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Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
Reviewed by sladeums on December 11, 2006 | report this review
If you're reading this you've likely heard the news – yes, it's an SMT game with 'real-time' combat, not the standard turn-based RPG. I was a little hesitant after I heard the game was going real-time…but you know what? I was surprisingly shocked - it works…really, really well. Like the rest of the SMT games there are a LOT of battles – they are still random and occur with the same frequency as earlier games. Much of the rest of the interface is pretty much unchanged as well – the level-up screens and character travel are identical to the other games. Of course the main focus: demon capturing, leveling and fusing is done just as well as the rest of the series. As for the new combat model…Whenever a battle starts you are taken to the main battle screen. This is a single area confined to just a bit bigger then your TV screen where you are allowed free movement up to the edges of the arena where you will face your enemies. You have 3 buttons to use for attacks: square (sword), triangle (gun – which stuns momentarily, or you can use elemental rounds to combat enemy weaknesses), and square (block). You have a couple different attacks with your sword: just press once for a slash, keep pounding for a little combo, or press the analog stick towards an enemy then hit the square to do a power thrust. During battle, tapping the R1 button brings up a small sub-menu that allows you to summon the demon of your choice from those you are currently holding – this menu is also where you find commands for: 'Item', 'Escape', and 'Analyze'. You can switch in and out at anytime, and give your demon basic command parameters like: 'Attack with magic', 'Attack, don't waste magic', 'Support' and a couple others. You don't actually choose the individual actions of the demon you've summoned. The AI does a decent job on your behalf. In this game, instead of negotiations, you have to target an enemy's weakness – which stuns them – and then start mashing the circle button to capture the demon before they become un-stunned. The one really weak point in the combat is the lack of a target function. You are on your own to wander the screen and hack at any enemy you want – the problem with this is it is sometimes difficult to tell exactly where they are, and I've found myself swinging at air too many times. You can also summon a single demon at a time to travel outside of the battles, and each demon has 1 or 2 special commands that can be used when they are accompanying you. Many of the missions involve you pulling out the right demon that has the proper context-sensitive command available for the situation. The biggest strength of the game is the story. It moves along at a quick pace and is well written – which for me was a much welcome relief after the fairly vague Nocturne. The game is set in a series of 12 missions, which will give you 30+ hours of gameplay. I can honestly say this is the most fun I've had playing an SMT game since Persona 2…and that's saying something.
masterpeice
Reviewed by pimp0101 on May 01, 2007 | report this review
good game good graphics everything is good. 5/5
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