The original Shin Megami Tensei 5 on Nintendo Switch is already a long game, clocking in at around 70 hours if you want to see most of what the RPG has to offer — and its expanded re-release, Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance, will apparently double that runtime. That is, if you play through the game twice, since Vengeance's main selling point is the addition of a new storyline that branches off from the existing release.
Indeed, this isn't just Atlus bolting additional quests or an epilogue onto the title; the developer wants to put a whole new spin on the adventure. In an interview with GameSpot, veteran producer Shinjiro Takata explains: "This time, we went in with the goal of taking a new direction for Vengeance, compared to just making a high spec version of previous titles."
He continues: "We focused on making this the best Shin Megami Tensei 5 by carefully improving the system based on much of player feedback, while focusing on adding new elements [...] In the newly added Vengeance route, the story development gradually begins to change from the original route and will unfold completely differently starting from the middle of the story."
And then we get the stat, with Takata stating that Vengeance features "a whole new story with 75 more hours of gameplay".
Of course, we don't quite know how different the new route will be from the original. We're not expecting a completely new game, but it does sound like it'll boast some significant changes — and while that's exciting for fans of the initial release, those who'll be playing through Shin Megami Tensei 5 for the first time on PS5 and PS4 should effectively have two lengthy, unexplored stories to enjoy.
Are you looking forward to Vengeance? Did you play the original release? Start recruiting some demons in the comments section below.
[source gamespot.com]
Comments 20
Oh man, I never even made it to Tokyo Tower on the Switch release on account of the dismal framerate and dodgy visuals, and also something just not clicking in the game for me, possibly due to the technical issues. How am I going to find time to play it TWICE now? Certainly not happening before Metaphor. I'm barely into P3R!
Games for me are mostly as long as I have fun with them, simple.
The best Shin Megami Tensei 5...until the definitive version!
@Thumper Shin Megami Tensei V: ReVengeance
@Thumper This is the definitive version, the original came out 3 years ago.
I have decided to make this the year of Atlus. I had a detour with Fallout 76 for about 8 hours (mistake). Playtime this year includes Persona 3R with second playthrough for Plat, Soul Hackers 2, Persona 5 Royal, SMTVV, Persona 5 Stikers, Metaphor: Refantazio, and Persona 4 Golden (from Limited Run). I May pick up a copy of SMTIII on PS4. I have been trying to source out some 3DS games but I cannot abide paying those prices, hoping to find some yard sale deals. I get this is ambitious but, /shrug/ gonna give it the old hyper fixation and see what happens.
So you would have to play around 30-35 hours of the same stuff if you wanted to do both routes.
Hopefully the game is worth getting and still makes sense if you only want to play the Vengeance route.
@UltimateOtaku91 Hopefully the gameplay adjustments make it worth playing again. P5R's changes improved the game massively, so I'm hoping Vengeance is similar.
Really glad I haven't played the original. Best time to jump in now!
I don't care how many hours they add, I care for the quality of it. SMT always had intricate and interesting stories and SMT V is a huge step down from SMT IV, let's hope they fixed some of that.
@Pat_trick smt4 is so underappreciated. People talk about apocalypse but 4 proper was really solid, annoying map aside. I also liked it more than that I saw on V, though I admittedly gave up pretty early on.
@NEStalgia I agree. I think Apocalypse's quality overshadowed IV a bit, but IV is what gives Apocalypse the foundation to be what it is. It's a very solid introduction to that post apocalyptic universe.
V doesn't get much better than it's beginning. Characters don't get much development and the plot doesn't have that characteristic SMT depth and complexity with philosophical and ethical questions. It feels rushed, as if they had the blueprint to a SMT game but never expanded on it. Hopefully this version will fix it.
I played this game a ton and ended up quitting because it was getting boring and nothing was happening. Also performance was poor.
So much Atlus this year. Between this, a second run of P3R with Episode Aigis, and Metaphor, I may every well be taken care of for the rest of the year with my backlog the way it is - just started dabbling with Digital Devil Saga and Soul Hackers 2, trying to decide which one to commit to first.
@Pat_trick Yeah, I'm thinking/hoping that the purpose of the other campaign is more or less to replace the original with a "proper" campaign since it's strange to just have a whole new campaign on top of the original. I have a feeling trying to get this overly ambitious SMT game working, and working on Switch of all things, probably ate at their time to flesh out the game. As is it feels like a dungeon crawler but without dungeons, just an endless expanse.
@crashcontrol I was being sarcastic. This is Atlus. They will find an excuse to re-release it. Maybe a 5th-anniversary edition in 2026.
So glad I held out on playing this on my Switch. I’m gonna treat this as an early birthday gift to myself. “Treat yo self” some wise woman once said
@crashcontrol yes and no definite versions usually contain all the content the game has to offer this re-release already has new dlc to buy
Only played a few hours on switch and has fun, but never went back to it. I'm glad I waited and will definitely pick up this one
Someone care to explain the "play the game twice" section, I don't get it.
Thanks.
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