Back With A Vengeance
As of writing there are currently 7 hours left until Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance launches on Playstation, Xbox, PC and Switch. I wrote a fairly extensive review of the original game back when it released in 2021, and now nearly 3 years later I’m as stoked as ever to play the new enhanced release.
People online had their issues with the original game’s story, and that seems to be all but fixed with Vengeance. There’s still no way of knowing seeing that the game isn’t out yet, but I have full faith in Atlus and their team. SMTV:V is a director’s cut of sorts, with two stories to choose from. One is beat for beat the original script, and the other has new content not found in the vanilla release. I’ll be playing the latter of course.
Graphically this newest entry has a fresh coat of paint, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions running at a higher framerate and resolution than the original Switch version. Vengeance on the switch will likely still have the same visual hiccups as it’s predecessor, so don’t expect more than what we got three years ago. I’ll be playing the PC version on my living room setup for an unlocked framerate and resolutions up to 4K. I’ll also be playing on steam deck, so I can fight demons in the comfort of my bed or in the shower. (The key is to not get it wet! That will kill the steam deck.)
In the audio department SMTV Vengeance will have over 4(!) hours of new music. I loved the original’s score, so I’ll likely not be left unsatisfied. There’s a snippet of Vengeance’s battle theme in one of the newest trailers that’s been stuck in my head for weeks, so if the rest of the game sounds this good then SMTV:V’s soundtrack will be knock it out of the park once again.
With a brand new story, better visuals, and a new soundtrack Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance’s makeover culminates with a bevy of quality of life changes from the original release. Better level scaling means grinding before boss battles won’t be necessary, you can save anywhere as opposed to designated spots on the map, and you can speed things up in battle if you do decide to grind it out. I’ll likely keep it slow however. These are just a few changes to the game. There’s literally dozens more. I can’t wait.
I don’t think I’ve been this excited for a game since…Shin Megami Tensei V. Vengeance being available on all consoles and PC means that more people can play one of the best RPGs of the decade, and I can’t wait to talk more about it in the coming months. Atlus and Sega seem to be going all out on marketing this title, so hopefully it sells well enough to show them that SMT can be just as viable of a series as their other properties.
I’ll see you all once again in the hellish sands of Da’at soon enough…
-PA
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