to earn App Points. You can spend these on passive buffs. Some of these include increasing your stock capacity, the ability to ask for Macca from demons, and increasing the stat points a demon earns upon leveling up. There are a TON of apps.
   
   I have never been so enthralled by a RPG. I've played my fair share, but this is the first where the gameplay truly grabs me. It is a deep and rewarding game, with beautiful presentation and a wealth of variety in strategy.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. Royspaceghost

   Jul 21, 2013

   10

   At first, looking at videos and coverage from various websites, I was a little put off by the demon animations being that they look almost like gifs, but oh boy how wrong was I when I started playing it and in 3D. The backgrounds are totally tri dimensional, the world is perfectly designed, and it has this grim, dark vibe attached to it. The music is incredible, it gives this almost horror like feeling with a retro touch to it (if you played previous old school SMT, you'll know what I mean). It also houses more than 400 demons, 400!! Which upscales the replayability of the title by a lot, not to mention the 4 endings, cheap priced DLC and almost 40-50 hours of gameplay already included. It is a must have for RPG fans, especially Megaten fans. I really can't stop playing it, go buy it NOW.… Expand

   • 3 of 4 users found this helpful
5. ericiidx

   Oct 14, 2013

   9

   If you can see past the inherent hardcore RPG tendencies, generally linear story, and glaring plot holes that start building only an hour or two in, this is a great game and one of the best on the 3DS.
   
   Pros: great graphical presentation in character and environmental art. Memorable soundtrack (very reminiscent of 90's sci-fi PC games). Voice acting (for the most part most minor characters are laughable, such as the guy who charges you Macca to cross a bridge, and a young woman who is clearly voiced by a man). Hardcore gameplay, and the familiar SMT battle formula exploit the enemy's weakness, and don't get exploited yourself.
   
   Cons: navigation becomes a nightmare if you aren't intimately familiar with Tokyo. Most quests are breadcrumb-type quests that lack the breadcrumbs you're told to go somewhere, and rarely given any indication on how to get there. Some may find the old school battle presentation lacking, while others will find it charming (very similar to Devil Survivor; your party of demons is not visually represented on-screen, while enemies and attacks are lightly-animated sprites.) Finally (without giving too much away,) your party is thrust hundreds of years into the future, from a medieval kingdom into a post-apocalyptic Tokyo. Your party is hardly amazed, let alone confused at their surroundings and all of this new technology. It's something that bugged me for my entire time spent with this game; for example, they'll be intrigued by "strange food" served at Tokyo's various taverns, but have no problem operating elevators and watching surveillance videos on an HDTV monitor.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. warofexodus

   Jul 17, 2013

   9

   A pretty good game. Surprisingly good graphics. Was a bit worried of the fps styled battle system, but I actually find the battles rather good and wasn't as bad as I thought. The spell effects is nice and challenging enough to keep you at your toes, with these 2 strong points, the fps battles are negligible (was never a fan of fps RPG battles...I wished it was fully modeled but it's not as boring in this game). Interesting and dark story line. For those who pre-ordered the collector edition, you will be given a walkthrough as well. This walk through helps out immensely as it also points out enemy weaknesses. Hard to imagine how many times I will be getting wiped if not for the walkthrough.… Expand

   • 2 of 2 users found this helpful
7. ragingmerifes

   Oct 12, 2013

   0

   Not even worth playing. This series has proven stale and repetitive, and the fourth installment, aside from spinoffs, innovates nothing and presents outdated graphics and far too poor plot. Don't ever buy this game.… Expand

   • 0 of 4 users found this helpful

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