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. raikanoba_916
    Nov 14, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is my first time playing a MegaTen JRPG. I am impressed! The lore is deep and the gameplay is intense and challenging.… Expand
  2. Omister7
    Nov 14, 2021
    10
    From the reviews that compare this to persona, to the 0/10 reviews that saw in the review it is a 9.5, to the 0/10 reviews that clearly love the game and are simply "balancing the score to be a 9/10". Understand that next to monster hunter rise, this is the only game of the year option on switch. Andand any rpg fan will love it.
  3. senorcarbone
    Nov 14, 2021
    10
    A masterpiece! Love the art direction and mechanics. It’s a fusion of the best parts of megaten and other jrpg series. Gives great power and freedom to the player without sacrificing fun.
  4. RRC45
    Nov 14, 2021
    10
    One of the best JRPG of the year. Fun gameplay, good music, exploration is fun. All in all just a really fun game.
  5. Bnois
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    Looks like a swarm of pokefanatics came here to make this game look worse than recent pokemon remakes.
    What can I say, you do you and people who know a thing or two about good games will have a blast playing this one.
  6. Ranger31
    Nov 23, 2021
    10
    Great game, better visuals than other games, the difficulty is something you can play with instead of no braining the entire game like with most of the new rpg games out there, as only grinding will not help you. The story is so immersive without needing to be thrown at your face every 5 minutes. The design of the world is pretty well done, as well as the movements of the MC, talking aboutGreat game, better visuals than other games, the difficulty is something you can play with instead of no braining the entire game like with most of the new rpg games out there, as only grinding will not help you. The story is so immersive without needing to be thrown at your face every 5 minutes. The design of the world is pretty well done, as well as the movements of the MC, talking about that, it reminds me, the animations are pretty well done as some demons even have unique skills with unique animations and chamera angles. A lot of effort is seen to be put in this game. I would definitely recommend it.… Expand
  7. syounen
    Nov 23, 2021
    10
    this is my first smt game and i love it! the hard bosses even in normal mode. how punishing mistakes are, collection of demon. demon fusion. exploration everything.. im 60h in at the time of writing this and still have so many side quest i didn't finish. super recommendable for first timers like i was.
  8. TalionSwift
    Nov 19, 2021
    10
    Geez, I never really played many games in this franchise, but this one is the best that I've played. Definitely the only one I can say that I've beaten. However it was not an easy task but was quite fun. I love it.
  9. Dizo
    Nov 22, 2021
    10
    good very good and probably the best game in our modern age no complaints haha
  10. Kotovskiy85
    Nov 18, 2021
    10
    Absolutely incredible game! Gameplay, graphics, music, plot, direction, characters, quests are all on a solid 10. You just turn it on and disappear for a few hours.
    The first thing that struck me was of course the gameplay - now you can jump and actively explore the area, the second is the graphics - WOW, this is a BOTW level, and the third is of course the bosses - I was able to defeat    Absolutely incredible game! Gameplay, graphics, music, plot, direction, characters, quests are all on a solid 10. You just turn it on and disappear for a few hours.
    The first thing that struck me was of course the gameplay - now you can jump and actively explore the area, the second is the graphics - WOW, this is a BOTW level, and the third is of course the bosses - I was able to defeat the first one only on the third attempt, and from the second I got such a strong kick in the ass that I had to raise the level for several hours and assemble a suitable team. This is simply amazing considering that this is a normal level of difficulty.
    JRPG elements work just great and make you think in almost every battle, especially with bosses. The last time I remember such a high-quality fight was in FFX.
    At first I didn't like the fact that all the icons, menus and style are straight from Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE, but after a few hours you start to see and understand their depth and difference - it's very cool.
    Endless gratitude to ATLUS for giving us this masterpiece!    … Expand
  11. BaronInjust
    Nov 17, 2021
    10
    This game is beyond amazing the sole reason I bougth a switch all those years ago and it delivers. The game of the decade just buy it.
  12. Xeno2
    Nov 22, 2021
    9
    Gameplay 10/10
    Music 10/10
    Exploration 10/10 Story and characters 7/10 The game is similar to Pokémon in which the generally the core gameplay stays the same yet manages to shake it up through a few new mechanics or new features every game. In this case it’s the magatsui gauge and exploration which for the most part the game does fantastically. I will say people should temper their    Gameplay 10/10
    Music 10/10
    Exploration 10/10
    Story and characters 7/10 The game is similar to Pokémon in which the generally the core gameplay stays the same yet manages to shake it up through a few new mechanics or new features every game. In this case it’s the magatsui gauge and exploration which for the most part the game does fantastically. I will say people should temper their expectations when it comes to this game series. First of all it is not a persona game unlike those games the story and characters are weaker or more contextual. However the story it’s story telling is more like noturnes but it unfortunately is the weakest part of the game even among the entirety of the smt series.    … Expand
  13. Aosama
    Nov 22, 2021
    10
    Simply my favorite smt game so far
    With interesting story and great character design. The gameplay is also the best in the series And the music is breathtaking
  14. Ragnar_san
    Nov 14, 2021
    10
    Juego absolutamente genial, jugadlo y dejaros sorprender por un grandisimo jrpg.
  15. Na29292
    Nov 14, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Incredible game! I'm not a fan of jrpg, but this game made me love them! I recommend it to anyone… Expand
  16. Roflan105
    Nov 22, 2021
    1
    Very bad game. Story is worst in all SMT franchise. Gameplay is mediocre, open world is good but fights are too easy even on hard mode.
  17. JK73
    Nov 24, 2021
    4
    Artificial difficulty that doesnt reward strategy but rather grinding levels, its either super easy or you get one shot, which in a turn based game is MISERABLE. Story and characters are forgettable but the open world and world building is incredible, carries the game.
  18. cntrl
    Nov 16, 2021
    10
    Atlus delivered yet another SMT mainline game and this one certainly does not disappoint!
    If you're in for a challenging RPG with a great Press Turn Battle System and a dark storyline then SMT V is definitely worth a try!
  19. Hyrule34
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    Shin Megami Tensei V is a wonderful JRPG, I have been playing the game for so many hours, it's fantastic. The game looks beautiful, the combat is great and the soundtrack is a banger. I also love the story and the characters. To anyone complaining that this game is hard: Just play in easy or the free DLC one which is safety mode. If you chose Normal or Hard, then yes the game is hard asShin Megami Tensei V is a wonderful JRPG, I have been playing the game for so many hours, it's fantastic. The game looks beautiful, the combat is great and the soundtrack is a banger. I also love the story and the characters. To anyone complaining that this game is hard: Just play in easy or the free DLC one which is safety mode. If you chose Normal or Hard, then yes the game is hard as hell. So I really don't get your complaint since there's difficulty options for a reason.
    Anyway, while the game looks wonderful on Switch, the frame rate might dip a bit but it's nothing serious. It doesn't hinder the experience. All in all, SMT V is a good SMT game and a great RPG.    … Expand
  20. Lazarus93
    Nov 16, 2021
    10
    What a game, what a game indeed. Only negatives are docked mode performance issues.
  21. Ghost7100
    Nov 18, 2021
    10
    This series had a rather slow but smooth transition into HD consoles & I gotta give props to the devs for that, excellent gameplay, exceptional soundtrack & art design, phenomenal storyline that leaves you with a lot to think about.
    Definitely one of the very best the Switch has to offer, & one of the very best iterations of this long running, pioneering series, don't sleep on this one.
  22. Gaioti
    Nov 17, 2021
    10
    After playing P3:fes and P4 Golden and loving both, it was time to try SMT, and wow, please give it a try, this is without a doubt one of the best JRPGs ever made.
  23. JohnDoeVin
    Nov 17, 2021
    9
    Some story pacing and performance issues aside, SMT V is without a doubt the JRPG of the year for me. It brings back the fun strategic combat the series is known for and adds many customizable options for not only your main character but also your demons. I easily lost many hours simply focusing on building a better team to use in battle because I enjoyed this aspect so much. There areSome story pacing and performance issues aside, SMT V is without a doubt the JRPG of the year for me. It brings back the fun strategic combat the series is known for and adds many customizable options for not only your main character but also your demons. I easily lost many hours simply focusing on building a better team to use in battle because I enjoyed this aspect so much. There are over 200 playable demons and many of them with the right skills and attributes can be useful party members. It really just depends on how much work you’re willing to put into each one of them. While in past games some lower level demons served merely as fusion material for stronger ones, now you can build them in a way that they can be useful even at the end of the game. Demon negotiations have never been more fun as the dialogues are frequently hilarious and even though the outcomes can be just as unpredictable as previous games there is definitely a strategy to them. Visually the game looks beautiful running on Unreal Engine 4 and I can safely say that the demons and environments have never looked better! The post-apocalyptic areas are all intricately designed and nearly every nook and cranny is filled with a surprise for you to discover. Last but certainly not least is the amazing soundtrack. I still have some of the battle tracks looping in my head as I’m writing this. Bottom line: If you have even a slight interest in monster-collecting games or even just JRPG’s in general, I would highly recommend this game.… Expand
  24. Avgvsto
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    Good Game. A new breath for JRPGs with its massive exploration and customization. A must-play for any Jrpg enjoyer.
  25. Mr_Duck
    Nov 22, 2021
    10
    this is an incredible JRPG. people are review bombing this game for no reason. it is challenging, has great level design and music, and it has a beautiful art style. all of these come together to make one of the greatest JRPGs on the switch.
  26. Squiddy_101
    Nov 24, 2021
    10
    Ignore the 0s with people complaining it isn't like Persona, SMT V is gameplay and atmosphere first.

    If you're expecting a super-deep character driven story, look elsewhere, SMT is NOT Persona.
  27. 2_turnt
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    This game is simply amazing

    Game of the year
    Gameplay 10/10
    Graphics 8/10
    Music 10/10
    Story 9/10
    Characters 10/10
  28. Wex8
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    Great game. Just everything about it is awesome. Music, combat, exploration are just soo good. Play it.
  29. FinedrivE
    Nov 22, 2021
    9
    Having played them all since the PS2 this one ranks up near the highest for me. I like it more than III and IV but not as much as IVA which was just weird AF and enjoyable to experience. The story is weaker than other entries like Strange Journey or IV and IVA. A couple of points: - 1. I miss the 2D sprites but understand their time has past. The 3D models look great though and and theHaving played them all since the PS2 this one ranks up near the highest for me. I like it more than III and IV but not as much as IVA which was just weird AF and enjoyable to experience. The story is weaker than other entries like Strange Journey or IV and IVA. A couple of points: - 1. I miss the 2D sprites but understand their time has past. The 3D models look great though and and the animation that goes along with them looks nice and breaths a little bit of life into some demons I’ve been seeing since the PS2 games. - 2. The English dub is good. It’s not great but it’s good. The Japanese dub is nice too. I’m not a “subs are better than dubs” guy but the Japanese voice acting is great. - 3. There are some breakneck changes in environment after the first area. I knew they would have more than just an open desert the entire game but the variety in environments is fantastic. - 4. OG Megaten folks will miss the dungeons. I do. I wish there had been another dungeon throw. In between some of the other areas but otherwise the ones we got were down nicely and added a different feel to the environments.

    - 5. The NORMAL difficulty is a fine place to start. This game is not as punishing as III and feels more inline for IV. That said HARD is brutal and your demons can miss even after accuracy buffs and some of the losses feel especially heart breaking after spending hours preparing. That said it was a good set up to start at normal and learn how to balance the Magastuhi and critical attacks with buffs and debuffs. - 6. The story is weaker than I was expecting. After IV and the ultra weird IVA story wise I was expecting a little more meat. I loved it and I thought they did well without it taking to much time but I would have liked to know a little more and had some of the details ironed out with our side characters. This is nowhere the depth of Strange Journey which was a high-water mark in story telling from Megaten. - 7. The Art direction, GUI, iconography and overall design is gorgeous. There is nothing that doesn’t feel like it was scrutinized thoroughly. Everything looks tight and precise. The scrolling battle Action menu works great. The colors for the buttons and the design in the menus feels great. The map works well and is easy to navigate with. - 8. This isn’t the best game in the world, it is however the best JRPG I have played in a few years and it was well worth the weight. The detail that went into the combat is where this game shines the most though. Every buff, power, attack, item and guard has been meticulously balanced in such a way that I haven’t found a single game-breaking spell combination. There are no easy spell loops or exploits that I’ve found yet. As a result you are absolutely required to pay attention. SMT V will brutalize you for become infected complacent even near the end. - 9. The difficulty ramps up violently, often taking you by surprise with enemies with alt weaknesses and strengths. If you aren’t taking time to balance your party and cover all the bases you will be a victim early on. - This is the best you can get JRPG wise in the current generation of consoles. You won’t find a more challenging and intense experience. That challenge rewards you with an amazing experience though as you realize you’ve mastered an area and know how to react throughout it. If you’re new to this series the easier options in difficulty are a great place to start. This is also the definitive Switch game for me this year. I have not been taxed by a game the way this one does since IV on the 3DS. Do not miss the opportunity to challenge yourself and grow. SMTV is a solid choice for someone who wants to master a game.    … Expand
  30. celtaheaven
    Sep 4, 2022
    2
    I wanted to have the will to explain in details how bad this game is. I tried to not bring myself, wasting my time, to explain such disgraceful and disappointing this game was, but yet here I am.

    To summarize: 10/10 gameplay, 8/10 visual and 7/10 audio direction; seems good right? Well, this is the reason why individual factors dont play in how a videogame product is good, because in    I wanted to have the will to explain in details how bad this game is. I tried to not bring myself, wasting my time, to explain such disgraceful and disappointing this game was, but yet here I am.

    To summarize: 10/10 gameplay, 8/10 visual and 7/10 audio direction; seems good right? Well, this is the reason why individual factors dont play in how a videogame product is good, because in everything else this game is awful. I can't even describe how bad it is. Awful plot, characters, development, ending; everything else.

    The game basically tries way too hard to pose as something minimalist, objective, stylish, end up being the laziest unfinished videogame I've ever seen from a double to triple A industry.

    This game became the reason why I wont pre-order any other game, even from a "trustful" company.    … Expand
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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.
See all critic reviews »