Review on 👾 Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey - DS by Rob Clark

I'm a die-hard RPG fan. What struck me about this game was the idea of a mature storyline and the unique gameplay element of first-person dungeon crawling. I didn't experience much of that before this game. I'm also a gamer who doesn't need great graphics. I love playing SNES JRPGs, which were water crossing in those glory days when games were all about experimentation, not industry. I played the first Shin Megami Tensei for a while but decided the desktop SNES emulation wasn't portable enough so I left it alone. It's wonderful to see what happened then and to know how it is today. This game is amazing because: The lines between good and evil, right and wrong will always be fluid. Just because you choose God's side doesn't mean you're doing the right thing. Light is order and peace, but brainwashing is required to achieve this. The demons' side involves murder and deception, but only on a voluntary basis, which is the driving force of chaos. Also, there is an option to choose NO side, which actually makes the game more complicated. Choosing Law or Chaos and sticking to it means demon negotiations with demons of the same alignment will be smoother and more successful, but neutral-aligned enemies don't care what alignment you are, even neutral, so it's an uphill battle . Playing neutral also means a few extra bosses in the playthrough. What's interesting is that since the first Shin Megami Tensei, it's seemed like the games want you to be neutral, and yet they're making it harder for you. It will be increasingly difficult to please both sides. This series was the first to capture Pokemon gameplay. I just did a little research. The first game SHIN Megami Tensei was released about a month after Dragon Quest V in 1992 and was very popular due to the implementation of a system of recruiting enemy characters to fill a spot in a party. Although Shin Megami Tensei is a series known for its wide popularity in Japan, its storylines, demons, and demon dialogue elements are based on a lesser-known game series with a slightly shorter name: Megami Tensei. The very first game in the series was Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei, released in 1987 for MSX and Famicom. There is a fan translation of this game. The gameplay is nearly identical, but the controls and the scope of the story will obviously be far less interesting than its more modern counterparts. Pokemon wasn't introduced until 1996. This little story is just to prove that SMT is NOT like Pokemon. Pokemon is more like SMT, except Pokemon is family friendly and just as easy to sell to kids as a Happy Lunch toy. Gotta Catch'em All = Less complicated version of SMT "Gotta Negotiate With'Em All". Pokemon is still not that original because Dragon Quest V used the concept of a friendly monster almost 4 years ago. The story is definitely attractive. Each conversation is beautifully written, from different angles, and makes you want to know more. Unfortunately, as the main character in the game, you hardly speak. The low power you have are just opinion based options. These aren't necessarily boring options. In almost every conversation there is an opportunity to change your worldview, so your choice must always be considered. With that in mind, every conversation has a chance to change gameplay. This way you don't feel left out in story sequences either. Some NPC conversations and opinions may change depending on your choices. In story sequences, you are often confronted with a large part of the story, sometimes taking up 15 to 30 minutes of gameplay. I ate the plot sequences. The dialogue only seems shallow and boring once you start talking to everyone on your ship. All of them have deep views, but they come across as awkward with no ability to contextualize the character. It's nice that the authors have so many different viewpoints, but the lack of context couldn't be helped. The talks seem too big. Side quests are GOLD for knowledge and creativity. You have many ways to help the demons you find in the dungeons, and you'll often get a unique story about their relationship with the demon world or learn about the history of demons in our real life. Demon Talk: In battle, you'll often encounter similar questions and answers from different demons, but they almost always have different opinions on the answers you give. You really have to persevere and learn about almost every demon you want in your party. Unless you can fuse them. Fusion definitely keeps the gameplay fresh. In the original SMT, Demons didn't rise, so Fusion was a must to progress the storyline. Demons can level up in Strange Journey, but they do so very slowly, and the demons you encounter in dungeons seem to grow exponentially. With Fusion, you can make the process of working with your environment more creative and easier. But it's better for you to use the demons you combine because they give you items called demon sources. Sources contain a demon's abilities, allowing you to choose what makes the demon you combine "special." Demon Sources allow you to create demons that can reflect any attack or have any elemental attack. This is a little harder to learn in game, but there are definitely ways. In these implementations there is a balance of mechanics. You can be rewarded for merging demons, so talking to enemies isn't the only way to expand your party. You don't have to worry about not seeing your demon again either, as you can exchange money to summon the demon again at the same level and progression that you've already achieved. Atmosphere: This is one of the most interesting elements of the game. From the music, to the ever-expanding dungeons, to the overwhelming frustration the demons inflict on you, to the betrayal within your ranks, you'll feel like you're part of the story in some way. The music is very whimsical and powerful, so really attractive. The only annoyance is that the music is probably too big in file size, so not many songs can be heard. However, one never feels like one has heard the song too many times, except for a melodramatic sad song. Some conversations play this song, and it may seem like complete overkill. Basically, it becomes just one of those jokes that you admit just didn't work in the given situation, and the game moves on. Level Design: Many of the tiles are repetitive, but each dungeon has a theme. The dungeons themselves also change levels, so they never really feel old. The level design is also huge and extensive. You can only spend hours on a floor searching every nook and cranny to complete your map. It can be fun and helpful, but sometimes it's annoying and wins. Reward in the sense that you're at a much higher level and better prepared to deal with what's next, as well as knowing where to go when you return. It can be a downer because there are traps, auto-advance tiles, warp blocks, and worst of all: invisible rooms. Finding all the pitfalls, skews, and movement tiles can be frustrating, but they definitely keep the general traversal from being repetitive. It can be just awful right now. It helps me stay calm and think it really helps you get into the atmosphere. Invisible rooms just drive me crazy. The tiles never end up on your map, and then car tiles are shuffled into some of them. Feeling lost is annoying. This is probably one of the few elements that sometimes needs help when viewing maps online. I didn't use GameFAQ too much for this game, mostly for maps and sometimes massive checkpoints. Occasionally. When I play this game, I usually focus on the positive. I feel so much about this game that I really don't think I should write a bunch of negatives. The biggest downside is a mixed bag: It's the length. As a gamer, I appreciate the story and the time it took to make the game. I put in about 80 hours on one playthrough and don't think I'll be ready to fight the last boss for another 10 or 15 (I'm also a gamer who doesn't like to replay games, so I'll do as much as I feel like me on the first playthrough). A lot of time was spent exploring the area. I probably spent 2-5 hours walking around a floor here and there in the dungeon. Also, the difficulty requires repeating some segments 4-5 times. As a gamer, I also appreciate the challenge in the RPG. A task in which not only muscles pump. The problem is group alignment, group ability, group stats, and luck. You can't always be sure that the boss will fall easily. So it's about time this game sucked. If the downside for you is wasted time with friends and family, then beware. Otherwise, you'll probably enjoy the game once you get used to the atmosphere and first-person perspective. You will also be very excited to discover some of the amazing artwork used to create the demons. It was really nice playing this game.