Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2

Digital Devil Saga 2 brings the strange story started by the first game to a spectacular, dramatic, and bizarrely calm end.

This is an RPG anyone can get behind, with depths to plumb that I simply don't have space to mention. Give it a shot. [Nov 2005, p.143]

Better than its predecessor, improving both the story (significantly) and the gameplay (incrementally). [Nov 2005, p.100]

Easily the finest game I've had a chance to play this year and stands to be one of the great games of this generation. DDS2's superb graphics, magnificent aural pieces, excellent, fleshed out story, and better balance makes Digital Devil Saga 1 - and just about every other game this year - look like child's play.

Featuring a twisted storyline, a new karma ring system, pretty imagery, and tons of demons to consume, Digital Devil Saga 2 provides a somewhat different experience than the normal RPG fare, even though at its core there's nothing special about the battle system and the way you'll go about things.

While it may lack the ridiculous depth and complexity of "SMT: Nocturne," arguably Atlus' deepest RPG, Digital Devil Saga 2 makes up for it by having the most compelling plot, a swath of subtle refinements, and fleshed-out, addictive gameplay systems.

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]

Saga 2 finally realizes the promise of the saga's compelling storytelling, and while it's not without flaws, this demonic adventure still has a lot going for it.

The story is the game's strongest point, though it won't be exposed here so as not to spoil anything, and it’s full of deeper meanings that one can read into if so inclined.

All technical aspects aside,, your gameplay experience in DDS2 is what truly makes it worthy of the upper echelon of RPG-dom. [Nov p.74]

It has one of the better battle systems in an RPG but could have used some revisions to spice up the gameplay a little.

It tells an intriguing tale and features fleshed-out characters that far too many RPGs lack.

When it comes down to it, Digital Devil Saga 2 really isn't that different from the original.

Due to the rich history of the series, you can't help but feel like you're taking part in a fantastic epic that hasn't even begun to scratch the surface in terms of totality. That's why I love this series and that's why I love DDS2. Chances are, you will too.

If you got wrapped up in the original game’s story, you’ll almost surely want to see how it comes out, but there is nothing so unique about the game as an RPG that you’ll want to pick it up in the middle.

Mature, intriguing, thoughtful, and not afraid to take some risky chances.

In a rare occasion Digital Devil Saga 2 trumps its predecessor in nearly every category. The Digital Devil Saga series is a must if you like story driven RPGs.

My easy answer on this game is that if you found "Xenosaga" wanting in the story department, then you need to look into this title. It seems to do everything right.

The story, graphics, speech, and every other aspect make this game an addictively fun title that no true RPG fan should pass up.

Digital Devil Saga 2, while a quality role-playing game, doesn't live up to the legacy of its immediate predecessor.

The storyline in place is something that absolutely should be experienced, but it's not one that comes easily. If you can stomach more random encounters per capita than nearly any other RPG out there, it's worth it, but that's a lot to ask.

Digital Devil Saga 2 isn't just about maturity; it has maturity, and that's a major accomplishment.

One of the standout RPG's for the year, if you like Final Fantasy style RPG's you need to own both of these titles.

All in all, this is another great RPG on the PlayStation 2. The only thing keeping me from giving Digital Devil Saga 2 an unqualified recommendation is how hard it is to find its predecessor.

Not exceedingly pretty, nor does it find itself being extremely innovative on the inside. What it does do is present an extremely tight story – the second half of a story, even, that manages to maintain the level presented by the original after throwing a World Series-grade curveball right into the player's mouth.

A continuation of an intriguing storyline, retaining all that made the first game great while adding changes to gameplay for newness and challenge.

The general spiritual themes of the first game are expanded on from the word, “Go,” here.

Did you like the first Digital Devil Saga? Did you like Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne? Do you want an RPG with challenge? If you answered yes to any of those, get this game.

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]

It has an interesting, if bizarre, story but does tend to suffer from too many random battles. Not one for newcomers. [Issue # 149, p.84]

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]

Everything that an excellent sequel should be. It takes on board criticisms levelled at the former game and addresses them all in a way which should delight any fan of the series; not only that, it picks up the story and characters of the original title and develops them in such a fascinating way that it actually throws fresh light on the original, which now seems like a much better piece of storytelling in the context of its part in the series as a whole.

It's intriguing and fun, the combat and mantra systems are not so overly complicated that beginners feel out of their depth, yet they have enough flexibility to keep the attention of the experienced RPGer. The story may be a little confusing, but the basic gist of trying to find a lost friend is easy enough to understand and working out what the rest of it means only adds to the puzzle elements.

DDS2 is a great RPG telling a challenging and mature story, over a foundation of solid, if unspectacular, game mechanics, learning from the mistakes made by its predecessor.

It's a saga that only insatiable hardcore genre addicts will garner any real fulfillment from.

A nice twisted take on the universe and a solid RPG to boot. [Apr 2007, p.72]