Atlus Shin Megami Tensei IV 3DS (beating MaroonSkein to the punch!)

[MaroonSkein]

I don't see why 3D models would cost much, since they already have all the models from SMTIII and the demons are give or take the same. The assets of the previous games belong to Atlus, don't they ? It looks to me like they're still using the same engine anyway.

The trailer shows you fighting 8 demons at once at 1:40. That's more than any PS2 game had you fight (I think a scripted fight against 6 pretas early on in Digital Devil Saga holds the record for the highest enemy count), and it could be that 3DS just can't render that many demon models at once without the frame rate dropping.

 

[ghostdog]

Hmm, yeah, it could be the 3DS limitations.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

I don't think so, it's just a few characters in a static arena. Atlus could also have made the game on Vita and all of their fans would have bought it.

 

[Sul]

Are these the same ones from Strange Journey?

Shame about the fruitcake Persona character designer, I want horribly creepy designs, not Japanese fashion. I fear it will rub off on the game itself.

Strange Journey was pretty corny and preachy itself, it seems Atlus doesn't want to do anything messed up anymore.

How Strange Journey is corny and preachy?

 

[evdk]

Are these the same ones from Strange Journey?

Shame about the fruitcake Persona character designer, I want horribly creepy designs, not Japanese fashion. I fear it will rub off on the game itself.

Strange Journey was pretty corny and preachy itself, it seems Atlus doesn't want to do anything messed up anymore.

How Strange Journey is corny and preachy?

The theme of the demon worlds is "The evil that men do" and they won't shut up about it. And the angels are even more massive cunts in this one than is usual for Megaten.

 

[Sul]

Are these the same ones from Strange Journey?

Shame about the fruitcake Persona character designer, I want horribly creepy designs, not Japanese fashion. I fear it will rub off on the game itself.

Strange Journey was pretty corny and preachy itself, it seems Atlus doesn't want to do anything messed up anymore.

How Strange Journey is corny and preachy?

The theme of the demon worlds is "The evil that men do" and they won't shut up about it. And the angels are even more massive cunts in this one than is usual for Megaten.

I'm aware of that, but let's not forget that you can always go chaos and smite God, the Devil, your "friends" and pretty much anyone that stands against you in a bloody massacre, all to prove humanity doesn't need gods or devils, just its own will to carve it's destiny. And that's half of the fun when it comes to the setting, you can just not give a fuck and put a piece of lead inside the skull of anyone that tries to label you.

 

[evdk]

I'm aware of that, but let's not forget that you can always go chaos and smite God, the Devil, your "friends" and pretty much anyone that stands against you in a bloody massacre, all to prove humanity doesn't need gods or devils, just its own will to carve it's destiny. And that's half of the fun when it comes to the setting, you can just not give a fuck and put a piece of lead inside the skull of anyone that tries to label you.

That's not the Chaos ending at all. In the Chaos ending you join the demons and wipe out most of humanity. You get to see Lucifer mock Mastema in the process which is nice though.

 

[Sul]

I'm aware of that, but let's not forget that you can always go chaos and smite God, the Devil, your "friends" and pretty much anyone that stands against you in a bloody massacre, all to prove humanity doesn't need gods or devils, just its own will to carve it's destiny. And that's half of the fun when it comes to the setting, you can just not give a fuck and put a piece of lead inside the skull of anyone that tries to label you.

That's not the Chaos ending at all. In the Chaos ending you join the demons and wipe out most of humanity. You get to see Lucifer mock Mastema in the process which is nice though.

Ops, I meant neutral ending.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

The trailer shows you fighting 8 demons at once at 1:40. That's more than any PS2 game had you fight (I think a scripted fight against 6 pretas early on in Digital Devil Saga holds the record for the highest enemy count), and it could be that 3DS just can't render that many demon models at once without the frame rate dropping.

I was ambushed by six or more Pretas in that town before the Mannequin tunnels in Nocturne. Happened only twice despite all the time I spent there, probably happens like 5% of the time.

 

[Average Manatee]

Nocturne has the boss fight against the spirit guy who is split into multiple spirits and then reforms himself the first time you go into the matrix system. Can't remember what it was called but you guys know what I'm talking about.

 

[deuxhero]

I think some call for reinforcements enemies can get the total higher than 6, don't remember.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdWLM-aAK9Q

 

[evdk]

Wait, did I get it right and you will actually be able to see the random encounters?

 

[Humanity has risen!]

I actually don't like visible encounters most of the time, I find those bumping games dumb, and not knowing when the encounter will happen adds tension.

 

[felipepepe]

Considering that the Persona games use visible encounters very well, makes sense that they try it on core SMT as well.

Also, R.I.P. MaroonSkein.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Really, what do they do that is particularly clever? From what I remember, all of these systems work in the same way save for the Chrono series: monsters spawn randomly from the ground, and you try to bump into them from behind to get a free turn before the popped up monsters do the same to you. Is this better? To me it just becomes a tedious, pointless minigame.

 

[felipepepe]

Chrono was actually better, with some (escapable) ambushes and such. Still, I definetly prefer seeing the enbemies and having a chance to avoid them than those annoying random battles suddenly happening at 2 steps from the exit/boss/healing point...

 

[Humanity has risen!]

I don't, the composer has been changed, this new one worked on more generic Atlus games and doesn't make the same mixture of eerie, organic environmental music and rock, and it shows. It's the same kind of generic stuff as in Devil Survivor.






This voice acting/chatter is pretty horrible, I think it really detracts from the mood of these games. The only exception was Digital Devil Saga, where it was handled well, and the US dub was actually great. For all other Atlus games I always turned all voice acting off and found it much better, it will be the first thing I do with this one.

And Isabeau, what kind of French first name is that? It's like a 2-3 centuries old French female first name. Another thing that makes the Japanese look like total poseurs who have no clue and only pick Western tropes because it makes their stuff look edgy.

 

[Jasede]

The voice-acting kind of pisses me off.
I liked that SMT was always "quiet".

Maybe it's just the Japanese. They always have the exact same voices. The worst one is the "annoying / demure" female voice.

Edit: Sorry Humanity, deleted my post because I changed my mind on second thought.

 

[Cool name]

And Isabeau, what kind of French first name is that? It's like a 2-3 centuries old French female first name. Another thing that makes the Japanese look like total poseurs who have no clue and only pick Western tropes because it makes their stuff look edgy.

Isabeu is still in use even if it is neither common nor popular.



That aside now we have SMT trailers about the characters. The CHARACTERS. On SMT. Good one.

This shit is not SMT.

Horrible art style as well. Do please tell me Kaneko is not somehow involved in this.

 

[Whisky]

No, he's not involved. He hasn't been involved a lot lately, it pisses me off.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Yeah, it looks like with the gameplay it will still be able to stand on its own merits, but many aspects of the game look markedly different, and for the worse. The game is supposed to be odd and scary, not a drama filled with bishounen and chatter that no one cares about. This series has been so far about exploring a desolated ruined world alone while building your team of demonic minions to help you survive it, and all these changes look like they will be a serious distraction to the formula. I'm sure the game will all in all be softened too, in Persona nothing messed up or disturbing ever happened and I'm sure this game will be more like it.

Atlus has also been sold not so long ago, and it looks like to a certain extent they are more pressed to prioritize profit and marketable items and themes, over game development and implementing the ideas and concepts they truly want.

 

[Jasede]

They were sold? Sad news.
Wow, this is bumming me out.

 

[deuxhero]

They weren't "sold", Index was always their parent company.

 

[Jasede]

Ah? Hm.