Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance

 PlayStation 5
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 42 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 42
  3. Negative: 0 out of 42
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  1. GLHF on Sports Illustrated
    Jun 12, 2024
    70
    It’s been a busy year for lengthy JRPGs, and Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance isn’t the best of the bunch. It’s a solid JRPG adventure with a lot to love, but you’ll be sent back to your last save file pretty regularly, and depending on how long it’s been since your last save, that can suck the energy out of the room instantly. As a result, SMTV feels like stalling a classic car. Someone will tell you you’re an idiot for not understanding the gearbox’s nuances, but a smooth ride will be preferable to juddering down the road.
  2. Push Square
    Jun 12, 2024
    70
    Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is the definitive way to play Atlus' devilish game of demon fusion, with a new suite of bells and whistles to smooth over what can, at times, still be an abrasive gameplay experience. It's incredibly combat-heavy, which can become oppressive, but working towards raising that perfect demon remains as engaging as ever.
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  1. Polygon
    Jun 12, 2024
    I, like many others, used to describe the Megami Tensei series as “Pokémon for adults,” but I no longer believe that shorthand is entirely accurate. Megami Tensei is Pokémon for the ruthless, those able to exchange compassion and attachment for the cold reality of spiritual warfare. Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance’s “save anywhere” feature, overworld shortcuts, and shallow storyline, however, result in a too-frictionless and therefore flat experience. The moment-to-moment gameplay may still be as fulfilling as any previous Megami Tensei game when it strikes a delicate balance between new and old mechanics, but Vengeance’s overall lack of texture fails to live up to the important narrative themes of struggle, loss, sacrifice, and rebirth established by the franchise over the last 40 years.
  2. The A.V. Club
    Jun 14, 2024
    SMT V: Vengeance has built a better grind, undeniably. But it’s still a grinder, all the same.