Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance | A Very Strong Refinement

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance improves on the original with over 80 hours of content, including the expansive Canon of Vengeance route. Refined gameplay and over 80 new music tracks deepen the narrative while exploring themes of power and human frailty.

Atlus’s delisting of the original highlights the quality found in this definitive version. While the base game received a lower score previously, playing Canon of Creation first ensures full enjoyment of the new content on Switch.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance

Released: June 14, 2024

Developer(s): ATLUS

Platform(s):

Publisher(s): SEGA

Completed on Switch Docked on Normal using Original SMT V bonuses
Replayed Canon of Creation and advanced through NG+ to Canon of Vengeance

HowLongToBeat Time: 43 1/2 hours | My Clear Time: 43hrs 18mins

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Background

Development for SMT V kicked off in 2016, marking the first time a mainline entry hit home consoles since Nocturne on the PS2 back in 2004. It was a long road. The team had to build everything from the ground up after years of 3DS development, eventually choosing Unreal Engine 4 and the OPTPiX SpriteStudio plug-in to speed things up. They cited the “quick ability to create and see” what they were building as the main reason for the switch (OPTPiXBlog, 2022).

Early info suggested the game would tackle heavy themes like unemployment, retirement anxiety, terrorism, and nuclear weapons to mirror real-world issues (Sato, 2017). Most of these ideas did not stay prominent after the long development cycle. After hearing from fans, Atlus decided against a basic “Director’s Cut” and gave us Vengeance instead.

This massive expansion acts as both a sequel and a total overhaul, adding over 80 hours of content and 40 new demons. It launched on June 14, 2024, for Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. This was the first time a mainline SMT game hit Xbox since the Japanese-exclusive SMT: NINE back in 2002 (Reggy, 2024).

The main team behind SMT V includes:

• Director: Shigeo Komori (Etrian Odyssey II, III, V, Nexus)
• Writer(s): Yoh Haduki (Devil Survivor 1), Tatsuya Watanabe (Strange Journey, Nocturne), Takahiro Yamamoto (Etrian Odyssey, Devil Survivor, Radiant Historia)
• Composer: Ryota Kozuka (Persona 4, Devil Survivor, Shin Megami Tensei IV)
• Designer: Yoshinori Asakura (Devil Survivor, SMT IV: Apocalypse, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE)
• Artist: Masayuki Doi (Shin Megami Tensei IV, IV Apocalypse, Trauma Center)
• Producer: Kazuyuki Yamai (Nocturne, Devil Summoner Raidou, Strange Journey, Shin Megami Tensei IV) (MobyGames, 2021).

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Experience

As a longtime fan of the SMT series, I’ve played numerous entries, including SMT III: Nocturne, SMT IV, SMT IV: Apocalypse, Digital Devil Saga, Soul Hackers, Soul Hackers 2, Devil Survivor: Overclocked, Strange Journey, Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army, and the original Shin Megami Tensei V. My familiarity with Atlus extends to titles like Trauma Center, Persona, Catherine, Etrian Odyssey, and their upcoming IP Metaphor: ReFantazio (back when it was known as ReFantasy).

I’m also well-acquainted with Masayuki Doi’s art, from his earlier work on Trauma Center: Under The Knife 2, Shin Megami Tensei IV, and Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, to his later work on Shin Megami Tensei V and now Vengeance.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Impressions

Canon of Creation

Choosing this route lets you play the original 2021 story from its first release on the Nintendo Switch, but with all the new bells and whistles. You still have the standard Law, Chaos, and Neutral endings, along with the secret “True Neutral” path in New Game Plus. The alignment system is much more flexible now, since you can basically pick your desired path or even buy a new ending with macca if you change your mind.

The new quality of life features are the real stars here:

• Performance Toggles: Finally, Switch players can tweak motion blur and anti-aliasing.
• Save Anywhere: A total game changer that removes the frustration of losing progress.
• Magatsu Rails: These act as shortcuts and hidden paths that make exploring the wasteland way faster.
• Demon Haunt: This is where you actually hang out with your team. Aogami finally chimes in on the story, making you feel more connected to the world.
• Combat Tweaks: Auto-battle is smarter, you can skip animations to save time, and you can even reset your stats if you mess up your build.
• Demon Passives: Every demon now has a unique ability that makes them feel like more than just fusion material.

These fixes make the original route much easier to enjoy, but the story is still a bit thin. Major events happen so fast that it’s hard to feel the weight of what’s going on, and the limited character interaction makes the big moments feel disconnected.

Canon of Vengeance

Choosing the girl’s hand at the start kicks off the Vengeance path, and this is where the game really finds its voice. It starts out familiar, but things go off the rails early on, specifically once you hit the train sequence. This route doesn’t just split from the original; it fixes what felt shallow and barren before. The original Canon of Creation almost felt like a commentary on nihilism, and the shift in Vengeance provides a sharp contrast. This path goes further by exploring the human condition under pressure, focusing on themes like manipulation and the corrupting influence of power.

Character development is the real focus here, which is a huge shift from the original game. Spending more time with the cast makes your choices feel like they actually matter, just like the storytelling in SMT IV or Strange Journey. The growth and transformation of the characters are directly influenced by your decisions, making the emotional investment much stronger.

Between the 89 new songs, the brutal level 150 cap in New Game Plus, and the side missions where you control demons like in the Raidou Kuzunoha games, there is just a ton to do. The new locations expand the world even further, and the top tier voice acting from talents like Ami Koshimizu and Chiwa Saito makes every scene hit harder.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Verdict

Canon of Creation

Reliving the 2021 story with these new upgrades is the best way to get your bearings. Big additions like Save Anywhere and the Demon Haunt make the journey much smoother. Even with the extra polish, the story still feels a bit thin and the pacing is jumpy, making it hard to get invested when things finally hit the fan.

Canon of Vengeance

Vengeance is the real deal. It breaks away from the old path and delivers a world of moral gray areas and power struggles that feel alive. The tougher bosses and hidden secrets will give veterans a real challenge, and those Raidou style sidequests are a killer throwback. This path is a massive step up from the original release and is the ultimate way to experience SMT V: Vengeance. If you’re a newcomer, start with the Creation story to see where it all began, then jump into Vengeance to see just how far this game has come.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance TLDR

References

1. OPTPiXBlog. (2022, April 15). [Interview] Renewed UI development flow with the first new work in 5 years! “Shin Megami Tensei V” realized the division of labor between designers and programmers. OPTPiX Labs Blog.
2. MobyGames. (2021, November 11). Shin Megami Tensei V credits (Nintendo Switch, 2021).
3. Sato, I. (2017, October 24). Shin Megami Tensei V is being made to sympathize with the world’s current troubles. Siliconera. Retrieved from
4. Reggy. (2024, February 21). Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance announced for June 21, 2024 release on Nintendo Switch, PS5/PS4, Steam, Xbox, Windows. Persona Central. Retrieved from