Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse Reviews
Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse is an incredible game, and in just about every way, the definitive Shin Megami Tensei experience.
Apocalypse marks an improvement in every way over Shin Megami Tensei IV, that already was one of the best JPRG available on the 3DS family of consoles. The user interface, the map, the companion system, the demon alignment are all welcome changes especially because they come on top of a fascinating setting and a gritty storyline.
Review in Italian | Read full review
While Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse could easily have been a lazy reuse of content from its predecessor slapped together to make a quick buck, a different perspective on the story, a host of improvements, and the return of Shin Megami Tensei IV’s quality gameplay come together for a pseudo-sequel that’s a worthy experience.
The story is twisting and had me dreading what was going to happen at each twist and turn. The atmosphere was heavy and on many of occasions left my stomach churning.
Boasting top-notch writing, visuals, and gameplay, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is one of the 3DS' finest titles and an experience well worth your time.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is sort of a weird game in that it is both undeniably great and a little bit disappointing at the same time. It is a poor spot to jump into for newbies and yet returning veterans might be a disappointed by how much the game repeats itself. While it might not be the best Shin Megami Tensei title out there, it is still very enjoyable from start to finish. Boasting an interesting (if a bit convoluted) story, and addictive combat system, and more demons than you can shake an evil stick at, there is plenty to sink your teeth into here. There is just a great balance of depth and accessibility here, and hunting and fusing demons is great, addictive fun. It might not be doing much to reinvent the Shin Megami Tensei formula, but then again, it didn't really need to.
A fantastic game that stands amongst the greatest on the system’s expansive library.
For fans of the series and newcomers alike, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is a quintessential JRPG experience, and one that only has some very minor issues.
The gameplay itself is vintage Shin Megami Tensei and doesn’t really need to be anything else.
Then again, sometimes that third game is the best of all of them, and that’s certainly the case here. Despite some feelings of deja vu while traversing this end-of-days version of Tokyo, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is an excellent game and a fantastic addition to the 3DS library. The year of the RPG is still red hot.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is somewhere between an expansion pack and a sequel. There's a lot of familiar content bolstered by some fresh content and strong mechanical changes. It's more Shin Megami Tensei IV, so if you enjoyed the previous game, you'll find a lot to like here, even though it can sometimes feel too familiar and repetitive for its own good. The story makes it rather inaccessible to newcomers. Despite the myriad mechanical improvements, it's recommended you play SMT4 first to fully appreciate Apocalypse. If enough time has passed since you played SMT4 and you're hankering to return to postapocalyptic Tokyo, Apocalypse is the game for you.
One of the best games on the 3DS has been bested with 'Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse ', and the result is an exciting, smart, and amazingly complex RPG. I can't think of a game I've enjoyed this much in 2016, and I'm already looking forward to diving back into this again in the near future. While it's worth playing its predecessor before diving into this, Atlus has done a good job of ensuring that the game stands on its own perfectly, making it accessible even to series newcomers. For those who like JRPGs in the slightest, 'SMTIVA' is absolutely worth playing.
Another Shin Megami Tensei game joins the ranks of awesome must-have JRPGs for 3DS.
Really, all this means is that SMT: 4A is a fine game with a major problem – it is a sequel. If SMT: IV didn’t exist, SMT: 4A would feel like a fresher game. It does bring some major improvements to the previous game but balances them out with some major regressions. In the end what’s left is a game that does enough to be enjoyable but not enough to be great. The story is more engaging, the gameplay on the whole is better, but the loss of atmosphere and overall addition of monotony makes this a game mostly for those who were a fan of the first. Since it’s a sequel, I suppose it succeeds in what it set out to do by finishing up the story, but in some cases, it does not really feel like a necessary continuation. There is not enough new content for a standalone game, making this feel more like “disc two” than an actual new title. A tricky business, indeed.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is an excellent RPG full of mysticism and unconventional theological ideas, the game has a great story to tell, good dubbing and excellent soundtrack, is very entertaining and if you have a mind enough adult to challenge your Beliefs, do not hesitate to try it, little by little this series has become my favorite.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While the issues I had do hold the game back from a perfect score, Apocalypse is a game that JRPG fans, and even just 3DS owners, should not pass up. The depth in story and gameplay is incredible, and the accessability options can let anyone dive in, newbie or veteran.
When Atlus said they wanted to make this the best RPG on the 3DS they absolutely meant it. This is easily in the upper-echelon of that genre on the platform.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse offers the full package not only in terms of 3DS games, but when it terms of JRPGs in their entirety. Armageddon may be something that you would normally want to avoid, but I can guarantee that this is the one end-of-the-world event that you’ll want to be in the very center of.
Though more of an expansion than a standalone release in spirit, Apocalypse's narrative superfluity is made up for by the considerable refinements it contains over its direct predecessor. Whether or not you'll enjoy its plot and its emphasis on partner characters comes down to personal taste, but on the whole it's an engrossing and addictive role-playing experience... even if it can feel a little familiar at times.