
While Atlus' booth at E3 this year was decked out from top to bottom in Persona 5's deep red regalia, tucked in between artwork of the Phantom Thieves and attendees swarming for swag was a single splash of neon green, representing a hidden gem for 3DS gamers: Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse. This upcoming RPG is a sequel of sorts to 2013's Shin Megami Tensei IV, with an all new story centered around a fresh demon hunter cadet who bites the bullet just moments after the opening credits.
Fortunately for value-conscious players, our deceased hero makes a deal with the Irish god Dagda, winning his life back in exchange for doing the deity's bidding. Of course, as in all Shin Megami Tensei games, what you do is ultimately up to you, and the choices you make will decide your path on the crossroads between law, chaos, and neutrality. We got to spend a good bit of quality time with this latest Atlus adventure at E3, and we're very excited for what's coming; if you loved SMTIV, or are at all interested in RPGs, this is definitely one to watch.
Roaming around the beat-down neon expanses of Apocalypse's Tokyo in our demo felt comfortingly familiar from the first Shin Megami Tensei IV, but along with the same engaging combination of third-person exploration and first-person turn-based combat, there were also a few signifiant tweaks to the formula. The first came in the form of 'partners', human (and human-adjacent) characters that can join your party in battle, on top of the protagonist and traditional triad of demons. Which characters are available to partner up with will depend on where you are in the story, but in our demo we were able to join forces with fellow hunter cadet Asahi, an assassin from the Ring of Gaia named Toki, and the ghost of Navarre — yes, the hilariously haughty professional poseur from Shin Megami Tensei IV, who's apparently met with some sort of an accident by the time Apocalypse has come around.

Each partner has their own AI tendencies, techniques and skills, but most importantly, their 'Partner Gauge' will raise as you fight. Once it's full they'll automatically head up an all-out assault that varies based on their assist type; they might heal your whole party, buff your demons, debuff your foes, or cast some serious spells (including those with an instakill chance). Whichever way they help, they'll also use up the enemy's turn and pass the baton back to you, giving you an extra go and a serious advantage in tough battles. This gauge is consistent across fights, ala Final Fantasy IX's Trance meter, so you'll want to be strategic about how you employ its power; we can imagine gaming some low-level fights to take it right up to the limit before a boss, so you're stocked up with a massive boost for your opening move. It's also integrated smartly into the gameplay itself — we were told bosses will pose moralistic questions to your party during the fight, your answers to which can raise or lower your Partner Gauge accordingly.
Aside from the addition of partners, the turn-based combat in Apocalypse felt similar to Shin Megami Tensei IV: snappy, smart, and incredibly stylish. Press Turns and Smirks return, rewarding smart moves and taking advantages of enemy weaknesses, and we noticed some slick new animations for spells and specials. Demon fusion works in much the same way, and you'll still be recruiting deities, mythological figures and monsters to fight by your side, and combining them into more powerful allies in time. Apocalypse promises over 400 in its menagerie, and since demons are one of the biggest draws of the Shin Megami Tensei series — from their always excellent art to their surprising personalities — we're definitely excited to meet the new members.
One smaller — but still significant — shakeup to the combat comes in the form of Affinities, which work a bit like weaknesses and resistances, only on the offensive side of things. One demon on our team in the demo, for instance, had a +3 affinity for Bufu (ice) spells, so every time she used an ice attack — all else being equal — it would deal significantly more damage than one of another element. These look to add another layer to monster raising, as now you'll want to think not only about what skills you pass down in demon fusion, but also how well your specific demon will be able to use them. It certainly made a difference for the pre-rolled demons in our demo, and we expect min-maxing Affinities will keep dedicated demon hunters busy throughout the game.

The other big upgrade we got to experience in Apocalypse was the new, much more detailed map. The original Shin Megami Tensei IV was infamous for giving players an unmarked, birds-eye-view of Tokyo and not much else; now not only is there a lot more labelling — the overworld now has all unlocked areas clearly marked and named — but there are also helpful waypoints to mark story goals, sidequest locations, and collectables. Even though we were fans of the first game's more hands-off approach — having a paper atlas of Tokyo spread out beside the 3DS while reviewing SMTIV was one of the most memorable gaming experiences ever for this writer — we appreciate the improvements made for Apocalypse. Our representative explained that the development team wanted to make sure players weren't wandering aimlessly or getting lost in Apocalypse, and these changes should make things a lot more accessible for newcomers, as well as veterans who've since misplaced their Rough Guide to Tokyo.
Apocalypse uses the same engine as the first Shin Megami Tensei IV, and it still looks fantastic; we spent a good portion of our time with the game wandering through a cherry-blossom-ringed area at night, and seeing the pink petals stream in front of the screen in stereoscopic 3D was a delight. Crossing over a wooden bridge back to Tokyo was stunning as well, with the city's neon buildings reflected in the water's surface; these graphical touches combined with the updated version of the disarmingly stylish UI from the first game made for a breathtaking display, and we're definitely looking forward to exploring Tokyo further in the full version. Plenty of locations will be returning from the first game, of course, but our Atlus rep told us that revisited locations will see switched up map layouts and plenty of cosmetic changes to reflect the time that's passed since SMTIV, so fans will have lots to uncover as they comb through Tokyo.
That seems to be a theme of Apocalypse in general, in fact; along with getting to see Tokyo again — arguably one of the most important 'characters' in SMTIV — you'll run into lots of familiar faces from the first game, all in new "Where are they now?" roles. We heard lots of whispers about Flynn as we roamed around underground bunkers, partnered up with Nozomi and Navarre (who makes for a genuinely entertaining peanut gallery), and were told Isabeau and other favourites might make an appearance as well. And if you're looking for more fan-service scenarios after the main game, our Atlus rep mentioned that one of the planned DLC missions will let you spend some quality time with the protagonists of all four mainline Shin Megami Tensei games.
With SMTIV ranking as one of our favourite 3DS RPGs we jumped at the chance to dive back into Tokyo's underground, and we loved what we got to play. The shakeups to the combat feel great, and the new map looks to be a goddess-send. We also appreciated that apart from these adjustments, Apocalypse doesn't seem to be changing things up too much from the original Shin Megami Tensei IV. It looks to be more of a good thing, only with a brand new story, intriguing characters, and a host of small 'quality of life' updates to make the action easier to get into than ever, which sounds like a winning formula to us. It's not long now before we'll be heading headlong into Dagda's servitude, and we'll have more on this apocalyptic adventure ahead of its Summer 2016 North American release.
Comments 25
Time to finish the neutral path for my SMT IV save file.
Absolutely can't wait. Will have to finish off SMT4 first, but been sidetracked with Persona 4 Golden. Also with the upcoming Tokyo Mirage Souls looking very like a different spin on the Persona series... there's quite a lot to love if you're a Shin Megami Tensei fan it seems
I was surprised how much I liked SMTIV. In the end, it was a bit to long for my taste, as well as a bit to repetitive (and also obscure with it's story), to match some of my other all-time favourites, but despite that, it was a really great game, and one of the best RPGs of this (or last, it's a bit confusing now) generation.
" now not only is there a lot more labelling — the overworld now has all unlocked areas clearly marked and named — but there are also helpful waypoints to mark story goals, sidequest locations, and collectables"
I welcome that alot. I never used any external map or guide, and I remember spending some really undue amount of time, just running around, trying to figure out where to go next - up to the point that it could become frustrating at times. I also appreciate the old-school mindset behind it, but I don't know ... this is really not about hand-holding or so, just about being a tad more respectful of the players time, and really, making it possible to continue playing (without external help) even if you had to take a break for a couple of weeks. I imagine reorientating yourself in SMTIV after a prolonged absence, might be somewhat of a real nightmare.
On thing I disliked, that is still present, is the static 2D combat. I like the combat system itself, don't get me wrong, and I even like the 2D art representing the demon, but I do dislike the fact, that there is just no movement at all in it. The action that is happening is not really conveyed all that well, maybe some of the added effects will help, but what I would really like to see, is an approach as with Persona (or even previous SMT games on past consoles). Maybe they could come up with a system that would allow them to still use the 2D designs for the demons (which are for the overwhelming part fantastic), while making it more engaging to watch.
For example, I really like what Pillars of the Eternity did, where you still got this kind of "sense of a 3D space" with all the benefits of having those amazing art as your actual word - not just some poor 3D renedering of someones' once amazing art.
Something like that would be fantastic - or just put the game back on consoles (though other RPGs managed more dynamic combat on the 3DS as well ...)
Don't remind me I still need to beat SMT IV. 😕
Can't wait for this though, a must play for me!
This looks really good. I've never played SMT before, maybe I should pick this up. Gonna get Tokyo Mirage Sessions in a few days but I'm not sure how SMT that game is.
Now I'm 200% hyped for this game!!
Still needs to close the neutral path, even after 230 hours of gameplay!
Yep, I enjoy hunting demos, contracting them and fusing to perfection, all thanks to the flashy combat system. And there's still some secrets demons do discover, some are too well hidden!!!
It will be another good time with apocalypse in Tokyo. Hopefully this time they'll reveal some plot obscurities for a fan sake of knowing better what is going on behind the scenes.
It still bugs me why Atlus is not giving this game the same level of attention Persona 5 has!! It's one of the best RPGs in recent gaming, an old formula mastered and full of personality.
Maybe it is because it doesn't have the same popular anime appeal as Persona, but both games gets dark on their themes and involves the schemes of humans, demons and gods for humanity - something that is never the bright side of life in both series.
My most hyped 3DS game. I wanted this 100x more than Fire Emblem Fates.
Have to try to track a cheap used copy to see if I like playing SMT, but the atrocious voice acting in the trailers always makes me wary of the games.
Surprised we're getting another entry. Great stuff
Never tried these games I'm a little leery of getting into a series this far in.
You know what- this is the first I'm hearing of this game being at E3 so I'm very happy you posted this. THANK YOU- I have it preordered ever since it was announced. I absolutely cannot wait for this!! Thanks, MorgSleep!
I actually got frustrated with SMTIV and stopped playing. I just didn't know where to go, and I'm not that bad of a gamer. It sucks to spend maybe 20 per cent of the time just looking for places. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the game, I spent at least 40 hours playing it... BUT I do love where Apocalypse is going.
I'll buy this game for sure.
SMTIV was a 10/10 for me until the navigation in Tokyo overworld, which was, unacceptable bad, tiresome and confusing.
So I can not explain how I'm excited for SMT Apocalypse!
I'm starting to feel that I'm the only person that had 0 problems with the original's Tokyo map. It's basically a dungeon floor from one of the older SMT games or any grid based dungeon crawl. It's not frustrating at all from that perspective.
My excitement for this is about equal to the anticipation I feel for Persona 5. They're both going to be amazing games.
@Nin10doh each game is independent (well, except for this one being a sequel), you can just start with IV.
Soooo... does anybody know anything on whether this is coming to europe at some point??
@Sato Ah right, thanks! Do you know which consoles I can get SMT IV on?
Yeh I think that's right. The battle system is a fusion between SMTs one and FEs weapon triangle.
@Shogun474 SMTIV is in the current eshop 50% deal. It's a self-contained story with no references to the previous games, many of which never got translated to English.
@lilith I know man, Coupled with the monthly serialization of the manga. Not to mention, They will release a new game in Japan this year. Oh yeah, Dark Fantasy is real good.
Looking very good indeed.
Love these and the Persona games. Would love to see the 3DS get Persona 3 or 4 remaster. Also wouldn't mind another Persona Q sequel on the 3DS.
Please bring it in Europe!
Today in SMT IV I beat the hardest DLC boss in Master difficulty and subsequently finished my Compendium/fourth ending, so I'm now fully done with it and ready to tackle the sequel whenever it's available.
Hopefully Apocalypse's plot and character arcs won't leave as much to be desired as its prequel did.
I feel so impatient waiting on Apocolypse. My only problem with IV was the map and even though I love the 2d animations I wish there was something more to them.
This game seems to be fixing both of those.
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