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. globogim
    Nov 7, 2016
    10
    Finished this seconds ago after over 70 hours, beating the game on War (Hard) difficulty for the first time.

    I had high hopes for this game, SMT IV being possibly my favourite RPG of all time. I picked that game up and immediately threw 50 hours of my time at it, loving every second. This not only met all my expectations but exceeded them. Presentation/Graphics: The presentation    Finished this seconds ago after over 70 hours, beating the game on War (Hard) difficulty for the first time.

    I had high hopes for this game, SMT IV being possibly my favourite RPG of all time. I picked that game up and immediately threw 50 hours of my time at it, loving every second. This not only met all my expectations but exceeded them.

    Presentation/Graphics:

    The presentation is basically identical to SMT IV, as are the graphics. However, worth noting is the improved artwork quality. SMT IV had some really awesome demon designs, but many of them were busy and clashed with pre-existing demons. This has been resolved with some re-drawn demons that look fabulous, as well as several new ones which are welcome additions to the roster. Character art all seems spot-on too, retaining that SMT IV awkward charm (think Walter's **** eating grin).

    Story:

    As for the story, it's probably the only thing that will prove subjective. SMT IV had such a heavy atmosphere because of the situation you were put in, wandering into a vast, unknown landscape with little support. This is not that, and not SMT IV, but what it is fits this game's story well and is done interestingly. You have a real party of individuals from different walks of life, and while it's a bit close to a typical RPG party, I enjoyed all of the characters involved (even if you seem to learn very little about one of them). A prominent theme in the story is banding together and avoiding easy outs to bad situations, and I think the party suits this well. I liked the story, and I think the true ending here is more satisfying than that of SMT IV.

    Gameplay:

    The combat is just bliss. Every little problem in SMT IV was re-evaluated and changed into a valuable system here. This is a monumental accomplishment, as partners, smirks, status effects and other elements now all feel genuinely impactful, making for an incredibly deep and satisfying combat system. Once you get good at it, the game is also very good at letting you handle repetitive tasks with ease, simply because it knows they are bound to happen eventually. It just nails everything, and I deeply hope that SMT V takes this system and runs with it. Demon Fusion is just as good as ever, and with the skill +/- modifiers on demon skills, choices are even more important. The boss fights for me on War were tense and difficult on many occasions, while still feeling fair. The true final boss in particular was an amazing experience; a heart-pounder the likes of which I hadn't experienced since P3:FES.

    By the way, the map is quite similar to the original, but unlike in SMT IV I never found myself struggling to find a path.

    If I had to list negatives, I'd be scrounging for them. Grinding might be necessary occasionally, though demon fusion is almost always a better solution. The only real issue I noticed was how difficult it was to generate money throughout the game. It can be important, and there are points where enemies will flat-out steal large chunks from you so be wary.

    By most people's rationale, this game shouldn't exist. There's better ways to make money than this, certainly. This is a passion project from the devs of SMT IV, setting out to do something almost nobody does: refine a flawed but great game into a spectacular one. Please, if you're even giving thought to buying this, just do it and play it through ASAP. It'll be worth your time, and it's worth supporting good devs.    … Expand
  2. BlackFang
    Nov 14, 2021
    10
    I have play SMT 4 apocalypses, that was crazy, the law and chaos are similar but you have to choose in front of everyone. Then you choose to become god, that requires you to kill all your friends and allies, which is pretty impactful. Lastly there's freeing humanity, the classics. The ending cinematic has much of a greater of an effect as you have dialogue and visual with everyone. In SMTI have play SMT 4 apocalypses, that was crazy, the law and chaos are similar but you have to choose in front of everyone. Then you choose to become god, that requires you to kill all your friends and allies, which is pretty impactful. Lastly there's freeing humanity, the classics. The ending cinematic has much of a greater of an effect as you have dialogue and visual with everyone. In SMT 4 also you have more interactions with people, you form bonds and allies, and every single choices felt like it had impact. A bonus is in the DLC you get to see what you have become by choosing one path or another.

    The best part about this game is that your choices have an impacts, from allies to ending, you don't feel so hollow, the ending cinematic is so beautiful too.    … Expand
  3. cemyildirim33
    Sep 21, 2016
    10
    This is a great improvement from the SMT IV. The concept and the setting remains the same but many things are improved. New improvements include things like:

    You can choose your partner in the battle. Which is a great improvement considering the mistakes that partners did in SMT IV. Demons roar and speak while attacking, like in SMT III: Nocturne. The interface looks more    This is a great improvement from the SMT IV. The concept and the setting remains the same but many things are improved. New improvements include things like:

    You can choose your partner in the battle. Which is a great improvement considering the mistakes that partners did in SMT IV.

    Demons roar and speak while attacking, like in SMT III: Nocturne.

    The interface looks more beautiful.

    Overall this is still the same SMT we love and missed. Furthermore it is improved. The music composer is the same as SMT IV so the musics are once again sucessful the catch that gloomy atmosphere of the SMT Series, similar to SMT IV. If you are a newcomer though, I recommend starting from SMT IV, since it is highly probable for you to get lost in the lore and the difficulty of the game.    … Expand
  4. flaviofearn
    Sep 20, 2016
    10
    En.: I'm with 5 or 6 hours of gameplay and, til' now, the game is really, really good. It follows the same structure from the SMTIV but its a lot better. The history is fantastic, the anime style graphics are also amazing so are the voices. I truly recommend this that can be a new great RPG from 3DS.
    Pt.: Estou com 5 ou 6 horas de jogo e o mesmo é muito viciante. Desde que comecei a    En.: I'm with 5 or 6 hours of gameplay and, til' now, the game is really, really good. It follows the same structure from the SMTIV but its a lot better. The history is fantastic, the anime style graphics are also amazing so are the voices. I truly recommend this that can be a new great RPG from 3DS.
    Pt.: Estou com 5 ou 6 horas de jogo e o mesmo é muito viciante. Desde que comecei a jogar, não consigo mais parar. A história é envolvente, a dublagem está ótima, os gráficos estilo anime também são ótimos. Recomendo fortemente o mesmo por ser um dos melhores RPGs para o 3DS.    … Expand
  5. r_lobo
    Oct 7, 2016
    10
    Amazing game. After all this time and many great games, it can still be surprising that games this good can come on such a small device.
    Great story and dialog, addicting fights and demon management (recruiting, fusing, evolving...)... 40 hours into the game (and lvl 63) I still want to keep going, still want to explore and get to the end of te story.
    Every sing JRPG fan should get    Amazing game. After all this time and many great games, it can still be surprising that games this good can come on such a small device.
    Great story and dialog, addicting fights and demon management (recruiting, fusing, evolving...)... 40 hours into the game (and lvl 63) I still want to keep going, still want to explore and get to the end of te story.

    Every sing JRPG fan should get this game. If you still don't have a 3DS go get one!    … Expand
  6. snakekill321
    Sep 20, 2016
    10
    What is there to say? A New SMT game came out, and it is glorious This is a story in its own, takeing place slightly before, during and after the events of the original, but with so much more. If you like the SMT series this is a much needed game
  7. CheekySasquatch
    Sep 26, 2016
    9
    Love love love this game. Even more accessible to beginners than the original IV yet offering just as much challenge as other games in the series. A must own for any 3DS owner. Somehow they managed to outdo SMT IV
  8. HitoshuraDF
    Apr 20, 2018
    10
    This game is so underrated, it has good gameplay and atmosphere
    Best JRPG game on 3ds
  9. Hunterguilherme
    Sep 20, 2016
    10
    Another awesome Atlus title, fixes many balance issues from SMT 4, the story is great and easier to follow than other SMT games, plus, plenty of sexy female demons like Nekomata!
  10. C4l1burn
    May 1, 2017
    10
    Basically the most underrated game in the 3DS library. This was one of the best games I have ever played, and I've been around since the Atari era. It was better than Persona 4 and 3, which I already thought were great. I completed the game at level 99 after putting in roughly 95 hours into it and my first thought after finishing it was "omg I have to play another smt game", so I just gotBasically the most underrated game in the 3DS library. This was one of the best games I have ever played, and I've been around since the Atari era. It was better than Persona 4 and 3, which I already thought were great. I completed the game at level 99 after putting in roughly 95 hours into it and my first thought after finishing it was "omg I have to play another smt game", so I just got myself smt devil survivor 2 record breaker. I would describe this game as a mixture of Persona 4 and Wizardry, with some incredible high-speed soundtracks and a high difficulty level. There's an element of Dragon Age to it as well, in that you easily can just get completely absorbed into the twisted large-scale world the game presents to you. So far this is the best game I've played on the 3DS and to me it's just miles above everything else, fire emblem included.… Expand
  11. Lyxnn
    Nov 16, 2018
    10
    No es mejor que el IV pero sigue siendo uno de los mejores juegos de todo el catálogo de 3ds
  12. MarkDream35
    Feb 8, 2020
    8
    The writing is significantly worse than the other games in the series. However, the gameplay is the best out of any of the games. I'd recommend ot for that alone.
  13. BasilZero
    Dec 10, 2021
    9
    Game: Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: Atlus Publisher: Atlus System: Nintendo 3DS (3DS) Year of Release: 2016 Length of Playthrough: 65 Hours Total Score: 93/100 Value Score: 9.3/10 • Story: 8/10 • Characters: 9/10 • GamePlay: 9/10 • Graphics: 8/10 • Sound: 10/10 • Music: 10/10 • Length: 10/10 • Replay Value: 10/10 • Player Value: 9/10 Pros    Game: Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: Atlus
    Publisher: Atlus
    System: Nintendo 3DS (3DS)
    Year of Release: 2016
    Length of Playthrough: 65 Hours

    Total Score: 93/100
    Value Score: 9.3/10

    • Story: 8/10
    • Characters: 9/10
    • GamePlay: 9/10
    • Graphics: 8/10
    • Sound: 10/10
    • Music: 10/10
    • Length: 10/10
    • Replay Value: 10/10
    • Player Value: 9/10

    Pros
    +High replay value such as New Game Plus and multiple Endings
    +Great story, cast of characters and gameplay
    +Great OST and voice acting
    +Choice of multiple difficulty modes
    +Great engaging and customizable gameplay

    Cons
    -Map areas can be confusing at times
    -High difficulty even for normal battles
    -Animated cutscenes are stills most of the time
    -Visuals look outdated compared to other games from the same universe (due to the system it was released on)

    ----

    Shin Megami Tensei IV (3DS): 95
    Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse (3DS): 93
    Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers (3DS): 83
    Shin Megami Tensei Persona 1 Portable (PSP): 88
    Shin Megami Tensei Persona 2 Innocent Sin (PSP): 85
    Shin Megami Tensei Persona 3 Portable (PSP): 95
    Shin Megami Tensei Persona 4 (PS2): 97    … Expand
  14. Eizqarqash
    Aug 4, 2019
    10
    One of the very best RPGs I ever got to play. Every element about it is so enjoyable and unique!
  15. RepentantSky
    Feb 12, 2018
    9
    Absolutely a solid game that I spent over 100 hours with gladly. It's ever than IV, and possibly one of the best 3DS games ever made. The visual style, the story, the fighting, all the other mechanics, and even all the smart references are great. There's not really anything wrong with the game at all save for one puzzle that drove me crazy for hours. I'd give it a perfect rating if IAbsolutely a solid game that I spent over 100 hours with gladly. It's ever than IV, and possibly one of the best 3DS games ever made. The visual style, the story, the fighting, all the other mechanics, and even all the smart references are great. There's not really anything wrong with the game at all save for one puzzle that drove me crazy for hours. I'd give it a perfect rating if I thought it was the best 3DS game ever, but it's not, it's just extremely close, and worth playing even if you aren't an SMT fan. Play it, it's worth every penny.… Expand
  16. Ibuki_7731
    Sep 21, 2020
    10
    The game's a bit cheesy and sorta Persona like but it still has the levels of SMT difficulty maybe even harder then the original SMT IV. Would definitely recommend to first time players who want to get into SMT. Again the story can be pretty cheesy but man what a journey.
  17. INU4SH4
    Jun 23, 2020
    8
    SMT IV Apocalypse was a very pleasant surprise. I did not expect this game to be so good after the issues I had with SMT IV. It fixes all the issues I had with exploration in the previous game, the story has a few cheesy moments but overall it was great. The combat is super fluid and the battle animations were pretty cool as well. If you ever felt disappointed with SMT IV give this one aSMT IV Apocalypse was a very pleasant surprise. I did not expect this game to be so good after the issues I had with SMT IV. It fixes all the issues I had with exploration in the previous game, the story has a few cheesy moments but overall it was great. The combat is super fluid and the battle animations were pretty cool as well. If you ever felt disappointed with SMT IV give this one a chance. It might surprise you as it did to me.

    This is one of my favorite SMT games so far. It's no Nocturne but still a great sequel that surpasses the original SMT IV. As usual, this game offers a lot of playstyle possibilities and different endings and routes granting a lot of replay value. Totally worth the investment and great addition to the series. This time, exploring Tokyo is actually fun and the game is super challenging but super satisfying if you tackle hard mode on first playthough.    … Expand
  18. manhack
    Jun 29, 2020
    8
    What are you doing with my Tokyo map?Why so many locations was copy from past game?In my opinion this game should get 7 or 8.Yes characters stupid, your change sucks, gameplay better, history so so
  19. Killonoxx
    Jul 21, 2020
    10
    Fun combat system that rewards you for paying attention and remembering types. Lots of dangerous fights to keep you on your toes. Story, while on the simpler side still holds up to the shin megami tensei standard.
  20. mtkf
    Oct 30, 2021
    8
    SMT 4 and Apocalypse are some of the best JRPGs, not just on the 3ds, but of all time IMO. Other reviews say Apocalypse isn't as good as 4, but it's a great sequel. Cool story, with multiple endings (first one I chose actually made me feel bad). SMT is a great franchise thats been overshadowed by Persona, but now that we're finally getting SMT5 on switch, it may finally recieve theSMT 4 and Apocalypse are some of the best JRPGs, not just on the 3ds, but of all time IMO. Other reviews say Apocalypse isn't as good as 4, but it's a great sequel. Cool story, with multiple endings (first one I chose actually made me feel bad). SMT is a great franchise thats been overshadowed by Persona, but now that we're finally getting SMT5 on switch, it may finally recieve the recognition it deserves.… Expand
  21. Caseron
    Nov 25, 2021
    10
    Interesting change to mainline SMT with more focus on the characters sadly it's just too shounen so Anarchy all the way
    Music still banger 10/10
    Gameplay is one of the best of all MegaTen games easily 11/10
    And finally the map problem is fixed
    Great game for new comer specially persona fans
  22. Kuzunoha
    Apr 20, 2022
    10
    Jrpg de los buenos
    Es un buen Rpg que todo amante de la saga Megaten deberia jugar

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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
  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]
See all critic reviews »