Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 32
  2. Negative: 0 out of 32
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  1. May 16, 2018
    100
    Along with being the definitive way to play Strange Journey, Redux stands out as one of the best games in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise all around.
  2. Feb 7, 2019
    95
    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux's challenging gameplay might not be for everyone, but those it does appeal to will find a well-crafted dungeon-crawling experience with a thought-provoking narrative.
  3. May 29, 2018
    90
    From its demon collecting and killer combat to its sci-fi South Pole setting, Strange Journey Redux is a fantastically engrossing adventure, and an excellent reason to get lost in your 3DS once again. As a remake of a DS classic, Redux adds in enough new content to make a replay worth your time, along with plenty of welcome accessibility tweaks to help let newcomers in on one of Shin Megami Tensei’s best kept secrets. The lack of stereoscopic 3D and English voiceover is disappointing, but these are small complaints; Strange Journey is a can’t-miss trip for JRPG fans.
  4. 90
    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey transcends the standard dungeon crawler. Posing innumerable questions about reality while using the dungeons themselves to full effect, it will keep players thinking even when slaying demons. Redux is not some grandiose HD reimagining with a bloated budget but an insightful expansion to a masterpiece’s original vision.
  5. May 16, 2018
    90
    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is still as great and robust a game as ever, now more accessible for those not looking for something quite as demanding. Several quality-of-life additions are certainly welcome to have, and the new content sufficiently bolsters what was already in place. Whether you are new to Strange Journey or are looking for a good reason to revisit it, this release is worth checking out.
  6. May 15, 2018
    90
    The game has aged well in terms of story, gameplay, and overall mechanics that allows new players to experience an immensely unique title for the 3DS. In addition, returning players can also get their fair share as the enhancements and newly added content will effortlessly invite you to both relive the original story of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, as well as experience the original story with new twists and turns.
  7. Jun 26, 2018
    88
    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is a really long title for a really long game. But this game is a great swan song for the 3DS hardware and the perfect JRPG for on-the-go gaming next to Persona 4 Golden.
  8. May 27, 2018
    85
    This is an absorbing dungeon RPG with a fantastic, dark story and very deep gameplay.
  9. 85
    I can wholly recommend this as a litmus test for fans of Persona 5 who haven’t yet gotten into the main Shin Megami Tensei series.
  10. May 16, 2018
    84
    Despite all the years since it was released in our region for the Nintendo DS, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux makes a great comeback with new graphical features, but lacks navigation and content improvements.
  11. May 24, 2018
    80
    The 3DS version of this underrated classic finally comes to Europe, bringing a solid, dark and difficult RPG to a dying console, that still refuses to let go in its sunset days. Don't miss out on this one if you're a fan of role-playing games.
  12. 80
    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux gives players another chance to play a wonderfully-crafted RPG. Even if you took the plunge nearly a decade ago, there's still reason to jump back in.
  13. May 22, 2018
    80
    Strange Journey Redux is a very good dungeon crawler, challenging and fun. A Shin Megami Tensei perfect for a handheld.
  14. May 21, 2018
    80
    The story is fascinating, and the gameplay is great but this one might not be to everyone's taste.
  15. May 21, 2018
    80
    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is an enhanced porting which preserves the better qualities of the original Nintendo DS entry, while providing some quality of life improvements to newcomers and returners.
  16. May 18, 2018
    80
    One of the best Shin Megami Tensei games returns, mixing standard Japanese role-playing with the series’ typically provocative story elements and Persona style gameplay.
  17. May 18, 2018
    80
    Who knows, you may even learn Japanese because all the voice acting is in Japanese while the game itself is fully subtitled in English.
  18. May 15, 2018
    80
    Strange Journey Redux is still a solid dungeon-crawling RPG that fans of the genre will thoroughly enjoy. Despite the occasional poor dungeon designs, it presents a good balance of difficulty without ever feeling unfair.
  19. May 15, 2018
    80
    If you’re new to the series, Redux‘s difficulty options and overall presentation are an excellent starting point for entering the deep, dark world of Shin Megami Tensei.
  20. May 15, 2018
    80
    With the heavy emphasis on story and a campaign where fifty hours is considered a fast completion, this is not a casual game, but it’s well worth a look for anyone who enjoys story-rich JRPGs they can sink close to a hundred hours into it.
  21. May 15, 2018
    80
    With the various quality of life improvements, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is simply a more playable version of an already great game. I really enjoyed it the first time around nine years ago, and replaying it today reminds of why it was the ideal game to introduce me to the Shin Megami Tensei franchise.
  22. May 25, 2018
    79
    While the scenario still is remarkably fresh, some mechanics haven’t aged well. Having said that, if you are a fan of old-school dungeon crawling, this is definitely a worthy addition to your library.
  23. Jul 23, 2018
    75
    Strange Journey was an enjoyable ride. Seeing the different dungeons of the Schwarzwelt and how the motivations of the demons (and how they felt about humans) blended well with each area.That said, those already familiar with the Shin Megami games will likely enjoy this reissue more than series newcomers thanks to its general difficulty and the inconsistency of the negotiation mechanics — it can be a bit polarizing for those who aren’t accustomed to the mechanics.
  24. Jun 23, 2018
    75
    Even if it looks austere, Strange Journey Redux is an amazing dungeon-RPG. Yes, its world may seem empty and artificial but it has so much to offer, from its cool gameplay ideas to the amazing, suffocating atmosphere.
  25. Jun 2, 2018
    75
    Overall, Strange Journey Redux certainly doesn't disappoint as completing the sprawling and challenging dungeons while recruiting a variety of demons is a ton of fun. Even if you've played the original, there's plenty here to make you come back for more.
  26. May 21, 2018
    75
    Anchored to the dogmas of the genus of belonging, it will surely satisfy the veterans of the series as they confuse the neophytes.
  27. Jun 1, 2018
    73
    Indeed, this is a strange journey for Nintendo 3DS players, full of the turn-based combats, dungeon exploration and demon negotiations fans know and love... That's why it's a pity that it ends up being held back by its outdated interface, exhausting first person exploration and slow pace.
  28. Jul 20, 2018
    70
    I enjoyed my time with Strange Journey Redux, and the many things its dungeons offered will stick with me. Its narrative is also interesting and should be applauded for what it attempts, even if the story’s reach is not quite what it can attain. I was also ready to be done by the time the credits rolled and uninterested in starting the whole thing again to see another ending or reach the heretofore-forbidden areas, which keeps Redux from being among the crowning achievements in my RPG experience. It was a worthwhile title to encounter though, and should at least be tried by anyone curious.
  29. Jun 4, 2018
    70
    Overall, if you like difficult dungeon crawlers with a sharp challenge, there's an amazing amount of content packed in Strange Journey Redux. Personally, I found it a bit too difficult and tedious to appreciate the gameplay, but I thought the story was amazing and surprisingly deep. Overall, my feelings of the game are very mixed. I can appreciate how well constructed it is and how deep its many layers go, but personally I didn't find it very fun to play.
  30. May 29, 2018
    70
    Since 2009, Atlus has released many games and made strides in both storytelling as well as gameplay, and despite its many improvements, Strange Journey falls short of lofty standards Atlus has set for its modern games. Despite it certainly being the definitive version of the game to play, it leaves much to be desired under the shining banner of Shin Megami Tensei.
  31. May 22, 2018
    70
    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is a good port for the Nintendo 3DS of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, a role-playing video game developed by Atlus. The game includes new artwork for the characters, voice acting, animation, new demons, new route and a new character named Alex.
  32. May 15, 2018
    65
    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is as long and as the title, and can be challenging to get into, due to dated UI and lots and lots of text to read. The story is interesting, if not slow, offers multiple endings, and more than 300 demons for you to collect, fuse, and fight alongside. A solid, if not slightly clunky title built for the retrogamer crowd.
User Score
5.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 293 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Jul 7, 2018
    0
    I want to give "Redux" at least a one but I can't bring myself to do it. Instead, Redux is a complete roadmap on how to take one of the mostI want to give "Redux" at least a one but I can't bring myself to do it. Instead, Redux is a complete roadmap on how to take one of the most brilliant, underrated, and overachieving games in all of JRPG history and turn it into an ugly, broken, bland, just shy of unplayable slog of mediocrity.

    Every single thing that made the original ORIGINAL has been twisted and warped into a mess that parodies the exact message the original writers tried to instill. I would like to have a complete discourse on why this game sucks a fat one but I can break it down in easy to swallow bullet points:

    - This game is ugly: textures are flat and boring, demon designs look rough as heck, demon animations look jarring and gangly, NPCs look like something out of a dating simulator, the main characters look super generic and downright weird at times, the awful swirling 'smoke' effect brought in from SMT IV battles looks nauseating, (as does the 'shifted' camera position when attacking), backgrounds (and background objects) don't mesh well with objects in the foreground, and somehow the entire game looks blurry... as if they intended to add 3D but cancelled at the last moment. The original game looked vibrant and beautiful on the DS; what the heck happened?

    - Battles move painfully slow. And all the SMT IV attack animations look crappy. Even holding down on the A button to 'fast forward' attacks, it still moves about a third as fast as the original game's auto battle. In a game that needs you to do some grinding, this is important.

    - The game itself is slow AF. Walking from dungeon tile to dungeon tile is painfully slow. Checking forma is slow. Starting a battle is super slow. They added a dash function and it's STILL too slow. How do you take a game that averages 80 hrs out of a player at full speed and make it slower?

    - The UI is so freaking ugly it makes me hate the game. The original had small, scrunched damage numbers and small, still shots of demons in your party. That was it. They somehow made it vastly worse.

    - The game has been completely unbalanced for absolutely no reason. Overall the game is waaaaay easier. If you're new to the series, seeing enemy health bars might be nice, but actually messing with the very format of battles, items, weapons, subapps, has created a game that feels unfinished. Magic and status effects are borderline useless and physical attacks are so stupid strong (but still seem to miss about 25% of the time) that about 60% of all the demons, items, armors, apps, and weapons can be completely ignored.

    - Clear, one sided balancing issues in regards to microtransactions. It's SUPER obvious they made things cost too much and give less rewards in the hopes you'll pay real money for shortcuts.

    - The added character/storyline is jarring and doesn't fit in the game naturally whatsoever. Also, wtf is with the new dungeon and why? Feels like an overpriced DLC map (convoluted, time wasting, and with virtually no payout).

    - Story elements have been censored. If I recall, at no point do they call sector Boots a 'red light district'. Now it's called a 'business district'... Okay, so it's wall street lawyers and brokers in meetings behind the curtains in Mithra's castle? That's just one example and I've found several in the 20 or so hours I've been playing.

    - The only single thing I enjoy over the original is the Japanese voice work... but when it's playing over the most generic anime-tropish and downright cringy looking NPCs, it not only takes the seriousness out of the situation, it makes you feel like you're watching filler episodes of your favorite anime- you want to watch because you know the story is good, but it ultimately leaves you bored and ready to go back to episodes with real consequences and character development.

    - Demon conversation are WAY the heck easier, which kind of takes A LOT of the nuance out of the game. There were so many different personality types and deep responses from demons- admittedly hard as it was- it makes the game feel gimped to recruit demons now.

    - They took out the in game achievements. Why in the heck would they do that? Those were part of the charm of the original and in no way affected or detracted from the core gameplay loop.

    Not only did they do virtually nothing when it comes to 'remaking' the game, they took almost everything that made it great and threw it in the trash. Yes, the original was hard; I can admit it took me at least three tries and quite a few hours before I saw it to the finish but that's what the game was. And it was a brilliant game. This is everything Strange Journey was not.
    Full Review »
  2. May 17, 2018
    3
    The biggest fans of the SMT series are surely to still like this game, but it doesn't justify being played by anyone else nor is it reallyThe biggest fans of the SMT series are surely to still like this game, but it doesn't justify being played by anyone else nor is it really worthy for everyone else, as what changes are mostly tweaks that many won't even notice, give preference to the original game first if you wanna know the series, it also looks better. Full Review »
  3. May 16, 2018
    10
    SMT: Strange Journey was a fantastic game when it released stateside 8 years ago, but as the series is known for, it did not reach mass marketSMT: Strange Journey was a fantastic game when it released stateside 8 years ago, but as the series is known for, it did not reach mass market appeal.
    The original game featured a steep difficulty curve, complex dungeon-crawling obstacles in its second half, and many of its plot elements remained unclear by the time of its conclusion.
    Now Atlus seeks to update and improve various aspects of the game for a modern audience.
    While it features a new and controversial art-style, SMT: Strange Journey Redux is still the great game fans remember.
    Atlus has gone out of their way to introduce new ways to keep track of your dungeon-crawling exploits without diminishing the complex and thoughtful dungeon design that the game is known for, allowing for more casual players to keep in step with the more hardcore elements of the game.
    As one of the few SMT games that does not have RNG-based demon recruiting, Strange Journey has fantastic dialogue with logical answers to the various demons' riddles, and the new Demons added to the game only add to the charm.
    The addition of the new dungeon added to the game allows for players to get the extra push they might need to overcome the otherwise incredibly difficult bosses in the second half of the game, allowing for a more natural difficulty curve.
    Alongside the fantastic faux-orchestral soundtrack and lavishly detailed 3D dungeons (the brothel and grocery store being personal favorites), the added voice-acting and animated cutscenes lend to a grander presentation which elevates the already fascinating story being told.
    All in all this is a first-class remake, and with the tolerance for a newer more simplistic art style, this is a game you can't miss as a dungeon-crawling fan.
    Full Review »