Shin Megami Tensei: A Retrospective of the Goddess

With the recent announcement that Persona 5 is in development and is scheduled for a Japanese release in the winter of 2014, exclusively for the PS3, I thought it was a good time to look back at a storied franchise and examine the evolutionary chain that made the series what it is today. In the 25 years that the series has been around, few of its contemporaries have seen such innovation and adaptation. Shin Megami Tensei has earned a name for itself as a typically traditional series that enjoys taking risks, and more often than not, enjoys reaping the success of those risks. 

In an age when the word “mature” has become corrupted by the negative undertones of sex and violence, Shin Megami Tensei shows what it truly means to tell a mature tale, tackling themes of spirituality, existentialism, corruption of the church and government, youth, sexuality, self-worth, and more. It is a series that begs its players to challenge it, to ask questions, but more importantly, to think for yourself.

Megami Tensei Series

Though developed by Atlus from the very beginning, the first two games under the Megami Tensei moniker were published by Namco. Released in the early fall of 1997, Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei was a first-person RPG inspired by a series of horror novels from acclaimed Japanese author Aya Nishitani

Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei

Original release date:

September 11, 1987 (Japan)

This game would feature what would become trademarks of the franchise and its spin-offs: vast demonic mythology, extensive dungeon crawling, particular focus on Japanese ideology, history, and the occult, and various gameplay mechanics that were unprecedented at the time. Players were given the ability to interact with the many demons they encountered, and through a process of negotiation, recruit them into your party. Players were also granted the ability to fuse demons together to create more powerful beings. Both elements of gameplay have survived the franchise to this day, and though not all of them have appeared in every external iteration, they still remain a primary focus of the series-proper.

Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II

Original release date: April 6, 1990 (Japan)

The follow-up to Atlus’s first title took the series to a place that would become a popular setting for some of their most successful games much later in the franchise: the post-apocalyptic world. Another innovation for the series, this was the first game to introduce the world map to the Megami Tensei universe.

Shin Megami Tensei series

Shin Megami Tensei

Original release date:

October 30, 1992 (Japan)

Atlus returned to the helm of the first installment in what would become the primary series in the Megami Tensei universe. The game was notable for adopting a morality system seen most often in Western RPGs, and popularized by the Dungeons and Dragons series of pen-and-paper RPGs. The player’s actions, through dialogue or in some combat scenarios, tipped an alignment scale toward either Law or Chaos. Players could also choose a more Neutral route. This determined the outcome of the game and added the notion of replay value into the series.

Shin Megami Tensei II

Original release date:

March 18, 1994

Perhaps one of the most important features of the demon fusion, introduced in the very first game, was adapted here: the concept of “magic succession.” That is, the ability to pass down the spells and abilities of demons that you are fusing together. Among the other minor changes was the ability to select which spells your demons can use in combat, giving you greater control on the battlefield. The story picks up 50 years following Shin Megami Tensei, under the continuity of the Neutral ending.

 Shin Megami Tensei if…

Original release date:

October 28, 1994

This was developed as a companion story to the original Shin Megami Tensei, and as the title suggests, proposes a “what if” situation had the outcome been different. The game did not propel the series forward in any meaningful way, adding elements that were later dropped for all subsequent releases, such as the Guardian Spirits. These acted as a type of random effect: should the main character die, you would gain a Guardian Spirit, and the next time you level, this would either boost or decrease a random stat, determined by the type of enemy you were facing when you died.

 Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne

Original release dates:

February 20, 2003 (Japan)

October 12, 2004 (North America)
July 1, 2005 (Europe)

Touted as being one of the most difficult games of the PlayStation 2 era, and certainly of the franchise as a whole, Nocturne was also recognized as the first of the series to see a release in Europe. This introduced the Press Turn battle system, a feature that would become a staple of the series from here on out. In battle, you were given an amount of turns equal to the number of members in your party (yourself, and up to 3 demons, for a total of 4 turns). Performing certain actions such as exploiting enemy weaknesses, scoring a critical hit, or reflecting/nullifying enemy attacks, granted you an extra turn for each character that received it; similarly, you could also lose a turn if the enemy did the same. This added an extra element of strategy to battles and often gave way to some very strenuous bosses. Nocturne also introduced the Demonic Compendium, another feature that would be of continued use throughout the series. This allowed players to register their demons in a catalogue, either after fusing or negotiating with them, giving you the option to summon them back for a price should you need them again. 

  
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

Original release dates:

October 8, 2009 (Japan)

March 23, 2010 (North America)

Originally intended to be released as the fourth “official” game of the main series, Strange Journey ended up as simply another side story. Tackling themes of global warming and atomic threat, Strange Journey was one of the more timely games of the series, set at the onset of the 21^st century. Strange Journey also brought the series back to its roots, dropping the camera angle into first-person during exploration, which had been done away with for all subsequent games following Nocturne.

  
Shin Megami Tensei IV

May 23, 2013 (Japan)

July 16, 2013 (North America)

The most recent game in the series as a whole, it did not offer much in the way of innovation to a – by this time - proven formula, but it was the first in the main series to feature a full cast of voice acting.

Persona series

  
Revelations: Persona

Original release dates:

September 20, 1996 (Japan)

October 25, 1997 (North America)

The Persona series marks a significant turn for the franchise: it was the first to be published in the states, but more importantly it adopted a new approach to combat. Rather than simply allying with demons, your party consisted of ordinary teenagers – often high-school students – that called upon their inner “personas” – facets of their individual personalities – to fight for them. Persona also added a lunar cycle, which not only indicated the passage of time, but also represented certain enemy patterns, including behavior and mood, should the players wish to negotiate.

Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment

Original release dates:

Innocent Sin

June 24, 1999 (Japan)

September 20, 2011 (North America) (PSP remake)

Eternal Punishment

June 29, 2000 (Japan)

December 22, 2000 (North America)

A direct sequel to the first, Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment were two sides of the same coin. The games introduced the new Fusion Spell system, which allowed Personas from multiple characters to chain together spells. Additionally, rumors played a significant role not only in the story, but in many gameplay elements as well. The spread of certain rumors could affect the cost of weapons or items in shops, and more, to varying degrees of success.

  
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

Original release dates:

July 13, 2006 (Japan)

August 14, 2007 (North America)

February 29, 2008 (Europe)

March 6, 2008 (Australia)

This was the one. While Atlus had found mild success with their previous titles, it wasn’t until Persona 3 that they solidified themselves as a premier developer in the JRPG market outside of Japan. In it, players took on the role of the unnamed protagonist and his new classmates as they discover the secrets behind the Dark Hour, a mysterious hidden hour that exists between midnight and 1 AM. Persona 3 added a significant feature that would carry over into the next game, and one that deftly broadened the game’s appeal beyond that of typical RPGs. The Social Links, as they were called, allowed you to establish bonds and build friendships with various supporting characters in the game. In this sense the game took on a bit of a simulation aspect. Because the game continued the lunar cycle introduced in its predecessor, days were very limited. Performing certain actions initiated the passage of time, which means if you chose to expand your Social Links, you had little time for combat, and vice versa.

The benefit of doing this, however, is that every Social Link was attributed to different Arcana of popular tarot card decks: The Lovers, The Hermit, The Empress, etc. These Arcana were subsequently linked to the various demons, or persona, your character could call upon, and were affected directly by the strength of those Social Links. Build your relationships, and you increase your prowess in combat, thus adding a more immediate sense of urgency to your daily actions: do you head into the dungeons to fight and gain experience, or do you build your social links and strengthen your demons? Finding the right balance was one of the game’s strongest aspects and one that carried over into the sequel. A year later, Persona: FES was released, which was an enhanced version of the original and contained a special epilogue chapter known as “The Answer.”

  
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4

Original release dates:

July 10, 2008 (Japan)

December 9, 2008 (North America)

March 13, 2009 (Europe)

March 12, 2009 (Australia)

Without too many improvements to its predecessor, Persona 4 simply refined a formula that made the previous installment so successful. Featuring a whole new cast of characters, the game took place largely parallel to Persona 3. The game followed another band of high school students as they attempted to solve a murder and the mystery of the Midnight Channel, a special TV program that if watched, reveals your soulmate. Shortly thereafter, the person disappears. The game had an overall Scooby Doo Gang vibe, which helped keep its cast likable and relatable without bringing the story down. An enhanced edition was later made for the PlayStation Vita, called Persona 4 Golden, and later a fighting simulator featuring a crossover cast from Persona 3, called Persona 4 Arena.

Devil Summoner series

  
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner

Original release date:

December 26, 1995 (Japan)

The first game in the franchise developed for a 32-bit platform, Devil Summoner was also notable for abandoning the post-apocalyptic world. 

  
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers

Original release dates:

November 13, 1997 (Japan)

April 16, 2013 (North America) (Nintendo 3DS remake)

September 13, 2013 (Europe) (Nintendo 3DS remake)

Soul Hackers, which has been the most recent enhanced remake, offers a unique futuristic spin on the typically contemporary series. Players controlled the COMP, a device that aids not only with demon fusion, but also with various other gameplay mechanics such as scanning enemy demons, any-time demon negotiations, and map enhancements.

  
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army

Original release dates:

March 2, 2006 (Japan)

October 10, 2006 (North America)

April 27, 2007 (Europe)

May 3, 2007 (Australia)

Not only is this one of the longest titles in the series, but it is also the polar opposite of its predecessor: taking place in the early 20^th century, Raidou Kuzunoha is an action game similar to Namco’s Tales of series. Featuring the franchise’s persistent demon fusion, combat takes place in an isolated “arena” where the player can move in a three-dimensional space and attack in real time. Besides the normal fusions, you can also fuse demons into Raidou’s sword, enhancing its properties. Raidou himself is a high school student from a legendary demon summoning family-turned-detectives.

  
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon

Original release dates:

October 23, 2008 (Japan)

May 12, 2009 (North America)

No new additional elements were added in this direct sequel; rather, mechanics and features of its predecessor were simply refined. The game continues the story of Raidou set shortly after the events of the first.

Digital Devil Saga series

  
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2

Original release dates:

Digital Devil Saga 1

July 15, 2004 (Japan)

March 29, 2005 (North America)

July 21, 2006 (Europe)

  
Digital Devil Saga 2

January 27, 2005 (Japan)

October 11, 2005 (North America)
March 2, 2007 (Europe)

Digital Devil Saga introduced a strange and foreign world known as the Junkyard, a vast, post-apocalyptic wasteland besieged by constant rainfall. The games were heavily influenced by Hinduism: both thematically and categorically. Rather than summoning demons or fighting alongside them, the main characters had the ability to transform into specific demons. Demon Fusion was removed for these games, and replaced by a large, encompassing sphere grid of stats and spells. Unlike other games, you could switch your abilities at any time, and did not lose older spells when leveling up, adding a greater level of customization for each character.

Devil Survivor series

  
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor

Original release dates:

January 15, 2009 (Japan)

June 23, 2009 (North America)

March 29, 2013 (Europe)

The Devil Survivor games took the series into the land of strategy RPG, adding a minor grid-based element outside of direct combat. Characters were placed on squares in the environment and then allowed to move a set distance each turn. Certain actions could be performed out in the world, such as healing or primitive forms of attack. Making contact with an enemy initiated a battle typical to others in the series. Set in a fictionalized version of present-day Tokyo, the main character and his two friends discover that they have been given strange electronic devices called COMPs. As they seek to understand their new gifts, the city is sieged by an onslaught of demons and a quarantine is placed into effect. They have seven days to figure out the source of the outbreak or witness the destruction of mankind. A demon auction was added, allowing players to bid on specially-fused demons against AI counter-bidders. 

  
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2

Original release dates:

July 28, 2011 (Japan)

February 28, 2012 (North America)

Taking the setting outside of Tokyo and covering the whole expanse of Japan, Devil Survivor 2 follows a similar set of high school students, this time dealing with matters a bit closer to home. A strange website known as Nicaea begins sending e-mails to people with a video embedded, forewarning recipients of their death. If you receive one, you have the chance to prevent it. The combat system is largely identical to its predecessor, with returning elements such as demon fusion and bidding.

True Goddess Reincarnation

Though the franchise exists in the form of countless other media (including mobile games, movies, manga, and even several attempts at online games), it has endured and proven itself to be a formidable contemporary to the likes of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Atlus is a respected developer and publisher of the acute, and though they may never compete on a financial level with SquareEnix, tri-Ace, Namco, or any other big name in the Japanese Role-Playing scene, they may very well outweigh them with sheer ingenuity and depth of gameplay.