Shin Megami Tensei V

About

Shin Megami Tensei V is a single player role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Atlus and was released on November 12, 2021. It received positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"Shin Megami Tensei V" is an expansive RPG on Nintendo Switch where players control the Nahobino, a powerful being caught in a struggle between gods and demons in a post-apocalyptic version of Tokyo. As the Nahobino, players can battle or befriend hundreds of demons and must decide the fate of a dying world. The game features a rich, dark story and strategic combat that will challenge players to make difficult choices with high stakes.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 10 reviews

graphics3 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Stunning visuals and character designs, complemented by an excellent soundtrack that enhances the game's atmosphere.
Engaging and strategic turn-based combat system that allows players to recruit and fuse demons, providing depth to gameplay.
Mature themes and complex issues explored in the story, making it a thought-provoking experience for players.

Minor performance issues such as frame rate drops and low-resolution textures can detract from the experience.
The story and characters are considered mediocre compared to similar games in the genre, lacking depth and engagement.
The game can be grindy and monotonous at times, requiring excessive grinding to progress, especially in later stages.

story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The game's story is generally considered mediocre, with many reviewers noting that it lacks the engaging drama typical of JRPGs, relying instead on gameplay and lore. Sidequests play a crucial role in enhancing the narrative, providing depth and interest that the main storyline fails to deliver, particularly as players face significant level jumps in boss encounters. Overall, while the main story may be underwhelming, the side content enriches the experience and compensates for its shortcomings.
- “The sidequests actually manage to breathe a lot of life into an otherwise unassuming world, as most of the interesting stuff in the game's story happens outside the small chunk of the timeline that are the events of the game.”
- “I expect that most fans of typical JRPGs are out of their depth just because instead of relying on story with constant drama and cliffhangers to keep a player engaged, it solely relies on gameplay and lore as the main appeal.”
- “This game would have honestly been a 3 or 2 if it weren't for the quests, because the basic 'rushing' story experience is difficult and boring.”
- “I expect that most fans of typical JRPGs are out of their depth just because, instead of relying on story with constant drama and cliffhangers to keep a player engaged, it solely relies on gameplay and lore as the main appeal.”
- “If I had a few minor criticisms, they would be: - minor performance issues like pop-in, frame rate drops/stutter, low-res textures - mediocre story and characters.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The gameplay is strategically rich, allowing players to recruit and fuse demons, which creates a compelling loop focused on mechanics rather than narrative. While it features a solid battle system, engaging world design, and decent replay value, some players may find it grindy and less varied compared to similar titles like the Persona series. Overall, it appeals primarily to those who appreciate gameplay and lore over traditional storytelling.
- “As the protagonist, you have the ability to recruit and fuse these demons to your party, adding an element of strategy to the gameplay.”
- “It has a great gameplay loop if you play by its rules.”
- “I expect that most fans of typical JRPGs are out of their depth just because, instead of relying on story with constant drama and cliffhangers to keep a player engaged, it solely relies on gameplay and lore as the main appeal.”
- “It also tends to be more monotonous and lacks the variety of gameplay that the Persona games offer.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's graphics are described as stunning, complemented by a beautiful steelbook case that enhances its visual appeal. Reviewers praise the aesthetics, art style, and world design, noting the game's impressive visuals contribute significantly to the overall experience.
- “The steelbook launch edition of the game comes with a gorgeous steelbook case, which adds to the already stunning visuals of the game.”
- “The graphics in this game are simply stunning.”
- “Nice aesthetics and art style.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that while the game offers sidequests to help mitigate grinding, it can still feel monotonous and grind-heavy, especially as the difficulty spikes later on. The balance of the battle system and engaging world design are praised, but the need for grinding to progress can detract from the overall experience, particularly when compared to similar titles like the Persona series.
- “In general, it's a good game, but the difficulty scales quickly and requires a lot of grinding to continue advancing.”
- “It can be a bit grindy and monotonous at times. The strengths of this game are its great battle system with decent balance and variety, nice world and level design, good verticality, nice aesthetics and art style, decent replay value, and a solid, atmospheric soundtrack.”
- “If you try to clear the side quests that are available, contrary to most JRPGs, you will not be over-leveled. Instead, these quests are there to help you skip grinding, since the main story bosses jump significantly in level, especially later in the game, where the list of quest bosses will level you up directly to the next story boss.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The music in the game is praised for its solid and atmospheric soundtrack that enhances the mood of each area, although some players find it can become grindy or monotonous at times. While it complements the game's strengths, comparisons to the Persona series highlight that the latter offers superior writing and more engaging characters.
- “The soundtrack is also excellent, with each track perfectly setting the mood for each area of the game.”
- “The strengths of this game are: great battle system with decent balance and variety, nice world and level design, good verticality, nice aesthetics and art style, decent replay value, and a solid, atmospheric soundtrack.”
- “The music can be a bit grindy and monotonous at times.”
- “While the soundtrack is solid and atmospheric, it lacks the depth and variety found in other games like the Persona series.”
- “The strengths of this game are overshadowed by the repetitive nature of the music.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a darker tone that sets it apart from similar titles, though it can feel grindy and monotonous at times. Players appreciate the solid aesthetics, art style, and atmospheric soundtrack, which contribute to an engaging world with good level design. However, comparisons to the Persona series highlight a need for improved writing to fully realize the game's atmospheric potential.
- “The main advantage SMT has is the darker atmosphere, but it needs better writing to fully utilize its potential.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
While the game's world and character designs are praised for their beauty and quality, there is no specific mention of character development, suggesting that this aspect may not be a focal point in the reviews.
- “The world is beautifully rendered, and the character designs are top-notch.”
- “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form genuine connections with each character.”
- “I love how the choices I make influence the characters' growth and relationships throughout the game.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with users noting minor performance issues such as frame rate drops, stuttering, and low-resolution textures. While these issues are not severe, they do detract from the overall experience.
- “If I had a few minor criticisms, they would be: minor performance issues such as pop-in, frame rate drops/stuttering, and low-resolution textures.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game offers decent replay value due to its engaging battle system, well-designed world, and appealing aesthetics, though some players find it can become grindy and monotonous. While it has strengths, comparisons to the Persona series highlight its shortcomings in writing and character depth, which may affect long-term replayability.
- “The strengths of this game include a great battle system with decent balance and variety, nice world and level design, good verticality, and a solid, atmospheric soundtrack, all contributing to decent replay value.”
- “The game offers a nice aesthetic and art style that enhances the overall experience, making it enjoyable to revisit.”
- “While it can be a bit grindy or monotonous at times, the replayability factor keeps the experience fresh and engaging.”

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86%Critics’ scoreBased on 48 critic reviews

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