If you’re a long-time follower of developer/publisher Atlus’ releases, you’ll know the way their game launches tend to go. Anywhere between two to eight years after a title drops, a bigger, juicier, “definitive” re-release is revealed (likely featuring some newly introduced female character) - inevitably followed up by both expressions of frustration and rabid anticipation in equal measure by the loyal fans. While this doesn’t necessarily apply to every single title in the Atlus catalogue, it’s happened often enough in recent memory to solidify this procedure as the assumed norm going forward. And the latest recipient of this premium “re-release” treatment is none other than 2021’s Shin Megami Tensei V.



Absolutely bursting at the demonic seams with new gameplay features and quality of life improvements, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is one hell of a complete package. In addition to including the original game’s storyline, dubbed the “Canon of Creation” (or CoC, for short), Vengeance adds yet another unique campaign – creatively and aptly titled “Canon of Vengeance” (CoV). In case you’re wondering, new players won’t need to have run through the original CoC to appreciate the CoV – which storyline you choose is entirely up to personal preference, so don’t stress or overthink about your first decision too much. For the most complete experience, playing through both Canons is obviously the way to go – something I’m sure most invested players out there have already decided they’re going to do, anyway.



While initially quite similar in structure and design, the two plotlines do eventually drastically diverge into their own separate identities – with the Canon of Vengeance primarily featuring and focusing on the added Qadistu antagonists, as well as the new party member, Yoko Hiromine. Going into any more plot detail here would absolutely drag spoilers into the discussion, so I’ll give you an overview in the most annoyingly vague manner possible.

Absolutely bursting at the demonic seams with new gameplay features and quality of life improvements, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is one hell of a complete package.

After a series of events propel him into the netherworld, or Da’at, our protagonist fuses with a being known as Aogami – gaining new powers in the process and becoming what is known as a Nahobino. Caught between the never-ending conflict of angels and demons (plus Qadistu, if playing CoV), it’s up to you to forge your own path ahead, unravel the multitude of mysteries surrounding your newfound abilities, and reshape the world as you see fit. And that’s barely scratching the surface, trust me.



Combat still revolves around the Press Turn system, where exploiting enemy weaknesses or landing critical hits grants you an extra action (and misses are heavily penalised). If this is your first SMT rodeo, know that if you’re not careful or well-prepared, even where random encounters are concerned, you’re going to be hit hard – perhaps resulting in a total party wipe. All recruitable party members, demons and humans alike, now boast their own unique Innate Skill, thanks to Vengeance – passive abilities that have a wide variety of potential effects, including buffs that stack based on pairings with related demons, dealing bonus damage when striking specified enemy weaknesses, and guaranteeing that all attacks of a particular affinity become critical hits.

These are just a few examples, and the sheer quantity and variety present here is absolutely staggering. Most of these skills are only applicable when the associated demon or ally is actually in the active party, however, so keep that in mind. Combining these Innate Skills with the litany of Magatsuhi Skills (powerful abilities that don’t consume a turn) already available, including new synergy/party composition-dependent options, adds another neat layer of strategy to combat encounters that I’m sure many will deeply appreciate.



Demon haunts, a feature I was personally very excited about after seeing its initial reveal, serve as isolated areas where you’re able to engage in brief conversations with your human and demon allies – even those in your stock pool. Occasionally, you’ll receive a notification while exploring the world, telling you one of your demons (or Aogami) wants to engage in a conversation. For demons, this notification usually means the subject in question will either gift you a random item, learn a new skill, or raise some of their stats when visited – and seems to happen fairly often if you’re engaging in many back-to-back combat encounters.

Combat still revolves around the Press Turn system, where exploiting enemy weaknesses or landing critical hits grants you an extra action (and misses are heavily penalised).

When it comes to Aogami, these (typically introspective) exchanges will instead occur at set points throughout the storyline, rewarding you with additional points to spend on your personal attributes. With around 270 demons now available as of Vengeance (DLC demons from the original title are also included here), there’s a ton of new and amusing conversational dialogue to be had in the haunts. And just because they could, Atlus has added a togglable free camera mode here, as well – allowing for the examination of your allies in more detail.



And the list of changes doesn’t stop there. A fresh unlockable New Game+ mode awaits the truly dedicated. Labelled “Godborn”, this challenging option cranks the level of every single enemy to 150 – reflecting the raised level cap. Rideable Magatsu Rails are now dotted around the various regions of Da’at (now conveniently viewable from a 3D bird’s-eye view), allowing the Nahobino to traverse large distances within a much shorter amount of time - or reach seemingly inaccessible locations.

Due to the sometimes complex and layered nature of the various zones, I would have loved to have been able to zoom in a little bit more on the map, but this is an admittedly small gripe on my part. Players can now also save their progress at any time, from anywhere on the map, instead of being limited to only using Leyline Founts – another fantastic QoL tweak, sure to lessen the frustration that unexpected game overs can bring.



All of these updates and quality of life alterations (including the many more subtle ones I didn’t mention) make Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance an undeniably superb experience – and its simultaneous multiplatform release guarantees this title will likely serve as the entry point for a whole new wave of fans. Even if you played the original game, I’d still say the new additions and Canon of Vengeance are worth the second purchase. In the past, when asked by those interested in getting into the franchise which game to start out with, I’d default to recommending Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. Going forward, I’d say Vengeance has more than earned the right to surpass or overwrite my prior suggestion, and I truly cannot wait to see the next evolutionary step for the franchise.

*PS5 Review code provided by Atlus | Reviewed by Ryan Pretorius