Shin Megami Tensei

Come March 23, 2010 most fans of the Shin Megami Tensei series will be playing the new title Strange Journey. Included in the retail release is not only the Nintendo DS cartridge, but also the soundtrack with every launch copy.

Along with new screens, Lead Editor for Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, Nich Maragos published a production diary highlighting the localization of the title. Be sure to read through it here.

Come March 23, 2010 most fans of the Shin Megami Tensei series will be playing the new title Strange Journey. Included in the retail release is not only the Nintendo DS cartridge, but also the soundtrack with every launch copy.

Along with new screens, Lead Editor for Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, Nich Maragos published a production diary highlighting the localization of the title. Be sure to read through it here.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, perhaps more than any other core Shin Megami Tensei game, is designed for an international audience. Players interact with a hodgepodge crew featuring characters from various nations, most of which have their names written in katakana.

In a developer diary, Nich Maragos, Lead Editor, details how tricky translating katakana to English can be, especially when you’re dealing with world mythology. Some names like Williams immediately click. Others like “Sukuugusuroo” or Skogsra, the name of a Sweedish forest spirit, require extra work and J.A. Coleman’s The Dictionary of Mythology to decipher.

The post is worth a read, at the very least, to appreciate the headaches the localization team at Atlus went through to ensure Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey was properly translated.

Shin Megami Tensei is a franchise that has earned quite a name among RPG fans, due to a large number of high-quality entries. Nocturne and the Persona are regarded as some of the most interesting and challenging JRPGs on the market, but we’ve never actually gotten the early Megami Tensei games in English-speaking countries. The closest would be Persona, which has a lot in common with the early entries in the franchise, but quite a few differences as well. The earlier SMT games resembled Wizardry meets Pokémon, combining first-person dungeon exploration with monster-raising. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a return to the older SNES style of Megami Tensei. It’s quite a bit different from Persona or Nocturne, but it’s shaping up to be one of the most addictive RPGs on the DS.

Strange Journey is set in the near future, when a strange black dome appears over the Antarctic. Dubbed the Schwarzwelt, the dome is slowly spreading to envelop the entire planet and destroy all life. The player takes on the role of an unnamed soldier, a member of a special exploration team that is being sent to investigate the dome. He is assigned to the Red Sprite, a super-advanced exploration vehicle that is capable of breaching the Schwarzwelt’s strange surface. More importantly, he is equipped with a Demonica suit of powered armor that’s capable of surviving within the Schwarzwelt’s deadly atmosphere. The mission quickly becomes disastrous, and the Red Sprite is separated from the other members of the team and trapped deep within the Schwarzwelt. As if that weren’t bad enough, the Schwarzwelt is filled with demons, all of which are incredibly deadly and invisible. In order to escape, the soldiers of the Red Sprite must use a mysterious demon-summoning program that appeared on the Demonica suit system.

As in most Megami Tensei titles, your decisions have a major influence on how the game plays out. While you begin as a neutral character who is simply there to do his job, things change as the game progresses. You’ll be asked to make choices that may sway your alignment, which are the sort of ideals you have: chaos, law or neutrality. Don’t assume that “law” equals good, or “chaos” equals evil, though. They tend to skew more toward how much freedom you believe in or your views on power. A character who aligns with law may believe that mankind is incapable of standing on its own and needs to be guided by a higher power to bring about peace, while a chaos-aligned character may embrace survival of the fittest and freedom over social structures.

Your character will end up as one of these three alignments, depending on his choices throughout the game. This has a tremendous impact on how the game progresses and will alter your eventual ending, but it also impacts the game world. Demons have their own alignment as well, and their like or dislike of you will be determined by your alignment. It will be far easier to recruit law demons as a law character, for example. It also heavily factors into combat, as co-op attacks can only be triggered with demons of the same alignment. Unlike most RPGs, Strange Journey holds you to what you say, so think carefully before you answer even innocent-sounding questions.

It’s actually far easier to liken Strange Journey to Atlus’ Etrian Odyssey than any of the recent Megami Tensei games. If you’ve played that game, you’ll find much of this to be familiar. You begin the game on the Red Sprite, which functions as your combination base and hometown. When you leave, you’ll be instantly thrust into the dungeon, which are large and completely unmapped, so you must explore them to discover the structure. Like Etrian Odyssey, mapping is done entirely on the bottom screen, although Strange Journey uses an auto-map instead of Etrian Odyssey’s self-mapping system. Every time you step forward, a new square of the map will be unveiled. The dungeons are fairly complex, so don’t think that this will be a straightforward exploration. There are branching paths, hidden doors, deadly traps and annoying pitfalls to be found on every floor. To best deal with the dungeon, you’ll have to make multiple trips into the depths, taking your time and exploring to find easier ways to travel deeper into the dungeon. The dungeon is divided into various strata, and you can only venture into a deeper stratum once you’ve cleared the previous one, which usually involves defeating a boss.

When you begin, you’re only able to explore the most basic elements of the Schwarzwelt, but as the game progresses, your Demonica suit will receive upgrades that allow you to explore deeper. For example, an early upgrade is a sensor that lets you find Forma, a rare material that appears semi-randomly around the map. If you’re close to Forma, the sensor will light up and pinpoint the location so you can collect it. Later upgrades allow you to access previously hidden doors or passages and venture into areas that would otherwise be dangerous or battle deadly invisible monsters. Your Demonica suit is upgraded automatically to take advantage of these new features, but it is best to be cautious and know your limits about where to explore. There are areas in early parts of the game that you can only access after venturing to a deeper floor.

Upgrading your Demonica suit is a big part of the game. Unlike the protagonists in other franchise offerings, your main character in Strange Journey isn’t any kind of superhuman or magician. His powers are limited to the special Demonica armor, and this is both a plus and a minus. The Demonica is pure technology and not magical, so your protagonist can’t use the same magic spells as the demons but he can equip weapons and armor to mimic the demons’ abilities. Instead of having natural strengths and weaknesses, he can equip different armor to change his defensive abilities. Rather than casting magic spells, he can use a gun and special bullets to use elemental damage or debuffs. This makes him extremely customizable, so you can alter his abilities at any time during the game and switch attack and defensive abilities on the fly, as long as you’re not in battle. As a trade-off, your main character tends to be a bit less powerful than demons. His strength comes from his customization, which allows you to alter your combat style for any situation. Beyond weapons and armor, you can also find sub-apps, which can be attached to your Demonica to alter its features, including your character getting into fewer battles, earning better prizes from demons, and altering the way a demon’s skills grow, to name a few. These sub-apps take up a certain amount of space on your Demonica, so you can only equip a few at a time.

Improving the Demonica isn’t simple as buying parts from a store. In order to upgrade your suit, you need Forma. Some can be found by using the Forma Search function on your Demonica, while others must be earned from demons. Regardless of how you come across Forma, it serves as the synthesis material for Demonica items. You take Forma to the Red Sprite’s lab and pay the Macca (currency) to convert the Forma into items. While there are a few items that can be made without Forma, almost everything else in the game requires Forma for creation, including armor, weapons and healing items. You could have a near-infinite supply of Macca, but it wouldn’t help unless you had the Forma to generate the equipment, so you’ll probably have to make trips into the dungeon just to farm the material. The payoff is very worth it, as each piece of equipment in Strange Journey is incredibly important and can completely alter the tide of battle.

Battle is a major part of Strange Journey. The Schwarzwelt is packed to the brim with demons, and you’ll have to fight your way through hordes of them before you can escape. The combat system is rather simple; your party is made up of your Demonica-using main character and up to three demons that he has summoned, and you battle opponents in turned-based combat until one emerges victorious. As in other Megami Tensei games, your main character is the backbone of the party, so if he falls in battle, the game is over.

On the other hand, demons are replaceable, so if a demon falls or you want to change the demon you’re using, you can summon a new one during the main character’s turn. Your demon selection is very important, as certain demons can provide benefits that others can’t. In addition to each demon having a strength and weakness against certain elemental attacks, each demon’s alignment can alter combat. If you hit an enemy weakness with one of your attacks, all demons with the same alignment will perform a “co-op attack” on the unlucky foe, and the more demons who perform a co-op attack, the more powerful it is. To get the biggest benefit out of combat, you have to keep a team of like-minded demons, so you can have three characters contributing to a co-op attack each time. Of course, this isn’t as easy as it sounds, and you may sometimes have to sacrifice co-op power in order to have a strong or useful demon on your side.

One of the more enjoyable aspects about Strange Journey’s combat system is that it isn’t entirely based on combat. Like the early Megami Tensei games, you’re also given the option to talk your way out of fights. At the start of combat, you can attempt to talk to a demon by engaging in a brief text-based mini-game. You choose what to say to the demon, and it may react positively or negatively depending on its likes and dislikes. Positive reactions tend to pay off for you. If a demon likes you enough, it will be willing to negotiate with you, so you can ask for items or Macca — or get it to join your party. In exchange, you may have to give up some health, MP or items to keep the demon happy. Negotiation isn’t always successful, but it will usually lead to you getting rare items or a new demon partner, all without having to fight. Successful negotiation automatically ends the fight, so it is a good way to avoid an energy-draining battle against tough foes.

Failing to please the demon can hurt you as well, though. At best, the demon may become angry and refuse to talk anymore, but at worst, it may suddenly attack and get in a free round of combat. In rare situations, it may be so disgusted by your failure to talk that it’ll storm out of the battle, thus denying you of useful experience and Macca for fighting the demon, but at least you don’t have to fight. You can also use negotiation as a way to make certain areas a lot easier. You can’t recruit more than one type of the same demon, and if you try, the demon will notice. This functions very similarly to an automatically successful negotiation. The demon will leave, ending the battle, and sometimes earning you rare items. If you keep a stable of demons in your party that are tough to battle, you can greatly reduce the amount of fighting you have to do.

It’s important to note that Strange Journey takes an unusual approach to enemy encounters. All the demons inside the Schwarzwelt are invisible, and the only reason you can see them is because of the demon-summoning program installed on your Demonica suit. The program isn’t perfect, though. The first time you encounter a demon, it’ll appear as distorted data. You can’t talk to it, don’t know its name, and can’t even see what it looks like. This is the hardest time to encounter a demon because you can’t even use your prior Megami Tensei knowledge to guess at its weaknesses. You have to use attacks that are unlikely to backfire or make a random guess at an enemy’s weaknesses. Once you defeat an enemy, the Demonica begins to analyze it so you can learn its name and appearance. From then on, you can raise the demon’s analysis level by interacting with it by fighting it, talking to it, or even raising and battling with your own version of the demon. As you analyze the demon, more information will become available, including its weaknesses and attacks. Fully max out the analysis of a demon, and you’ll know exactly what you’re coming up against every time it appears.

Strange Journey has an interesting balancing game involved with raising your demons. For the most part, demons are only good for a few levels. They’re strong for a while as you get them, but keeping a demon leveled can’t prevent it from eventually becoming outdated when compared to the foes you’re fighting. At the same time, it’s important to level up your demons. Every time a demon levels, it has a chance of giving you a reward, such as Forma, which is always handy. The most useful prizes are sources. When a fully analyzed demon levels up, it’ll give you its source, which is a special item that can be used in fusion to pass along the demon’s skills, even if they were not part of the fusion. This allows you to pass along difficult-to-acquire skills to a monster without having to go through long fusion sequences. Sources are also limited, though. You can only have one of a demon’s source at a time, and it’s gone if you use it in a fusion. Furthermore, getting a second source is much harder than getting a first one. You must be careful when and where you use a source, but smart source usage leads to significantly more powerful demons.

One unique feature about Strange Journey is how it handles the demon compendium. In other Megami Tensei games, the compendium is pretty straightforward. You can resummon any demon you’ve recruited to your party before, and register demons that you’ve changed so that you can summon an already-leveled version of that demon instead of the base version. This costs Macca, but it’s easier than summoning one normally.

Strange Journey adds the new password feature, so any time you register a demon, it also gives you a password for it. This password can be entered to summon that demon as if it were part of your compendium. While this may sound useless, keep in mind that passwords work on any version of the game, so if you have a friend who also has the game, you can use passwords to help out one another. He may be able to send you the code for a demon that will allow you to defeat a tough boss, or you could give him the code for a demon he needs to fuse to get a particularly useful monster. These codes are not without their limits. You need to be of the same or higher level as the demon you intend to summon, and you still have to pay Macca for it. This feature will make it much easier for Megami Tensei fans to help each other, since difficult-to-fuse demons are just a password away.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey feels a lot like Etrian Odyssey meets Nocturne. The levels and dungeons are laid out very similarly to Atlus’ other dungeon exploration game. There are a lot of familiar strategies and mechanics that work in both games, and if you enjoyed Etrian Odyssey, you’ll probably love Strange Journey. The combat, the story and the atmosphere are pure Megami Tensei, so it’s exciting to explore the depths of the Schwarzwelt, and the story grows more interesting the further you progress. Battling alongside your demons is fun and challenging, and there is a lot of room for customization and strategy. You’ll likely die more than a few times trying to get through the game, but each death encourages you to come up with better strategies and fuse stronger demons. Strange Journey will be released not long after the juggernaut that is Final Fantasy XIII, but that doesn’t mean gamers should overlook it. It may not be as shiny as Square Enix’s monster, but Strange Journey has the potential to be as exciting and engrossing as any Final Fantasy game.

Atlus U.S.A., Inc has just launched the official website for their new sci-fi RPG, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey for the Nintendo DS.

The website will list details on the game’s story, cast, and systems. The site also contains a mission breifing to set the stage. For the uninitiated, the “What is SMT?” section tells newcomers the history of the series. A downloads section will let them take something away once they’ve been initiated into the series.

“The official website for Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is the only source of information anyone needs to consult for breaking news on the situation in the Schwarzwelt,” proclaimed Aram Jabbari, the Joint Project’s ad hoc minister of information, shutting a door behind him through which flashing red lights could be seen. “Please remain calm and bookmark the website for regular updates from trusted experts on the subject.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is scheduled for release on March 23 with an MSRP of $34.99. Every copy will be a boxed set with a bonus CD with music from the game!

Check out the website and pre-order your copy today.

Atlus USA is bringing the next installment of the Shin Megami Tensei series to the Nintendo DS and they have revealed a new system that will be implemented in the title.

What is called the “potent demon password system” will allow customized demons to be exchanged through generated passwords. Since demons can be specialized and leveled in the game, it is possible to create rare demons with specific abilities that can assist other players in their own games.

Atlus USA will also be releasing a limited number of passwords that will unlock very rare demons.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey releases in the Spring of 2010.

Atlus has just announced that all launch copies of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey will include a free CD that has the entire game’s soundtrack, for no extra cost.

When the black spot appeared in the Antarctic, mankind became nervous; when it began to spread, that anxiety turned to panic. The Joint Project, convened to discuss how to deal with the expanding anomaly, decided to send in four ships carrying humanity’s finest soldiers and most cutting-edge technology. The mission: to investigate what lay on the other side of what had been dubbed the Schwarzwelt and find out if there was a way to stop it from eventually covering the Earth. Upon entering the Schwarzwelt, the crew finds itself forced to deal with harsh conditions, supernatural interference, and throngs of demons populating the bewildering world.

The launch copies will be packaged similarly to Persona on the PSP, with the game and soundtrack in a collectible outer box. The publisher also announced that the game will be now be released on March 23rd, 2010 to include the new extras.

The DS has been host to a surprising number of good RPGs, and on March 23 of 2010 it looks like another one will arrive under the title Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. You play as a special government soldier sent to investigate supernatural incidents that are being kept hidden from the public, and soon find yourself immersed in a story that mixes some sci-fi elements with the traditional demon-centric themes of the Shin Megami Tensei series. Best thought of as a dungeon crawl similar to Wizardry or perhaps Etrian Odyssey, the latter of which this game shares an engine with, Strange Journey looks to be a rather engaging RPG.

Strange Journey’s main draw is the dungeon crawl aspect, giving you several areas to explore and fight demons in. While your character is the only human fighting on the ground, he’s not alone; there are a huge number of demons to encounter and many of them can be convinced to join you if various requirements are met. Getting a good mix of demon allies with a variety of skills is important, since some will be very effective against some enemies but not very useful against others. This places a strong emphasis on making sure you have a variety of attack elements (fire, ice, darkness, etc.), party buffs, healing, and so on. They can also learn new abilities as they gain experience, letting you customize your demons to your liking.

While exploring each area with your new demon friends is the main point of the game, Strange Journey does have a plot that unfolds as you play. You have some say in what happens, as you get to pick your main character’s response to various things and even the most generic demons have at least a basic personality. There was only so much of the story on display in the preview build, though Atlus pointed out there is some depth to it, with the nature of humanity and its moral structure coming up in at least a few places; there seem to be a few points where this has an interesting relation with the invading demons trying to get to Earth.

Nonetheless, combat and preparing for it are a major focus in Strange Journey. It’s not enough to just get a good team of demons, you also have to track your character’s equipment and pick which special abilities you want installed in his suit; there are all sorts of bonuses to pick from, but only so much space is available to install them so trade-offs must be made. For that matter, why settle for the demons and equipment you currently have? Strange Journey lets you unlock new items by finding materials known as ’Forma’ in your explorations, and merge demons with one another to get wholly new types of creature to add to your team. If you find a demon you really like, you can record its password and share it with friends by word-of-mouth, email, and so on. When they enter the password, they’ll be given a duplicate of your demon; it has the same stats, same attacks (even if they’re different from the norm for that demon species), and so on.

Well aware of the usual flaws in this genre, the Strange Journey developers have added a few things to make random encounters less irritating. The most noteworthy is an auto-resolve feature; tap the button a few times and the battle will immediately play itself out, reducing what would normally take a few minutes down to only lasting a few seconds. You can also try to talk to demons you encounter, some of which will be convinced to join you. And if you talk to a demon type that is already represented in your party, there is a chance the enemy will agree to just walk away or even give you an item and let you be on your way in peace.

Atlus was showing off a preview build and not the final version, so not everything was able to be seen or tried at this time. Nonetheless, what they showed looked very promising and Strange Journey could be another fine RPG for the DS. We’ll know for sure when the game releases on March 23, 2010.

Atlus announced Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, a first-person science fiction RPG for Nintendo DS. A startlingly original entry in the Shin Megami Tensei universe, Strange Journey takes the heralded RPG franchise to exciting new frontiers.

In the near future, a mysterious, growing, black void appears at the Earth’s southern pole. Unable to determine its cause and powerless to stop its deadly encroachment, humanity sends an elite team of explorers into the heart of the phenomenon, just as Strange Journey’s look and feel represent a return to the heart of Shin Megami Tensei, bringing to mind the all-time classic Nocturne. With over 300 demons to bribe, coerce, and negotiate with to gain assistance in battle, Strange Journey is every bit the deep, rewarding RPG experience fans have come to expect from the SMT franchise, yet delivered with a fresh new sci-fi story that taps into mature themes of morality and introspection.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey for Nintendo DS is currently scheduled for release in Spring 2010. For more information, visit the official website: http://www.atlus.com/strangejourney

Atlus sent us a media alert with information about their upcoming PSP release of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona. The digital version of the game is being delayed until October 1, 2009. The UMD retail version of the game will still be released on September 22, 2009. Not really a big deal since the UMD version of the game is the one to get anyway. It comes as a special boxed collector’s edition, including 2 music CDs that feature the game’s full soundtrack at no extra cost.

We have updated the Devil Survivor section with a review of the Nintendo DS exclusive title.