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Shin Megami Tensei

真・女神転生

Developer / Publisher: Atlus
30 October 1992
Shin Megami Tensei [真・女神転生] - cover art
Glitchwave rating
3.30 / 5.0
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5.0
 
 
188 Ratings / 1 Reviews
#1,901 All-time
#30 for 1992
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1992 Atlus  
Cartridge
JP 4 984995 300030 SHVC-ME
1993 Atlus  
JP 4 984995 400068
1994 Atlus SIMS  
JP 4 932896 030037
Show all 10 releases
2001 Atlus  
CD-ROM
JP 4 984995 110455 SLPS-03170
2003 Atlus  
Cartridge
JP
2007 Atlus  
Download
JP
2012 Atlus Gamecraft  
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JP
2012 Atlus Gamecraft  
Download
JP
2013 Atlus  
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JP
2014 Atlus  
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Title
Megami Tensei's shift to urban fantasy led to the aesthetic chaos of Shin Megami Tensei, one of the shining gems of the genre's early years. Here, the series' sense of humor reaches a mad peak, and continued to flip genre stereotypes upside down. Above all else, though - the apocalyptic atmosphere provided the greatest contribution.

Both that and the soundtrack complement each other so perfectly while still ranking among the greatest of their kind. This brand of horror soundscapes, ethereal synths, and creepy shrill bleeps juxtaposed otherwise danceable tunes and grooves to conjure atmospheres that constantly changed moods, inventing a type of sickly hostile yet lonely world that years later could only be matched by the likes of Metroid Prime. The gameplay itself was deceptively simple for its era, provided with the right builds and guides. Turn-based battles were daunting at first but then achieved a sort of seamless flow with gun attacks and auto-battle. While cheap relics such as obscure progression and brutal mazey dungeon gimmicks may be headache-inducing for those hellbent on finishing the game, the hazy experiences alone are worth getting lost in, all the way to the cathedral level - one of the genre's greatest final dungeons. The sparse plot nevertheless held heavier themes compared to the rest, and accompanied an entire roster of party members from several religions and legends in its role of deconstruction.

Having ushered in something completely new in the world of JRPGs, this release helped save the genre from total stagnation in the early 90s.
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Blah_Blee 2021-06-28T14:06:13Z
2021-06-28T14:06:13Z
8 /10
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Title
In 1992, Atlus lacked the resources and experience to match the epic fantasy RPGs that Enix and Square were making. Atlus also lacked the interest to pursue the familiar; instead, it paved the way for a unique series that broadened the scope of what an RPG can be while embracing the foundation of actual role-playing via narrative choice in a way most other JRPGs still don't.

Inspired by the darker works of manga artist 永井豪 and The Fist of the North Star, SMT pushed the boundaries for how grim a JRPG could be on the Super Famicom. SMT starts in the '90s with the player taking the role of a school boy who foresees chaos and doom in a dream. The demons and allies he dreams soon enter his life, and the streets of Tokyo are overtaken by blood-hungry monsters. Soon after America invades Tokyo, trying to stop a coup within the Japanese government that is using occult rituals to overpower the establishment at the risk of citizen's lives.

It's not a simple story, but that's to SMT's strengths. There is never a clear good or bad path in the game, though it will occasionally trick the player into thinking there is one. At several scenes in the game, the hero can side with a faction or side against all (a "neutral" path). It's not always clear what happens specifically as a result of the player's actions, but the game does a great job of reminding the player of previous choices. Nowhere is this reminder more constant than enemy encounters.

Like most JRPGs, you have a party of characters, manage health & magic resources, and explore dungeons while encountering random battles. The uniqueness of SMT, which carried onto the majority of sequels and spin-offs, is the ability to recruit monsters to fight alongside the hero's party by bribing, charming and threatening them. Depending on stats, luck and moral alignment, the monsters will react to actions differently. Though this may seem a gimmick at first, it becomes a crucial part of the game, providing money, magnetite (a fading resource that keeps the connection to the party's monsters alive) and strongest allies. It's not as exhausting as it sounds and goes a long way toward keeping encounters fresh and unpredictable, to a degree.

Though the combat has unique qualities and moves at a quick pace, it's an unbalanced, frustrating mess at times. Certain enemies can kill the majority of the party with one spell (mudo/hama) or stunlock indefinitely with freeze and status ailments. These cheap tactics go both ways, opening up the enormously overpowered gun and nerve/magic bullets combo that will make the majority of the game a breeze for players -- assuming you don't get unlucky with stunlocks and one-hit blows. For as many systems as SMT contains, battles lack strategy and variety. With such overpowered tactics and enemies, there is little variation to experience. From the easiest enemies to the final boss, I never had to stray from my basic gun and default attacks.

SMT is full of memorable atmosphere, plot twists and ideas but Atlus lacked the experience and resources to fully realize its ambitious vision fully in 1992. Despite the maddening maze dungeons, cheap enemies and numerous UI flaws, SMT is more than a historical curiosity. It is the purest vision of the SMT series -- the one which all that came after built upon. When the combat and dungeons aren't driving me crazy, SMT immerses me in its dark, imaginative vision of Tokyo.
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SUPER_Lonely_Panda 2016-04-04T05:01:07Z
2016-04-04T05:01:07Z
3.5
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Catalog

dotnds 真・女神転生 2024-03-28T05:51:16Z
2024-03-28T05:51:16Z
3.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
iateyourmuffin 真・女神転生 2024-03-23T19:46:32Z
2024-03-23T19:46:32Z
4.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
SonozakiMionxv 真・女神転生 2024-03-20T16:23:03Z
2024-03-20T16:23:03Z
4.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
diegoiv4an464 真・女神転生 2024-03-16T00:08:57Z
2024-03-16T00:08:57Z
1
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Smooth1e 真・女神転生 2024-03-15T15:36:52Z
2024-03-15T15:36:52Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
schmerzen 真・女神転生 2024-03-03T16:36:04Z
2024-03-03T16:36:04Z
4.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Idochis 真・女神転生 2024-03-01T20:06:01Z
2024-03-01T20:06:01Z
3.5
1
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Peppone550 真・女神転生 2024-02-27T11:15:14Z
2024-02-27T11:15:14Z
1
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
crystlhelix 真・女神転生 2024-02-14T07:50:36Z
2024-02-14T07:50:36Z
3.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
tackyproduct 真・女神転生 2024-02-07T23:49:52Z
2024-02-07T23:49:52Z
3.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
tabor72 真・女神転生 2024-02-02T06:57:13Z
GBA • JP
2024-02-02T06:57:13Z
5.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
diegof97 真・女神転生 2024-01-31T07:24:46Z
2024-01-31T07:24:46Z
4.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Player modes
Single-player
Media
1x Cartridge
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  • Shin Megami Tensei
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  • Previous comments (10) Loading...
  • edgelordweeb 2021-06-29 02:47:08.466094+00
    Fun but hurts my eyes
    reply
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  • chikin 2021-11-24 07:39:08.476992+00
    I love the atmosphere of this game so much, i just want an actual good remake or official translation lol
    reply
    • Fowlawneeshafow 2022-07-21 06:47:00.099589+00
      There is an official translation on thr iOS release
    • chikin 2022-07-22 14:11:10.75919+00
      true, but I'm pretty sure that's only available on older versions of ios atm
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • Nebang 2022-05-08 00:08:46.822094+00
    this game is torture. I love it
    reply
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  • chikin 2022-07-22 14:09:34.876827+00
    the psx fan translation has been released if anyone is interested https://twitter.com/CDRoma...gMjX_g&s=19
    reply
    • Fowlawneeshafow 2022-07-22 18:03:53.436537+00
      I was just about to post this lol. Depending on the quality of the translation, the PSX version is likely now the definitive version to play. Aeon Genesis translation for SNES is widely criticized for its Chaos bias and this is an entirely new translation so it should be an improvement. But mechanically this version is by far the best, with 3D blobber environments, updated sprites, updated music etc.
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • Temon357 2022-07-24 05:52:15.674192+00
    reply
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  • DEEPSLEEP 2022-10-01 22:11:28.853569+00
    blah blee with the bangers
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • Diugo 2023-07-11 00:02:25.080456+00
    One of the best videogame cover art ever. Still gotta play it tho.
    reply
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