Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2

 PlayStation 2
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 Image
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
3.6

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 189 Ratings

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  • Summary: Serph, leader of the Embryon, wanders aimlessly through the lifeless streets before him. In the Junkyard, his Tribe fought a gruesome war, hoping the light of Heaven would relieve their suffering. In the end, Serph's world vanished, along with the comrades who stood by him. All that awaitedSerph, leader of the Embryon, wanders aimlessly through the lifeless streets before him. In the Junkyard, his Tribe fought a gruesome war, hoping the light of Heaven would relieve their suffering. In the end, Serph's world vanished, along with the comrades who stood by him. All that awaited him in Nirvana were endless streets littered with the silent remains of human statues. The Promised Land was nothing but a new hell. Guards in white appear through clouds of dust, threatening to arrest Serph as an unauthorized Avatar Tuner. He notices the Karma Temple 's insignia on their equipment as they throw it aside and transform into hideous demons. The water crown's power washes over Serph, and he realizes the Atma was not simply a nightmare of the Junkyard?nothing has changed but his surroundings. Devouring others is the only way to survive. What awaits Serph beyond Nirvana?a glorious paradise, or a sea of blood-soaked corpses? [Atlus]… Expand
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Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 Gameplay Movie 4

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. RPG Fan
    99
    Easily the finest game I've had a chance to play this year and stands to be one of the great games of this generation. DDS2's superb graphics, magnificent aural pieces, excellent, fleshed out story, and better balance makes Digital Devil Saga 1 - and just about every other game this year - look like child's play.
  2. Game Over Online
    92
    All in all, this is another great RPG on the PlayStation 2. The only thing keeping me from giving Digital Devil Saga 2 an unqualified recommendation is how hard it is to find its predecessor.
  3. ZTGD
    90
    A continuation of an intriguing storyline, retaining all that made the first game great while adding changes to gameplay for newness and challenge.
  4. Play UK
    82
    It has an interesting, if bizarre, story but does tend to suffer from too many random battles. Not one for newcomers. [Issue # 149, p.84]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    80
    Better than its predecessor, improving both the story (significantly) and the gameplay (incrementally). [Nov 2005, p.100]
  6. Gaming Target
    80
    Did you like the first Digital Devil Saga? Did you like Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne? Do you want an RPG with challenge? If you answered yes to any of those, get this game.
  7. netjak
    60
    Digital Devil Saga 2, while a quality role-playing game, doesn't live up to the legacy of its immediate predecessor.
    All this publication's reviews

See all 38 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8
  1. R.D.
    Jan 4, 2008
    10
    An Amazing game. The Shin Megami Tensei franchises always fascinate me but this one truly stands out as gaming glory.
  2. Mattxx
    Aug 29, 2010
    10
    Although the encounter rate is rather high, it has extremely tight combat which more than makes up for the encounter rate. The story isAlthough the encounter rate is rather high, it has extremely tight combat which more than makes up for the encounter rate. The story is wonderful, the cast is great, and the actors do an extremely well job of delivering their lines. The Mantra Grid makes for great customization, allowing you to, literally, learn every ability in the game (aside from special story related abilities). If you finished and enjoyed the first Digital Devil Saga, this is, quite obviously, a must-buy.… Expand
  4. BenV.
    Nov 27, 2005
    9
    So much better than the first one, yet they're extremely similar. Some of the best story and strategy you'll ever find in a videogame.
  5. ChrisC.
    Nov 17, 2005
    9
    Challenging and addivtive.
  6. crazydangerous
    Dec 31, 2011
    7
    Maps are more a little more varied than part one and I believe there is more enemies in this game, although the plot gets a little confusingMaps are more a little more varied than part one and I believe there is more enemies in this game, although the plot gets a little confusing feels like I need to read into it more online. Same as part one for nocturne and strange journey fans not persona 3/4 fans.… Expand
  7. AlienSpaceBats
    Feb 25, 2014
    5
    Digital Devil Saga returns to kick me in the balls with its random battle encounter rate. Visually appealing, but more of the same from partDigital Devil Saga returns to kick me in the balls with its random battle encounter rate. Visually appealing, but more of the same from part 1, and uses 90% of the same assets. Again, the combat is the best part though we have more of a story this time, only recommended to those who loved the nuts off the first game.… Expand
  8. Sartagis
    Dec 17, 2016
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I completed the first game with nearly 50 hours and found it mediocre. This game started off a lot better but quickly went south form there.

    Pros
    1. Much better explanation of the world and why things are happening.
    2. Additional ability to add abilities and stats using rings

    Negatives
    1. Vastly easier to get a party wipe from common mobs in some dungeons. I am over half way through the game and just got destroyed from full health with only 1 round to act. I lost 24 of 35 minutes of play due to the dungeon design and no save points for that whole time. I have lost an hour or more already due to surprise battles that essentially killed my party in 1-2 rounds.

    2. MAX noise special combat mixes with extremely high miss rate and no magic leads to party wipes. In the tower I missed 2 of 3 opening attacks 5 times in a row in these battles. The 4th time my opponent needed to do 2 AOE attacks to wipe the party as they hit for 5 timers the normal damage during these fights. That was 1 of 3 enemies attacking. So Massive enemy damage, 50%+ miss rate by my characters (One had 40 agility in an area that 20 would be normal), and no magic lead to several time loses which I would say have cost me about an hour.

    I estimate that I have lost about 2 hours of the 21.6 I have put in so far. Anything over an hour for a typical RPG I find unacceptable. I'm probably 20 hours from the end and the time losses just get more frequent.

    3. Game requires a stupid amount of grinding. It should take half as long to level mantra and characters as it does.

    4. Cash is an issue, at least in the 3rd and fourth dungeons. It was going to cost me 3K to heal a level 13-14 character. I had to keep leaving dungeons to use the free heal as healing at the terminals would have bankrupted me quickly.

    Spoiler alert

    In less than 2 hours 4 characters were killed off, or presumed to be dead. This is appalling game design since characters take so much time to develop and I lost entire skill sets because so many were killed.

    I would never recommend this game to anyone and I love the Persona games. Too much grind, nothing original, and too easy to take time loses.    … Expand

See all 8 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Best PS2 Game of 2005
67
#67 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2005