Name: Still worth it, but only if you're a fan of SMT games
Item: Shin Megami Tensei IV
Rating: 7
Author: Brodinand Broseph Bronandez

Wow, so if you're looking at this, it's either you just got a 3DS and looking for old games to play, or maybe you just got into the Shin Megami Tensei universe and want to play the older ones.

It's weird for me to see this game being rated an 8 or 9 out of 10, because despite the fact that I am an SMT fan and like this game, I am realistic enough to know that this game is not for everyone and it has its shortcomings, so I am notching it down to a 7.

Shin Megami Tensei as a whole are RPG's about the Biblical apocalypse, either trying to prevent it, or surviving through it. The setting showcases some mature themes and moral conundrums, though they generally don't make any strong social commentary. It is all just a backdrop for your adventure.

I am not going to explain much on the details of the premise for SMT 4 as the revelation of the plot twist is very impactful (and one of the highlights of the game IMO), and I don't want to take that away from any new player.

A lot of times, your character can't really change things for the better, and you'll be just left thinking "is that good or f-ed up?" Your opinion on it doesn't really impact the gameplay. In a way, it lets you decide if you really had an enjoyable experience at the end (cause some of the endings can end with a very grim, morbid note), rather than the game shoving its opinion on you.

The game doesn't really label any ending as bad or good. It more boils down to "Do you want to change the status quo? How far are you willing to take it?" You might (and probably should) decide for yourself that a particular ending is the proper one (and a lot of players do), though that does require playing the game multiple times, and if it takes you a lot of mental energy just to do a single playthrough, it's not your fault, and that's one of the shortcomings of the game.

I myself tend to take long breaks before going back and playing an SMT game. There are only 3 endings (the 4th one is more of just a minor bonus ending), so while it does take long, it shouldn't take _too_ long, especially since replaying offers you an option to keep your level and abilities, so you can breeze through the combat on your subsequent playthroughs.

So in the end, if you're going into SMT looking for a "feel-good" adventure, you might want to look elsewhere (i.e. Persona). There are bits and pieces of levity here and there (and dark humor, if you're into that), but the entire mood is serious.

Combat is the traditional turn-based RPG kind. SMT has this recurring feature where like in Pokemon, every demon has certain elemental weaknesses, and if you hit an enemy with their weakness, you'll get an extra turn. If you play it right (and you happen to have the right spells) you could kill your enemies without them even managing to start their turn yet.

Shin Megami Tensei 4 in particular was made during the times when SMT games were still pretty hardcore. Its "normal" difficulty could be seen as "actually that's the hard setting" if you're coming from the newer, more recent games like SMT 5, Persona 5, or Soul Hackers 2. Combat can easily kill you in 1 turn, if you distributed stat points on your character poorly, if you don't take advantage of using elemental weaknesses, if you don't use buff/debuff skills when needed, or sometimes it just boils down to how lucky you are with the RNG.

You collect and summon demons as if they were Pokemon, but with an attitude (in other SMT games, if you command a war-freak demon to defend, there's a good chance they will just say "Defend?! No, I attack!", but sadly, that is missing in this particular game).

I do say "demon" because that's the word the game uses, but I do think they use it in the original sense of the Greek word "daemon", which just means "any supernatural creature", because you can also recruit angels in the game, but they are still filed under the "demon" umbrella-term.

Other than angels and demons, you also recruit gods and deities from other cultures (Thor, Odin, Loki, etc.), cryptids (Mothman, Yeti, Chupacabra, etc.), or legendary folklore creatures (Wendigo, Gargoyle, there's even a Manananggal in the newer SMT games but not in this one sadly).

Don't expect much from the graphics as, apart from being for the 3DS, a lot of the demons are recurring characters, and they reused sprites and portrait graphics from the older SMT games, so it can look like a mish-mash of clashing art-styles between the old and the new demons.

Who is this game for: if you like hardcore RPGs, if you play pokemon but want something a little more mature-themed, and happen to have a 3DS, this is an ok game to pick. The graphics are not the best, so if that matters to you, try a more modern SMT game like SMT 5 (on the Switch), which is also a little easier on the combat but retains the similar premise.

Persona, an offshoot series from SMT, is also a good pick for trying out this franchise as a whole. If you haven't played any Persona game yet, Persona 5 is very easy to get into. Just know that while it still has certain similarities, Persona is a more lighthearted, less grim version of any Shin Megami Tensei game.

If you already play Shin Megami Tensei games, but haven't played SMT 4: then you already know what you're getting into. It's still worth it, just know that you're getting more of the same, in a slightly different premise (which can be good if you already played a lot of SMT games but are left wanting more).

Wow, so if you're looking at this, it's either you just got a 3DS and looking for old games to play, or maybe you just got into the Shin Megami Tensei universe and want to play the older ones.It's weird for me to see this game being rated an 8 or 9 out of 10, because despite the fact that I am an SMT fan and like this game, I am realistic enough to know that this game is not for everyone and it has its shortcomings, so I am notching it down to a 7.Shin Megami Tensei as a whole are RPG's about the Biblical apocalypse, either trying to prevent it, or surviving through it. The setting showcases some mature themes and moral conundrums, though they generally don't make any strong social commentary. It is all just a backdrop for your adventure.I am not going to explain much on the details of the premise for SMT 4 as the revelation of the plot twist is very impactful (and one of the highlights of the game IMO), and I don't want to take that away from any new player.A lot of times, your character can't really change things for the better, and you'll be just left thinking "is that good or f-ed up?" Your opinion on it doesn't really impact the gameplay. In a way, it lets you decide if you really had an enjoyable experience at the end (cause some of the endings can end with a very grim, morbid note), rather than the game shoving its opinion on you.The game doesn't really label any ending as bad or good. It more boils down to "Do you want to change the status quo? How far are you willing to take it?" You might (and probably should) decide for yourself that a particular ending is the proper one (and a lot of players do), though that does require playing the game multiple times, and if it takes you a lot of mental energy just to do a single playthrough, it's not your fault, and that's one of the shortcomings of the game.I myself tend to take long breaks before going back and playing an SMT game. There are only 3 endings (the 4th one is more of just a minor bonus ending), so while it does take long, it shouldn't take too long, especially since replaying offers you an option to keep your level and abilities, so you can breeze through the combat on your subsequent playthroughs.So in the end, if you're going into SMT looking for a "feel-good" adventure, you might want to look elsewhere (i.e. Persona). There are bits and pieces of levity here and there (and dark humor, if you're into that), but the entire mood is serious.Combat is the traditional turn-based RPG kind. SMT has this recurring feature where like in Pokemon, every demon has certain elemental weaknesses, and if you hit an enemy with their weakness, you'll get an extra turn. If you play it right (and you happen to have the right spells) you could kill your enemies without them even managing to start their turn yet.Shin Megami Tensei 4 in particular was made during the times when SMT games were still pretty hardcore. Its "normal" difficulty could be seen as "actually that's the hard setting" if you're coming from the newer, more recent games like SMT 5, Persona 5, or Soul Hackers 2. Combat can easily kill you in 1 turn, if you distributed stat points on your character poorly, if you don't take advantage of using elemental weaknesses, if you don't use buff/debuff skills when needed, or sometimes it just boils down to how lucky you are with the RNG.You collect and summon demons as if they were Pokemon, but with an attitude (in other SMT games, if you command a war-freak demon to defend, there's a good chance they will just say "Defend?! No, I attack!", but sadly, that is missing in this particular game).I do say "demon" because that's the word the game uses, but I do think they use it in the original sense of the Greek word "daemon", which just means "any supernatural creature", because you can also recruit angels in the game, but they are still filed under the "demon" umbrella-term.Other than angels and demons, you also recruit gods and deities from other cultures (Thor, Odin, Loki, etc.), cryptids (Mothman, Yeti, Chupacabra, etc.), or legendary folklore creatures (Wendigo, Gargoyle, there's even a Manananggal in the newer SMT games but not in this one sadly).Don't expect much from the graphics as, apart from being for the 3DS, a lot of the demons are recurring characters, and they reused sprites and portrait graphics from the older SMT games, so it can look like a mish-mash of clashing art-styles between the old and the new demons.Who is this game for: if you like hardcore RPGs, if you play pokemon but want something a little more mature-themed, and happen to have a 3DS, this is an ok game to pick. The graphics are not the best, so if that matters to you, try a more modern SMT game like SMT 5 (on the Switch), which is also a little easier on the combat but retains the similar premise.Persona, an offshoot series from SMT, is also a good pick for trying out this franchise as a whole. If you haven't played any Persona game yet, Persona 5 is very easy to get into. Just know that while it still has certain similarities, Persona is a more lighthearted, less grim version of any Shin Megami Tensei game.If you already play Shin Megami Tensei games, but haven't played SMT 4: then you already know what you're getting into. It's still worth it, just know that you're getting more of the same, in a slightly different premise (which can be good if you already played a lot of SMT games but are left wanting more).

Shin Megami Tensei IV

Still worth it, but only if you're a fan of SMT games

Player Score

Brodinand Broseph Bronandez