The huge success of Metaphor ReFantazio was a delight to see – stepping away from the established Persona name was a big gamble for Atlus, but it looks to have paid off. With that in mind, it’s time to give love to the JRPG series that wrote the book for both games to follow. A new Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance demo is out now on Steam, and it lets you dive into the refined, expanded version of the already fantastic 2021 game. If you’re looking for your next hit after Metaphor, SMT 5 is the game to try.
Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance is the latest installment in the series that birthed Persona. While the SMT games have never reached quite as large an audience, they’re well worth taking a look at. We didn’t get to try SMT 5 at launch, given its Switch-only debut, but the 2024 Vengeance is the definitive version – essentially that game’s equivalent to Persona 5 Royal. It’s also one of the best JPRGs on PC in recent years, with Ben’s Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance review praising the wealth of upgrades it delivers.
Metaphor ReFantazio feels, in many ways, like the halfway house between the more approachable Persona games and the increased strategy demanded by the Shin Megami Tensei series. SMT 5 is no different there – it’s certainly very approachable, but without preparing for major boss fights with regards to your gear, party composition, and tactics you’ll quickly find yourself back at the retry screen.
That said, in Vengeance, Atlus strikes a pleasing balance. If you’re a Persona veteran, you’ll already be well prepared, as the cast of demons you collect and fuse are largely shared across the two series. Narratively, it’s also a notable step up from the cast and tale in the base version of SMT 5. Key story moments play out in different (and generally more fulfilling) ways.
If you’re curious to compare Vengeance to the original, however, you can still experience it here – you’re given the choice to opt for the base game’s ‘Canon of Creation’ story or play the redesigned ‘Canon of Vengeance.’ I’d recommend the latter if you’re starting out for the first time, but if you get to the end and have that itch to see how it looked at launch, the option is there.
Despite all the praise, jumping into a series you don’t know can be intimidating. This new demo is the perfect opportunity for anyone who’s always been curious about the SMT series but is wary of taking the plunge. You can choose between both story paths, explore the wasteland of post-apocalypse Tokyo, and gather plenty of early-game demons to experiment with the battle system as you tackle up to four story boss fights and approximately 20 subquests. Just like Metaphor, your save will also carry over to the full game if you buy it.
The Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance demo is out now as a free download on Steam. You can get it right here. Atlus warns that if you buy the full game and transfer over your save data, you should avoid playing the demo again or your main-game progress may be overwritten.
If you can’t get enough strategy in your life, the best turn-based RPGs are a great option. Or try another of the best story games on PC for plenty more memorable tales.
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