Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
by Jaden Walker
Released: June 23, 2009
Developer/Publisher: Atlus
Price: Around $29.99
Verdict: Outstanding!
Pros: Turn-Based RPG, addictive, multiple paths, lots of options.
Cons: Excessive leveling up required, all names and places are in Japanese, can only play the male character.
The newest Atlus RPG in the Shin Megami Tensei series is the aptly abbreviated Devil Survivor for the Nintendo DS. I’ve never played any other titles in this series, but I’ve heard nothing but good things. I now understand why it has the stellar reputation that it does. This may be one of the best RPGs that I have ever played. That said, it’s not perfect, but nothing is. Devil Survivor comes dangerously close, though.
The beginning of the game is a bit of a blur after how many hours I had to put into it, but you start as a 17-year-old boy and are accompanied by his two friends: Atsuro and Yuzu. This is where two of my three complaints about this game come in (I’ll get to the other later). First, you can only play the male character. My girlfriend was playing the game at the same time I was and was very sad she couldn’t play as the girl. Not all gamers are guys. Second, the names of all the characters and places (buildings, streets, towns, etc) are in Japanese and were never Americanized. Some people may like this, but I found it to be *very* confusing to follow the story at points because they were quite hard to remember and keep straight.
Those small complaints aside, I’ll get back to the story. Your character (I’ll refer to him as Jade, as that’s what I named him) and his two buddies are given what look like Nintendo DS Lites from Jade’s cousin. His cousin is a bit of a hacker, according to Atsuro, who’s been learning to do the same. They’ve both been working on home-brew applications for it. In the game, it’s not called a DS, but a “COMP.” The COMPs immediately receive email telling them of some very strange occurrences that all happen in the future: A guy dying from an animal attack in his apartment at 1PM, a major power outage at 10PM, and an explosion in the cemetary at 11PM. Quite strange.
As Yuzu and Jade look for Jade’s cousin, Atsuro tries to crack the lock on the COMPs that allow other programs to run. Once they all meet back up and the program is unlocked, three demons burst forth from the COMPs and attack! Once they are defeated, they offer their contract services according to the laws governing such things. Shortly afterward, a body is found in the very apartments the email said. Later that night, the power goes out, only to be followed by an explosion in the cemetery that a battle with demons causes and Jade and crew get to witness first hand. The next day, all hell has broken loose (literally) and you’re caught right in the middle of it!
On top of all the other strangeness associated with the COMPs, Jade is able to see a number above everyone’s heads. An email from Jade’s cousin tells them that it’s called the “death counter.” It tells you how many days everyone has left to live, up to seven (having more than seven days to live means that no number appears). No sooner do you learn this than you realize that you all have a “1″ floating above your own heads. The next day, when the counter drops to “0,” you get one of the daily news emails that mentions that three people will be killed by a snowman in a freak blizzard. Could it be a coincidence? Throughout the game, you’ll be battling against this clock to change your fate and save your skin and that of others. You can do that by winning battles and by choosing the path Jade, Atsuro, and Yuzu take.
The combat system on this game is surprisingly unique for a turn-based RPG. It takes place on a grid of squares for movement. Characters can only move so far, and their magic and attacks can only hit from so far. When you move to combat, it changes to a barely animated three-on-three turn based system where you pick attacks each round and move in order by your speeds. Each combat lasts one round where everyone attacks, then another round of “extra turn,” where some characters get a second shot. You can earn extra turns by doing things like hitting a foe with something they’re weak against.
You’ll have, at the beginning, three teams to work with. Each consists of one of the three characters and can have two demons flanking them. The demons will have the same grouping. If the person in the center is knocked out, the whole team is. Knowing that will help you come up with strategies to either get more experience, or end a battle as quickly as possible. All characters and demons will have access to some kind of magic (learning more as you go); and like most RPGs that use magic, the enemies you face will be weak or strong to it, which is reflected in their profiles above (Thank you, oh-so helpful Atlus!).
So where do I the demons come from, and how do I get me some? Well, I’m glad you asked: you’ll each get one on the first day. After that, you’ll have to turn to dEmon-Bay. Yes, the game boasts an auction system where people buy and sell servitude contracts on demons! There is the option to either bid with other buyers, or to outright buy the demons for full prices. I found it easiest to just buy them. My girlfriend had pretty good luck bidding 100 below the buy price and usually winning right off. Your demon purchasing experience may vary.
Another way to get new demons comes at you a bit later in the game. You can combine demons together in a process called Fusion. You’ll pick one, and find a compatible match, then shake-and-bake. There’s also a choice of which magic will carry over between the two. Some of the demons you make from Fusion can be bought at the auction site (after you purchase a gold membership), but some can only be obtained this way. It pays to always try a new combination.
While the demons will learn new magic as they level up, Jade and crew will only get them through a neat mechanic called Skill Crack. At the beginning of a combat, each character can pick from a list of available magic skills the enemies posses. To learn it, that person needs to kill that specific demon. It’s a lot harder than it sounds, and gives you something fun to look for while churning through levels.
My last complaint for this game is the amount of leveling up required. This game can take upwards of 40-70 hours to complete and a good chunk of that is spent gaining levels through free battles. The very first boss (the snowman I mentioned earlier) will absolutely wipe the floor with you if you can’t match his level 16. Otherwise, the combat and boss fights are perfectly balanced.
Even the ending of this game, which I won’t spoil, provides a neat new twist on RPGs. I’ll just say the replay value is unbelievable.
Overall, Shin Megami Tensei: DS (see? clever abbreviation) is a must have title for any fan of RPGs. I can’t endorse this game any higher or with any more confidence. This has become one of my favorite games of all time!
