Ciph’s Cabinet: Week 11

Christopher Curtis 

After playing Persona 3 and Persona 4 over the past half-decade, and admiring the wider series from the sidelines for years, I’ve finally made my dive into the broader Megami Tensei Franchise with  Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, the enhanced edition of the latest mainline entry. 

The concept alone is alluring: demons, deities, creatures, and mythological figures from world folklore, all embroiled in a war between law and chaos amidst a post-apocalyptic Japan. Yet as much as Vengeance sold me on the franchise, it also left me utterly perplexed. A valley of extreme highs and lows—sometimes in the very same aspect—this was a difficult game to evaluate. 

Vengeance begins with an intense hook; less than 30 minutes after you’re introduced to the protagonist and his school friends, the world just ends. Awakening in Da’at, the netherworld that now stands in place of Tokyo, you’re left to wander the wasteland, ally with whatever demons will listen to you, and eventually become entangled in a divine war over the recreation of the world. 

This is the broad narrative thrust, but how the story unfolds will depend on which of the two campaigns you choose. The original release’s story is preserved here as the Canon of Creation, while the new Canon of Vengeance offers a reimagined tale with its own focus, villains, and branching endings.

For my two cents—which you probably want, since you’re reading this—Canon of Vengeance is the way to go if you only intend to play this game once. It massively expands the supporting cast and introduces the Qadištu, a spectacular group of villains of Kabbalistic origin. By contrast, Canon of Creation drags its feet too often, with very few characters—including you the protagonist—feeling particularly compelling. 

Canon of Vengeance is radically more enjoyable. Your friends this time are far more involved in the war, with active and compelling arcs that make their shifting loyalties all the more tragic. Unfortunately, no matter what route you pick, actually exploring Da’at is frankly boring at best and genuinely painful at worst. I understand it’s a wasteland, but surely there could be something to discover besides sand, right? 

Regardless of route, the gameplay loop remains the same: recruit demons, fuse them into stronger allies, and brace yourself against an onslaught of enemies who simply want you dead. These demons range from pixies and slimes to Odin himself, and building the right party becomes the heart of the experience. 

Thankfully, Vengeance features a deeply engaging combat system. It rewards party diversity and system knowledge with extra actions and advantages. However, any system you can exploit, your enemies can exploit too. Cover your weaknesses well if you want to live. The result is intensely strategic turn-based combat that, despite its complexity, never feels slow or tedious. 

This dichotomy is why I feel torn about this game. On one hand, the combat and demon fusion are deeply engaging, with diverse boss battles that greatly reward  familiarity with these mechanics. The presentation is also spectacular, backed by some of the most gorgeous 3D animations I’ve ever seen. And when the story wants to be, it’s utterly captivating. Chaos representative Yoko Hiromine is one of the most relatable characters in fiction for me—make of that what you will. 

On the other hand, the world is a chore to explore, and the story can do a terrible job of explaining itself. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is bewildering, positively and negatively. I can’t recommend it blindly, but I would absolutely encourage anyone intrigued by its premise to look into its particular brand of punishment, strategy, and storytelling method.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is available on PC, Xbox One and Series X/S, Playstation 4 and 5, and Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.  

Gameplay: 8/10  

Writing: 7/10  

Aesthetics: 10/10