Intro- Atlus, creators of the Shin Megami Tensei series, have brought us a new edition of the franchise, and this time in a hand held fashion. SMT: Devil Survivor is a great addition to the series, and is even innovative to boot. The series, famous for the deep story lines and turn based battle system, applies a similar formula to Devil Survivor. The difference this time around is the addition of the Strategy genre added to traditional RPG gameplay. Some may be skeptical, but it works!
Story 8/10- Tokyo falls into a time of crisis, due to a supposed gas leak? Too common a problem for Shin Megami Tensei. The MC ( players get to name him) and his too friends, Yuzu and Atsuro, are given devices called COMPs, that allow the three to summon demons! The three learn that they are locked into the Yamanote circle in Tokyo, along with thousands of other people. MC, Yuzu, and Atsuro learn to use demon to fight off other demons, as well as other humans who have their own COMPs. Players will meet a plethora of other people who are trapped and trying to find a way out of the lockdown, as well as figure out mysteries that tie demons, the government, and a religious group together. The story is actually quite immersive, and with each little clue, it makes the player want to find more and more out about what is actually happening.
Music/Graphics 7/10- I personally love the music in this game. I find the battle music very entertaining, and have even found myself listen to it without actually playing the game. Boss fight music is epic, to keep it simple. The game actually makes the player feel like they are doing something important. Out of battle music, like dialogue and menu screens, are repetitive, but not annoying. They are well placed, and seem to fit the mood of the situation the players are in. The graphics in this game aren’t the best out there. There are quite a few games that can be found on the DS with better graphics, but this isn’t a hindrance to the game at all. When characters talk, players see character models with emotions depicting how they would react to the conversation, a very typical Atlus-oriented direction to the dialogue. In battle, small, full body sprites of the characters traverse different locales inside of Tokyo. Attacks are not what you would call flashy, nor are there any battle cries that may entice players to kill monsters just to hear them die. But as previously stated, this is no hindrance.
Gameplay 8/10- Devil Survivor takes on two roles when it comes to gameplay: traditional RPG and Strategy RPG. Oddly enough, the game pulls it off well. I do not usually enjoy SRPGs very often, but Devil Survivor manages to keep me very interested with the interaction of traditional elements. To put it simply, players move three to four characters on the battlefield, in a similar fashion to most SRPG games. They move from square to square, and move more squares depending on their “move” value. Different demons add alterations to movement, like ignorance of obstacles, switching places, or extending how far the character can move. When a character arrives next to an enemy, they can choose to attack the enemy, which transfers the player to a battle screen. This is where the traditional RPG elements come into play. Instead of having the character model hit the enemy with a weapon and then ending the turn, the game transfers to somewhat of a first person mode where you chose your attacks in a turn based fashion. Each character can have two other demons accompany them, forming a “team” to fight enemies, which generally have the same setup. Players have the option of focusing their attacks on the middle enemy, which is the leader of the team. If the leader is defeated (this applies to both enemies and playable characters) then that team is defeated and disappears from the battlefield. Players can do that, or they can kill off the other two enemies from more EXP and money. If an attack scores a critical hit, or hits an enemy with a weakness to that attack, both the enemy and the player have a chance to get an “extra hit,” which is exactly what it seems to be.
The second portion of gameplay is the acquisition of demons, which if done right, can make or break the battle system. Demons play a huge role in how successful the player will be during their battles. The worst match-up can end an entire team in as little as one turn. The reason for this is that magic is extremely effective. So much so that strategic players will save before a fight, just to see the demons they will have to be fighting before actually taking the fight seriously. If a demon is hit by its weakness, there is a very good chance it will be crippled and knocked out in one hit. But to avoid poor match-ups or weak demons, players will take place in the “Demon Auction.” Once again, exactly as it sounds. Players gamble in an auction for different demons, to either use in battle or to fuse with other demons to create, you guessed it, more demons! The auction and fusion options are fun enough to keep people occupied for hours, I know I have.
Thirdly, within battle, players can “crack” abilities from enemies. Cracking abilities can save one’s hind end in the future of their game, as it is as important as leveling one’s characters. Each playable character has three sections of abilities: Combat, Support, and Special, which are human only. Command skills can only be used during the turn based battle screen. Support skills can be used any time during a characters turn, besides when they enter battle. Special skills are always in effect, usually giving bonus’ to stats before a battle starts. These are all extremely useful, and sometimes the only way a battle can be won.
Playtime/Replayability 8/10- Devil Survivor does a very good job of both the following elements of video games. Playtime, depending on the level of OCD from the player, can be as low as thirty hours, or even as high as one hundred fifty hours. In one playthrough. I find myself saving before choosing an option to talk to different people, as not every option is always available. It is up to the player to decide who to talk to and when to do it. There are always optional battles for players to level their characters or crack new skills, which is also a great way to rack up hours on the clock. Replayability in this game is high, as there are different endings depending on the players decisions in-game. There are several “paths” the players can take for specific characters, and then afterwards the option of a New Game+ becomes available. Most RPG veterans know what this option means, but for those that don’t, after you beat the game, you can start over with all your previously acquired skills and money. This is very fun for many players, and allows the player to take a different route towards the ending of the game. It is a great option for this game, and adds even more incentive to continue playing.
Final Score 8/10- Devil Survivor is a great addition to both the Shin Megami Tensei series, as well as the DS’ RPG library. The story is interesting and immersive, with memorable characters and interesting events. It is dark and at the same time enlightening, food for thought if you will. The music is very enjoyable, not irritating in the least, and fits well with the feeling of each situation. The graphics aren’t terrible by any means, but not exactly impressive. The game is more about the story and gameplay anyway, so the graphics don’t hinder the game in any way. As with all RPG’s, gameplay can be a deciding factor on whether or not the game will be a rent or a purchase. Well, nobody rents DS games, so you might as well buy this one while it is still easily available. The gameplay is a very innovative mix of SRPG and traditional RPG elements, and it pulls it off extremely well. Devil Survivor is time consuming with all the different demon combinations and routes to be taken in-game, and the New Game+ option adds to the Replayability. Overall, the game is a great buy for any DS owner, and must for eastern RPG veterans.
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