Problably yo know it already, but it was anounced for the Nintendo Switch(i thing that in PlayStation 5, but i'm not sure) at 2021. Well, it's posible that it delays, but at least is something.
Though I enjoy smt IV apocalypse, I hope the new game is darker, I like most of the characters from apocalypse (so much that I hope dagda makes a return and as an obtainable demon) but I really want the chaos, law and neutral routes to be more prominent. I also want the game to be leaning more on the nocturn side of smt because nocturn is on of, if not the best games in smt
The whole SMT4/4A anime 'sweet' conflict sort of reminds me of the internal disagreement during Spore's development between the 'real' and 'cute' factions. Of course we know how that game turned out. I can only hope SMT5's story and characters fall more in line with Nocturne and SJ, and less like SMT4A.
Me too, Even if I did actually like SMT 4 i would've prefered something a bit more akin towards SMT 1 and 2. And while the combat in apocalypse is better and it has a interesting 3rd faction, the whole anime shit was unnecesary and I even made fun of it by comparing it to a harem anime.
Exactly what came to mind for me when I heard that. I hope you're right, but given how Persona went the cute route, I think the newblood are going to lean that same way because of the culture in Japan now. Everything is cute, simplified in design compared to the past.
Honestly I loved Shin Megami Tensei: Apocalypse. That said it felt more like Persona crossed over into SMT which is very worrying. I think I loved it as more of a spin off of the main story of IV. I enjoy Persona but not as much as SMT.
Shin Megami Tensei IV has become one of my favorite games of all time, the feeling and atmosphere of the game completely enamored me, and the soundtrack, oh man, the soundtrack is one if not my favorite video game soundtracks of all time, I've been a SMT fan for a long time, and *SMTIV* stands among my favorites, even with all its flaws. I can't imagine a world without SMT games in it.
I actually really liked IV Apocalypse's story... I genuinely don't understand why it's so hated. I genuinely liked the characters, themes, etc. Yeah, it's not as dark as previous games, but it's still great
I wonder if Kaneko's original vision of SMT IV will ever get released cause it seems to be very interesting and it would also be cool to see how it changed into the game we got
@@DreamerADV I would say that is unlikely. Parts of the draft has been released and suffice to say, it would impossible to use without IV since they are directly linked. It is a prequel arc meant to explain things that occurred in the first. One surprise though is that prime minister guy from Apoc? He was in that draft for the second arc and had a mayor hand in some parts. What his role would have actually been when compared to the version that was used in Apoc we may never know. Also, Kenji seems to have been supposed to have a mayor role in that arc.
@@matteste Oh wow. I hadn't even known that parts of it had been publicly released. I'll need to look into that. I always thought they had plenty more to work with for future games seeing as they only really used 1 arc in IV. Man that's a bummer
@@DreamerADV They had been out for a while but had only recently been translated. You can check them out here. dijehtranslations.wordpress.com/2018/11/03/smt-iv-draft-scenario/#more-1995
Idk I felt it was like Persona characters in a SMT world which I actually enjoyed. It just wasnt as long as Persona games are with say their social links and very character driven story telling. Nothing wrong with a mix of the too series...however I really really dont want mainline SMT turning into Persona at all. I hope that the current SMT team wont go further into this style. That said SMTIV:A was more like a SMT IV spin off in my eyes. SMT mainline has always bad somewhat vague characters that don't get fully explored, but SMT:A gave us characters that felt like they maybe needed to be
@singularon1 considering the storyline that's kind of impossible besides it's better to have actual character than just talking points with character designs or hell just go down the devil Survivor route those games showed that you can still have actual characters while also still having talking points about lawn chaos and neutral routes
I loved the ending more than SMT IV tbh. I did very heavy chaos on both and Lucufer in IV just seemed like a giant douche who wasnt about freedom in chaos as much as his own ego.
Don't get why people say the system in Apocalypse is that much better or different than IV. Aside from QoL improvements I actually like the Smirk system better in IV and some skills are useless outside of the smirk status in Apocalypse.
Seems like apocalypse is the Fire emblem fates of SMT. Probably the best game in the series in terms of gameplay, but the worst writing and characters in the series.
@@didntask5860 that's the thing, it seems like most SMT fans prefer the more barebones characters and story. I mean SMT apocalypse did have more writing but base SMT IV was a nice mix of new and old.
@@keeysOST "Most" might be pushing it. As someone that started on Revelations 20 some years ago and slowly played thru the series I though the game was better than 4 in every possible way. Outside you the ugly snake design we got. Still beats claymation monster, squidward and the two lame ass samurai alignment reps. Funny thing you bring up new and old when Apocalypse was literally 1/2 we even got our dog back lol.
Great final entry for your megaten series. I've been consuming these videos since you started them. Thank you for making content on these games as most don't even acknowledge this series.
Keep up the great work, dude. I've learned a lot about MegaTen from your videos (even watched the 45-minute movie and Tokyo Resurrection this past week!) and am stoked to see what's next for ya. Thanks for the videos, man!
As much as I initially was going to only be here for only the year, I enjoyed most of the content and I will be sticking around for more. Keep them coming, mate. You've gained respect from me.
I’m really starting to hate the new blood at Atlus. There are a MILLION other anime games out there. SMT has always been unique both in themes and presentation. I want smartly written female characters, not girls saying nice things
PurgeX I kinda agree but I think it was nice to have characters in mainline that had more to their personality then their respective ideals or alignments.
PurgeX I think Apocalypse is a really good gateway game for people coming from say Persona 4 or 5 into mainline. I'd like to see a bit of a mix of the character building of Apocalypse and something like SMT 1 in future installments. I don't necessarily mean make them more "anime" but I just want the other Protags to be more then just their alignments.
PurgeX I understand Apocalypse isn't a perfect game but gameplay wise it's one of the best games in the series and storywise I thought it was a fun, improved alternate universe SMT4. The improvements Apocalypse made to me far outweight alot of the issues I feel people have about the game. With the endings argument, you could say the same for mainline since most people seem to only care about the Neutral Endings since its arguable that Neutral is the objective best alignment in mainline.
Gen 3, a.k.a. the Gen where the whole series, thematically and story-wise, went to the shitter due to the change in creative leads. I found this that actually expands a bit on it, though it is not too in-depth. talking-time.net/showthread.php?t=19735 The only thing I can say I liked about this was the introduction of Ryota Koduka as lead composer. But suffice to say, for me, SMTV will make or break the series for me. And seriously, one can imagine what kinda game IV would have been had they stuck to Kaneko's original vision. Also, I would like to make one addition to why some people where a bit on the fence about Redux, namely that it was part of the 25th anniversary. One would think that they would have done something more major for that instead of remaking such a title, such as remakes of SMT I, II, if or something else entirely.
Also, sorry if I seemed a bit mean yesterday. It's just that this era grinds my gears, Apocalypse especially. But I have to give credit to you for acknowledging the other side of the argument. In a way, despite me hating this era, I found this to be one of your better videos. Way to often do I see those that delude themselves into thinking it is some masterpiece of writing and refuse to admit that it might just be more than a bit flawed. Cause I think one thing that you missed to mention was that not only did people dislike cause of anime tropes, but also cause they found it just plain poorly written with characters flatter than cardboard and ditching any semblance of moral nuance as well as the game completely abandoning the series punk attitude. And while I think IV was a weak SMT game, at least it was still recognizable as one. Something which can't be said about Apoc.
Just got around to reading this response, and hey man there's nothing wrong with not really liking the series in it's current state. I think that's perfectly reasonable. And I agree that SMT IV, and apocalypse definitely felt poorly written in some places. However having just beat SMT SJR I must say the new endings are quite interesting. I feel like they fit in pretty well thematically and may mark a potential return to form?
One can hope, though the new endings implementations where far from perfect, it is at least a step up over Apoc (through granted, that ain't saying much). But like I said, SMTV will make or break it for me. But one thing that SJR did prove is that we can expect demon designs to be toilet worthy half the time with Doi as lead artist.
hey man great video i came for megten content but i gotta say watching your vids is a pleasure heres to a successful year to you ! and can't wait for your next projects!
Thank you for this last video, I will miss this series, I hope you will make another once SMT V comes out in the west and you have had a chance to play it(and SMT Strange Journey Redux). On the subject of Redux/Deep Strange Journey's redesign, while I'm a big fan of Kaneko's style and like many people that like this series I would rather have him handle all the design aspects of the main franchise, I don't terribly mind Doi's somewhat more stylish and less somber characters. I didn't expect Kaneko to continue drawing for the series forever, especially given the fact that he's been working on this franchise for over 2 decades already. I'm really looking forward to replaying Strange Journey and seeing how the new elements introduced in this remaster will affect the overarching story. Hell, maybe this time I will actually do a New Game+ and try to beat Demiurge.
Its been a long journey man. Kinda bummed I couldn't help with the final video, but I'm still glad I was a part of this thing. Really excited for your future retrospectives.
Seeing Gungrave footage at the end got me excited at the possibility of a crossover with Shin Megami Tensei. Maybe a Devil Summoner-style game where Grave and Mika are trying to shut down a demon-summoning program gone haywire, or something better than that.
Great video!!! Loved the whole series actually! But what’s sad is that, as of April 10, 2020, we still know NOTHING more about “SMT V”!!! No screen shots, nothing. Smh...
I love SMT IV and Apocalypse (especially Apocalypse for it's game mechanics), but I can't believe they hired people onto the dev team who sound like they just want to make a shitty cliche Neptunia-style game? Why would they work at Atlus, then? Imo, I'd have fired them on the spot for that shit. Respect the IP, at least a little bit. >> Thankfully, I didn't really notice them make any changes in that direction (besides maybe Asahi, who I thought was implemented well). And I do think Apocalypse is the best 3DS RPG. EDIT: But I did NOT know about the beach scene DLC, wtfffffffffffffffff...
Yeah I'm not fan of the slight changes or how smt 4 turned out. I'm just hoping we go something completely new with promise to more interque mechanics that harken back to classic rpg mechanics like RE:Fantasy or something completely new be it gerne change and get something like SMT Synchronicity Prologue or Just give us the SMT If and Devil summoner ports atlus without a remake changing up soundtrack to jpop or adding characters and beach scenes.
The beach scene reminded me of those ecchi anime, which was not a good thing considering that without the DLC i already had thoughs of it being a fucking harem anime.
Flyn’s game was the first game in the series I played I was interested after persona 4 and 3 can honestly say I never understood this game it was very perplexing.
Amazing SMT video as always Nick buuuuuuuut I wanna argue something when it comes to YHVH and his portrayal in the franchise YHVH was also interpreted as evil in SMT 2 too.I know what Kaneko said was the intention but the way YHVH's dialogue was written in SMT 2 and every game he physically appeared in always portrayed him as villainous and egotistical.Heck SMT 2 is by far the worst when it comes to this because even when you go LAw in that game you end up killing God anyway despite doing exactly what he wanted willingly before Satan hypocritically wanted to "judge him" for committing genocide The only games in the series where "God" wasn't interpreted as an evil megalomaniac was Devil Survivor 1 which is one of the few games that was ever fair to the law alignment If YHVH's portrayal is supposed to be that of the demiurge,which is highly implied in later games,then the series only succeeded in doing so only in the games where YHVH and Lucifer weren't the head honchos of the conflict but rather outside manipulators in them where the moral ambiguity of Law and Chaos can be portrayed with equal advantages and disadvantages instead of guilt tripping the player in every game they pick Law in. I love the SMT franchise whole heartedly but their portrayal of Law in the franchise is so black&white with little gray area in between it hurts It's why I hope that in SMT 5 that the new representative of Law and Chaos are not YHVH or Lucifer anymore Heck they shot themselves in the foot with those two in Apocalypse when it's revealed that Lucifer was working for YHVH all along
MetalSnakeXIII That you have to kill YHVH in SMT II is only a confirmation and summation of that game's specific themes, not that YHVH is evil. In fact, if you paid attention to his dialogue, you'd be aware that Aleph's actions were never heroic, but a necessity for him to bring to world closer to his new vision. To summate why it was a terrible idea: The entire game hammers in the point that humanity cannot love without someone or something to cling to or rely on, so its honestly pointless to reject YHVH when people will turn to him when lacking anything else to follow. As a result, Aleph's revolt was really just pointless, and he was only delaying the inevitable by killing YHVH, only so he could give humanity the opportunity of freedom, but only for the sake of his ideals. So, essentially, YHVH's fight is not portrayed as a fight of good and evil is what I'm trying to get at. His motivations are also justifiable within the context of the story: Remember that his servants, the archangels, betrayed him and created a synthetic Messiah that eventually ALSO betrayed His ideals (kind of an allegory for Aleph embodying the new Testament Jesus who went against the Old Testament's portrayal of God) and also that, by this point, humanity had become a dumpster fire society that communed with demons and lived in devastation to the point where the only way they could promise salvation was through VR. So the archangels turning people against him and humanity being unable to truly prosper and build a thousand year kingdom in this world is what motivated him to destroy it. Its his creation after all (From the point of view of THIS game and not what FINAL retconned, which should dubiously canonical for reasons stated above). So yeah. That YHVH is evil because he wants to destroy the world and because you fight him is a misconception of the narrative that the team wanted to present with this game, and if you look close enough, Kaneko's statements make perfect sense.
I get their intention I really do,I just think that the execution in both 2 and Apocalypse missed the point What you said is on point but when the game gives YHVH such lines where it seems that he thinks that humans are worthless all while Lucifer is presented with such flowery dialogue that paints his route as the best possible outcome I know it's up to the player to decide which one is the best at the end of the day and I guess that's the intention.....but did they really needed to have Satan and Aleph kill YHVH in Law rather than just what the NES Megami Tensei 2 did where,while sure it skips a boss fight,it felt more satisfying Apocalypse missed the point just as much during the PEace route with Nozomi's hypocricy about how denying other gods makes the world stagnant....yet she kills the deity that 50% of mankind worships. I get that YHVH is a representation of the old testament's interpretation of God,but without a good knowledge on religion(at least a background knowledge at minimum)most people won't even guess that's even the case and would just interpreted as yet another one of many "Kill God he's evil" plots that you see a lot in this genre.
Actually, Lucifer working for YHVH in Apocalypse is a plain lie. Lucifer is His pawn, he gets it when you kill him and that he's doomed to be nothing but a scapegoat. Also on the whole "YHVH sounds like a straight up villain and Lucifer sounds all flowery and heroic" thing, that's the point, Lucifer is the fucking Devil, of course he sugarcoats what his intentions are, he's trying to use you. Another thing to add is that SMT is a very Eastern series, of course the Western God is a megalomaniac, that's what they see in him. I won't defend Apocalypse, I'm just clarifying a few things.
I actually like apocalypse,I just really hate the endgame of the peace route I do get Lucifer's deal with sugarcoating since he's the devil but my problem is stemming from presentation and how it's constantly misinterpreted in alignment debates because every time I try to present such arguments I get labeled a "lawfag" in quotes everytime I try to reasonably explain things with chaos supporters in the fandom As for SMT being eastern I get that,but here is exactly how that contradicts Kaneko's statement like I mentioned,he says YHVH isn't evil yet he depicts him as a megalomaniac. Trust me I get his intentions,I just wish the execution was a bit better so that the idea would be understood a little better even by people who don't research much religion and I don't mean that they should dumb down SMT
MetalSnakeXIII yeah, It's really hard to write moral gray stories without coming off as grimderp. As a fanfic writer I usually avoid using YHVH(and when I do, he's usually more neutral than Lawful like Devil Survivor) because He has bad connotations. Lucifer usually is either in his Nocturne incarnation (he uses the Darwinism based Chaos faction to further his goals but isn't a Darwinist himself) or just isn't there. Law and Chaos is really hard to write and I think only Devil Survivor (1 not 2) got it right.
i dislike the anime tropes in smt4f, but i think the twist in the alignment system is great and really needed for the smt series. i think the law/neutral/chaos alignment in smt has become really stale and just way too religious, and just kinda out of touch with reality. while i dont completely agree with smt4f "bonds ending", the idea that law and chaos fractions are both tools for YHWH is neat. anyway, i think smt4f is a good change of pace in terms of story writing, ASIDE FROM the whole anime tropes / fanservice part. also i think Asahi is fine as a companion similar to how smt1 &2 works, but Toki joining as a second love interest is kinda weird and unnecessary.
Honestly felt like a game with Persona characters inside of an SMT game, but without enough time to focus on character development like Persona. Cause those games are filled full of trope archetypes that kind of move past that because they get so fleshed out. SMT mainline is always more story than character driven, but since the characters there aren't as full of tropes they really didnt need to flesh them out as much... That said I took SMT IV: Final at face value and didnt mind it as more over an odd addition/spin off of IV.. and I adored Toki 🤔 Can't really defend that at all as she's basically just an anime trope.
I love Shin megami tensei IV and Apocalypse but in my opinion the original SMT IV is the superior game. Yes , apocalypse polishes the gameplay mechanics (wich weren't bad) but SMT IV feels "darker" , more serious , meanwhile Apocalypse feels more like your tpiyical anime series . Apocalypse is also easier than SMT IV, . Both are great nervertheless but I prefer the original.
I'm probably the only one but I have 2 things I dislike about apocalypse 1 I really really don't like the changes to the combat I enjoyed it so much more in IV 2 I like how int the other games all your choices make a difference in the story as here there's obvious story path questions but this change I'll let slide a little because it makes getting the endings much easier
Otherwise I love it I really like the new hud style, and customizing the protagonist (I can't remember how to spell it atm) I love his punk style (kinda wish I could swap character models with Flynn's XD) also I love the music oh and the new level cap and streetpass I have my fingers crossed 5 gets what I love from both games
Aaron Dostal and I'm hoping 5 treats alignment like Devil Survivor, that game actually had a good Law ending which is weird. Also that it sucked punches Persona fans(nothing against them, I think Eternal Punishment is my favorite game of all time, I just like it when Atlus messes with the fans)
I miss the gritty cyberpunk Occult era of SMT. It just feels like now that it's been replaced with slice of life dating sim visual novel bullshit that just so happens to have demons and RPG elements in it, everything that made Shin Megami Tensei distinct is nearly gone. Atlus became the very thing they've set to out do.
Death of the author. YHVH may have been intended to be a neutral force in SMT II but his actions and attitude portrayed an evil personality regardless. I don't care who you are but going out of your way to torture someone for all eternity for no other reason then they crossed you is an evil thing to do.
I understand that SMT titles are meant to be dark and have heavy messages, but still... Terrorism? Unemployment? Games are supposed to take you out of reality, not punch you in the gut with such issues. I'm still going to enjoy smt V, but I will feel slightly more uncomfortable with the games story. Don't get me wrong, i'm sure that Atlus will handle these issues with care, but what's next? Shin megami Tensei 6: What are those stains in my pants?
The designs in IV are mostly fine, however it is the rendering and shading that i describe as absolute crap. I daily see amateur work on pixiv shaded better and more filled out that IV garbage sprites.
Norspark His point was that Strange Journey holds up perfectly well in gameplay and technology. You can play the game on your 3DS too, which is the same console as the remake so essentially, its not like the remake was necessary on that regard either.
Kaneko needs to come back for the art. It's just not the same atmosphere without the music and art being synonymous with the series. Most important, the writing.
You set out to do a thing and accomplished your goal, good on you Nicholas hope to see you continue your channel in 3053
Couldn't be possible without you bud!
wtf did I do lol
what if the channel is kill
Helping people find my channel in the first place
he could do an SMT 5 review then
“Females saying nice things.”
Is this really what appeals to the Japanese SMT audience?
Xyzzulous thank god we have persona for that
I love Persona, but keep it the fuck out of my SMT.
@@TrevRockOne I mean, Persona started off as MegaTen
@Joong Kim Megaten was just as mainstream as Persona until P5
@Joong Kim but smt iv
Ah yes, Shin Megami Tensei V releasing in 20XX for the Nintendo Millennium
30XX**
Problably yo know it already, but it was anounced for the Nintendo Switch(i thing that in PlayStation 5, but i'm not sure) at 2021. Well, it's posible that it delays, but at least is something.
@@uriolu8413 Yup :) At last we got a release date and it wasn't as far-off as i imagined
Though I enjoy smt IV apocalypse, I hope the new game is darker, I like most of the characters from apocalypse (so much that I hope dagda makes a return and as an obtainable demon) but I really want the chaos, law and neutral routes to be more prominent. I also want the game to be leaning more on the nocturn side of smt because nocturn is on of, if not the best games in smt
The whole SMT4/4A anime 'sweet' conflict sort of reminds me of the internal disagreement during Spore's development between the 'real' and 'cute' factions. Of course we know how that game turned out. I can only hope SMT5's story and characters fall more in line with Nocturne and SJ, and less like SMT4A.
Me too, Even if I did actually like SMT 4 i would've prefered something a bit more akin towards SMT 1 and 2.
And while the combat in apocalypse is better and it has a interesting 3rd faction, the whole anime shit was unnecesary and I even made fun of it by comparing it to a harem anime.
Exactly what came to mind for me when I heard that. I hope you're right, but given how Persona went the cute route, I think the newblood are going to lean that same way because of the culture in Japan now. Everything is cute, simplified in design compared to the past.
Honestly I loved Shin Megami Tensei: Apocalypse. That said it felt more like Persona crossed over into SMT which is very worrying. I think I loved it as more of a spin off of the main story of IV. I enjoy Persona but not as much as SMT.
Shin Megami Tensei IV has become one of my favorite games of all time, the feeling and atmosphere of the game completely enamored me, and the soundtrack, oh man, the soundtrack is one if not my favorite video game soundtracks of all time, I've been a SMT fan for a long time, and *SMTIV* stands among my favorites, even with all its flaws.
I can't imagine a world without SMT games in it.
"don't expect for SMT V to come out in next year"
oh no i won't lol
Are you sure about that?
@@eamonnjoyce6690 that only happened because i had no expectations for it
@@mauriciohiure2192 Wait SMT V is out?
@@Silath01 no till 2021
I actually really liked IV Apocalypse's story... I genuinely don't understand why it's so hated. I genuinely liked the characters, themes, etc. Yeah, it's not as dark as previous games, but it's still great
Me too...It makes sense, if you came from Persona train.
Haha "fast track the development" alright
Still waiting...
Well the wait is finally over
@@umaralikhan8775
Yup!
Imo, Strange Journey more worthy of being a mainline than Apoc
I consider apoc as dlc
I wonder if Kaneko's original vision of SMT IV will ever get released cause it seems to be very interesting and it would also be cool to see how it changed into the game we got
Trust me, you are not the only one longingly imagining what it could have been.
@@matteste I have a feeling that V will follow those 2 unused arcs that Kaneko wrote originally for SMT4
@@DreamerADV I would say that is unlikely. Parts of the draft has been released and suffice to say, it would impossible to use without IV since they are directly linked. It is a prequel arc meant to explain things that occurred in the first. One surprise though is that prime minister guy from Apoc? He was in that draft for the second arc and had a mayor hand in some parts. What his role would have actually been when compared to the version that was used in Apoc we may never know. Also, Kenji seems to have been supposed to have a mayor role in that arc.
@@matteste Oh wow. I hadn't even known that parts of it had been publicly released. I'll need to look into that. I always thought they had plenty more to work with for future games seeing as they only really used 1 arc in IV. Man that's a bummer
@@DreamerADV They had been out for a while but had only recently been translated. You can check them out here.
dijehtranslations.wordpress.com/2018/11/03/smt-iv-draft-scenario/#more-1995
SMTIV A is amazing, but they REALLY, REALLY, REALLY need to improve their writing and characterization for future games.
Idk I felt it was like Persona characters in a SMT world which I actually enjoyed. It just wasnt as long as Persona games are with say their social links and very character driven story telling. Nothing wrong with a mix of the too series...however I really really dont want mainline SMT turning into Persona at all. I hope that the current SMT team wont go further into this style. That said SMTIV:A was more like a SMT IV spin off in my eyes. SMT mainline has always bad somewhat vague characters that don't get fully explored, but SMT:A gave us characters that felt like they maybe needed to be
@singular on1 My biggest fear for SMTV is exactly that.
The fuck are you talking about? I loved Apocalpse's characters and story.
@singularon1 considering the storyline that's kind of impossible besides it's better to have actual character than just talking points with character designs or hell just go down the devil Survivor route those games showed that you can still have actual characters while also still having talking points about lawn chaos and neutral routes
SMT Final IV has one of the best systems and gameplay in the 3DS system in my opinion. But the story, the story, Oh dear.
I loved the ending more than SMT IV tbh. I did very heavy chaos on both and Lucufer in IV just seemed like a giant douche who wasnt about freedom in chaos as much as his own ego.
Don't get why people say the system in Apocalypse is that much better or different than IV. Aside from QoL improvements I actually like the Smirk system better in IV and some skills are useless outside of the smirk status in Apocalypse.
Seems like apocalypse is the Fire emblem fates of SMT.
Probably the best game in the series in terms of gameplay, but the worst writing and characters in the series.
Hey at least for Apocalypse you didn't have to buy 3 DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE GAME!
I'm looking at you Fates...
Some Guy Paragon i mean there was the special edition
The old SMT games were barebones when it came to characters and writing what are you on about?
@@didntask5860 that's the thing, it seems like most SMT fans prefer the more barebones characters and story.
I mean SMT apocalypse did have more writing but base SMT IV was a nice mix of new and old.
@@keeysOST "Most" might be pushing it. As someone that started on Revelations 20 some years ago and slowly played thru the series I though the game was better than 4 in every possible way. Outside you the ugly snake design we got. Still beats claymation monster, squidward and the two lame ass samurai alignment reps. Funny thing you bring up new and old when Apocalypse was literally 1/2 we even got our dog back lol.
Great final entry for your megaten series. I've been consuming these videos since you started them. Thank you for making content on these games as most don't even acknowledge this series.
Keep up the great work, dude. I've learned a lot about MegaTen from your videos (even watched the 45-minute movie and Tokyo Resurrection this past week!) and am stoked to see what's next for ya. Thanks for the videos, man!
As much as I initially was going to only be here for only the year, I enjoyed most of the content and I will be sticking around for more. Keep them coming, mate. You've gained respect from me.
Strange journey and Nocturne are masterpieces
I’m really starting to hate the new blood at Atlus. There are a MILLION other anime games out there. SMT has always been unique both in themes and presentation. I want smartly written female characters, not girls saying nice things
This retrospective got me playing SMT 1 and 2, so thanks a bunch! Great work!
Kaneko is (was) nothing more than an advisor/illustrator and he gets credited still for his old character designs as Atlus re-uses them.
I love SMT Apocalypse, it's probably my favorite game in the series despite most people not liking it as much.
Yolo Masta 69 i love it too, i felt it was a masterpiece!
Jacoby Noctis I loved all of the main characters and their designs, plus the partners were really helpful
PurgeX I kinda agree but I think it was nice to have characters in mainline that had more to their personality then their respective ideals or alignments.
PurgeX I think Apocalypse is a really good gateway game for people coming from say Persona 4 or 5 into mainline. I'd like to see a bit of a mix of the character building of Apocalypse and something like SMT 1 in future installments. I don't necessarily mean make them more "anime" but I just want the other Protags to be more then just their alignments.
PurgeX I understand Apocalypse isn't a perfect game but gameplay wise it's one of the best games in the series and storywise I thought it was a fun, improved alternate universe SMT4. The improvements Apocalypse made to me far outweight alot of the issues I feel people have about the game. With the endings argument, you could say the same for mainline since most people seem to only care about the Neutral Endings since its arguable that Neutral is the objective best alignment in mainline.
Gen 3, a.k.a. the Gen where the whole series, thematically and story-wise, went to the shitter due to the change in creative leads. I found this that actually expands a bit on it, though it is not too in-depth. talking-time.net/showthread.php?t=19735
The only thing I can say I liked about this was the introduction of Ryota Koduka as lead composer.
But suffice to say, for me, SMTV will make or break the series for me.
And seriously, one can imagine what kinda game IV would have been had they stuck to Kaneko's original vision.
Also, I would like to make one addition to why some people where a bit on the fence about Redux, namely that it was part of the 25th anniversary. One would think that they would have done something more major for that instead of remaking such a title, such as remakes of SMT I, II, if or something else entirely.
Also, sorry if I seemed a bit mean yesterday. It's just that this era grinds my gears, Apocalypse especially. But I have to give credit to you for acknowledging the other side of the argument. In a way, despite me hating this era, I found this to be one of your better videos. Way to often do I see those that delude themselves into thinking it is some masterpiece of writing and refuse to admit that it might just be more than a bit flawed. Cause I think one thing that you missed to mention was that not only did people dislike cause of anime tropes, but also cause they found it just plain poorly written with characters flatter than cardboard and ditching any semblance of moral nuance as well as the game completely abandoning the series punk attitude. And while I think IV was a weak SMT game, at least it was still recognizable as one. Something which can't be said about Apoc.
Just got around to reading this response, and hey man there's nothing wrong with not really liking the series in it's current state. I think that's perfectly reasonable. And I agree that SMT IV, and apocalypse definitely felt poorly written in some places. However having just beat SMT SJR I must say the new endings are quite interesting. I feel like they fit in pretty well thematically and may mark a potential return to form?
One can hope, though the new endings implementations where far from perfect, it is at least a step up over Apoc (through granted, that ain't saying much). But like I said, SMTV will make or break it for me. But one thing that SJR did prove is that we can expect demon designs to be toilet worthy half the time with Doi as lead artist.
hey man great video
i came for megten content
but i gotta say watching your vids is a pleasure
heres to a successful year to you !
and can't wait for your next projects!
it's been one hell of a ride but thanks for getting me into the mara infested world of smt and persona. you're the best dude
Thank you for this last video, I will miss this series, I hope you will make another once SMT V comes out in the west and you have had a chance to play it(and SMT Strange Journey Redux).
On the subject of Redux/Deep Strange Journey's redesign, while I'm a big fan of Kaneko's style and like many people that like this series I would rather have him handle all the design aspects of the main franchise, I don't terribly mind Doi's somewhat more stylish and less somber characters. I didn't expect Kaneko to continue drawing for the series forever, especially given the fact that he's been working on this franchise for over 2 decades already. I'm really looking forward to replaying Strange Journey and seeing how the new elements introduced in this remaster will affect the overarching story. Hell, maybe this time I will actually do a New Game+ and try to beat Demiurge.
Its been a long journey man. Kinda bummed I couldn't help with the final video, but I'm still glad I was a part of this thing.
Really excited for your future retrospectives.
Seeing Gungrave footage at the end got me excited at the possibility of a crossover with Shin Megami Tensei. Maybe a Devil Summoner-style game where Grave and Mika are trying to shut down a demon-summoning program gone haywire, or something better than that.
Just finished this smt retrospective. And really enjoyed it. Subbed immediately.
Lol, I've just finished previous video and subscribed, so that I don't miss next one and here it is! :) Thanks for your work, man!
Who's seeing this or reseeing this, to get hyped for Nocturne HD and Smtv?
Great video!!! Loved the whole series actually! But what’s sad is that, as of April 10, 2020, we still know NOTHING more about “SMT V”!!! No screen shots, nothing. Smh...
Those fans are WRONG and another Strange Journey is always a tasty reward.
And I just finished the other two videos for the first time like an hour go, this is convenient!
You did it man. Congratulations!
*Present Day, Present Time* hahah
Ups, sorry.. wrong anime series.
Great year long deep jouney with you, can't wait to see your next video
Great year! Keep up the great content!
Well shit, didn’t know that THE Keita Amemiya is involved with SMT IV
I love how you used smt1 ending theme
Love your vids keep up!!!
And SMT V still hasn’t even a release date 😪
Is that so...
Now that you mention it, i, as a random commentator would love some Yakuza content
I love SMT IV and Apocalypse (especially Apocalypse for it's game mechanics), but I can't believe they hired people onto the dev team who sound like they just want to make a shitty cliche Neptunia-style game? Why would they work at Atlus, then? Imo, I'd have fired them on the spot for that shit. Respect the IP, at least a little bit. >>
Thankfully, I didn't really notice them make any changes in that direction (besides maybe Asahi, who I thought was implemented well). And I do think Apocalypse is the best 3DS RPG.
EDIT: But I did NOT know about the beach scene DLC, wtfffffffffffffffff...
Hope to see more SMT stuff from you in the future, though!
I would love if you do videos about devil may cry
Yeah I'm not fan of the slight changes or how smt 4 turned out. I'm just hoping we go something completely new with promise to more interque mechanics that harken back to classic rpg mechanics like RE:Fantasy or something completely new be it gerne change and get something like SMT Synchronicity Prologue or Just give us the SMT If and Devil summoner ports atlus without a remake changing up soundtrack to jpop or adding characters and beach scenes.
SamBeta20 + that beach scene messed with the story, couldn't take it seriously at all.
The beach scene reminded me of those ecchi anime, which was not a good thing considering that without the DLC i already had thoughs of it being a fucking harem anime.
Jose Vasquez Well it was an optional sidequest and a dream/illusion created by a demon. No point in saying that ruined the game
Every shin megami tensei video series i seen always ends with smt1 credits theme. Lul
Thank you!
Deff do KH
very interesting, thank you.
I hope V or some of the previous games get xbox ports.
I'm hyped for smt 5.
I think a smt I remake with sj gameplay would be a lot better than a sj remake
Flyn’s game was the first game in the series I played I was interested after persona 4 and 3 can honestly say I never understood this game it was very perplexing.
No mention of our Lord and Savior Dx2??? smh
jk This series of videos has been great. I will definitely keep my eye on your future content
Amazing SMT video as always Nick
buuuuuuuut I wanna argue something when it comes to YHVH and his portrayal in the franchise
YHVH was also interpreted as evil in SMT 2 too.I know what Kaneko said was the intention but the way YHVH's dialogue was written in SMT 2 and every game he physically appeared in always portrayed him as villainous and egotistical.Heck SMT 2 is by far the worst when it comes to this because even when you go LAw in that game you end up killing God anyway despite doing exactly what he wanted willingly before Satan hypocritically wanted to "judge him" for committing genocide
The only games in the series where "God" wasn't interpreted as an evil megalomaniac was Devil Survivor 1 which is one of the few games that was ever fair to the law alignment
If YHVH's portrayal is supposed to be that of the demiurge,which is highly implied in later games,then the series only succeeded in doing so only in the games where YHVH and Lucifer weren't the head honchos of the conflict but rather outside manipulators in them where the moral ambiguity of Law and Chaos can be portrayed with equal advantages and disadvantages instead of guilt tripping the player in every game they pick Law in.
I love the SMT franchise whole heartedly but their portrayal of Law in the franchise is so black&white with little gray area in between it hurts
It's why I hope that in SMT 5 that the new representative of Law and Chaos are not YHVH or Lucifer anymore
Heck they shot themselves in the foot with those two in Apocalypse when it's revealed that Lucifer was working for YHVH all along
MetalSnakeXIII That you have to kill YHVH in SMT II is only a confirmation and summation of that game's specific themes, not that YHVH is evil. In fact, if you paid attention to his dialogue, you'd be aware that Aleph's actions were never heroic, but a necessity for him to bring to world closer to his new vision. To summate why it was a terrible idea: The entire game hammers in the point that humanity cannot love without someone or something to cling to or rely on, so its honestly pointless to reject YHVH when people will turn to him when lacking anything else to follow. As a result, Aleph's revolt was really just pointless, and he was only delaying the inevitable by killing YHVH, only so he could give humanity the opportunity of freedom, but only for the sake of his ideals.
So, essentially, YHVH's fight is not portrayed as a fight of good and evil is what I'm trying to get at. His motivations are also justifiable within the context of the story: Remember that his servants, the archangels, betrayed him and created a synthetic Messiah that eventually ALSO betrayed His ideals (kind of an allegory for Aleph embodying the new Testament Jesus who went against the Old Testament's portrayal of God) and also that, by this point, humanity had become a dumpster fire society that communed with demons and lived in devastation to the point where the only way they could promise salvation was through VR. So the archangels turning people against him and humanity being unable to truly prosper and build a thousand year kingdom in this world is what motivated him to destroy it. Its his creation after all (From the point of view of THIS game and not what FINAL retconned, which should dubiously canonical for reasons stated above).
So yeah. That YHVH is evil because he wants to destroy the world and because you fight him is a misconception of the narrative that the team wanted to present with this game, and if you look close enough, Kaneko's statements make perfect sense.
I get their intention I really do,I just think that the execution in both 2 and Apocalypse missed the point
What you said is on point but when the game gives YHVH such lines where it seems that he thinks that humans are worthless all while Lucifer is presented with such flowery dialogue that paints his route as the best possible outcome
I know it's up to the player to decide which one is the best at the end of the day and I guess that's the intention.....but did they really needed to have Satan and Aleph kill YHVH in Law rather than just what the NES Megami Tensei 2 did where,while sure it skips a boss fight,it felt more satisfying
Apocalypse missed the point just as much during the PEace route with Nozomi's hypocricy about how denying other gods makes the world stagnant....yet she kills the deity that 50% of mankind worships.
I get that YHVH is a representation of the old testament's interpretation of God,but without a good knowledge on religion(at least a background knowledge at minimum)most people won't even guess that's even the case and would just interpreted as yet another one of many "Kill God he's evil" plots that you see a lot in this genre.
Actually, Lucifer working for YHVH in Apocalypse is a plain lie. Lucifer is His pawn, he gets it when you kill him and that he's doomed to be nothing but a scapegoat. Also on the whole "YHVH sounds like a straight up villain and Lucifer sounds all flowery and heroic" thing, that's the point, Lucifer is the fucking Devil, of course he sugarcoats what his intentions are, he's trying to use you. Another thing to add is that SMT is a very Eastern series, of course the Western God is a megalomaniac, that's what they see in him. I won't defend Apocalypse, I'm just clarifying a few things.
I actually like apocalypse,I just really hate the endgame of the peace route
I do get Lucifer's deal with sugarcoating since he's the devil but my problem is stemming from presentation and how it's constantly misinterpreted in alignment debates because every time I try to present such arguments I get labeled a "lawfag" in quotes everytime I try to reasonably explain things with chaos supporters in the fandom
As for SMT being eastern I get that,but here is exactly how that contradicts Kaneko's statement like I mentioned,he says YHVH isn't evil yet he depicts him as a megalomaniac.
Trust me I get his intentions,I just wish the execution was a bit better so that the idea would be understood a little better even by people who don't research much religion and I don't mean that they should dumb down SMT
MetalSnakeXIII yeah, It's really hard to write moral gray stories without coming off as grimderp. As a fanfic writer I usually avoid using YHVH(and when I do, he's usually more neutral than Lawful like Devil Survivor) because He has bad connotations. Lucifer usually is either in his Nocturne incarnation (he uses the Darwinism based Chaos faction to further his goals but isn't a Darwinist himself) or just isn't there. Law and Chaos is really hard to write and I think only Devil Survivor (1 not 2) got it right.
Why was Soul Hackers not mentioned?
Dagnabbut. I spoiled SMT 4 for myself
*Sigh* / I miss old SMT. It's still good, but it's not the same.
i dislike the anime tropes in smt4f, but i think the twist in the alignment system is great and really needed for the smt series.
i think the law/neutral/chaos alignment in smt has become really stale and just way too religious, and just kinda out of touch with reality.
while i dont completely agree with smt4f "bonds ending", the idea that law and chaos fractions are both tools for YHWH is neat. anyway, i think smt4f is a good change of pace in terms of story writing, ASIDE FROM the whole anime tropes / fanservice part.
also i think Asahi is fine as a companion similar to how smt1 &2 works, but Toki joining as a second love interest is kinda weird and unnecessary.
Honestly felt like a game with Persona characters inside of an SMT game, but without enough time to focus on character development like Persona. Cause those games are filled full of trope archetypes that kind of move past that because they get so fleshed out. SMT mainline is always more story than character driven, but since the characters there aren't as full of tropes they really didnt need to flesh them out as much... That said I took SMT IV: Final at face value and didnt mind it as more over an odd addition/spin off of IV.. and I adored Toki 🤔 Can't really defend that at all as she's basically just an anime trope.
so just get the remakes for strange journey and that overclocked? but smt 4 are differnt?
No get all of then there all different games
I love Shin megami tensei IV and Apocalypse but in my opinion the original SMT IV is the superior game. Yes , apocalypse polishes the gameplay mechanics (wich weren't bad) but SMT IV feels "darker" , more serious , meanwhile Apocalypse feels more like your tpiyical anime series . Apocalypse is also easier than SMT IV, . Both are great nervertheless but I prefer the original.
I really like the adult protagonist scrapped design hopefully they recycle it for a spin off or another smt game after smt V...if there is another one
...Pass
I'm probably the only one but I have 2 things I dislike about apocalypse 1 I really really don't like the changes to the combat I enjoyed it so much more in IV 2 I like how int the other games all your choices make a difference in the story as here there's obvious story path questions but this change I'll let slide a little because it makes getting the endings much easier
Otherwise I love it I really like the new hud style, and customizing the protagonist (I can't remember how to spell it atm) I love his punk style (kinda wish I could swap character models with Flynn's XD) also I love the music oh and the new level cap and streetpass I have my fingers crossed 5 gets what I love from both games
Aaron Dostal and I'm hoping 5 treats alignment like Devil Survivor, that game actually had a good Law ending which is weird. Also that it sucked punches Persona fans(nothing against them, I think Eternal Punishment is my favorite game of all time, I just like it when Atlus messes with the fans)
Still waiting SMTV
I miss the gritty cyberpunk Occult era of SMT. It just feels like now that it's been replaced with slice of life dating sim visual novel bullshit that just so happens to have demons and RPG elements in it, everything that made Shin Megami Tensei distinct is nearly gone. Atlus became the very thing they've set to out do.
Haha funny another god rejected
Death of the author. YHVH may have been intended to be a neutral force in SMT II but his actions and attitude portrayed an evil personality regardless. I don't care who you are but going out of your way to torture someone for all eternity for no other reason then they crossed you is an evil thing to do.
Thank you gor the videos, but did you HAVE to spoil the story?
Yes, that's like the basis of this video. I think in the end of part one he even says to play them before watching
Is it wrong that I like SMT 4 Apocalypse?
Jumpmon No I like it too
No, having your own opinions isn't wrong
dislike because you forgot about RJC
I understand that SMT titles are meant to be dark and have heavy messages, but still... Terrorism? Unemployment? Games are supposed to take you out of reality, not punch you in the gut with such issues. I'm still going to enjoy smt V, but I will feel slightly more uncomfortable with the games story. Don't get me wrong, i'm sure that Atlus will handle these issues with care, but what's next?
Shin megami Tensei 6: What are those stains in my pants?
The designs in IV are mostly fine, however it is the rendering and shading that i describe as absolute crap. I daily see amateur work on pixiv shaded better and more filled out that IV garbage sprites.
I hated SMT 4 but goddam SMT Final was AMAZING
Bro idk smt iv just seems like the edgy brother of persona 4
Smh my head
Ughh, I detest those tokusatsu designs in SMT. Fucking hideous. Single-handedly they're preventing me from replaying SMT IV.
Ant got worse less creative titles and less releases they just spam persona weeaboo rubbish
I don't know if 8-9 years can be considered "not that long ago" for Strange Journey.
Norspark His point was that Strange Journey holds up perfectly well in gameplay and technology. You can play the game on your 3DS too, which is the same console as the remake so essentially, its not like the remake was necessary on that regard either.
Kaneko needs to come back for the art. It's just not the same atmosphere without the music and art being synonymous with the series. Most important, the writing.