Summary
Free from its prior Nintendo Switch exclusivity,Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeanceis proving to be yet another hit JRPG from Atlus, with the title currently sitting at an impressive 94% Overwhelmingly Positive user score on Steam. While it’s safe to assume that a certain amount of the praise being heaped onShin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeancecomes from the title being experienced by a brand-new audience for the first time, it’s also worth noting how many improvementsVengeancemakes over the original to become the definitive version of the game. For all its myriad improvements, though,Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeancemisses an opportunity to improve one of the game’s more frustrating mechanics: Demon Negotiation.
The act of recruiting demons to the player’s party is one of the foundational mechanics of bothShin Megami Tenseiand its spin-offPersonaseries, but it’s notoriously obtuse in how players are expected to decipher the exact functionality of how it works. While nearly every other aspect ofShin Megami Tensei 5is improved inVengeance, Demon Negotiation remains largely the same as in the original. Given the other improvements made to just about every facet of gameplay, it’s hard not to feel like Atlus missed a golden opportunity to improve one ofShin Megami Tensei 5’s few frustrating parts.
Demon Negotiation is Still a Case of Fumbling Around in the Dark in SMT 5: Vengeance
TheShin Megami Tenseiseries' Negotiation is an incredibly complex system that relies on any number of factors to determine success, andShin Megami Tensei 5’s version of the system remains largely the same inVengeance. With the exception of having some new Miracles atthe Nahobino’s disposal that can aid with the process, it’s still often a case of trial and error and attempting various responses to conversations just to see what works and what doesn’t.
Making its initial debut in the very firstMegami Tenseiand continuing to be a cornerstone of the series ever since, Demon Negotiation is the primary means for players to recruit demon allies to their party.
Given how multi-layered and in-depth the Negotiation mechanic is, it’s a shame to see it not receive the same kind of improvements granted toShin Megami Tensei 5’s traversalor combat. Conversations will differ based on a demon’s gender, species, tone, and other factors, and certain types of demons even have unique personality traits that factor into how they will react to one dialogue option over another. Given how intricate the system is (and the propensity for player failure), that it remains the one core mechanic of the originalShin Megami Tensei 5mostly untouched inVengeanceis a head-scratcher.
How Atlus Could Have Improved Demon Negotiation in Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance
In terms of how Atlus could have improvedthe Negotiation system forVengeance, it comes down to two simple quality-of-life additions that would have made a significant impact on player understanding. First, giving demons different facial tells during conversations to indicate whether they will react favorably or antagonistically toward the different dialogue choices would have been an effective way to help steer players in the right direction while still keeping the Negotiation system interesting.
A second, and infinitely more helpful, option would have been to include a new index accessible within the World of Shadows that gives insight into demons' personality traits and tones based on their species and gender. The Demon Compendium contains a treasure trove of useful information aboutShin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance’s demons, but having a quick reference available to aid in the Negotiation process could have streamlined the mechanic similarly to how both combat and traversal are improved in the re-release.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
WHERE TO PLAY
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance consists of two complete story paths: experience a brand-new route, the “Canon of Vengeance” – a dramatic tale of revenge by the fallen, centered around new characters and an enigmatic cohort of demons, the Qadištu, who plot their own dark designs apart from the war of those who fight to maintain order and those who seek to defy it. Or explore the original story told in Shin Megami Tensei V, the “Canon of Creation” – an eternal conflict between angels and demons, in which the protagonist fights for the world’s fate.When a grisly murder scene in modern-day Tokyo blocks our protagonist’s walk home, an unplanned detour leaves him buried and unconscious. He awakens in a new Tokyo, a wasteland ravaged by apocalypse now called Da’at… but before bloodthirsty demons can claim his life, a savior emerges, and the two of them unite to become a mighty being, neither human nor demon: a Nahobino.With newfound power, the protagonist ventures through Da’at, an enigmatic realm filled with mythical deities and demonic tyrants in constant conflict for survival. Searching for answers, the protagonist must forge his own path in a battle between angels and demons to dictate the fate of the world.
