
You can change your skill layout any time a demon offers to teach you their moves, but holding on to a few attacks is also a good idea. My ongoing strategy is to give the main character one of every elemental spell. None of that likely sounds fun right now, but the beauty of SMT4’s strategy is that you can turn those tactics back on enemies with a little bit of planning.Īs you expand your demon collection, you can learn abilities from party members that have maxed out their skill trees. Dungeon bosses have no qualms about using forceful, multihit moves each and every turn - and they will. One well-placed critical attack by an enemy can trigger a chain reaction that can knockout your entire party with ease. Now you can bribe and convince new party members with much more clarity, and Burroughs’ customization apps make the entire process much more lucrative.įinding success in SMT4 means accepting that battles sometimes spiral out of control. Before now, acquiring new demons was a verbal guessing game based on the phases of the moon and the demons you already have in your party. The conversation-recruiting method used in many older Shin Megami Tensei games definitely needed an overhaul to appeal to modern players. Some upgrades also make conversing with demons much easier and allows you to ask for money rather than assistance. It is a subtle way for players to customize their SMT4 experience, and after a brief tutorial, you will see very little guidance on which apps to choose. Each time the hero levels up, you get a number of app points that can unlock new skill slots on the main character or provide stat bonuses for your entire party. I adore the app system the gauntlet provides. Burroughs is a vital tool as you explore the world, though she doesn’t seem to remember where she came from. She controls the player’s demon inventory and maintains a database of apps that you can buy to boost stats and can alter how you interact with demons. The gauntlet is a bizarrely advanced communication device controlled by an artificial intelligence program called Burroughs. Three top investment pros open up about what it takes to get your video game funded.īecoming a Samurai in the strangely European-looking Eastern Kingdom of Mikado requires every citizen to undergo the gauntlet trial. While it does adhere to classic role-playing gameplay found in many older Shin Megami Tensei titles, SMT4 embraces the Nintendo 3DS’s signature features and a third-person perspective to hopefully entice newer players to give it a go. No, the world you find in SMT4 is crawling with hungry demons that you have to somehow convince to fight at your side long enough to fulfill your samurai duty. It is colder, older, and not at all concerned with you boosting your social links. Shin Megami Tensei IV is different than the popular Persona and Devil Survivor off-shoots of this long-running series. It’s only natural that not all “prentices” make it out of training alive, and you need to accept that you’re going to die - and die often. You’re just a trainee samurai in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado tasked with wiping out the demons infesting an underground cavern known as Naraku. Save often and before you venture through any strange doors. The first thing you absolutely must do in Shin Megami Tensei IV is save. Join gaming leaders online at GamesBeat Summit Next this upcoming November 9-10.
