Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse Reviews
One of the best RPGs in recent years nearly ruined by an awfully placed and paced epilogue.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is one of the absolute best JRPGS for the Nintendo 3DS this year. It improves upon SMT4's systems in definitive ways while addressing many of the nagging issues that served to hold its predecessor back.
While Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse feels a little too similar at times, it’s one of the tightest JRPGs on the 3DS.
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
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.
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.
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.
Another Shin Megami Tensei game joins the ranks of awesome must-have JRPGs for 3DS.
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.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is the perfect nightcap game for summer’s end. A perfect portable adventure that should satiate the appetites of fans that also serves as a solid entry point for those unfamiliar. Demons, dungeons and damnation await those who wish to take on the mantle of Godslayer. If that sounds like a sales pitch, it’s because I finally found a Shin Megami game that does not require a broken controller.
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.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse took everything the best from the series and corrected mistakes of SMTIV, making the game relatively beginners-friendly and generally more engrossing. This is an excellent present for all Nintendo 3DS owners and fans of the Japanese role playing games genre, which is definitely must not be skipped. Especially because it is still several month left before a release of the long awaited Persona 5, and Tokyo Mirage Sessions has long been completed.
Review in Russian | Read full review
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.
The gameplay itself is vintage Shin Megami Tensei and doesn’t really need to be anything else.
Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse is a familiar, yet enjoyable journey
A notable improvement on the original, although most of the changes are still just doodling in the margins – as the series waits for a more substantial overhaul.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is a hell of a mess. At moments, the complex and fun combat and progression systems break through the game’s ick presentation and sexist character designs, but what little fun exists gradually fades before you’re even halfway through the campaign. If you’re a fan of the series, there’s plenty to love here, but Apocalypse is unforgiving for any new players.
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.
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.