Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Score: 90% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Atlus Developer: Atlus Media: Cartridge/1 Players: 1 Genre: Strategy/ RPG
Graphics & Sound: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor centers on a group of friends trapped in Tokyo as demons begin to sprout up all around the city. To make matters worse, the group has seven days to survive... Wait? Didn't I play this already? Anyone who played The World Ends With You will no doubt recognize Devil Survivor's plot, but the similarities end there. Devil Survivor's gameplay is completely different, not just from Square Enix's action RPG, but from the rest of the SMT series. Presentation is great all around. There's a bit of pixilation with the sprites, but the overall look is stylish and fits perfectly with the series' 3D counterparts. Everything looks great, but what really stands out is how well elements blend together. As time goes on, you get a sense that the city really is crumbling around you. Everything is tied together with a catchy J-rock soundtrack, further emphasizing the stylish chaos around you.
Gameplay: Your adventure takes place over seven event-filled days with time as a major play component. Days take place between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. and every action you take pushes the clock forward thirty minutes. There are times when you have to go to a certain location and some events have a limited window of opportunity. It may seem like you're always pressed for time, but days aren't nearly as taxing as they sound. You can't waltz around without direction, but there's enough time to take on side-quests and the map screen is good about highlighting important areas. Every side-quest has some influence on the plot. By the second day, you're forced to make some really difficult life-or-death choices. Then there's the combat aspect. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor is different from other games in the series and genre. Though it looks like a strategy RPG, the isometric grid and units are really just a means to an end. Combat is still true to the series, but the tactical element adds something different. Even if you're burned out on Persona or Strategy RPGs, it is a great combination and makes Devil Survivor interesting to play. Units are composed of two demons and a human and represent one fighting unit in the field. You can have up to four units in play at once and move them into position around the grid. While nothing out of the ordinary, a few added features influence the normal battle flow. Outside combat, you can heal or use other stat-affecting abilities. But there's a catch. The more a character uses an ability, the longer it takes for their next turn to come up. Placing certain demons in a unit can also affect the normal flow of combat. For instance, some grant a longer attack range. When two units are next to each other, they can attack, introducing you to Devil Survivor's insane difficulty level.
Difficulty: Maybe "insane difficulty level" isn't the best way to put it. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor is hard, mostly because of a lack of flow. It starts out with high player expectation and just keeps going from there. Combat switches to a 3-on-3, turn-based throw down. You alternate between physical and magical attacks, but every encounter introduces special tactical considerations. Each unit is built around a human leader and two demon guards. As long as the two "guards" are in place, the leader gets a major defense boost. If a guard goes down, the leader loses their bonus. However, if you can take the leader down first, the entire party dies. Sometimes it is better to take the leader out while others, you want to knock out the entire party. One way to knock out the leader is by using the Press Turn system. Normally, everyone gets one "swing" in combat. Hitting a character with an opposing elemental attack or scoring a critical hit with a physical attack grants an extra turn. Even better, some attacks take away your opponent's turn. The system seems incredibly random at first, but there's a bit of internal logic behind the system. With enough practice, you will figure out how to exploit the system and earn a major advantage in battle. It's important to keep the link between leaders and guards in mind when creating your teams. The Press Turn system works both ways. There's no way to steamroll through battles with brute force. Every battle requires planning and strategy. Choosing the right team is a huge part of this strategy. There are some limitations to keep things from feeling overwhelming. Still, expect to change your party configurations multiple times as you try and find the right combination for certain battles.
Game Mechanics: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor gets even deeper when you factor in the customization elements. There are a dozen playable characters and 100+ demons to combine into teams. Additionally, each can carry up to seven skills, seting up a massive number of party configurations. Skills are earned through Skill Crack, a system that lets you steal skills from enemies during battle. Before battle, you assign the skills you want characters to steal and if they can defeat the skill-bearer, they learn the skill. Once the battle is over, you can equip the learned skill. Skill Cracking removes a lot of tedious grinding, though it also places another layer of strategy to combat. Learned skills are unique to a character, so you have to keep player growth/ progression in mind at all times. Depending on how well you perform in a fight, you'll earn Macca (demon "money"). You'll always earn a base amount of Macca, though pulling off combinations and other performance goals (teamwork, damage taken/ done...) will earn bonuses. Macca is used to power up your team and serves as currency when "buying" new demons via an in-game auction system. I can see where it would throw off the game's balance, but a real online auction house would have been a cool addition. Demons level up alongside their masters, though you'll have to use the Fusion system to unlock their full potential or to create some of the game's better demons. One welcome addition to the SMT series is a searchable fusion database. It takes all the guesswork out of creating fusions. Several recognizable demons are present along with a few new ones. Certain games deserve big sales numbers and Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor is one of them. The difficulty will likely scare away a few interested players, but it shouldn't be a determining factor. Though difficult, the game is fair. You may not blast through the game, but the amount of content and branching paths will pull you back for more. If you're a fan of monster-collecting games or strategy games, Devil Survivor is a must-own.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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