Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance: An In-Depth Review for the Nintendo Switch 2 Platform

Hello Switch players! I'm your old friend, game reviewer Alex. Today, I'll be taking you on an in-depth look at Atlus's latest masterpiece, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. As an RPG enthusiast with over a decade of gaming experience, I can't wait to share my thoughts on this game, especially its potential on the current Nintendo Switch and the future Nintendo Switch 2 platform.

1. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance: A Culmination of the Series

The Shin Megami Tensei series has always been known for its unique demon collection, turn-based combat, and profound storylines. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is an expanded version based on the original Shin Megami Tensei V. It not only brings a new storyline called the "Canon of Vengeance" but also makes significant improvements and optimizations to the game system, providing players with a more complete gaming experience.

Game Features:

• Dual Narrative: The new "Canon of Vengeance" unfolds parallel to the original "Canon of Creation," providing players with two distinctly different storyline choices, greatly increasing the game's replayability and value.
• Demon Fusion System: The series' iconic demon fusion system has been further refined, allowing players to create even more powerful and unique demon companions.
• Immersive Combat System: Continuing the series' classic "Press Turn" battle system, players must cleverly exploit enemy weaknesses to gain extra turns, allowing them to survive the brutal battles.
• Explore a Vast Wasteland World: Players will play as the protagonist, freely exploring the wasteland of Tokyo, searching for hidden secrets and powerful demons.

2. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Gameplay Review

As the core of any RPG, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance has put a lot of effort into its gameplay.

2.1 Combat System: A Perfect Combination of Strategy and Skill

The "Press Turn" combat system is the soul of the Shin Megami Tensei series. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance continues this classic mechanic and fine-tunes it. Players can gain extra turns by attacking enemy weaknesses, but if they miss or are hit by an enemy's weakness, they will lose turns. Therefore, combat is not just a simple turn-based attack but requires players to deeply understand the enemy's attributes and skills to formulate reasonable tactics.

Pros:

• Highly strategic, requiring players to think carefully in every battle.
• The "Press Turn" system encourages players to actively explore enemy weaknesses.
• Numerous demon skills allow players to customize their skill sets according to their preferences.

Cons:

• New players may need some time to adapt to the "Press Turn" system.
• Some battles are quite difficult, requiring repeated attempts to clear.

2.2 Demon Fusion: Create a Unique Demon Army

The demon fusion system is another major feature of the Shin Megami Tensei series. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance offers hundreds of different demons for players to collect and fuse. Through fusion, players can create more powerful demons and inherit the skills of the fusion materials. This provides players with great freedom to create a unique demon army according to their preferences.

Pros:

• Rich variety of demons to satisfy players' collecting desires.
• Highly flexible fusion system, allowing players to create various demons.
• Diverse demon skills allow players to choose skills according to their battle needs.

Cons:

• Demon fusion requires a lot of resources, and players need to spend time collecting them.
• The fusion conditions for some demons are quite strict, requiring players to do a lot of exploration and experimentation.

2.3 Exploration and Discovery: A Wasteland World Full of Secrets

The setting of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is in the wasteland of Tokyo, where players can freely explore this vast world. The wasteland world is full of secrets, including hidden items, powerful demons, and interesting side quests.

Pros:

• The wasteland world is beautifully designed and full of exploration fun.
• Rich hidden elements allow players to spend a lot of time searching.
• Side quest content is substantial, allowing a deeper understanding of the game's worldview.

Cons:

• Some maps are quite complex, making it easy to get lost.
• Some hidden element hints are insufficient, requiring players to do a lot of searching.

3. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Graphics and Sound

3.1 Visual Presentation: Unique Artistic Style, But Technical Capabilities Are Slightly Lacking

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance adopts a unique artistic style, vividly displaying the desolation of the wasteland and the evil of the demons. However, due to the hardware limitations of the Nintendo Switch, the game's visual performance is slightly lacking, especially in terms of detail. But what's exciting is that the future Nintendo Switch 2 may bring a better visual experience. For more information about the Nintendo Switch 2, you can refer to nintendo switch2 first look.

Pros:

• Unique artistic style, highly recognizable.
• Exquisite demon designs, full of personality.

Cons:

• Insufficient screen details, noticeable jagged edges.
• Some scene texture quality is not high.
• In some scenes, the frame rate drops slightly.

3.2 Audio Presentation: Grandiose Music, Realistic Sound Effects

The audio presentation of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is very excellent. The music is grandiose, perfectly setting off the atmosphere of the game. The sound effects are realistic, immersing players in the experience.

Pros:

• High-quality music, perfectly matched with the game's style.
• Realistic sound effects enhance the game's immersion.
• Excellent voice actor performances perfectly interpret the characters' personalities.

Cons:

• Music loops frequently in some scenes, which can be annoying.

4. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Story Analysis

The biggest highlight of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is its dual narrative. Players can choose to join the "Canon of Creation" or the "Canon of Vengeance" to experience different story developments. Both storylines are full of philosophical thinking, exploring complex issues about good and evil, justice, and human nature.

Pros:

• The dual narrative increases the game's replayability.
• The story is profound and thought-provoking.
• The characters are well-developed and have distinct personalities.

Cons:

• The story pace is slightly slow, and some players may find it lengthy.
• Some plots are obscure and difficult to understand, requiring players to think deeply.

5. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Handling Feel

The handling feel of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is relatively smooth, but some operations are slightly cumbersome. For example, when exploring the map, you need to switch the camera frequently. In battle, you need to carefully select skills and targets.

Pros:

• Smooth operation, responsive.
• Reasonable button layout, easy to get started.

Cons:

• Some operations are slightly cumbersome, affecting the gaming experience.

6. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance's Potential on the Nintendo Switch 2

Currently, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance performs well on the Nintendo Switch, but due to hardware performance limitations, there is room for improvement in graphics and frame rates. If an enhanced version can be launched on the future Nintendo Switch 2, I believe the game's visual performance will be greatly improved, and the frame rate will be more stable. This will bring players a smoother and more realistic gaming experience. More storage space also means that the game can load more content and provide a richer gaming experience.

In addition, the backward compatibility of the Nintendo Switch 2 is also an important consideration. If the Nintendo Switch 2 is compatible with existing Nintendo Switch games, then players can directly experience Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance on the Nintendo Switch 2 without having to repurchase it. For issues regarding Nintendo Switch 2 compatibility, you can refer to nintendo switch2 compatibility.

7. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Beginner's Guide

For players who are new to the Shin Megami Tensei series, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance may seem a little complex. Here are some beginner's guides for you:

• Familiarize yourself with the "Press Turn" combat system: Understanding enemy weaknesses and exploiting them is the key to battle.
• Actively collect and fuse demons: Demons are an important part of combat power, and actively collecting and fusing demons can help you face various challenges.
• Allocate attribute points reasonably: The protagonist's attribute points will affect combat ability, and they need to be allocated reasonably according to your play style.
• Do more side quests: Side quests can provide rich rewards and a deeper understanding of the game's worldview.
• Make good use of the hints in the game: There are many hints in the game that can help you solve problems, don't ignore them.

8. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Advanced Techniques and Strategies

Mastering the following advanced techniques and strategies can make you more comfortable in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance:

• Use BUFFs and DEBUFFs: Properly using BUFFs and DEBUFFs can greatly improve combat efficiency.
• Master demon skill inheritance: When fusing demons, you can choose the skills to inherit to create the most suitable demon for you.
• Make good use of items: Items can provide various effects and can save lives in critical moments.
• Explore hidden demon fusion recipes: There are some special demon fusion recipes hidden in the game that can create powerful demons.
• Challenge high-difficulty BOSSes: Challenging high-difficulty BOSSes can earn rich rewards and improve your gaming level.

9. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Recommended Equipment and Skill Combinations

• Protagonist Equipment:
  • Weapon: Prioritize weapons with high attack power.
  • Armor: Prioritize armor with high defense.
  • Accessories: Choose accessories according to battle needs, such as accessories that increase attribute resistance.
• Protagonist Skills:
  • Physical attack skills: Used to attack enemy weaknesses.
  • Attribute attack skills: Used to deal with enemies of different attributes.
  • Support skills: Used to increase your own attributes or decrease enemy attributes.
• Demon Combinations:
  • Choose demons of different attributes to deal with various battles.
  • Choose demons with BUFF and DEBUFF skills to improve combat efficiency.
  • Choose demons with recovery skills to ensure the team's survival.

10. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Speedrun Techniques and Hidden Element Guide

• Speedrun Techniques:
  • Prioritize completing the main quests.
  • Avoid unnecessary battles.
  • Make good use of teleportation points.
  • Familiarize yourself with the BOSS's attack patterns.
  • Use BUGs (use with caution).
• Hidden Element Guide:
  • Explore every corner of the map.
  • Talk to NPCs.
  • Complete side quests.
  • Challenge high-difficulty BOSSes.
  • Find hidden items and demons.

11. Summary and Score

Overall, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a very excellent RPG game. It not only continues the series' classic demon collection, turn-based combat, and profound storyline, but also makes a lot of improvements and optimizations on this basis, bringing players a more complete gaming experience. Although the visual performance on the Nintendo Switch is slightly lacking, I believe that if an enhanced version can be launched on the future Nintendo Switch 2, the game's visual performance will be greatly improved. As for the price of the Nintendo Switch 2, you can follow nintendo switch2 price to get the latest information.

Final Score:

8.8/10

Reason for Score:

• Excellent gameplay, strategic combat system, and highly flexible demon fusion system.
• Deep and thought-provoking storyline.
• Excellent sound performance.
• Slightly lacking visual performance.

Reference Scores:

• IGN: (Original) 8/10
• Metacritic: (Original) 84/100 (https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/shin-megami-tensei-v)

Suitable for:

• Players who like RPG games.
• Players who like the Shin Megami Tensei series.
• Players who like to challenge high-difficulty games.

I hope this review can help everyone better understand Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a message in the comments section, and I will do my best to answer them for you.