Summary
The concept of difficulty in games continues to be a regular topic of conversation in the industry, and one of the latest titles to spark up discourse surrounding the topic isShin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance. An improved re-release of the previously Nintendo Switch-exclusive JRPG,Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeancemakes strides toward rebalancing the core experience toward a more forgiving beginning and manageable difficulty curve, but it’s still arguably one of the harder RPG titles players have been treated to in some time. Interesting, then, that the game was released just a week ahead of the launch of what’s perhaps the most anticipated DLC of all time –Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.
Similar toShin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance, FromSoftware’sElden Ringtakes an interesting approach to the traditionally brutal difficulty that the developer popularized in itsDark Soulsseriesby giving the player plenty of options to make the game easier without resorting to creating tiered difficulty settings.Elden Ringis “easier” than theDark Soulsgames only in the sense that it gives the player an impressive amount of systems and options to wrangle with that make the game more approachable.Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeancedoes the same, and by engaging with every system both it andElden Ringhave to offer, the experience is both more forgiving and more rewarding.
Like Elden Ring, Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance Gives Players Option-Dense Combat
Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance and Elden Ring Give Players the Tools for Success
Much ofShin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance’s difficultycomes from the fact that enemies are ruthless and will exploit any weakness when given the chance, with the RNG seemingly working behind the scenes to actively sabotage the player. That said, the game gives players plenty of options to turn the tables thanks to the sheer number of systems at play both inside combat and out that give the player a definitive edge. Despite one being a traditional turn-based RPG and the other being an ARPG,Shin Megami Tensei 5: VengeanceandElden Ringare strikingly similar in this regard.
In addition to allowing players to freely leave a difficult encounter or area and come back when stronger,Elden Ringgives players far more tools at their disposal to aid in combat than any of the other titles inFromSoftware’s library. Ranged weapons, magic, Ashes of War, Spirit Summons, mounted combat on horseback, and an intricately deep melee combat system are all usable at the player’s whim, with most options being viable choices in almost every encounter. Similarly,Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeancegives players a host of recruitable demons, each with its own unique skill potential, plenty of Miracles (with passive and active effects), Essences to fuse abilities on command, and much more.
Both Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance and Elden Ring Found a Way to Make Grinding Fun
Enjoyable Combat Takes the Stress Out of Grinding
Given that both titles are open-world experiences that allow the player to come face-to-face with threats that are far beyond their current skill level, it stands to reason thatShin Megami Tensei 5: VengeanceandElden Ringeach involve their fair share of grinding. Aogami will routinely chime in to letthe Nahobinoknow about a dangerous threat within his proximity that might outclass him, andElden Ringuses both environmental cues and the increasing strength of enemy mobs to indicate the threat level of a particular area or upcoming encounter. And, as is the case in both games, it’s both beneficial and enjoyable to fight weaker enemies to build strength and return to these tough encounters when ready.
Grinding is something that many modern RPGs have made concerted attempts to move away from, but there’s a case to be made that it’s one of the more enjoyable parts of the genre when done right. Ultimately, the fun factor inherent in grinding levels comes from games having an enjoyablecombat systemand still providing challenging encounters in the face of inflated stats, andShin Megami Tensei 5: VengeanceandElden Ringeach strike a balance between giving the player enough tools to make them stronger while still requiring that they fully engage with combat to be successful.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
WHERE TO PLAY
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance consists of two complete story paths: experience a brand-new route, the “Canon of Vengeance” – a dramatic tale of revenge by the fallen, centered around new characters and an enigmatic cohort of demons, the Qadištu, who plot their own dark designs apart from the war of those who fight to maintain order and those who seek to defy it. Or explore the original story told in Shin Megami Tensei V, the “Canon of Creation” – an eternal conflict between angels and demons, in which the protagonist fights for the world’s fate.When a grisly murder scene in modern-day Tokyo blocks our protagonist’s walk home, an unplanned detour leaves him buried and unconscious. He awakens in a new Tokyo, a wasteland ravaged by apocalypse now called Da’at… but before bloodthirsty demons can claim his life, a savior emerges, and the two of them unite to become a mighty being, neither human nor demon: a Nahobino.With newfound power, the protagonist ventures through Da’at, an enigmatic realm filled with mythical deities and demonic tyrants in constant conflict for survival. Searching for answers, the protagonist must forge his own path in a battle between angels and demons to dictate the fate of the world.
