The Shin Megami Tensei series and
its off-shoots has been well-revered in some gaming circles, offering compelling
gameplay and some truly bizarre stories. The game has launched on a variety of
different systems (beginning way back with the Super Famicon), and is showing no
signs of slowing. Devil Survivor is the latest SMT game to hit the US, offering
a compelling blend of strategy-based gameplay and RPG combat and character
development. Additionally, the game certainly has no shortage of weird story
elements, due to a robust text-based dialogue system. While the strange subject
matter and long-winded text chains may not be for everyone, SMT fans will be
pleased with this latest entry in the storied franchise.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
puts you in control of a quiet 17-year-old in Tokyo. Your cousin, Naoya, hands
off a COMP device to you and your friends Yuzu and Atsuro each as a means of
conversing to each other. However, strange things begin to occur as the devices
begin to predict the future. Before too long, it becomes apparent that Tokyo is
under siege, being attacked by an invasion of demons. Your COMPs are successful
in taming some of these demons, who then begin to fight for you as you try to
discover the odd events taking place and save the city.
Getting around Tokyo requires you to
use your COMP to select your next location from a marked map. Each area has a
timer, which helps indicate how important it is to get to that area at that
specific time. However, it is possible to step off of the beaten path and fight
some free battles, which will let your team level up a bit should you need it.
The game’s mechanics are
surprisingly easy to grasp, considering the hybridization of RPG and tactics.
Once you’ve deployed your team on the battlefield, you’ll be tasked with
fulfilling the victory conditions of the battle, which usually include taking
out all of the on-screen enemies, or sometimes just the leader. Moving your
characters around the grid is easy enough, requiring you to choose which summoners and which monsters you’ll want fighting on your side. Each of your
characters can select up to two monsters to bring along with you, so the more
you have, the better your chances of winning the battle.
Once you take on an enemy, the game
moves into the RPG battle system. The battles are fairly traditional, with each
team playing out the specific battle like a fight in an RPG game like Dragon
Quest. You’ll have your demon’s specific abilities as well as those of your
character, meaning that you’ll be able to cast damaging magic and gain access to
more powerful spells as you fight battles and level up. You’ll have to be
careful not to allow your summoner to fall into harm’s way too often, as if they
die, your whole team will go down as well, regardless if you have any other
summoned creatures still standing. However, your summoner will be able to take
more damage if your demons are still available.
The other element of the game is
more text-based, where your characters will talk amongst themselves and to other
characters. This will have the biggest impact on the ending that you get at the
end of the game, which will open up some replayability for hardcore fans. The
only downside is that you’ll find yourself wading through a lot of text
in-between gameplay, and you won’t get to choose what your character says too
terribly often.
Graphically, Devil Survivor isn’t
the most impressive game on the DS by far, but the art direction is pretty
solid. The characters and monsters sport a nice look in line with other Shin
Megami Tensei titles, and the environments are nicely rendered. However, the
whole look is powered by 2D sprites and the animation isn’t top shelf, leading
the whole experience to feel like it could’ve been done on the GBA years ago.
The sound is solid, without sounding
too compressed. The heavy metal soundtrack is either a hit or a miss depending
on your tastes, and you’ll either love the wailing guitars or they’ll grate
on you very quickly.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
is a solid entry to the SMT franchise, featuring solid and accessible gameplay,
an interesting story, and cool design elements. While the game might be a little
too text-heavy for some gamers, fans of the SMT series of games shouldn’t be
disappointed.
|
|
Gameplay: 8.5
The game does a fine job of balancing its RPG elements with a tactical
strategy approach. The game’s adventure-based text elements will allow for
several different ways to play, adding in some depth to the game’s campaign.
Graphics: 7.0
The art direction is quite good, with well-conceived monsters and other
characters boasting solid designs. However, the whole game is rendered with 2D
sprites, and there’s really nothing here that couldn’t have been done on the
Game Boy Advance.
Sound: 7.5
The game sounds decently enough, but you’ll either love or hate the wailing
guitar soundtrack.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.0
The game’s story elements are pretty interesting and as with other SMT
titles, quite bizarre. You will find yourself thumbing through a lot of text,
however.
Overall: 8.0
A solid blend of RPG and tactics combined with the series’ trademark
atmosphere and bizarre story elements, Devil Survivor should not disappoint hardcore
fans of the franchise.
