There’s always something bittersweet about finishing a well-loved game. Sometimes the cure is jumping right back in and playing through it another time, but some people prefer to find something new. That’s not always easy. Some games really manage to distinguish themselves from all the rest, even within their own genre.Personahas a lot of fansthat would say that about it, hailing the franchise and the most recent entry,Persona 5,as a crucial piece of RPG history. There’s many powerful and compelling stories wrapped up intoPersona 5,and players that were introduced to the franchise by this game might be a little at a loss when it comes to looking for something to give them a similar experience.
The answer is actually pretty simple. Those who were introduced toPersonabyPersona 5should delve into the franchise’s parent franchise:Shin Megami Tensei.While theShin Megami Tenseigames are certainly very different fromPersona,there’s also a ton of similarities, and it’s very clear howSMTtransformed into its high school focused spinoff series. The good news is there’s not one but twoSMTgames coming up for possible new fans of the franchise to try:Shin Megami Tensei 3: NocturneandShin Megami Tensei 5.Both should be on fans' radars for their own reasons, and there’s plenty of reason to give them both a try.
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The Persona Effect
Atlus couldn’t have chosen a better time torelease moreShin Megami Tenseigames. That’s all thanks toPersona 5,which has been an unprecedented hit not just in Japan, but worldwide.Persona 5broke all kinds of sales records for the series and vastly outsold its predecessors. 2020’s expanded editionPersona 5 Royalboasts the highest Metacritic rating out of the whole series, showing just how beloved these newest games are. It certainly means a bright future forPersona,and ideally for Atlus, that means a bright future forShin Megami Tenseitoo.
It can’t be denied thatShin Megami Tenseihas very different settings and stories from thePersonagames. The post-apocalypticSMTexplores some darker and more persistently supernatural themes thanPersona.However, there’s arguably more similarities than differences. For instance, players will realize that a lot of the demons that appear inPersona 5actually permeate bothPersonaandShin Megami Tensei,showing up in familiar forms with various playstyles. Whether new fans of this family of games are interested inNocturneorShin Megami Tensei 5,either game will surely have a lot to offer.
Shin Megami Tensei’s Past
Not every franchise is amenable to new fans starting to play it at its fifth installment, butPersona 5allows that. IfPersona 5made players curious about how the series got to where it is today, outside of playingPersona 4 Goldenon Steam, they can also look forward tothe remaster ofShin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne.This game originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2003 for Japan, with American and European releases in 2004 and 2005, so it’s a good showcase of how Atlus has done variations on similar themes over the years.
There’s certainly some comfortable themes inNocturneforPersona 5players to get into. It’s about a Japanese high schooler who is thrust into a world of supernatural beings due to extraordinary events out of his control. Admittedly, this protagonist’s transformation into a being called the Demi-fiend and his recruitment of demons is pretty different fromJoker and the Phantom Thieves' questsfor justice, but that meansNocturneserves as an interesting parallel toPersona 5.Turn-based battles involving targeting elemental weaknesses and negotiating with demons will all be very comfortable for aPersonafan, soNocturneis a rich piece of history worth playing without going too far out of new fans' comfort zone.
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Shin Megami Tensei’s Future
If fans get a kick out ofNocturneand want moreShin Megami Tensei,or even if they just want to play morePersonaand wait for a brand new, cutting edgeSMTgame, there’s a great option inShin Megami Tensei 5.It’s been almost five years since there was a new game in the series, butSMT5has been public knowledge since 2017 when it was announced for the Switch. Interestingly, it seems to be a Switch exclusive, so hopefullyPersona 5players can access a Switch if they want to try this sister series.
WhileNocturnehas the advantage of familiarity,SMT5is bound to be something of a novelty. Details on the gameplay are hard to come by at the moment, since the most concrete trailer for the game only got released last July. Supposedly it’ll largely be a blend of mechanics fromNocturneandShin Megami Tensei 4,so players should look into those games to know what to expect. That could mean it’ll turn out to be thePersona 5of its franchise, asPersona 5followed a similar pathof improving onPersona 3and4’s mechanics. The latest trailer indicates another high school protagonist will be at the center of the game’s demonic events, so even though it’s more mysterious thanNocturne,it sounds about as comfortable forPersona5players.
Something Old, Something New
Ultimately, whether fans play both of these games or choose one to focus on is up to them, as is the order of play. As withPersona,theShin Megami Tenseigames are standalone experience that allow fans to pick up any story they like and take it for a spin. Whether fans want to experience the franchise’s heritage or look into Atlus' latest big ideas, the studio has plenty to offer. Of course, somePersona 5fans might opt tofocus onPersona 5 Strikersinstead, since that’s officially getting a global release next February. However, once fans have gotten through one more adventure with the Phantom Thieves, there’ll still be a void thatShin Megami Tenseiis ready to fill.
It’s hard to say wherePersonawill go from here. Atlus has yet to announcePersona 6,leaving the fate of the Phantom Thieves uncertain.It wouldn’t be hard to believe that that game is far from release, considering all thePersona 5spinoff content Atlus has produced on top oftwoShin Megami Tenseigamesat once. Ultimately, that’s another reason for fans to get intoShin Megami Tensei.These games will tide over RPG lovers until the nextPersonagame is ready to go, whenever that may be.
Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remasterreleases worldwide in early 2021 for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
Shin Megami Tensei 5releases in early 2021 for Nintendo Switch.
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