Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse

 3DS
  • Publisher: Atlus
  • Release Date: Sep 20, 2016
User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 341 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 187 out of 341
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 341
  3. Negative: 139 out of 341
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  1. beebo42
    Jul 7, 2019
    5
    I thought SMT IV was pretty good and I started playing Apocalypse right afterwards, expecting a semi-sequel or some sort of expansion. But this... this is just the same game! It literally uses all the same maps as SMT IV. Some of them are completely pointless, they just contain a few treasure chests now. The demons are mostly the same. The mechanics have been tweaked slightly (better... II thought SMT IV was pretty good and I started playing Apocalypse right afterwards, expecting a semi-sequel or some sort of expansion. But this... this is just the same game! It literally uses all the same maps as SMT IV. Some of them are completely pointless, they just contain a few treasure chests now. The demons are mostly the same. The mechanics have been tweaked slightly (better... I guess?) and the story is different (marginally worse), but all in all it just feels like I'm playing the same 40+ hour rpg all over again. I got to about the 25 hour mark and I'm just completely burned out. This game is going nowhere, fast.… Expand
  2. Killua1997
    Jun 13, 2018
    5
    Ended up dropping the game 40 hours in. The story wasn't really compelling, there was no tension at all to the gameplay and it was a drag to walk through levels that had no bit of inspiration or atmosphere behind them. I was introduced to SMT: Nocturne about a year after dropping this game and I can't believe they're both Shin Megami Tensei games; Nocturne is so much more immersive,Ended up dropping the game 40 hours in. The story wasn't really compelling, there was no tension at all to the gameplay and it was a drag to walk through levels that had no bit of inspiration or atmosphere behind them. I was introduced to SMT: Nocturne about a year after dropping this game and I can't believe they're both Shin Megami Tensei games; Nocturne is so much more immersive, intriguing and difficult compared to this game.… Expand
  3. pmasterfunk
    Oct 31, 2018
    6
    SMT 4 Apocalypse is not bad, it's just, meh. The story, being a gaiden of sorts to the original SMT 4, doesn't do much for me. And I feel the changes to the mechanics have made the game both easier and more frustrating.

    First minor thing, I'm not a fan of having Light and Dark attack be damage based instead of insta-kill or %-based damage, but that's just me. The change to the Smirk    SMT 4 Apocalypse is not bad, it's just, meh. The story, being a gaiden of sorts to the original SMT 4, doesn't do much for me. And I feel the changes to the mechanics have made the game both easier and more frustrating.

    First minor thing, I'm not a fan of having Light and Dark attack be damage based instead of insta-kill or %-based damage, but that's just me.

    The change to the Smirk mechanics makes it really easy to get tons of press turns, which makes most minor battles a breeze. However, when fighting bosses, since they deal huge amounts of damage, if they manage to get in one critical in and start smirking, things go south extra fast.

    But the part that really pisses me off, is the skills that negate all weaknesses and resistances. There are only a few bosses that do this, but I find it extremely frustrating. Here I am, managing this long boss fight, when all of a sudden, the boss uses Charge, whatever skill gives Smirk, and then another skill that removes all buffs and resistances. There's no way of surviving this, no matter what tactics you use, skills, demons, nothing. There's only one thing to do: grind. To me, this goes against all the basic tenets of SMT, where tactics are more useful than brute strength.

    There's just no redeeming factor for me here. The story is meh, the characters are meh, SMT 4 and this one have probably my least favourite soundtrack of any MegaTen game. Everything is just, well, meh.    … Expand
  4. supermalik987
    Dec 5, 2021
    6
    SMT IV APOCALYPSE takes place in the middle of the game before fighting lucifer and merkabah . You play a new character who became a godslayer of dagda . So what makes a good squeal to SMT IV . Well in this one its easy to navigate in Tokyo if you needed some help to reach the new mission . Money is alot easy to get . Magic in this is OP as hell . if you love the persona 5 dub this gameSMT IV APOCALYPSE takes place in the middle of the game before fighting lucifer and merkabah . You play a new character who became a godslayer of dagda . So what makes a good squeal to SMT IV . Well in this one its easy to navigate in Tokyo if you needed some help to reach the new mission . Money is alot easy to get . Magic in this is OP as hell . if you love the persona 5 dub this game pretty much everyone who vice in this game is in Persona 5 .The dub is fine in this game but it can be tiring at times . One of thing in this goes for friends is my power but make still but it felt like some bad RPG game . In every SMT game you can have a choose to what ending you want . Law chaos and neutral . This one has two rt peace and anarchy rt but the problem is for what everyone choose you make in the game they give both no matter what . That kinda takes it away if you act like a hole but you still get a peace rt . There are lot flaws didnt help the game . But its still kinda to play and beat gods like a boss .If you still own a 3ds and you like the P5 dub i can see you will have a good time .… Expand
  5. jrdnnn
    Jun 21, 2019
    7
    At its best, an exciting, wildly creative and refreshing JRPG experience with an impressive collection of demon allies. At its worst, a dull, dreary and terribly-paced slog. SMTIVA is my first Atlus game and I've really enjoyed it for the most part but it certainly has some issues.

    The highlight of the game is the demon/demon fusing system. Hundreds of amazingly drawn demonic, angelic    At its best, an exciting, wildly creative and refreshing JRPG experience with an impressive collection of demon allies. At its worst, a dull, dreary and terribly-paced slog. SMTIVA is my first Atlus game and I've really enjoyed it for the most part but it certainly has some issues.

    The highlight of the game is the demon/demon fusing system. Hundreds of amazingly drawn demonic, angelic and downright weird creatures can be recruited to your team, levelled up, developed and ultimately fused with another team member to create something new. I LOVED toiling through the demon compendium to see what I could afford to fuse, what I wanted to aim for and generally marveling at every monster's design. The battle system was enjoyable, and having a huge cast of versatile allies to draw from was a great change to usual JRPGs where you have single-figure party numbers. The abilities on offer were good but combat never changed the entire playthrough. Yes, you got new automatically-controlled human partners who varied in terms of attack/defense/magic focus but that was it. For those who don't like grindy games, avoid at all costs! Battling never felt too taxing until some later dungeons, and the random battles were easy to out-level even on higher difficulties. The ability to auto-battle was a god send. I seemed to always run out of MP however.... Equipment changes seemed totally redundant to me for the main character.

    The story is fine, although it may just be my taste in media but the angel vs. demons (where both are bad) thing isn't really that revolutionary. The characters are general anime archetypes (except maybe Toki, I loved her), but their English voices are actually really well done and well-localised. The story pacing is awful and I've put the game down for extended periods of time for this reason. The side quests aren't riveting and almost always fetch quests. Overall, I was never compelled to continue in a narrative sense...my love for the collectible demons drove me single-handedly!

    The main issue for me is the visuals... The post-apocalyptic Tokyo vibe is amazing but nothing is done to try and spruce this up in terms of visual design. It's all dark greys, greens and blues, the characters are the same. The demons are the only respite and offer the most colour in the game. Exploring quite samey demonic-infected city quarters was dull and the side dungeons being made to look the exact same just made things worse. I GET the themes and overall atmosphere is nailed, but I could've used some visual flair (like Persona) to overlay and enhance the overall aesthetic to make it interesting.

    A hot and cold experience for me with more hot than cold. The demon fusion system is absolutely incredible (for a first-time Atlus player) and I cannot wait to try Persona. Hopefully the apparently great story and obvious visual flair will negate my cons about SMTIVA!    … Expand
  6. Avey123Avey
    Mar 19, 2023
    7
    This is a strange release by Atlus. It is a sequel to SMT4 but also essentially the same game with improvements and extra maps, think something like Catherine: Full Body or Persona 5 Royal. That being said I highly suggest playing this title in absence of SMT4. The combat and fusion sees some notable improvements and the story here is actually okay fun. The appeal of this game is theThis is a strange release by Atlus. It is a sequel to SMT4 but also essentially the same game with improvements and extra maps, think something like Catherine: Full Body or Persona 5 Royal. That being said I highly suggest playing this title in absence of SMT4. The combat and fusion sees some notable improvements and the story here is actually okay fun. The appeal of this game is the addictive combat system, great boss fights and highly customizable fusion system. This game is easily the best entry point for someone who wishes to try a mainline SMT title… Expand

Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best 3DS Game of 2016
15
#15 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2016
11
#11 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 41
  3. Negative: 0 out of 41
  1. GameGrin
    Jul 5, 2017
    85
    For fans of the series and newcomers alike, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is a quintessential JRPG experience, and one that only has some very minor issues.
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  2. Vooks
    Apr 8, 2017
    80
    Apocalypse is very much a more-of-the-same sort of sequel, but when the first instalment was already pretty solid, all you can really do is a few touch ups and a new story. Definitely check it out if you played and enjoyed Shin Megami Tensei IV- I’d have a hard time recommending it to anybody else without the context provided by the first game. Having said that, if you haven’t played the first one, go do that! It’s usually cheap on the eShop, and you already know there’s a fairly expansive universe around just the SMT IV story now.
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  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Mar 1, 2017
    84
    Shin Megami Tensei is like Pokemon for a more mature audience. You’ll still be capturing monsters, breeding them and using them in fights – but characters will talk about life and death, freedom and obedience. Another important thing is that you’ll be able to draw your own conclusions and make your own choices with consequences, which are sometimes so severe that you’ll want to replay the entire chapter. [Issue#217, p.72]
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