Shin Megami Tensei V

 Switch
  • Publisher: Atlus
  • Release Date: Nov 12, 2021
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 760 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 554 out of 760
  2. Mixed: 47 out of 760
  3. Negative: 159 out of 760
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  1. Coded
    Nov 19, 2021
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Spent a long time thinking about this, so I thought I’d give my honest thoughts.

    Out of all the SMT line games I’ve played from mainline to spin-offs this one was probably my least favourite. The combat and demon summoning system were the same steadfast that longtime players have gotten to know and love - and I even enjoyed some of the new additions (i.e.; race specific abilities). The music was also a high point for me and generally fit with the atmosphere.

    Where the game really falls flat is on its story and overalll feel. The story for the most part is non-existent - and I’m not just talking about dialogue spews (as much as I enjoy those, usually the mainline games are less reliant on them, and manage not to suffer for it). What I can say with absolute certainty is that o felt more about the world and characters in other mainline games (Nocturne, SMT IV) and some of the less story intensive spin-offs (Strange Journey). I never thought I’d say that a cosmic game of such epic proportions could feel so inconsequential. Part of it lies in the fact that your character, for the vast majority of the game, doesn’t really make any ‘choices’. The other games did a good job of bringing clear alignment in the early game, and even if there were ways out of it you generally created a path for yourself from start to end. Having a home base of sorts where you always returned to for small tidbits of story without really adding much may have actually been a down point in the story, Abbas the few situations interacting with characters in a mostly empty world didn’t do much to make you care about them (even those they swiftly killed off).

    Generally it was a turn based slugfest, which while enjoyable in bursts, seemed to overstay its welcome. Spending tens of hours walking around maps isn’t bad by itself, but it would have been better with some pacing and a bigger sense of purpose. The environments were nice to start with, but soon grew bland (the lighting sometimes felt more obnoxious and in the way than moody - imagine trying to find a new path or a collectable when the colouring gets in the way).

    All in all, it has me a bit worried for the future.

    I still enjoyed the game for what it’s worth and I’m sure many others did to - it was just generally a step down from my historical experience and expectations. Without the classic combat system it would have fallen flat for me. And if you don’t get any enjoyment out of that, you likely won’t enjoy this game.    … Expand
  2. BlackFang
    Nov 15, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is great overall, with the enhance graphic (which is to be expected with unreal engine), combat system is more smooth with various customization and puzzles. But in some parts it felt shallow, like your choices doesn't really matter that much until near the end. Or a personal pet peeve of mine, killing off character early. I know Tao is "reborn" in the near end but it always leave a bitter taste in my mouth. You introduce them as this nice character that cares for everyone and everyone loves, then bam, kills her early into the game, and she just re-appears near the end, and that's it. The ending felt a bit lazy, for lawful and chaos, it just your character walking across status floating in space, for true and neutral endings, it just the beginning cutscene again, I get the meaning but it just felt lazy when comparing to the other SMT games I have play before. The two biggest ones I still occasionally go back to is SMT 4 apocalypses and SMT devil survivor 2 record breaker.

    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 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.

    I've also play SMT devil survivor 2 record breaker, which is my personal favorite, there's good and evil and all that but the ending is based on what path humanity should follow, all sides holds water. Whatever you think peoples' worth is from handwork or everyone is equal, or screw it, just get rids of god and let the world decided its own fate. My personal favorite is sacrificing oneself to ensure everything goes right.

    Overall, SMT 5 is very solid, which is to be expected as its the first one SMT game on switch (I don't care about Personal 5 strikers) with graphics, gameplay and variety of customization. What felt short is an important factor, your choices, I have replay certain parts of the game just to see what my choices would do, it did nothing, the game has a scripts and its sticking with it. Only the ending ones matter. It also felt so..... lonely, you don't have much interaction to start with, then they just kill one off right in front of you. I was hoping to see more allies and dialogue to understand peoples' lives and what are they fighting for, there's not much. Then there's the ending, chaos and lawful looks almost identical as well as neutral and true, I mean I got the symbolize and meaning, but I didn't felt the excitement and feeling of what impact my choices have, even at the end, what it actually effect something.

    Personal note, I love story more than anything, I also love the characters, through my playthrough I had to reset a few times, like with Tao to see if I can save her, but to surprise me, nothing have change, its a straight forward script. you choices don't matter.    … Expand
  3. Cancery1987
    Nov 14, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Music 9/10
    Graphic 9/10
    Gameplay 5/10
    Story 4/10

    This game so boring, just beautiful.    … Expand
  4. NicholasW
    Nov 21, 2021
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. SMT V is one of the most beautiful and fun JRPGs available on the switch, but it's held back by a lackluster story, parts of it's design, and presentation. On the surface, SMT V is one of the best looking games on the switch and it performs fairly well albeit with a couple instances of frame drops as you explore the world of Da'at and during cutscenes. The OST throughout the game is fantastic and might be my favorite across all of the mainline SMT games. Combat is also fast-paced and takes on many of the great aspects from the past two mainline entries (SMT IV and IVA) but with enough new additions to still feel fresh. Demon negotiation and fusion are as addictive as ever with new QoL improvements that eases the frustration that people may have had in past entries. Gameplay is still decently challenging without being overtly frustrating due to how much customization you are given between the protagonist and demons.

    Exploring the world of Da'at is really fun and the maneuverability of the protagonist is a big reason why. Being able to jump and run across Da'at allows players to have a new level of verticality that makes exploring areas feel a whole lot more engaging. However I can't help but feel like the level design is where the game has some issues in. The world of Da'at contains 4 main regions that are very unique in both tone and presentation but some of them suffer from having a confusing or tedious layout that makes exploring them a chore. The game also does feature 2 dungeons although they are rather hit-or-miss due to either being boring to navigate or having an interesting mechanic that isn't used much. Certain dungeons in SMT III also have some of these issues but in that game they are lessened by the unique and creative puzzles that these dungeons offer which isn't necessarily present here.

    The story of SMT V is where I felt the game was really lacking. While there are ideas here that I found to be really fascinating (especially the concept of a Nahobino) they unfortunately aren't explored or presented well enough here to create a solid and compelling narrative. Most of the really exciting plot points are introduced during the early and late game, while mid game feels like filler when it really should have been used for more world building (like introducing the different branches of Bethel) or more character development. Characters in this game serve as exposition dumps as they tell you in chunks regarding the world they reside in. There are hints of decent character development here but only for a select few while the rest of the cast barely get any screen time or a chance to really shine. Even some of the characters who are presented as important to the story are thrown away as side characters and only shown through subquests or unceremoniously killed off. All of this comes off as poor storytelling and ultimately leads to one-note characters that makes it hard to be emotionally invested in them when everything falls apart.

    Alignment and what ending you get in this game unfortunately comes down to a single dialogue choice made at the end of the game rather than based on choices you made throughout like how it was implemented in SMT IV. Some may like it because you can obtain any ending you want but I feel like this design hurts the game's replay value as any of the story choices you make throughout the game is meaningless. The story progression is basically the same for each playthrough and unfortunately doesn't offer any unique branching paths in them like in IV. Although I will admit the alignments in this game are a really nice surprise in who represents them and how they are presented but out of the available endings only one them was really good and felt complete. Overall, the story starts off strong, falls off mid game, and only picks up once you reach late game, but even then it felt really rushed.

    The voice acting here is serviceable, although oddly enough not every scene in the main quest is voiced like in SMT III HD, IV, and IVA. Some subquests are also voiced but only parts of them and some of the ones that seem really important in context of the main story aren't. It's a really odd decision considering what we got in the last three mainline entries. On the English dub side I found it to be really strange that only some of the demons are dubbed while the rest are strictly in Japanese. This might be due to budget constraints so I won't hold it against Atlus but it is very inconsistent.

    All in all, SMT V is a fun game and if you were someone who cares more about the gameplay rather than the story then this is the perfect game for you. The combat is challenging yet fun and exploring the world of Da'at has its own merits at times. But if you play games more for their story, then this game is likely going to disappoint you. I can see a lot of potential here but the game just falls short of being the best JRPG on the Switch.    … Expand
  5. LEMAZZATE
    Nov 18, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Scusate ragazzi, vorrei farmi piacere 'sto gioco ma non c'è La Mecca. Grande occasione sprecata… Expand
  6. Kkodss
    Nov 16, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The first area was really great. But then you finish it, and this is what follows:

    There is a pretty crude exposition dump, with a bizarre tone shift and an introduction of a new character that we're supposed to care about even though we just met her

    There is a high school 'dungeon' area which looks borderline PS1 in terms of look and textures, and runs at about 10fps

    The second large area is exactly the same as the first, only with a red filter, and a further performance hit, making the game run largely as a slideshow    … Expand
  7. Segafan
    Nov 13, 2021
    10

    Just buy the game. Its a fantastic and very challenging JRPG. One of best games on Nintendo Switch.

    Gameplay: 10/10
    Graphic: 10/10
    Music: 10/10
    Story: 9/10
    Characters: 8/10
    Optimization: GOOD
    Difficulty: HARD
  8. Tzelanit
    Mar 8, 2022
    2
    People on Metacritic love to rate things as either a perfect 10 or flat 0, which makes the user scores essentially useless. Nothing is either the greatest thing ever created or pure **** that's completely irredeemable.

    That being said, SMT V is a missed opportunity for what has been a solid mainline series of SMT games. Switch hardware was a generation old the day that it was released,    People on Metacritic love to rate things as either a perfect 10 or flat 0, which makes the user scores essentially useless. Nothing is either the greatest thing ever created or pure **** that's completely irredeemable.

    That being said, SMT V is a missed opportunity for what has been a solid mainline series of SMT games. Switch hardware was a generation old the day that it was released, and it really shows here with a low framerate with constant fps dips and bad textures.

    The story, which is usually the meatiest part of mainline SMT, is stripped down on favor of aggressive repetition and an emphasis on exploring and grinding.

    This is essentially Persona without the cringe romance and relationships, which basically makes this a D- entry in an otherwise fantastic series. I worry for the future of mainline SMT. Up until now, Persona contained all of the cringe, but those design ethics are bleeding out and will begin to hurt the series starting with this entry if it keeps up.

    If you're one of the handful of people who still own a Switch, if Persona 3 was your first SMT game, and if you enjoy generic anime bull****, SMT V will be a 10 for you. If you actually have good taste and standards, it won't be more than a 3/10 on its best day.    … Expand
  9. drsnap
    Nov 15, 2021
    1
    Another boring JRPG, where its only strenght is its variety in partymembers. The game is a grindfest that most of the time relies on who has the most HP points. Its understandable JRPG fans swollow this, but all other people. Just avoid! The main character are paperthin, and you never really get to know him or any compainions.
  10. lalahand
    Jan 1, 2022
    0
    Lower my rating to 0 because this game is sold for $32 in just one month. RIP for fans who bought at $60. Original rating is 5 because it is a very boring jrpg with outdated combat system and poor story.
  11. WombatWarrior
    Nov 14, 2021
    3
    Game is nothing like persona games no social links story is horrible, side characters are bad and combat feels worse huge downstep from persona 5
  12. thedaarkbatty
    Nov 13, 2021
    0
    The gameplay is legitimatly awful. It's just doing the same thing over and over again. Overall it's not the worst game I've ever played but i rate 0% to balance score out
  13. Kroosh
    Nov 14, 2021
    9
    Jrpg of the year and maybe beat jrpg on the Switch
    You can play this game and the time fly with out knowing that and this what i meen by a good game and nice story but the gameplay is breathtaking and the world its just to good
  14. CtrlAltDefeat
    Nov 15, 2021
    10
    After a long, LONG wait - we've received the best iteration of the SMT formula yet. The combat system is more refined and customizable than ever, without sacrificing the difficulty that these games are known for. The demons are all beautifully modeled and animated, and it's obvious that the art team gave it their all. Paired with the phenomenal soundtrack, fantastic as usual worldAfter a long, LONG wait - we've received the best iteration of the SMT formula yet. The combat system is more refined and customizable than ever, without sacrificing the difficulty that these games are known for. The demons are all beautifully modeled and animated, and it's obvious that the art team gave it their all. Paired with the phenomenal soundtrack, fantastic as usual world building, and improved depth of exploration, this is a must play JRPG if you consider yourself a fan of the genre.

    To address the elephant in the room, Shin Megami Tensei is not Persona. Persona was created in an attempt to do something new with the SMT formula. Mainline games have never been focused on their characters (with a few exceptions) or social aspects. You will not find them here, and that's definitely okay, as this game aims for a different experience. I could go on for longer, but that strays outside of review territory.

    This game delivers on everything it promises to be and more. Easy recommend.    … Expand
  15. Minato-Arisato
    Nov 22, 2021
    0
    Como fan de la saga Megaten, este titulo es simplemente decepcionante.
    Una trama lenta que tarda mucho en iniciar, personajes carentes de carisma (algo inaudito en la serie) y ciertos problemas técnicos muy molestos. Hacen que sea una secuela muy difícil de recomendar.
    Casi prefiero decirle a los demás que solo prueben los anteriores, y que rehúyan de este. Atlus la arruino muy    Como fan de la saga Megaten, este titulo es simplemente decepcionante.
    Una trama lenta que tarda mucho en iniciar, personajes carentes de carisma (algo inaudito en la serie) y ciertos problemas técnicos muy molestos. Hacen que sea una secuela muy difícil de recomendar.
    Casi prefiero decirle a los demás que solo prueben los anteriores, y que rehúyan de este.
    Atlus la arruino muy seriamente con este.    … Expand
  16. That_Guy_333
    Nov 14, 2021
    9
    Pros
    - Fun, deep and rewarding combat system.
    - Monsters and party setup are highly customizable. - Environments look great and are fun to explore. - While some side-quests are the typical "Kill X", they tend to be be more fleshed out than the JRPG norm. - Creature designs and animations are stellar. - Soundtrack is great and goes well with the world/battles. - It has an easy mode    Pros
    - Fun, deep and rewarding combat system.
    - Monsters and party setup are highly customizable.
    - Environments look great and are fun to explore.
    - While some side-quests are the typical "Kill X", they tend to be be more fleshed out than the JRPG norm.
    - Creature designs and animations are stellar.
    - Soundtrack is great and goes well with the world/battles.
    - It has an easy mode and apparently a story mode will be patched for those that want something more accessible.

    Cons
    - Light on story/characterization. What is presented is cool but, there's just not much of it.
    - Non-ideal performance. It's not a deal-breaker but, there's some pop-in and light stuttering.
    - Monster recruiting is (seemingly?) more random that I would like.

    Bottom line IMO
    While those are looking for an elaborate plot should look elsewhere, it's really awesome if you want an immersive, great looking and sounding, monster collector game that leans towards the challenging.    … Expand
  17. Rileycuipd8
    Nov 13, 2021
    10
    Best jrpg of the year !!! Love the music and it really looks great for a switch game and it's my game of the year
  18. Reed618
    Dec 22, 2021
    7
    I enjoyed smt 5 but it's definitely a missed opportunity. Visually the areas you explore are pretty bland. There are a few cool dungeons with interesting mechanics though.

    The story is pretty weak. The transition into post apocalyptic tokyo was much more interesting in smt 3 and 4. In 5 it's kinda dull. The characters and voice acting are mostly just ok as well. I also thought it sucked    I enjoyed smt 5 but it's definitely a missed opportunity. Visually the areas you explore are pretty bland. There are a few cool dungeons with interesting mechanics though.

    The story is pretty weak. The transition into post apocalyptic tokyo was much more interesting in smt 3 and 4. In 5 it's kinda dull. The characters and voice acting are mostly just ok as well. I also thought it sucked that one of the bosses mispronounced its name. You just need to google cú chulainn to find how its said correctly.

    The weakest aspect is probably the structure. At one point I fought a boss that was level 58 and I was level 57... then I was put into a new area with three bosses all level 73... so at that point I needed to grind 16 levels... it really felt like they needed to pad them main quest out and that was the laziest way they could do it.

    I know this game was in development for a long time and it's such a cool series so I had very high hopes for it. I thought this was guaranteed to be my rpg of the year but both tales of arise and monster hunter rise have a lot more to offer.    … Expand
  19. ManManManMan69
    Jan 20, 2022
    7
    I decently enjoyed the game but it has a couple of problems.
    Mainly:too tanky bosses,bad optimalization and some bad design choiches that make this gane less enjoyable.
    Tanky bosses wouldnt be a problem if every skill wouldnt cost 5 times more mp than in previous smt titles,but because of this,every harder boss requires you to have at least a couple mp restoring items. The tanky bosses    I decently enjoyed the game but it has a couple of problems.
    Mainly:too tanky bosses,bad optimalization and some bad design choiches that make this gane less enjoyable.
    Tanky bosses wouldnt be a problem if every skill wouldnt cost 5 times more mp than in previous smt titles,but because of this,every harder boss requires you to have at least a couple mp restoring items.
    The tanky bosses wouldn't be that bad if you didnt have to spend every 2 turns buffing yourself and the enemy,the sole buffing isnt a problem but i fell like the buff nerf is a big downgrade from the rest of the series.
    Before smt v buffs/debuffs could be stacked 4 or 3 times and would stay until the enemy gets rid of them by using a special skill.
    Now, buffs/debuffs stay for 3 turns and can be stacked 2 times.
    and this wouldnt be that much of a difference if the bosses wouldnt be so **** tanky,even on double buffed attack and double debuffed defence most of the bosses take around 20min(on normal mode) and renewing buffs/debuffs every 2nd turn just isnt fun.
    The optimalization is bad but its not that big a deal.
    sometimes you get lags for a second and thats it.
    Now onto the good stuff:
    The explortation is great and probably the best in the series,the only problem is that there are only 3 dungeons and i kinda missed them during the game.
    The music is Great but almost all of the tracks are too similar in my opinion.
    Overall: The game is good except the bad optimalization, it just didnt stick well with me,i love the smt/persona series but the fifth installments in those series are just not for me.
    Smt 3 is very good tho i reccomend (:    … Expand
  20. ClayLamm
    Sep 19, 2022
    10
    People who don't like Shin Megami Tensei mainline games, who in many cases have never played them, played this and didn't like it because it wasn't Persona 6.

    It's one of the best JRPGs of all time, and it's a damn good SMT game. Period.
  21. MechGundam13
    Jul 18, 2022
    9
    I've never played a SMT Game before, SMT V was a great introduction for me into the Series.
    SMT V has great visuals, the Monster Design is fantastic and the Story is interesting.
    But I should note that the Game is really Grind Heavy.
  22. Nnorvv
    Nov 18, 2022
    9
    Could be better in terms of story and characters, but gameplay and exploration is rock solid, fun and exciting. Played for 90h finishing game 4 times on all endings.
  23. Noncanon
    Dec 8, 2021
    7
    Firstly, I'm not a lifelong SMT fan. I played SMT IV on 3DS, and Persona 4 and 5. I didn't really have the nostalgia glasses on while playing this.

    I found this game to be all over the place. The demon collecting and fusing is great and has near infinite depth to sink your teeth into. The combat is fun and snappy, although it can be tough as nails sometimes. But that's part of the    Firstly, I'm not a lifelong SMT fan. I played SMT IV on 3DS, and Persona 4 and 5. I didn't really have the nostalgia glasses on while playing this.

    I found this game to be all over the place. The demon collecting and fusing is great and has near infinite depth to sink your teeth into. The combat is fun and snappy, although it can be tough as nails sometimes. But that's part of the appeal of these games. The graphics are pretty good for a Switch game, and the demon designs are fantastic, although some were a little too familiar.

    My biggest beef, and this looks like a common one, is the save system. It's so archaic that it made me frown with annoyance the first time I got destroyed by a mini-boss that I hadn't been able to prepare for, and ended up losing a ton of progress. It's not like Souls games, where you're sent back to the last bonfire but keep items you found and have an opportunity to retrieve your souls. You just load up an old save file and completely lose all progress you had made. It had me going out of my way to run back to save points sooo many times, and it definitely gets old fast. Every time I got a decent item drop or talked a new demon into joining me, I felt like I had to go back and save, and it really hurts the pacing and flow of the game.

    If you're here for the story, I found it to be just OK. I'm usually on board for "Anime BS" but I didn't really connect to any of the characters. There are some cool ideas at the macro level, but not much going on when zoomed in on the PC and his cohort. I enjoyed the music (Atlus always seem to kill it in that department) but the combat sounds were usually boring. I was confused the first time I had the PC use a melee attack and there was barely a sound effect when his weapon made contact. I felt like I hit with a nerf bat. There was no real heft or impact, which is weird since you do that so many times.

    If you're an SMT or Persona fan, it's a no-brainer. All the stuff you love is there, and it's mostly well done. If you're new to the series or on the fence, I would recommend it but with caveats. If you're impatient or the kind of person to quit a game if you lose progress, it'd be a hard pass. It also wouldn't be great for someone who likes RPGs where you can just jump in and go. You'll really have to put in some effort to get the most out of this game, but if you're up for it, there's a lot to enjoy.    … Expand
  24. HellfirePlayer
    Dec 4, 2021
    7
    Honest Spoiler-Free Review:

    -> General Verdict: A fun and flawed game. - Battles: Very polished and addictive. There are a couple of new mechanics which add some interesting depth and could be a novelty for veterans. No random battles gives you and edge on developing your party in different ways. - Music: Adequate to set the mood and ambience. Some tunes really standout and are    Honest Spoiler-Free Review:

    -> General Verdict: A fun and flawed game.

    - Battles: Very polished and addictive. There are a couple of new mechanics which add some interesting depth and could be a novelty for veterans. No random battles gives you and edge on developing your party in different ways.
    - Music: Adequate to set the mood and ambience. Some tunes really standout and are memorable.
    - Visuals: There's definitely a good artistic direction following the usual style which tries to use whatever Switch's hardware can output to acceptable results. This applies to characters, demons and environmental designs. New designs are mostly OK or great, environments feel samey but that's expected given the themes of the game.
    - Exploration: Mostly good, roaming and pseudo platforming in the different areas can be quite engaging at times, but to some degree, it feels like a half-hearted attempt as well. Some elements are straight up hand holding to get you where you need to be, and after a while the sense of discovery just wanes given the lack of surprises.
    - Fusion: It's fine but I found it way too straightforward and simplified. You can do some experimentation but it's not as deep or complex as in some previous games.
    - Customization: Very flexible and rewarding. Maybe a bit too exploitable at times which could make the game too easy for some.
    - Story: This is by far the lowest quality part of the game. The main conflict and story itself are lackluster and weirdly paced. Supporting characters, factions, choices and lore could have saved it from mediocrity/apathy, but they are shallowly exposed to the player, so they are hard to relate to. There's probably just one supporting character that gets fleshed out, but sadly it is a very annoying and inconsequential individual (SMT4 had a neat and simple way to get players to engage with the supporting cast, probably they came up with it given the limitations of the NDS. It's very sad that they didn't learn anything from it). On the bright side, some optional quests are well written and engaging; there are not too many of those though.

    Conclusion: Weirdly enough it is as worth playing as it is disappointing. New players might find a good entry point to a shallower but meaty iteration in the series, while veterans might enjoy the meat but will feel empty and a bit abused after consuming it.    … Expand
  25. Zski
    Dec 5, 2021
    6
    I have never played an SMT or Persona game prior to this one, so I don’t have much to go off of. The gameplay had a bit of a steep learning curve which made it tough to get into, but once it clicked, I enjoyed it a lot more. The mechanics of the game ended up feeling fairly simple, under the mask of making it appear very complex. You simply target enemy weaknesses, and build a team that isI have never played an SMT or Persona game prior to this one, so I don’t have much to go off of. The gameplay had a bit of a steep learning curve which made it tough to get into, but once it clicked, I enjoyed it a lot more. The mechanics of the game ended up feeling fairly simple, under the mask of making it appear very complex. You simply target enemy weaknesses, and build a team that is balanced for your average encounters, and then for boss battles you just modify your team to exploit their weakness - that’s it, that’s all the mechanics boil down to. That does not mean the game is bad though, it had a little bit of an addictive gameplay loop, but it actually feels pretty grindy. For example when I was 6 hours in, I felt like I made it super far, but I could literally run back to the beginning of the game within a minute or two, just because most of my time was spent grinding. It feels like a Pokémon game without the sense of adventure. Pokémon games were fun, but they offered no challenge - SMT5 adds a nice challenge to formula which I appreciate about the game. Like I said above, the challenge ends up coming back to having to grind, and then the lack of save points. Not a bad thing because it makes you play a little more tactfully. The plot is uninteresting, the graphics are sort of blurry, the performance is surprisingly bad, but the music is pretty good (although repetitive). I am enjoying it so far, but it’s not a game to go crazy over. The game ended up losing my attention because of the incessant grinding that is constantly demanded. I am realizing that it is artificially difficult because it requires so much grinding between each segment of the game.… Expand
  26. truemask
    Dec 19, 2021
    6
    Good game, but to me a lackluster experience.

    The story seems to be standard for SMT, and follows a common Law Vs. Chaos theme. The protagonist seems interesting at first but quickly becomes dull and lacks personality even for a Genre (JRPGS) that usually has mute characters. The actual story scene only amount to about 3-4 hours and there is practically no interaction or development of    Good game, but to me a lackluster experience.

    The story seems to be standard for SMT, and follows a common Law Vs. Chaos theme. The protagonist seems interesting at first but quickly becomes dull and lacks personality even for a Genre (JRPGS) that usually has mute characters. The actual story scene only amount to about 3-4 hours and there is practically no interaction or development of side characters.

    Exploration environments are dull and very very similar. But I am glad there aren't random encounters like previous SMT games.

    Combat and demon negotiation is similar to previous SMT games and i can't help but draw comparisons to Atlus's Persona Series, It lacks a more fluid Battle Menu and uses a more classic but slow JRPG battle menu

    It is a challenging game even on easy, but depending how much grinding/sidequesting/team building you do it can be not as challenging. in my experience its a hard game to speedrun because you do need to spend time leveling to beat hard enemies. Of course manual saves are present meaning sometimes replaying half a hour of progres after defeat which can be frustrating.

    Music was another disappointing aspect, it has typical gritty SMT music but seems to lack variety for general exploration and severely lacking for main battle music, only one track plays the entire game and it is a monotonous 10 second loop that quickly becomes grating. I found the exploration music from SMT 4 and 4A more memorable.

    overall a decent JRPG but it left me disappointed,    … Expand
  27. maniaque
    Jan 12, 2022
    6
    the game is another japanese rpg style game. theres alot japanese in this game. the game looks japanese and everything has the japanese taste. im not into this genre of games. those who like alot japanese rpg with cartoonish style and tour based fights with alot fantasy will like. it is probably a good game in this genre but mostly for hardcore japanese rpg fans. this is just not for me.
  28. pmasterfunk
    Jun 19, 2022
    7
    I do love me some good MegaTen, and SMT 5 is good MegaTen. It's close to being great, but that's also what make it so disappointing.

    I gotta say, SMT 5 is very accessible. What makes it so accessible? Quality of Life improvements, baby. First off, we got rid of random battles, which is nice. Scanning an enemy for stats and weaknesses is better. Battle animations can be skipped, for    I do love me some good MegaTen, and SMT 5 is good MegaTen. It's close to being great, but that's also what make it so disappointing.

    I gotta say, SMT 5 is very accessible. What makes it so accessible? Quality of Life improvements, baby. First off, we got rid of random battles, which is nice. Scanning an enemy for stats and weaknesses is better. Battle animations can be skipped, for snappier battles. Demon Fusion now has Reverse Search and Reverse Compendium search, making it much easier to figure out which demons are accessible, and skill inheritance remains selectable. Fast travel is quick.

    Visually, I think the game looks good, but it is pretty grainy and draw distance isn't great. The game stutters in some areas though. It's not too problematic, but still... Environments aren't super varied in looks; desolate sandy urban wasteland counts for at least 80% of the game. I wish there were more variety, like Nocturne has. The areas themselves are pretty elaborate, and some areas can be hard to navigate - which isn't a bad thing. The music is quite good, with some outright great tracks here and there. Voice acting is fine, some stuff is kinda clunky, but it's not Octopath-level cringe.

    Gameplay-wise, I have some gripes. I'm not a huge fan of Heavy-level attacks that pierce, seems like a cop-out to me and doesn't really promote skill and demon variety. And when a boss casts Impaler's Animus (basically Charge/Concentrate with the Pierce effect added), guard with your MC and just hope for the best, because it's practically a one-hit KO. Regular attacks are painfully weak, to the point of being useless. Here, skills are so essential to deal basic damage that MP is often the limiting factor in both boss battles and exploration. It doesn't help that skill MP consumption is way higher than it was in previous games. Luster Candy and Debilitate usually took about 50 MP per cast in previous games, here it starts at 150 MP with baseline support affinity.

    ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY

    Like in SMT 4,physical skills use MP, so a demon with high HP and low MP is useless. Damage output is heavily correlated with character level, and the level scaling effect seems a bit too drastic. Any fight with a level gap over 5 is often too great to overcome. Exp gain is also heavily nerfed when above enemy levels, and without a decent late-game or post-game dungeon (at least without DLC to my knowledge), late-game grinding is incredibly impractical without level-up items, which I wasn't super careful about hoarding in my first playthrough.

    So there I was, trying to beat the superboss, under-leveled and getting rekt with little recourse but hours upon hours of super slow grinding... or buying DLC.

    I mentioned earlier that the Demon Compendium is easier to fill, but at the same time it makes the whole process less exciting and more mechanical. By the end of my second playthrough, I was just fusing all the demons I didn't have, with little regard to what skills they should be getting or what role they'll have in my team, because my team was already set with all those piercing skills, anyway.

    Ultimately, when playing on Normal for a "casual" run, these issues aren't that problematic, but during my second playthrough on hard where I wanted to change up my build, these issues became a bit more obvious.

    The second playthrough also exposed some issues with the story. A lot of "important" parts end up being forgettable and irrelevant to the overall arc, and secondary characters seem like they'll have something interesting or important to say, but they just end up being background noise. Only one character gets any sort of development, and he's the most annoying character in the game. And that's really too bad, because at the start of the game, when all these secondary characters are introduced, it seems like they're going to be really important, and that they'll have all sorts of interesting things to say and do, and that we'll get to see them grow and influence the world, but nah, they don't do anything. Endings-wise the Neutral choice is kinda chaosy, Chaos doesn't feel all that chaotic, and Law is so hardcore authoritarian it's hard to consider it a serious option.

    All in all, I don't think SMT 5 will convert non-fans into stans, but it's still a decent. Will I ever revisit this game? Not for the story, it's not particularly interesting or deep. A hard run? The level scaling would probably make it a crazy slog. Purely for the gameplay? I prefer Nocturne's, honestly. I think that's what makes it disappointing; mechanically it's solid, the gameplay is fun, but ultimately the weak story and poor characterization make the experience bland and forgettable.    … Expand
  29. neph36
    Nov 25, 2021
    5
    This game is pretty overrated. It performs abysmally on Switch. The music is terrible. The story is mostly non-existent and what's there is uninteresting. The overworld is good for exploration but just doesn't keep my interest. It is a dungeon crawler without dungeons.
    The gameplay is decent enough but could be better. Overall a pretty meh game. Disappointing.
  30. OhNoItsSenpai
    Nov 22, 2021
    7
    Fun game, staying true to the SMT franchise without the annoying dungeon crawling. Definitely feels like good game direction for the series. However the sprawling open worlds brings up this games main, glaring issue. It's on the Switch. Only plaid on TV so can't speak for how bad it plays in handheld but things look a bit gross, like the background is all cardboard cutouts being moved byFun game, staying true to the SMT franchise without the annoying dungeon crawling. Definitely feels like good game direction for the series. However the sprawling open worlds brings up this games main, glaring issue. It's on the Switch. Only plaid on TV so can't speak for how bad it plays in handheld but things look a bit gross, like the background is all cardboard cutouts being moved by children. Better off waiting for the game to come out on a real console.… Expand
  31. NoLameGames
    Dec 1, 2021
    3
    SMT V was a very disappointing title. The music is phenomenal, combat system is fun, the overall experience is brought down by performance issues and a story so barebones and dull you'd get as much entertainment from watching paint dry as reading through it. The combat is SMT at its best, the music is the standard fare. The new exploration elements are quite welcome. I'd recommend SMT IIISMT V was a very disappointing title. The music is phenomenal, combat system is fun, the overall experience is brought down by performance issues and a story so barebones and dull you'd get as much entertainment from watching paint dry as reading through it. The combat is SMT at its best, the music is the standard fare. The new exploration elements are quite welcome. I'd recommend SMT III and IV:A or Strange Journey over this anyday.… Expand
  32. LiterallyMe
    Nov 23, 2021
    6
    It's ok but I'm not a fan of the changes made to press turn, the relatively terrible music (compared to 3, 4, and 4A), terrible story and pacing, terrible main character design, idolmaster demons, etc.
    If you're starved for a JRPG it will probably satisfy you but this is without a doubt the worst mainline SMT game (yes, including the SNES ones)
    Definitely the worst implementation of    It's ok but I'm not a fan of the changes made to press turn, the relatively terrible music (compared to 3, 4, and 4A), terrible story and pacing, terrible main character design, idolmaster demons, etc.
    If you're starved for a JRPG it will probably satisfy you but this is without a doubt the worst mainline SMT game (yes, including the SNES ones)

    Definitely the worst implementation of Press Turn in a modern MegaTen game and the difficulty curve is broken- the game becomes a cakewalk by the time you get to the second area    … Expand
  33. Qwerti3d
    Nov 30, 2021
    4
    SMT V is a game touted as "excellent", "brutal" and "uncompromising" in its vision, but much of this is little more than hyperbole that masks the bland gameplay loop, characters and contrived world-building, suited for either the masochistic or those with an excess of time. The premise of SMT V is promising but is ruined by its poor execution. Pacing of the overall story is erratic andSMT V is a game touted as "excellent", "brutal" and "uncompromising" in its vision, but much of this is little more than hyperbole that masks the bland gameplay loop, characters and contrived world-building, suited for either the masochistic or those with an excess of time. The premise of SMT V is promising but is ruined by its poor execution. Pacing of the overall story is erratic and does little to elaborate on its supposed themes of law and chaos other than the occasional dialogue choices. Characters have as much personality as cardboard or dried paint; there is nothing to evoke pathos or simply to make you care. Music (especially combat) is little more than droning, repetitive guitar riffs and **** synths. There is no atmosphere, eeriness or mystery after the first few hours.

    The only goal is to proceed to the next quest marker, the next HP sponge and the next round of grind in a constant attempt to build your team against the next arbitrary obstacle. Gameplay consists of encounters mainly won by abusing specific elemental weaknesses/items (dampeners/shards/gems). Adjusting your team of demons requires an insignificant amount of grind (levelling characters, demon negotiation, etc.). Repeat this for every sub-quest/main-quest. Layer on the additional resets needed because of missed attacks, subsequent criticals, etc. and you have the game.

    If you enjoy mind-numbing grind and bastardised mythology, buy this game. Otherwise this is yet another, COVID-era JRPG that delivers an archaic and disappointing experience.    … Expand
  34. Muzhai
    Jan 23, 2022
    3
    Thank god for the beer. I am usually very focused on what I play. Even the things I hate, I play with burning passion. But for Shin Megami Tensei V, it's like my soul was meaning "kbye, abuse yourself as much as you want, I see myself out!"
  35. lesiuML
    Jan 3, 2022
    7
    It is really good game but it is hard ass hell... To be honest I haven't found that game to be satisfying... I was more stressed out after a long battle than happy. A lot have changed when I lowered the difficulty, game was a lot more engaging than for me. The story wasn't the best I've ever witnessed. But still story is so much better than smt3...
  36. AllNewSuperfake
    Nov 24, 2021
    5
    While pretty much every mechanic in the game is enjoyable, and technical nitpicks are mostly hardwaree-related, SMT 5 fails to answer the question why I'm doing what I'm doing. There is no agency at all, just busywork with the occasional story blurb that most of the time only underlines the total absence of a narrative.
  37. Sanick
    Feb 6, 2022
    0
    Consider my score a 4, but I'm rating lower to drag the overall rating closer to where I think it belongs. I'm a newcomer to the SMT series so I can't compare it to earlier entries.

    Pros: Battle System, RPG Mechanics (fusing and customizing demons, allocating stat points, etc.), soundtrack I had a lot of fun fusing demons and using essences to get strong members for my party. The    Consider my score a 4, but I'm rating lower to drag the overall rating closer to where I think it belongs. I'm a newcomer to the SMT series so I can't compare it to earlier entries.

    Pros: Battle System, RPG Mechanics (fusing and customizing demons, allocating stat points, etc.), soundtrack

    I had a lot of fun fusing demons and using essences to get strong members for my party. The customization mechanics alone occupied my time for hours on end.

    The battle system is very flexible and allows for many different strategies. Though, of course, all strategies devolve to using revive items and turtling when bosses hit you with those really fun party-wide nukes that ignore affinity and kill your demons from 100% health.

    There's a wide variety of high-energy rock tracks that play during battles, especially for boss and mini-boss battles. I never got tired of any single track. Except, strangely, the final boss fight, which just played some gloomy ambient sounds that brought the entire mood down. Talk about falling at the finish line.

    Cons: Setting, Plot, Characters, General Writing, Demon Negotiations

    All the writing in this game is just bad bad bad. The setting gets practically no discussion whatsoever, and the plot feels like it wasn't thought out at all and doesn't bother to explain anything of importance. Characters are either inconsequential, or come out of left-field with some extreme development that happened off-screen. But the characters are never interesting or compelling. I invested 90+ hours into a single playthrough, and though the combat and customization were fun, I expected more in the narrative department. I received F-tier writing. I also get the impression that prior knowledge of SMT titles may have been necessary to understand everything, essentially kicking me between the legs for making this my first SMT game.

    Demon Negotiations get their own section because I hate this part of the game with a fiery passion. When trying to get a demon to join your party they present you with some bizarre question. Depending on your answer, they may attack you immediately, flee the battle, or ask you another question. You almost always have to answer multiple questions "correctly" to get them to join you, and if you answer one wrong, you start all over. These questions are basically garbage personality riddles with no clear right answer, and caused me a ton of frustration. I don't think I'll ever think on the same wavelength as the devs so I'm just out of luck. I looked up fusion combinations online and stopped doing demon negotiations altogether. I just fused and fused and fused to get what I wanted. Screw this mechanic.

    Mixed: Visuals, Level Design

    Unfortunately, this game is on the Nintendo Switch, which seriously suffers in terms of graphic capabilities. This game could have looked way more impressive if it were on the PS4/5. Despite sacrifices in visual quality, a lot of people have reported poor performance. Personally, I rarely experienced stuttering or frame drops (but they did happen). The game ran smoothly, but many textures looked embarrassingly low-res for a modern game. Cutscenes ran noticeably below 30fps as well.

    The zones in this game are fairly expansive and lend themselves to exploration. However, this is made pretty inconvenient by the large number of enemies on the map, ready to launch you into a turn-based battle one after the other. It's a chore to battle them all, so you'll usually just end up trying to avoid them like they have cooties. Both these design choices just seem to get in each other's way and make the other one worse.

    I felt as though a lot of the zones were drab and dull. They were essentially all desolate wastelands. That's what they were supposed to be, but still, it didn't bring a lot of diversity. Any small sections which broke up the monotony were there and gone before you knew it, as you raced off to more sand dunes. I was especially surprised that the first zone was the most dull. Curiosity about what the heck is going on (due to literally no narration) will probably fuel players through the first zone just fine, but looking back, that place was very boring design-wise.

    Special call-out to the 3rd zone, which was absolute hell. There were so many different altitudes, and the map was worthless for representing the topography. But the zone itself was just far too complex with no clear path from one point to another. It just sucked. I probably beat the game a month later than I otherwise would have because it was so miserable to wander around that place.    … Expand
  38. ScottPilgrim
    Sep 15, 2022
    9
    i love when game devs challenge the player and respect them. this game does not hold your hand and play mama and papa. it’s up to you to trial and error your way through the game and gain experience and knowledge until you have it finally click, and start seeing more victory than defeat . the turn based is very challenging and strategic af. the game incentives the player to explore andi love when game devs challenge the player and respect them. this game does not hold your hand and play mama and papa. it’s up to you to trial and error your way through the game and gain experience and knowledge until you have it finally click, and start seeing more victory than defeat . the turn based is very challenging and strategic af. the game incentives the player to explore and find every and anything that will aid them on their tough journey. to my friends i call it the dark souls of turn based rpg. i hate how easy games are becoming as the new generations want everything to be easy.. but this game says no to that trend. i would give it a 10 but the story is lacking , but the gameplay , maps, and exploration kept me dying for more . very solid game .no random encounters either so it’s modernized . i would also take a point off for the performance but that isn’t the studios fault , that’s nintendos fault for keeping us on this ancient tech. but it does well with what it’s given .… Expand
  39. Z06Wingnut
    Nov 13, 2021
    8
    Great game.

    NOT a 10, quite clearly. - Minor performance issues (pop-in, frame rate drops/stutter), textures not great. - Story really stands more on great themes and atmosphere than great narrative. - Light on meaningful or particularly interesting characters to carry said story. Also not a 0 (zero), equally clearly. - Great battle system, thoughtfully executed and balanced.    Great game.

    NOT a 10, quite clearly.
    - Minor performance issues (pop-in, frame rate drops/stutter), textures not great.
    - Story really stands more on great themes and atmosphere than great narrative.
    - Light on meaningful or particularly interesting characters to carry said story.

    Also not a 0 (zero), equally clearly.
    - Great battle system, thoughtfully executed and balanced. Tons of variety.
    - World and exploration is fun, level design and vertical-ity is well done.
    - Aesthetics and art style is unique and interesting, in SMT tradition.
    - What story is present is cool, as is the lore of demons and overall atmosphere.
    - Ton of replay value due to difficulty and challenge as well as party and skill variety.

    The game is an 8 (probably 8.5) and is a ton of fun.
    More JRPGs could do with darker themes and more interesting non-basic medieval fantasy type settings/influences. This one is among the best in a while, and one of the best games I've played on Switch.    … Expand
  40. Encore22
    Nov 27, 2021
    0
    When IGN reviewed this game, they described it as "Persona without the soul" and received a lot of critique because of this. But were they actually spot on?

    The game barely has a story, and honestly might as well not even have been there, along with the meaningless side, and even the main character. You could just as well have played as a player made default character. The gameplay    When IGN reviewed this game, they described it as "Persona without the soul" and received a lot of critique because of this. But were they actually spot on?

    The game barely has a story, and honestly might as well not even have been there, along with the meaningless side, and even the main character. You could just as well have played as a player made default character.

    The gameplay is the strong part of the game, it can be fun to exploit the enemies weakness and rack up your turns, but in the end I find myself missing the more impactful knockdown system of the persona games. And for a game which is supposed to live and die on it's gameplay, as you get further in, it ends up being more and more shallow, with the final 50% of the game revolving around buffing up your team, debuffing your enemies and just pounding them. As there's no way to respecialize your main character, you end up locking yourself into a playstyle quite early on, which at least for me got boring after I heard "ARAMASA" for the 2000th time.

    The game has 200+ demons, but after a while you realize that there's not really a lot to differentiate them, a level 65+ god Thor is really not much different from the level 19 fluffy Shiisa. There is physical attackers, Magical attackers, Buffers/healers, Debuffers, Status demons (pretty much useless on bosses). In these arcetypes most demons play exactly the same, with the exception of a few unique demons who possess incredibly powerful unique skills. The problem with these are that they are mostly just very slighly more powerful versions of other spells, and play the same way. But when there's exceptions such as with series veteran **** it becomes a big issue as said demon is very easy to create and is simply better than all other physical attackers up until the very lategame, and the same goes for the healer/buffer Idunn, who I also kept until the end of the game. I wish all characters had unique ways of being played like these characters, and that the game's difficulty was balanced around this. If you had to combine demons based around this, the gameplay would surely have been more interesting.

    The exploration side of the gameplay is okay, it is quite basic, but I found myself collecting all 200 of the little miman characters which give a bit of glory, which can be used to specialize your character. Honestly though, it was something I felt compelled into doing, rather than actually enjoying, as I found myself being quite underleveled at the end of each level, which leads me to another thing I'd like to critique, the difficulty. I played this game on hard difficulty, which was the maximum I could choose. The game was quite hard in the beginning. What often ends up happening is that a quest or a story event puts you into a battle you have no idea if you can handle or not. On hard difficulty, early on if an enemy is more than 2 levels higher than you it's a game over. And most of the time this is the case. Resulting in a guaranteed 2 minute reload.

    In order to deal with a situation like this, you have to grind and fuse demons which counter the boss encounter. This is really what this game's difficulty comes down to. You grind usually 2-3 levels and fuse appropriate demons which resists the elements the boss uses and which have skills which the boss is weak to. You can also buy items to help with this. Perhaps this sounds complicated to someone who has not played a lot of JRPGs, but this is actually quite trivial, and I believe most people who go through this game will have quite a similar journey, fusing similar demons for the bosses. I would have appreciated a deeper system in a game which is a niche, hardcore JRPG.

    Fusing and customizing your demons takes a lot of menuing and waiting, out of the ~63 hours or so it took for me to complete this game and what I believe was all the side content, 10+ hour will be spent in menues and loading screens.

    The game's music is good, I especially like how the battle music does not really start until someone strikes the first blow. But now having finished the game, I cannot really recall a single song the way I can with the charming soundtrakcs of the Persona games.

    Because of all this I'd rate this game a five out of ten, and conclude by saying that Persona without its soul really is an apt way of describing this game.

    Take persona, strip away all the characters, its story, its music and the side systems which build into it's combat and you are left with this hollow experience which will leave few satisfied.    … Expand
  41. GenkiYokota
    Jan 27, 2022
    0
    The worst story and characters in the entire saga, and a horrible playable aspect and progress.
    I've had a lot of fun with previous SMT and Persona's, but this... "thing" is a bad joke.
  42. Sfooshy
    Nov 22, 2021
    9
    Honestly I enjoy the gameplay more than ps5. The atmosphere is absolutely amazing. I highly recommend this game if you're looking to play a jrpg on the switch.
  43. MlghtyRengar_
    Jan 30, 2022
    0
    Very bad game, a total shame for the spirit of Megaten, plus the performance is terrible
  44. Sunrisen
    Nov 13, 2021
    10
    Great jprg and probably the best game in the SMT series. The visuals can be a bit blurry, but you quickly stop paying attention to this when playing handheld. Special praise for the music and ambient sounds, not bored at all after 30 hours of play.
  45. CvetomirG
    Nov 13, 2021
    10
    Maintains the challenge of past games while improving everything else. Graphics are limited by the switch, but the gameplay is superb.

    One of the best RPGs of the last few years
  46. Chores
    Nov 13, 2021
    10
    A big step forward for the SMT series. The gameplay is perfectly balanced, all annoying moments from the previous games are removed (for example if after negotiations with the demon the hero's level is too low, at the next attempt the demon will remember his decision and will gladly join the team).

    The game moves from dungeons and a simplified map to a huge post-apocalyptic world, so    A big step forward for the SMT series. The gameplay is perfectly balanced, all annoying moments from the previous games are removed (for example if after negotiations with the demon the hero's level is too low, at the next attempt the demon will remember his decision and will gladly join the team).

    The game moves from dungeons and a simplified map to a huge post-apocalyptic world, so the graphics is ok.

    The story is focused on demons, in the first hours of the game it may seem that the characters are not well spelled out, but this is the original intention of the developers. The description of the origin of each of the demons is insanely interesting 10/10    … Expand
  47. Bridgeburner88
    Nov 13, 2021
    8
    A fantastic Jrpg

    Shin Megami Tensei 5 is one of the most
    Accessible and addictive entries in the series. My only complaint is constant performance issues. This game should of been developed for the ps4 at best.
  48. Nanashi95
    Nov 15, 2021
    10
    A superb return of the legendary series that definitely was worth the wait.
    It brings back everything I loved about SMT, like the surreal world, great music, the dark and occult themes, crushingly hard difficulty and the motivating demon collecting and brings it to a new generation in a great way.
    The only downsides come mainly from the technical limitations of the Switch, but don't hurt    A superb return of the legendary series that definitely was worth the wait.
    It brings back everything I loved about SMT, like the surreal world, great music, the dark and occult themes, crushingly hard difficulty and the motivating demon collecting and brings it to a new generation in a great way.
    The only downsides come mainly from the technical limitations of the Switch, but don't hurt the experience at all.
    As a huge fan of SMT 3 Nocturne, this is definitely my game of the year.    … Expand
  49. Morix880z
    Nov 13, 2021
    10
    im just happy they did the right stuff after 10 years, literally gaming :DDDD
  50. Sejman22
    Nov 13, 2021
    10
    GOTY 2021

    Buy this game. Maybe if this game sell well we get ,,non'' Persona spin-offs like new Devil Summoner, Devil Survivor or Majin Tensei.
  51. xExelx
    Nov 14, 2021
    10
    Absolute Fun Game
    Deep Combat System
    Hard Mode is kinda fun Less School from Persona Never wanted to be Persona On its own Series SMT V is just fun, Sidequests giving Progress and Finishing Moves Boss Fights are horrible strong if you dont overlvl or have a perfect group, Playing and fuse demons to have a good team even just for one Boss is just cool :) Graphic looks okay, its a    Absolute Fun Game
    Deep Combat System
    Hard Mode is kinda fun
    Less School from Persona
    Never wanted to be Persona
    On its own Series
    SMT V is just fun, Sidequests giving Progress and Finishing Moves
    Boss Fights are horrible strong if you dont overlvl or have a perfect group,
    Playing and fuse demons to have a good team even just for one Boss is just cool :)

    Graphic looks okay, its a switch game, just a little bit monoton lvl design but the atmosphere is right    … Expand
  52. Efrim
    Feb 20, 2022
    2
    Sería un 10 si viniera aquí la versión de yuzu a 2k 60fps( el cambio es absolutamente abismal ).

    Sinceramente en switch no se juega bien. Caídas de fps constantes. Pop-in absurdo, no he revisado pero estoy seguro que el juego corre a menos de 720p de resolución. Se ve súper borroso. El juego es un bonito 10 si lo emulas en yuzu. Mi juego de switch lo voy a vender
  53. daimon72
    Feb 10, 2023
    4
    Boring as hell. Nonexistent plot, boring atmosphere. It's like this game was made for a robot to enjoy. Completely lacks creativity. I can't believe how generic this game is. Huge downgrade from SMT IV imo.
  54. Color465
    Apr 12, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Only negative but it's in all atlus games it's the frustrating map designs if only they would remove that difficulty from there games it would be a much better experience imo spending 12 hours on 1 map and still didn't find all the items anyone with bad sense of direction I recommend not picking this up… Expand
  55. M4N0R4F43L
    Nov 13, 2021
    10
    Gráficos fantásticos, exploração fluída nada pouco cansativa, combate refinado e uma trilha sonora impecável. Um jogo divertido e desafiador uma bela entrada para quem quer conhecer a franquia ou para amantes de um bom JRPG. Vale muito a pena
  56. Yourguyrei
    Nov 17, 2021
    10
    Wow. What an amazing game. New to the series but over 10 hours in and I'm already in love with it. Everything about the game is perfect. The only thing would be difficulty level for bosses but it's an added challenge that only adds a big reward feel when you overcome them. While there is some grinding needed to proceed through most bosses, the combat system keeps it fun and engaging andWow. What an amazing game. New to the series but over 10 hours in and I'm already in love with it. Everything about the game is perfect. The only thing would be difficulty level for bosses but it's an added challenge that only adds a big reward feel when you overcome them. While there is some grinding needed to proceed through most bosses, the combat system keeps it fun and engaging and the visuals are crisp and vivid. Definitely check this one out. Will be checking out the rest of the series after sinking a few dozen more hours into this one. :)… Expand
  57. youshouldknow
    Nov 15, 2021
    10
    Once again, Atlus sets another standard for turn based JRPG's to follow. If this gets ported to PC and Playstation, then it's over for every other gaming company.
  58. wyeth1999
    Nov 15, 2021
    10
    Game of the year
    Gameplay 10/10
    Graphic 10/10
    Music 10/10
    Story 9/10
    Characters 7/10
  59. d4mkii
    Nov 15, 2021
    10
    The game is everything to want in a JRPG. It’s absolutely phenomenal with breathtaking graphics on a Switch with an improved battle system that combines SMT3’s and 4’s and balances it out well.
  60. Goodnightmoon
    Nov 22, 2021
    10
    This game had a User Score of 9.0 when there was 200 reviews and suddenly more than 80 zero out 10 reviews came in and the game wen down to 7.1. Some people are really angry this game is on the switch and getting praise, this is yet another metabombing which is just sad. Dont trust the user score, this game is outstanding and one of the best rpgs of the generation. 9.5/10.
  61. Nuro0o
    Nov 22, 2021
    10
    Love it, very good addition to the shin megami tensei series.

    - Open world is done nicely
    - Love the demon choices
    - Story is pretty interesting
  62. deadfox
    Nov 15, 2021
    10
    I bought a Switch for this game, and I don't regret it one bit, the game is such a blast, and it's fun to traverse and recruit demons. This series is my favorite for a reason.
  63. Mimikyu
    Nov 15, 2021
    9
    I waited since the announcement and not dissapointed. This entry is story focused similar to smt4. The game runs fairly decent and demon model quality has for the majority fastly been improved compared to other megaten games like p5. DLC is bit high in price, but its nice to see the effort they made including other smt games and not a ripoff compared to the dlc in smt4 to P5R.
  64. Duk3on3
    Nov 15, 2021
    10
    First time playing any of this games. Great fun. Challenging, smart battle mechanics, game design, best game I purchased for the last 2 years. Absolutely hooked.
  65. rockmanjae
    Nov 15, 2021
    10
    The absolute peak of the Megami Tensei franchise. The gameplay and sheer scale of the world is at the best the series has ever seen. Soundtrack and sound design is extremely top-notch thanks to the talents of Kozuka and Konishi. Graphically, the art style is beautiful but there's some pop-in, frame rate chugs here and there (100% due to the Switch hardware for that) but it isn't a dealThe absolute peak of the Megami Tensei franchise. The gameplay and sheer scale of the world is at the best the series has ever seen. Soundtrack and sound design is extremely top-notch thanks to the talents of Kozuka and Konishi. Graphically, the art style is beautiful but there's some pop-in, frame rate chugs here and there (100% due to the Switch hardware for that) but it isn't a deal breaker in my opinion. The demon negotiation dialogue is as amusing as ever and the story is very engaging! The challenge of the game is perfect, but there are difficulty options if needed. If you're a fan of JRPGs at all, you would be doing yourself a disservice by not playing this game! (So I definitely recommend that you check it out). Also, look at this: https://twitter.com/End3rJ/status/1459934544052768771?s=20… Expand
  66. Davel33123
    Nov 16, 2021
    10
    Good gameplay, incredible music, unique original fantasy setting absolute must have ! This is why I bought a switch on launch day .
    I've waited a long time but man was it worth it .!
    Atlas are such a fantastic developer
  67. 3vg69
    Nov 14, 2021
    10
    The best RPG of this year and one of the best games in 2021, great work by Atlus and this game deserve better
  68. hokemi
    Nov 14, 2021
    10
    Dungeon crawling. Demon fusion. Fun overworld movement. Collectibles. Classic amazing smt battle system. This is probably the best jrpg for switch this year please pick it up.
  69. LustLain
    Nov 13, 2021
    10
    Incredible game, the exploration aspect adds a lot to the game. Soundtrack's killer as always. Don't be scared to try hard mode (you can always lower it later if you need to), it's a lot of fun and super rewarding when you finally manage to defeat a hard boss.
  70. cookie321
    Nov 13, 2021
    10
    I give 10out of 10 bec it veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery goooooooooooooooooooooooooooood
  71. Parzival127
    Nov 15, 2021
    9
    My first SMT game and it has blown me away. Do not expect the game to be something it's not. Many compare it to Persona 5. My only JRPG besides SMTV was Dragon Quest XI S. For those times I wanted it to be DQ I did not enjoy the game. But once I allowed myself to enjoy the game for what it was - its own mechanics, its own story, its own difficulty curve - I fell in love. DefinitelyMy first SMT game and it has blown me away. Do not expect the game to be something it's not. Many compare it to Persona 5. My only JRPG besides SMTV was Dragon Quest XI S. For those times I wanted it to be DQ I did not enjoy the game. But once I allowed myself to enjoy the game for what it was - its own mechanics, its own story, its own difficulty curve - I fell in love. Definitely recommend the game to those that enjoy JRPGs and are willing to appreciate this game for its own uniqueness.… Expand
  72. JulioZamudio
    Nov 23, 2021
    9
    30 hours in, I can easily say that its gameplay is one of its strongest suits. The art direction is amazing. It doesn't get a 10 to me JUST because there some elements of the story that felt a little stretched.
  73. BotheredPond
    Nov 23, 2021
    10
    With about 40 hours of gameplay clocked in, this game has surpassed any expectation i had for the S.M.T franchise.
    Despite having the classic JRPG turn-based combat style the gamplay loop remains enjoyable and fresh, with it's challenging battles and fun exploration on an open-ended map.
  74. Racsoul
    Nov 21, 2021
    10

    The game is beautiful and for a switch game, they have done well giving us such an outstanding entry like this. One of the most fun and engaging combat over of all the main smt games. I amply recommend this
  75. MYSTIC7
    Nov 15, 2021
    10
    I waited a long time for this game and I can easily say that it did not disappointed. I had the best time in a long time and thank you Atlus for this masterpiece of a game!
  76. GalacticTF
    Nov 15, 2021
    10
    This game is such a good time, dude. I can't believe I was missing out all this time. I love the graphics and the gameplay so much, and the music slaps.
  77. Risax
    Nov 19, 2021
    8
    Although the game isn't as brutally unfair as IV was, especially at the start where you could get ambushed and wiped out in the tutorial fight, SMT V is still hard as and a slip-up during a random encounter can get your party wiped out. But I like it!

    Exploration feels amazing. Running and jumping around to find Minman's, treasure or just cross the area is a lot of fun even if most of    Although the game isn't as brutally unfair as IV was, especially at the start where you could get ambushed and wiped out in the tutorial fight, SMT V is still hard as and a slip-up during a random encounter can get your party wiped out. But I like it!

    Exploration feels amazing. Running and jumping around to find Minman's, treasure or just cross the area is a lot of fun even if most of the areas are a bit "meh" to look at. If you've seen one ruined cityscape in the desert or ash than you've seen them all, I'd say. But that really doesn't get me out of the game.

    The best part about the game has to be combat, however. Finding enemy weaknesses to take them out before they can even take a turn feels *fantastic*! But you're always kept on your toes, because if you're unlucky the same thing can happen to you. Which takes us to the World of Shadows where Demons gather and you can fuse more powerful Demons that might lack the weaknesses of the old ones.

    Or you can try to convince a Demon to join your group by talking to one during combat. They might call you a b***h and leave, though. But those conversations are probably another thing that makes the game great.

    Now what I dislike about this new game in the series is stuff like the buffs now being on a timer and feeling pretty much useless until you get their "Ma" versions that can target the entire party. In past games they simply lasted until they got dispelled. I guess that adds another layer of challenge which I can *kind of* understand, but I still kind of feel "meh" about it.

    Physical attacks no longer taking HP and *everything* simply costing MP now does friggin' suck. Takes away the fun of "Hmmm... Do I want to use this big move that does a lot of damage but costs x amount of HP, or will I hold off for now?" I also don't understand why they've done away with it because SMT IV still used HP for it, and the Persona 5 spin-off games that have come out in the interim still use it as well.

    Overall, I would score the game between an 8 and an 8.5. Some changes and additions I dislike, but overall it's a solid game that I will likely play again to get a different ending once I finish it. It's a definite recommendation on my end!    … Expand
  78. SurTails101
    Nov 18, 2021
    10
    I'm at around 35 hours in at the moment of writing this review. Wow what a game. I must agree with some reviewers here that the story is probably not the strongest point but verything else is amazing. I don't expect third party games that look like this to perform all that well on the switch and in all honestly I think the performance exceeded my expectation so I'm impressed on that part.I'm at around 35 hours in at the moment of writing this review. Wow what a game. I must agree with some reviewers here that the story is probably not the strongest point but verything else is amazing. I don't expect third party games that look like this to perform all that well on the switch and in all honestly I think the performance exceeded my expectation so I'm impressed on that part.

    After SMT IV, I had big expectation for the soundtrack and boy does it not disappoint. Banger after banger. Eargasm after eargasm.

    Gameplay is fantastic. Fusing and gathering demons is addicting. The platforming/exploring is surprisingly fun and enjoyable. Combat is great, but I admit, if you're not into turn by turn, this may not be your cup of tea (though I could say the same about P5)

    The art direction in this game is excellent. The ambiance throughout the game is unique.

    9.5/10 (let's round it up shall we)    … Expand
  79. Parkerx87
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    My favorite game of the Switch, very additive, i can't stop playing it, best RPG on the system.
    If you have a Switch you must BUY this game.
  80. grit7
    Nov 16, 2021
    10
    Just buy it. It will be one of the best games you got yourself on switch. You'll love it!
  81. PandaBass
    Nov 18, 2021
    10
    Despite a few technical hiccups (pop in & a few rare cases of fps drops) it's truly a stellar game!
  82. Pockit
    Nov 18, 2021
    10
    This game despite being in the oven for a very long time, managed to still exceed my expectations and deliver an amazing experience to which I'll never forget. This was not my first game for the series nor it was the second, but i firmly believe that anyone can pick up and play this game and enjoy it just the same. I can only hope that Atlus continues to create more products that can be this good.
  83. Dakath
    Nov 19, 2021
    10
    Excellent JRPG, nothing like Persona which might upset people who might think that they're alike. SMT is more focused on dark and philosophical themes instead of Persona's more personal and wholesome stories. You get multiple endigs but unlike Persona, none of them is inherently bad or worse than another. Music also deserves praise, it fits excellently to the mood of the game. Only minorExcellent JRPG, nothing like Persona which might upset people who might think that they're alike. SMT is more focused on dark and philosophical themes instead of Persona's more personal and wholesome stories. You get multiple endigs but unlike Persona, none of them is inherently bad or worse than another. Music also deserves praise, it fits excellently to the mood of the game. Only minor con is the performance, fps drops some times and loading times tend to be longish… Expand
  84. Captaincrap94
    Nov 23, 2021
    8
    I beat the game on casual. This was my first SMT game. Most of the game is great but I didn't like the end of the game. The open world sections of the game are the best parts. I really enjoyed running around in the environments. Adding new demons to your party and acquiring skills is fun too. The battles are great as well, you can even talk to enemies. The soundtrack has some hit or missI beat the game on casual. This was my first SMT game. Most of the game is great but I didn't like the end of the game. The open world sections of the game are the best parts. I really enjoyed running around in the environments. Adding new demons to your party and acquiring skills is fun too. The battles are great as well, you can even talk to enemies. The soundtrack has some hit or miss songs, but I did enjoy it overall.

    I have gripes with the gameplay and the story of the end of the game but I won't put spoilers in this review.    … Expand
  85. 5xdangp
    Nov 23, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Excellent game with a ton of potential. Highly recommend to anyone who likes JRPGs.… Expand
  86. chaotickclock
    Nov 23, 2021
    10
    A great addition to the SMT series. Wonderful character designs, a mysterious post apocalyptic world to explore, and tons of entertaining conversations to be had with demons in and out of battle. The story might be a bit lacking for some peoples tastes but the game more then makes up for it with the personality of the demons you find on your way. itstutters a bit when opening menus, butA great addition to the SMT series. Wonderful character designs, a mysterious post apocalyptic world to explore, and tons of entertaining conversations to be had with demons in and out of battle. The story might be a bit lacking for some peoples tastes but the game more then makes up for it with the personality of the demons you find on your way. itstutters a bit when opening menus, but aside from that no noticeable performance issues.… Expand
  87. bot199269
    Nov 23, 2021
    10
    SMT V has:
    A vastly world to explore with a ton of stuff to do.
    A fantastical battle system with a lot of customization. The magatsuhi skills are visually impressing
    A challenging difficult

    The story is very slow but the gameplay is amazing and highly enjoyable.

    I wish this game had a PS4 release with graphical improvements because the artstyle is gorgeous and it deserves an HD version
  88. wsharp91
    Nov 23, 2021
    10
    Es un gran juego, debería estar para otras consolas ya que switch tiene un hardware limitado, aun asi shin megami tensei no deja de ser una gran saga.
  89. manute12
    Nov 24, 2021
    10
    This is probably the best entry in the series, combat is better than ever open world feels great and makes exploring fun and rewarding. The demon negotiations are hilarious. Amazing game overall.
  90. mepphy
    Nov 23, 2021
    10
    Game Is a success. It kicks your ass if you don't know how to play. Grapich Is very good (for a switch game) and characters interaction are so fun and 4thwall breaking. Also if someone says "this isn't as Persona 5" you are bad
  91. Gearbram
    Nov 23, 2021
    10
    I've waited for this game since it's announcement and i'm not disappointed!

    I already played SMT III, SMT IV, SMT IV Apocalypse and Strange Journey (i also played a bunch of Persona games, but that's a different story) and this game here is so far the best in the series/franchise, expanding the gameplay with large, explorable maps, great graphics and even greater music. I personally    I've waited for this game since it's announcement and i'm not disappointed!

    I already played SMT III, SMT IV, SMT IV Apocalypse and Strange Journey (i also played a bunch of Persona games, but that's a different story) and this game here is so far the best in the series/franchise, expanding the gameplay with large, explorable maps, great graphics and even greater music. I personally love to collect all the demons.

    I really don't get, why people review bomb this... Either Die-Hard Persona Fans or the so-called "Console Warriors".

    This game is NOT Persona! Persona is in fact a spin-off of Shin Megami Tensei. Persona is about the individuals in it with a imaginary world in the minds of people. Shin Megami Tensei is about the entire world and the state it is with actual creatures from folklore.
    Persona has a more linear world with a set calendar and social links.
    Shin Megami Tensei has a bigger world free to explore and a more complex battle system, where you can pick your party members from over 200 Demons in the game.

    I personally enjoyed it greatly. That's MY opinion.    … Expand
  92. FraRub0901
    Nov 24, 2021
    9
    I’m not used to write reviews here on metacritic, since i don’t think to possess the right instruments to evaluate video games properly. But, even if it could be seen as a childish reaction, i’d like to give my contribution against this unacceptable review bombing.
    SMT V is formidable as an JRPG, and, in general, it deserves to reach the summit of Switch’s game roster. From battle    I’m not used to write reviews here on metacritic, since i don’t think to possess the right instruments to evaluate video games properly. But, even if it could be seen as a childish reaction, i’d like to give my contribution against this unacceptable review bombing.
    SMT V is formidable as an JRPG, and, in general, it deserves to reach the summit of Switch’s game roster. From battle mechanics, to game design and lovely exploration sessions, it gives players the opportunity to experiment, and to fall and rise against formidable enemies and bosses.
    And yes, i know you’ve heard about its difficulty… Well, the genre it belongs to is famous for being too much lenient most of the times, avoiding any attempts to be challenging. This title crosses this sort of metaphorical complexity wall, giving players the opportunity to challenge themselves, even at lower difficulties. Yeah, it could be hard to handle, but if this aspect intrigues you, this new megaten iteration is the right answer to your hardcore pulses.
    Nintendo portable console tries to match technical requests as much as possible, and, at the end of the day, the final result is not that bad. Frame rate drops could occur here and there, but, at the same time, combat sessions are not affected, even a little bit.
    If you struggle to trust what i’ve written right before, just take a look at gameplays elsewhere, then come back here, and make your personal evaluation.
    SMT V is running for being that hidden treasure that you were searching for.    … Expand
  93. Noygarn
    Nov 24, 2021
    10
    This is one of the best games I ever played also it has great finals like all smt’s and has one of the best gameplay of all time
  94. Darne
    Nov 24, 2021
    10
    Excellent combat and addicting gameplay. The story could be better and deeper but it's still okay
  95. Darksparkh1
    Nov 25, 2021
    10
    A must have if you like (J)rpgs.
    I actually like it more than Persona 5.

    I dont understand most of the negative reviews here, its like ppl who dont like (j)rpgs in general tryed it because they heard its great, but dont like it beccause they dont like any turn based (j)rpg.
  96. MadMaxxieXD
    Nov 13, 2021
    9
    Loving the game so far, very fun exploring, lots to collect, the new systems with essences and miracles is really cool, as well as the changes to fusion, it really sets you up to constantly change up your team and main character in response to whatever you face. My only slight negatives are that it's much easier than I expected coming from Nocturne, wish I had played on hard instead ofLoving the game so far, very fun exploring, lots to collect, the new systems with essences and miracles is really cool, as well as the changes to fusion, it really sets you up to constantly change up your team and main character in response to whatever you face. My only slight negatives are that it's much easier than I expected coming from Nocturne, wish I had played on hard instead of normal but still hard enough that I'm having fun. Highly recommend to fans of RPGs and games like Pokemon.… Expand
  97. SilverScale
    Nov 15, 2021
    9
    Good game, in terms on JRPG is totally insane. Im not giving it a 10 mainly because the performance issues and textures.
  98. Plantbat
    Nov 15, 2021
    10
    Buy this game, support it, it's the best looking game on Switch and it's the most fun. Best JRPG on the system.
  99. Harald23
    Nov 14, 2021
    10
    This game is a 10. GOTY material. From the art style to the music, each demon has its own sets of unique animations, no other monster collecting game has this attention to details. The graphics are the best in an SMT game and the best from a JRPG on Switch.

    Combat is nice and balanced, you can kill demons with one hit with certain skills but some demons can too so you gotta be careful.    This game is a 10. GOTY material. From the art style to the music, each demon has its own sets of unique animations, no other monster collecting game has this attention to details. The graphics are the best in an SMT game and the best from a JRPG on Switch.

    Combat is nice and balanced, you can kill demons with one hit with certain skills but some demons can too so you gotta be careful. I love the gameplay loop of this game, it just flows so perfectly: you explore a new area, hunt for all the secrets, fight the new demons and recruit them and get the new sidequests and bosses.

    Difficulty, don't listen to distracted annoying reviewers: the game tells you from the start, if you are new to the series "easy" is recommended, if you are a returning player go with "normal", and if you want more challenge there is hard, and there is even a safety mode for babies. You can always lower the difficulty if you are struggling.

    Story is there enough to create the atmosphere and the mystery, but the big plot decisions are in the second half of the game.

    Overall this might end up being my favourite SMT.    … Expand
  100. Auusefesa
    Nov 13, 2021
    10
    10/10, sound, art, music, sounds, characters, design, story, combat, everything in this game is 10/10
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Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Best Switch Game of 2021
6
#6 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 98 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 89 out of 98
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 98
  3. Negative: 0 out of 98
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Mar 7, 2022
    80
    What a journey! After eight years of waiting, the fifth installment of MegaTen is finally here, and it manages to deliver a satisfying experience. It may not have the deepest plot or most interesting cast of human characters, but it's fun, and I appreciate that it challenged me to think more about myself, my beliefs and how I view the world around me. And how many games can do that? [Issue #57 – January/February 2022, p. 76]
  2. Universo Nintendo
    Mar 5, 2022
    90
    SMTV brought everything I expected from a new chapter in the series of one of the first RPG games made, always renewing and innovating. We have an adventure that will make you stay for more than 40 hours hoping it doesn't end. It's really a great must-have for SMT fans and highly recommended for any RPG fan.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 18, 2022
    80
    Comparing with an adored Persona cannot be avoided, but it is still a quite different experience for a different audience. Great fights, growing demons, excelent graphics and atmosphere. This JRPG succeeded.
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