Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2

 PlayStation 2
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
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  1. Play.tm
    72
    It's a saga that only insatiable hardcore genre addicts will garner any real fulfillment from.
  2. Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK
    70
    Much better than the last game, and one of the best PS2 RPGs. Let down only by the relentless fighting and steep learning curve. [Feb 2007, p.70]
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  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    70
    Unless you're a disciple of the first "Digital Devil Saga," you'd be better off investing your RPG funds in "FFXII." [Mar 2007, p.116]
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  5. Game Informer
    63
    The dark setting just wasn't enough to keep me enthralled, and I found myself longing for an end to the saga. [Nov 2005, p.155]
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  6. netjak
    60
    Digital Devil Saga 2, while a quality role-playing game, doesn't live up to the legacy of its immediate predecessor.
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Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Best PS2 Game of 2005
67
#67 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2005

User Reviews

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User Score
4.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 233 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 99 out of 233
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 233
  3. Negative: 129 out of 233
  1. Sartagis
    Dec 17, 2016
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. I completed the first game with nearly 50 hours and found it mediocre. This game started off a lot better but quickly went south form there.

    Pros
    1. Much better explanation of the world and why things are happening.
    2. Additional ability to add abilities and stats using rings

    Negatives
    1. Vastly easier to get a party wipe from common mobs in some dungeons. I am over half way through the game and just got destroyed from full health with only 1 round to act. I lost 24 of 35 minutes of play due to the dungeon design and no save points for that whole time. I have lost an hour or more already due to surprise battles that essentially killed my party in 1-2 rounds.

    2. MAX noise special combat mixes with extremely high miss rate and no magic leads to party wipes. In the tower I missed 2 of 3 opening attacks 5 times in a row in these battles. The 4th time my opponent needed to do 2 AOE attacks to wipe the party as they hit for 5 timers the normal damage during these fights. That was 1 of 3 enemies attacking. So Massive enemy damage, 50%+ miss rate by my characters (One had 40 agility in an area that 20 would be normal), and no magic lead to several time loses which I would say have cost me about an hour.

    I estimate that I have lost about 2 hours of the 21.6 I have put in so far. Anything over an hour for a typical RPG I find unacceptable. I'm probably 20 hours from the end and the time losses just get more frequent.

    3. Game requires a stupid amount of grinding. It should take half as long to level mantra and characters as it does.

    4. Cash is an issue, at least in the 3rd and fourth dungeons. It was going to cost me 3K to heal a level 13-14 character. I had to keep leaving dungeons to use the free heal as healing at the terminals would have bankrupted me quickly.

    Spoiler alert

    In less than 2 hours 4 characters were killed off, or presumed to be dead. This is appalling game design since characters take so much time to develop and I lost entire skill sets because so many were killed.

    I would never recommend this game to anyone and I love the Persona games. Too much grind, nothing original, and too easy to take time loses.    … Full Review »
  2. AlienSpaceBats
    Feb 25, 2014
    5
    Digital Devil Saga returns to kick me in the balls with its random battle encounter rate. Visually appealing, but more of the same from partDigital Devil Saga returns to kick me in the balls with its random battle encounter rate. Visually appealing, but more of the same from part 1, and uses 90% of the same assets. Again, the combat is the best part though we have more of a story this time, only recommended to those who loved the nuts off the first game.… Full Review »
  3. Mattxx
    Aug 29, 2010
    10
    Although the encounter rate is rather high, it has extremely tight combat which more than makes up for the encounter rate. The story isAlthough the encounter rate is rather high, it has extremely tight combat which more than makes up for the encounter rate. The story is wonderful, the cast is great, and the actors do an extremely well job of delivering their lines. The Mantra Grid makes for great customization, allowing you to, literally, learn every ability in the game (aside from special story related abilities). If you finished and enjoyed the first Digital Devil Saga, this is, quite obviously, a must-buy.… Full Review »
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