Discuss the seriesHere is my ranking for every 'mainline' game in the series from the 80's and 90's. My taste isn't the usual taste since I'm a gameplay first kinda guy even when it comes to JRPGs. >MT2Easily one of the bests RPGs on NES/FC, similar to DQ1->DQ2, the jump from the first game is phenomenal and it set the standards for the series for more than a decade to come. If I have to bring negative points I would say the end game feels a little rushed, there are lot's of areas in the underworld with the same handful of enemies and Lucifer's castle is a disappointment (though it's a bit made up by what comes after on the good ending path).>...If!Probably some of the best gameplay in the series. Dungeons are great (for the most part) and it has tons of replay value between the different characters to go through (with Akira's path being totally different it's basically two games in one), the different guardians and a huge choice of demons to use. The game in the series that feels the closest to MT1.In terms of gameplay it was also the first to bring the back row being unable to use simple physical attcks which brought more tactical play in question and lead to using auto battle less.>MT1This was also a huge jump for RPGs on Famicom. Dungeons crawlers on the system went from Deep Dungeon 1/2, very simple games with only 8 floors and 1 vs 1 combat; to an absolutely fuck huge game with a party of 6 and tons of demons to recruit. I also love how unrelenting the game is.>Soul HackersCombat and dungeons were a bit too easy for me, but it's largely made up by everything else. The presentation is excellent, so are the setting, character and story. The "Japanese style cyberpunk" (meaning, bright cyberpunk, as opposed to the American gloomy cyberpunk) was a nice change of pace. More demons to use than ever too.
>Devil SummonerI have a sort of love/hate relationship with this game. The sorta noir/detective setting was a nice change, and it was the first in the series to have full screen dungeon exploring which enchances the immersion. There are some great dungeons too that don't hesitate to use all sort of traps and even new things like doors which act as one way teleporter (but only from one side of the door). But they also introduced the demon loyalty system and most cases, at least until the end game, it can be hard or even to have your demons fully listen to you. It's also impossible to revisit (most) dungeons which makes it harder to create a good team. But, outside of the end game where the battles drag on forever, balance is good too. Note that I'm always talking about the original versions of those games so if you played the PSP version which makes things like loyatly raising easier, your experience won't align with mine.>SMTThe story is good, and it brought the ability to use Chaos demons as well as the entire Chaos/Law choices you have to make which alter the story; but other than that the game just felt like a lesser retread of MT2 to me. It didn't help that in the end game, if you're going with the Law path, you have to actively fight against the game so you don't end up softlocked; and the encounter rate in the final dungeon is beyond insane (like 3 fights every step 3 steps in a row sort of thing). I'm still willing to give this game another chance but next time I'll play the PSX version which hopefully fixes some of the bugs.>SMT2This one feels even more of a lesser retread of MT2, except for, again, a couple of nice story beats like actually seeing the Thousand Year Kingdom for yourself (well, sort of anyway). It also has the most bland combat in the series, I hardly ever felt the need not to use auto-battle, I was just bored almost through the entire game. The final dungeon was good though.
>>3973111>you have to actively fight against the game so you don't end up softlockedI assume you mean the Haniel bug where you go to get baptized to lock into the Law path yet he attacks you anyways?If so, then yes the PSX version does not have that, and the Orden patch has a bugfix for the Aeon Genesis SNES/SFC translation
I only played KMT rather than MT1. It was pretty decent, about like playing The Bard's Tale. Because it has automap it's nothing like playing actual MT1.I've played both KMT2 and MT2. The sound chip in MT2 is fucking amazing but I found both versions punishingly boring and dropped them. The music in KMT2 sucks shit.SMT is a fine game with an instantly haunting and interesting atmosphere. People bitch about the encounter rate but on all the SNES games estoma totally shuts off random encounters, meaning as soon as you get a few negotiations done you can just put away all your demons besides the low level estoma caster to save magnetite go directly to the bosses.SMT2 has an interesting high concept Hollywood sci-fi story mixed with MT fundamentals.SMT If... is just a spinoff with the same system as 2. The basic scenario is pretty crap but the Akira route is the only time SNES SMT had any challenge at all. People bitch about the World of Sloth and it's not a good idea or anything, but use estoma and blast through it walking back and forth for 4-5 minutes. 4-5 minutes of jack shit nothing is not good game design but I'll live.Nocturne has a great unique minimalist vibe.SMT4 is a terribly deformed game that obviously wasn't launched finished, but I do really enjoy what they managed to cobble together despite how crippled it is by bad encounter design and fucked pacing. 4A polishes the combat design to the best version of any MT game I've played (I haven't played 5 or 5V). The story is FUBAR and annoying.I don't do rankings
>>3974452*and Soul Hackers was a mediocre spinoff with no interesting properties
Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2 are underappreciated gems. They need love. They need remasters or full blown remakes.The story, the soundtracks to both games, the gameplay, it's all phenomenal.
>>3974393I meant in the Cathedral if you're Law and kill too many Law demons you'll turn Chaos and be completely softlocked>>3974452I only mentionned the originals in the OP but I also played Kyuuyaku and while they are indeed downgrades (outside of automapping, the only upgrade is the extra content which is nothing special and so not worth it; that and game mechanics are better explained in game) but some of the areas layout are almost completely different in 1 to the point that I consider it worth playing for someone who liked the original.>I found both versions punishingly boringThere are plenty of ways to break MT2. I didn't mention it as a negative because it's the sort of things not everyone will figure out by themselves on a first playthrough, or if they do it's gonna take them a while. Once you know these things the game becomes a joke. Kyuuyaku is also a bit easier if only because it lets you carry more items.>eople bitch about the encounter rate but on all the SNES games estoma totally shuts off random encountersWell yeah but that's the thing, I don't like using Estoma for anything other than quick backtracking>SMT If... is just a spinoff with the same system as 2. Like I said it brought the unability for the back row to do physical attacks and as a result, gave more important to Extra attacks. This isn't negligeable as it completely changes the combat dynamic.>>3974490Modern versions would just make things worse
>>3974525>I meant in the Cathedral if you're Law and kill too many Law demons you'll turn Chaos and be completely softlockedThat is not possible. I have never in my 14 playthroughs of SMT1 ever been softlocked like that. When you get to the cathedral you are locked into whatever route you're at. The baptism is an optional step for Chaos (most people don't even know about the Gaia baptism) but for Law it isn't, because Law's progression *is* the baptism. And the baptism is really only to lock your alignment, because the only important decision is killing Haniel, Echidna, or both. And when you get baptized, your alignment is now permanently 0000 or 9999 and no amount of demon killing or alignment shifts will ever change that. So this to me just seems to be what you *think* will happen and it just seems like Resident Evil Syndrome where you are imagining things that the game cannot actually do. Please show pictures as proof of who in the Cathedral won't let you progress because I am very curious and I am always working to add more REAL content to my notes and not stuff you made up in your head.
>>3974674And so we're clear skipping Chaos' baptism does not mean you can get 'softlocked' form alignement shifts. The baptism is purely for locking in before the cathedral. Once you're in the cathedral, it doesn't matter if you got the baptism or not, whatever choice you made between Haniel/Echidna is going to be the rest of the adventure whether you like it or not.
What a dogshit threadKill yourself OP
>>3974679Also while I'm at it killing demons for alignment is probably the slowest and worst way to do it. I'm not convinced it even does that in this game because I've never seen it happen.The best way to do it in unironically to spam the churches for Mesian or Gaian factions, if you get poisoned or paralysed this is even better because you can just heal 1hp and not the status, and that's another alignment shift. Just keep doing that, and you can fix yourself at any point.
>>3974525"Punishingly boring" doesn't mean difficult, it means really boring
>>3974674>14 playthroughs of SMT1Damn, I thought something was wrong with me because I played it to completion around 6 times. I think it's time I do another playthrough.>>3974689Yeah, that's a much faster way to grind points, though of course the best way to change alignment is through story choices, but they're limited.
Omg! I love SMT games! Shin Megami Tensai Persona 5 and Shin Megami Tensai Persona 4 are the best in the series! I love how I get to hang out with my friends and listen to cool hip music! I cant wait to move to Japan and make friends with others! Maybe we will even take a trip to the beach!!! I haven’t played the other SMT games as they don’t look very good. And video I seen the music is not welcoming. I never tried Shin Megami Tensai Persona 3 as it doesn’t look very good or seem like a good slice of life like Shin Megami Tensai Persona 5 is. Time to go steal some more hearts!
