Zerth
Arbiter
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2016
- Messages
- 409
Well, I got into SMT Strange Journey totally expecting some noticeable differences in design direction than SMT IV, since this was
one of the latter titles where Kaneko had a quite major involvement besides being an artistic lead (although this only holds true for the core game rather than redux).
No doubt, There are several core aspects from Strange Journey that puts It leagues above SMTIV & Apocalypse, and It also became among my favorite megaten blobbers just after Nocturne, and yet is kind of a mixed bag.
SJ follows up mainline's themes and storytelling: the events of the story linearly unfolds as you progress doing what the HAL-9000 computer thing dictates, until your final alignment adjustment either branch off to let you pick between several paths or hard-locks you towards one ending route no questions asked. Alignment is slightly influenced by oftentimes inane dialogue choices or greatly affected by the outcome of your actions during those few instances where you can actually see some C&C. However, given these plot events only tweak your numbers, consequences aren't really long-lasting and you can also revert the undesirable tendency on your alignment with a ludicrous repeatable event.
one of the latter titles where Kaneko had a quite major involvement besides being an artistic lead (although this only holds true for the core game rather than redux).
No doubt, There are several core aspects from Strange Journey that puts It leagues above SMTIV & Apocalypse, and It also became among my favorite megaten blobbers just after Nocturne, and yet is kind of a mixed bag.
SJ follows up mainline's themes and storytelling: the events of the story linearly unfolds as you progress doing what the HAL-9000 computer thing dictates, until your final alignment adjustment either branch off to let you pick between several paths or hard-locks you towards one ending route no questions asked. Alignment is slightly influenced by oftentimes inane dialogue choices or greatly affected by the outcome of your actions during those few instances where you can actually see some C&C. However, given these plot events only tweak your numbers, consequences aren't really long-lasting and you can also revert the undesirable tendency on your alignment with a ludicrous repeatable event.
Morax, the flipping off Bullhead, truly a visionary.
I realized human kills human all the time, then humans are weak to human. GENIUS!
Therefore, Best way to kill humankind is to mimic human warfare with Demon Magic!, Amirite?
-I love the smell of maragidyne in the morning *CHAOS UP!*
-Fuck Off, your statement applies better towards demons (flips off finger back) *LAW UP!*
-Wrong. True everyone's weakness is right in front of ya! (DoomGuy's smirk) *NO CHANGE*
This is Business as usual though. Regardless, in SJ, the alignment system takes more agency than ever, quite unlike the other megaten titles on DS/3DS such as Devil Survivor 1 & 2 or the IV,where C&C is oftentimes as compelling as filling up check boxes on a questionnaire and wait for the results at the end of the day.Alignment shenanigans on Strange Journey are conveyed both in gameplay and atmosphere. With the Co-Op system, which is triggered after a weakness hit, all your active demons with same alignment will gang up and deal raw damage each, quite simple yet crucial to succeed on Impossible difficulty(the only type of damage that isn't heavily nerfed in that mode).
Also, Your alignment could either improve or hinder disposition on an ongoing demon negotiation with Chaos or Law; the neutral ones don't care and will charge the same to a Law/Chaos MC.
After getting gated in Chaos or Law route, on endgame, you encounter some demons scathered around to chat with, they will either loathe or celebrate you.
Also Louisa Ferre is a tranny, chaosfag
MC portrait has a cosmetic change after locked in Chaos endgame
Unfiltered version
The resemblance is uncanny
In regards of dungeon crawling, JS is REALLY fond of conveyors and teleporters, a typical dungeon floor past the earlier ones are copiously populated with one or a mix of these two, some of these have "Sanctums", which are just another stage of the same floor with notable structural shifts in tile distribution. Dungeon exploration is mainly motivated by the search of bizarre materials called "formas"( "shapes" in spanish). Formas can be found looking around, killing Bosses or enduring some kind of tiled torture such as invisible hallways or dark corridors, so you can get tons of fun out of smacking walls in order to get through and finally find some forma that unlocks a much needed QoL Sub-App and make all that shit bearable. I feel like It's worth mentioning that you need THREE app upgrades to be able to fully explore all pitch black corridors on this game, It's like the devs decided to only keep you gradually away from dejection until you find the last one on fucking endgame.
Berserk pocket dungeon design
Certainly, a Megaten dungeon can't be deemed as completed without trap and pitfall tiles, but their annoyance factor isn't much of a big deal compared to pitch black corridors or invisible tiles. Thanks to QoL Sub Apps such as Omen Bug and Guardian Angel which promote a "sane" dungeon crawling experience and can be found early. Enemy encounters are mainly random yet can be tweaked with a bunch of Sub-Apps, there are some special demon encounters such as Fiend battles (albeit rare) that are rng generated on tiles and can only be detected on map.
All the research personnel and equipment are kept in the Red Sprite, the crew's ship. Therefore, when you get a forma unlocked by plot, you have to backtrack all the way to the red sprite, then you will get another forma soon after and since you can't explore further because of it, It's backtrack time again, rinse and repeat. The amount of backtracking done for unlocking sections such as Carina (Horkos lair) is ludicrous.
Every time you find a rare forma, the Lab's scientists are gonna have their fun.
The Womb of Grief is redux's optional dungeon with the worst and best aspects of game's dungeon design patterns already mentioned; Boss Fights often bring up some gimmick that temporally disrupts certain typical strategic approaches (Anahita summons a field of water that nullifies fire spells,zeus purges all buffs/debuffs and prevent further application, etc) but that's pretty much it.
Doing it past the half of the spheres as you progress through the main campaign (and not after reach endgame) can be potentially game breaking, but It doesn't matter too much since It actually takes more effort than campaing's midgame, as Nocturne's Labyrinth of Amala did.
Strange Journey's fantasy setting is not really much divergent from mainline titles, since Sci Fi paraphernalia remains prevalent as one of the fundamental themes that convey the franchise. However,"exploration" is the actual gist of what SJ strives to convey: you're part of a crew that stand out for its staff of scientist,engineers and physicians rather than the military personnel which the MC is part of. Fact is, you practically dungeon crawl for the purpose of scanning shit and bring these over to the lab staff, as result, you expand and improve your abilities to further exploration.
The Schwarzwelt is an expanding chasm surrounded by a thick fog of plasma, layered into sectors in a similar fashion to Dante's Inferno circles. You stumble across a bunch of major demons enjoying themselves with human vices. When confronted,they always start with a shallow, condescending speech about why humankind is bound to be doomed or reaffirmations of the inherent superiority of the demons. That complex of superiority and pretense of alien-like beings is funny coming from the very reflections of humanity traditions,philosophies,values,etc.
Mithras did several experiments on captive people from your ship's crew, He ended up masquerading his inability to understand human biology with a retarded attempt of nihilistic resolution
Of course, the clown fiesta can't be completed without your whimsical gang of aligned companions: Zelenin and Jimenez; then We also have *sigh*.. Alex in redux. Starting with Zelenin, She downright despise demons, her stubbornness of not using them for the sake of survival borders the idiocy. When Mastema handed her over an Angel, She realized that divine demons actually appeals to her, regardless, She never use him willingly to defend herself anyway.Jimenez is more amusing compared to Zelenin. Unlike her, He develops a huge boner for demons and practically becomes a Pokémon trainer with his buddy Bugaboo around, a demon that, to bear even more Pokémon resemblance, repeats his name over and over. Both share an oddly wholesome interactions as the story progress until shit hits the fan.
Alex is supposed to be the equivalent of Labyrinth of Amala Dante/Raidou for the Womb of Grief. She gives you no quarter and antagonizes you from the get go; yet a good amount of the plot exposure on the womb of grief is spent into shoving sympathy for her, and She's spared every time you manage to get her ass handed to her, until She gives in and bargain an alliance. Alex's initial plan is plain dumb, that will rush in the disaster She intents to avert.
Alex's plan
Any of the older engings will eventually bring shitty outcomes for the humankind. So She came from the future to kill MC, in order to prevent the realization of any of the routes.
But what will eventually happen after MC's death?
Good Job, Alex!
But what will eventually happen after MC's death?
Good Job, Alex!
Without anything else to add. I must say the OST is truly amazing.
