Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker Reviews
Essentially the title is two full games (well, since the second one starts on Tuesday instead of Sunday, I guess it's more like one and three quarters), and well worth the pick up for anyone who may have missed this spin-off of Shin Megami Tensei. For those who have an older copy of Devil Survivor 2, I can't say you'll fall apart without Record Breaker, but you will be missing out on a great original story with your favorite characters shuffled up and reunited. Just be prepared to put your nose to the grindstone.
This update to a DS classic doesn't give you much in terms of hardware upgrades, but the additional campaign and gameplay changes make Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker worth playing for a second time, or a first time if you skipped the first release.
Its gameplay is marvelously addictive and it follows a well constructed plot that will keep players holding on to it for dozens of hours on end. A very recommended proposal for fans of the series and for newcomers who feel curious about it.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Shin Megami Tensei continues to produce decent offerings in a market that doesn't see a lot of good JRPGs anymore.
A solid follow up for the strategy RPG spinoff of the Shin Megami Tensei series
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker is an enormous package.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker is probably going to find itself a home on your 3DS for a long, long time to come.
Because it was a 2012 DS game, the first release of Devil Survivor 2 flew under the radar of a lot of strategy RPG players. If you're one of those, or want something that can take up a lot of time, then Record Breaker should be on your radar.
Fans of both tactical RPGs and anime will find something to enjoy here. The characters are well drawn, if not overly endowed for school age, and the voice acting is a nice touch. I particularly liked the allegory of being able to summon demons through your mobile device and the dangers of technology. The UI is nicely done and captures the feel of an early smartphone as if it was on your 3DS.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker takes an "if it ain't broke don't fix it" approach as a sequel. It feels largely unchanged from its predecessor, but the general core systems it is based on are well refined enough that it still offers a good challenge for those with the patience to tackle it.
Devil Survivor 2 is not even close to Atlus' finest moment, but it is a very fine game nonetheless. It does a good job of offering a narrative with thematic depth, and mixes in well with some deep character development and monster fusing mechanics. If it wasn't for the generally uninspired effort to pull the game into shape from a visual perspective, it would be in the running to be one of the better examples of the genre on a console loaded with them.
At its core, Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker is still a satisfying fusion of classic "MegaTen" and strategy gameplay. And with the new story content and other additions and enhancements, this is definitely the best version of the game. Whether it's enough to warrant a second purchase is debatable, but given a choice between the two, this is without question the one to get.