Table of Contents for Shin Megami Tensei V:

1. Critique and Review of the Original Switch version from 2021.
2. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance: Review.
3. Critique and Thematic Analysis of Canon of Vengeance.

Please note: This review will contain minor spoilers for an early side quest, the way to unlock a surprising new difficulty mode, and the name of the final Da’at area as a point of comparison between the original 2021 Switch version that the re-release on both Switch and PS5.

After finishing both playthroughs of Canon of Vengeance and observing both endings, I’d like to give my final thoughts on the re-release as a whole. I have to say that this quickly became among my favorite games of all-time and I’m happy to be wrong about my tempered expectations when I decided to start playing the game. The moment of the first side quest alteration with Yoko’s commentary was genuinely a shocking surprise in the best ways imaginable. The story alterations thanks to the new antagonists and Yoko’s perspective provided a wealth of social critique that went far above my wildest imaginations, but I’ve gushed enough as is about that.

I wanted to take the time to note the differences between the Playstation 5 and 2021 Switch version. I ended-up buying the re-release’s Switch version in the hopes of there being improvements and taking advantage of the transfer bonuses after first purchasing the Playstation 5 version, but I can honestly say that the Switch version’s transfer bonus is simply not worth it and that people shouldn’t bother with the Switch version unless they have no other options. I think the Switch version is honestly the worst version of the game. When I played the original 2021 Switch version and got to Da’at Ueno, the Yamato-no-Orochi snakes caused a slowdown in the gameplay whereby the camera frame was focused on the party I had, it was just the characters doing their short movement animations, the music was playing, and nothing was happening for nearly two minutes. Even when I had Orochi in my party, the same slowdown issue happened. I highly doubt that the re-released Switch version, using even more graphical power, isn’t going to harbor these problems. When I played a little bit of the beginning of the 2024 Switch re-release of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, I was disappointed to find that the endgame demons couldn’t be chosen by me, but automatically selected by the game itself – and of course it didn’t allow the route-exclusive Belial to be selected – and unlike two late-game characters in the New Game Plus of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance; the demons that transfer still require the same amount of macca in price so a late-game demon won’t be available to you until late-game anyway, which makes this “reward” completely worthless. Even more disappointing for Switch players who played the OG game and transferred saves, you don’t keep any record of beating the original routes of the previous game and will have to redo them all for the same rewards. At least, the specific route that I had beat in the original version wasn’t indicated from the save file.

I think it best to explain the overall differences in quality between the Playstation 5 and Switch version, specifically when I played the beginning of the 2024 version of the Switch re-release that I experienced: obviously the graphical quality and loading times are superior for the Playstation 5 version, but I was surprised at the subtle quality differences. The demon enemies in the Switch versions look like glorified plastic dolls, while the Playstation 5 version may appear a bit bright in parts but appear to express the beauty and quality of Kaneko and Doi’s art designs so much better. There’s more graphical emphasis on details and the designs are far more expressive. I thought I was misremembering and double-checked, but even the amount of destroyed cars in the first Da’at location of Da’at Minato and subtle details of the damage done to the cars is far better in the Playstation 5 version. The red platform blocks are the most noticeable difference throughout the early game; the Playstation 5 has a glowing-colored design at the top and the sides that make the red blocks look otherworldly and add to the atmosphere. The red blocks in both Switch versions don’t have the dark-mirror glow effect and just look like average red blocks. There’re no slowdowns in the Playstation 5 version from what I played of two full playthroughs for both Canon of Vengeance playthroughs. Perhaps the most damning difference, and perhaps I’m just stupid for this one because I checked the Switch settings and found nothing that could change this issue, but I can connect to listen to Canon of Vengeance’s musical score with my Playstation 5 hooked up to my QLED TV for surround sound quality and watch the most beautiful HD graphics that I’ve ever seen from Atlus Japan; whereas in the Switch version, every single frickin’ time an important story-relevant cut scene goes over the fifteen minute mark, a dark shadow overlays the cut scene and I have to keep clicking a button to get rid of the dark shade. When I played the original 2021 version, I hadn’t even realized that this wasn’t an effect of the game the first few times, but rather the Switch console’s annoying internal feature. I had checked the options on the Nintendo Switch itself and I couldn’t find a way to get rid of this annoying darker shading that occurs after every fifteen minutes. The only benefit that the Switch version has over the Playstation 5 version is that if my local area is ever struck with a tornado again and I lose power, then I can play the Switch version, but… there’s also the inconvenient fact that Steam Decks now exist and they’re honestly completely superior to the Nintendo Switch. I chose the Switch version between it and the Steam Deck version hoping the bonuses would actually be a good value, but it was honestly a waste in my personal view. I’m sorry if that sounds like I’m not-so-subtly bashing the Switch version; I really, really tried giving my Nintendo Switch a chance, but if I ever have problems with Sony’s idiotic censorship policies, I can now choose between purchasing a regular PC version or a Steam Deck compliant version of a game. However, I still need to highlight the most important difference beyond the superior graphics, the musical quality, the superior loading times, and the lack of needing to move the keypad or joystick so that a fifteen-minute cut scene doesn’t suddenly have an annoying shadow overlay that I can’t seem to get rid of; the controls on the Playstation 5 version are completely superior to the Switch version. When I click the running feature, the Nahobino main character will immediately stop when I let go. The Switch version has this weird feature where you can force the Nahobino character to run nonstop and then have to click two backpads to stop the auto-run feature; when using just the normal run feature, it takes a few seconds of time before the Nahobino MC stopped in the OG Switch version and I didn’t notice any improvements on the re-release version. The Playstation 5 run feature is just overwhelmingly more precise and I don’t have to worry about accidentally running off a giant platform because the character moved too fast before the controls stopped the movement like in both of the Switch versions. That was the main difference in quality that completely changed my view on how irritating it is to play the Switch version compared to the Playstation 5 version. I like my Nintendo Switch, but I think it’s best used for playing uncensored and / or old games that never released in the US or other overseas markets before after experiencing the visceral difference in quality between two Switch versions of Shin Megami Tensei V and the re-release’s Playstation 5 version.

The music of the original game felt as if it was too similar to Shin Megami Tensei IV’s without its own unique identity. I was honestly dismayed by it. The new soundtrack of Vengeance vastly improves upon these severe problems and provides what I felt was a unique identity that differentiates the Canon of Vengeance from other Mainline games; just like all the previous Mainline games before it. The map system is vastly improved thanks to the added top-down view and the recoloring of the maps so that they can finally be useful and the abscesses no longer hide large swathes of the map until you beat them. I like the expansion of the demon compendium and the improvements to the gameplay with nearly every demon being given their own unique effect. The gameplay is the best it has ever been for any Megami Tensei game in my honest opinion and I absolutely love it. This is the most fun turn-based combat that I’ve ever experienced, the essence system is incredibly efficient and seems pretty balanced without the player needing to waste time on sequencing fusions for the right moveset or using mitamas to add moves like in previous Mainline games, and it is such a pleasure to be able to expand the power of any demon / God that you want in your party to whatever extent that you want for your own personal preference. The demon stock maxes out at twenty-four, so it provides a wealth of possibilities that players can use. The Hard mode of the original game felt like a Merciless Mode; the Hard Mode for the re-release adds Tao and Yoko, among others at different points in the story, as guest characters to help with strategy. It is easier as a Hard Mode, but it feels like the right type of balance. The Hard mode of the original game felt like a Merciless mode, because you were basically required to do side quests to continue advancing the challenges in the main story. I think that’s perfectly acceptable for a Merciless mode, but I’m not sure that’s fair for what’s suppose to be a Hard Mode. The game provides a Godborn mode that requires you to beat a new superboss before you can unlock it. I haven’t been able to do that yet, but I think this alteration was probably the right path to keep future playthrough engaging in what is suppose to be a game where you can play six full playthroughs. In all honesty though, I shudder at forcing myself to go through the original story that was redone into the “Canon of Creation” and I might honestly never bother because I genuinely found the original story to be excruciatingly boring. Conversely, Canon of Vengeance is probably the best story that Atlus Japan has written so far; at least, in my opinion.

The Demon Haunts are probably among the best addition to the game. You can now talk to your demon companions and they mostly seem to have unique dialogue. I only noticed two demons having similar dialogue after two playthroughs. The guest character system allows your human companions to show up and give their perspectives on the changing events of the story. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed just this small addition itself throughout the story. You can even use a free camera and take pictures of your demons or yourself in iconic angles, depending on where they are in respective demon haunts. However, to repeat what I said in an earlier blog post critiquing the themes, the absolute best aspect of this game is the unbelievably amazing character development of Tao Isonokami and the character depth of Yoko Hiromine. These two are the undisputed best characters in Canon of Vengeance and I still cannot believe how amazing of a character Tao is, especially compared to her original version in the 2021 Switch edition. It’s like a jarring night and day difference; it’s hard for me to even accept that it’s alternate universe versions of the same exact person. The limitation of mainly focusing on two characters became an amazing strength of this game to an extent that I would never have accepted until I played through the game myself. You play through fun side quests and get perspectives from both of them on your choices, their logical reasoning for why they believe what they do, and why they feel the way that they do. It feels like two realistic people with their own personalities, goals, background history, and even their own hobbies that you may not be fully privy to and it makes sense that you aren’t. It’s difficult for me to put into words just how amazing both of these characters are and I love the development throughout the Canon of Vengeance for both of them.

Anyway, I would rate Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance as a 9.3 / 10 for the Playstation 5 version. However, for the Nintendo Switch re-release, I’ll give it a 7 / 10. I’m sorry if that seems like I’m hating, I’m really just trying my best to be impartial. It’s simply not fair to Switch users that the bonuses are basically so pitiful and there’s no real advantage for getting the Switch version over the others. I want to be clear this is a review of the products that Atlus Japan provides and not a criticism of Nintendo for the most part; I simply don’t understand why macca is required for the three demons that you don’t even get to choose and you have to replay the same ending or possibly the same four endings for any completionist run. Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch version has no advantage over the other versions and if anything, it seems it is even further disadvantaged by the choices that Atlus Japan made for the re-release. I do think this is a prime example for why Atlus Japan shouldn’t bother with re-releases and should just make expanded DLC or direct sequels.

The Canon of Vengeance feels more like an alternate universe sequel story similar to Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse being a direct sequel to Shin Megami Tensei IV in an alternate universe where the events of the Neutral route went awry. In this case, every facet of the beginning of the story is done better and it gradually diverges into its own unique story after the early events of the original story. It is so much better in every aspect thanks to Yoko Hiromine and the improvements given to Tao Isonokami’s character for the Canon of Vengeance route. It is to the extent that what was a massive disappointment with the original story that was repurposed into the Canon of Creation was reshaped into one of my favorite stories of all-time as the Canon of Vengeance. I think this is definitely worth getting, for anyone who is on the fence about it just for the Canon of Vengeance alone. If you never played any version of Shin Megami Tensei V, then definitely get this version of the game and I hope you enjoy the Canon of Vengeance route as much as I did.