Thinking of getting into mainline Shin Megami Tensei

[Funyarinpa]

So after really liking Persona 4 Golden (currently playing Persona 3 Portable) I am interested in the mainline Shin Megami Tensei games. 

I have a 3DS, a Vita, and a laptop from 2013, so anything above PS1 emulation is probably not an option for me. 

Which MegaTen game on these platforms has the best story/lore/themes? I know it's a gameplay heavy series but I need some semblance of story to carry me through long games nowadays.

Is Strange Journey a good game for a beginner? Watched some gameplay on YT, seemed interesting enough.

My other option is SMT4 on 3DS or piracy. I think SMT4 might be more accessible but it doesn't seem to be as interesting.

Not interested in Devil Survivor since I'm shit at RPGs, by the way.

[Funyarinpa]

just downloaded a Strange Journey ROM

didn't like it one bit lol

[Dark_blade64]

Food for the tought: Both persona 3/4 are RPG. Shin megami tensei IV I won't say it is accessible by any means. Unless you have some experience with playing rpg and know how to exploit some strat I would say absolutely go with easy difficulty otherwise is more about having good rng and be the first to act. Most bosses are basically just hit them untill you find their weakness. Also if you have bad luck low-level enemies can still wipe out your party if you aren't careful. And here comes the best tip! Don't spend points in ST is not worthy. Now if you want to try something else I would recommend playing Chaterine which in my opinion a fun game with unique gameplay or at least I haven't seen any similar game like it.

[Darklord Rooke]

4 hours ago, Funyarinpa said:

Not interested in Devil Survivor since I'm shit at RPGs, by the way.

I haven't played the SMT games on 3DS, but from the ones I have played on the Playstation consoles ... you might not like them. Persona is a very casual introduction to the series, but I find the main series to be a lot more hardcore in all aspects - in story, in setting, and in gameplay. It took me like 30 attempts to get past that fiery bike dude in the international version of 'Nocturne' a decade ago, and he was only the first boss. AND it was more to do with luck than anything else  

So if you're not good at RPGs, I don't think the main 'Shin Megami' games are good for you. The Persona games are easy though, so everyone can enjoy them  

[Funyarinpa]

I meant to say I was bad at SRPGs. 

Will play 5-10 hours of Devil Survivor and Strange Journey each to see if I want any of them. 

[Soulless Watcher]

I just started playing the first SMT on my ipod, which had the option of naming characters, that is always a blast....... although it got a bit awkward when Pedoking was explaining to me that he couldn't find his girlfriend. 

[FruitsPunchSamurai]

Just letting you know that the main line Smt games are MUCH harder than the persona games. Also like Rooke said, the main series is just more hardcore in all aspects. I remember it taking me at least 60 tries to beat the final boss in Smt Devil Summoner soul hackers lol. As someone who's played most of the 3ds and ps2 Smt games, Devil survivor 1 and 2 are probably the way to go for casuals. 

[finiteHP]

Given those systems your options are Persona 1, Persona 2: Innocent Sin, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, SMT4, Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, and the two Devil Survivor games.  P1 and P2IS are PSP games you can get off PSN that work on the Vita.  P2EP is a PS1 game again off PSN that I think will run in the Vita, but if not you could emulate on your laptop.  SMT4, The Devil Survivors, and Soul Hackers are 3DS.  Depending on why you didn't like Strange Journey you may not like the other games.  I personally didn't like Strange Journey but have loved every other SMT game I've played.

[WinterfuryZX]

Start from the beginning: Megami Tensei light novel.

http://ddstranslation.blogspot.it/2007/01/reincarnation-of-goddess-table-of.html

[Funyarinpa]

Trying to play Strange Journey on emulator for now. Enjoying the tactical aspect of it but the boss is handing me my ass in a silver platter.

[Okarin]

People talk good of Persona Q. I bought it, played it, and sold it because it was so freaking hard. Etrian Odyssey hard. Just not my thing. It was a good game though, but I missed like every gag with the Persona 3/4 characters.

[Funyarinpa]

20 minutes ago, Okarin said:

People talk good of Persona Q. I bought it, played it, and sold it because it was so freaking hard. Etrian Odyssey hard. Just not my thing. It was a good game though, but I missed like every gag with the Persona 3/4 characters.

PQ is like the last SMT game to start with lol

[Dark_blade64]

On 2016-02-05 at 2:24 PM, Funyarinpa said:

PQ is like the last SMT game to start with lol

Persona Q is more like a game made for fans where the cast from persona 3/4 crosses path. Not quite sure but I'm positive I heard somewhere it was a sequel for both persona fighting games and serve as an ending to that story.

[Fred the Barber]

No, Persona Q is definitely independent of the Persona 4 Arena games. The timeline in P4A is very clear (they take place after the main events of P4), whereas PQ's timeline is kind of screwy (it takes place outside of time, and summons the P3 characters who are currently in the middle of the P3 events, and I think the P4 characters shortly after the conclusion of their investigation, though I'm not positive on the latter).

I rather disliked Persona Q, and this is coming from a huge Persona 3/4 fanboy.

PQ's gameplay is a massive grindfest. The combat isn't difficult, but it is constant, time-consuming, and unavoidable, when all you want to do is solve a freaking floor puzzle. That experience was very unpleasant.

And, disappointingly, I didn't find the main storyline of PQ to be interesting. It revolved around new characters who I wasn't able to form a bond with, and the interactions of the P3 and P4 characters in the game were very bland - nothing changed between them. It's pure fanservice, and it feels great for a little while, but it gets tired pretty quickly because the characters don't go anywhere. This is truly upsetting, because character development is kind of the hallmark of a Persona game.

In contrast, the new characters around whom Persona 4 Dancing All Night revolved were actually really cool (particularly the main character, Kanami), and I enjoyed seeing them throughout the game. And while P4A and P4AU, like PQ, didn't have particularly interesting new characters (well... I guess Labrys in P4A was kinda cool...), they actually did a great job of showing struggles and development for the existing characters (which is awesome, because that was what I really wanted from a spinoff).

Here's an interesting way of summarizing my feelings towards the various Persona 3 and 4 spinoffs: The P4A games made me love Aigis; P4DAN made me as fond of Kanami as I was of any of the P4 girls; PQ just made me put it away and play a different game.

[Dark_blade64]

9 hours ago, Fred the Barber said:

No, Persona Q is definitely independent of the Persona 4 Arena games. The timeline in P4A is very clear (they take place after the main events of P4), whereas PQ's timeline is kind of screwy (it takes place outside of time, and summons the P3 characters who are currently in the middle of the P3 events, and I think the P4 characters shortly after the conclusion of their investigation, though I'm not positive on the latter).

I rather disliked Persona Q, and this is coming from a huge Persona 3/4 fanboy.

PQ's gameplay is a massive grindfest. The combat isn't difficult, but it is constant, time-consuming, and unavoidable, when all you want to do is solve a freaking floor puzzle. That experience was very unpleasant.

And, disappointingly, I didn't find the main storyline of PQ to be interesting. It revolved around new characters who I wasn't able to form a bond with, and the interactions of the P3 and P4 characters in the game were very bland - nothing changed between them. It's pure fanservice, and it feels great for a little while, but it gets tired pretty quickly because the characters don't go anywhere. This is truly upsetting, because character development is kind of the hallmark of a Persona game.

In contrast, the new characters around whom Persona 4 Dancing All Night revolved were actually really cool (particularly the main character, Kanami), and I enjoyed seeing them throughout the game. And while P4A and P4AU, like PQ, didn't have particularly interesting new characters (well... I guess Labrys in P4A was kinda cool...), they actually did a great job of showing struggles and development for the existing characters (which is awesome, because that was what I really wanted from a spinoff).

Here's an interesting way of summarizing my feelings towards the various Persona 3 and 4 spinoffs: The P4A games made me love Aigis; P4DAN made me as fond of Kanami as I was of any of the P4 girls; PQ just made me put it away and play a different game.

Well for me is the opposite I liked Persona Q gameplay except I wished you didn't have to draw the map again after you game over unless you save the game. Anyway I guess those who said this did take place after persona mayonaka and ultimax were wrong then.

[kyrt]

Do people consider the Digital Devil Saga games as part of the shin megami tensei game verse. I mean they have shin megami in the title but it seems they are constantly being overlooked. As for which game to get you into the series I will say not Nocturne...Nocturne is punishing and a bit of a grindfest for a good chunk of the game. It's a great game mind you but probably not great for a first game. Honestly I'd probably say Shin Megami Tensei IV (it's getting a sequel as well) as it simply does a good job of introducing people new to the franchise to the basic mechanics. You're kind of in tutorial mode for quite a while mind you but it is great for newcomers. Admittedly the original Persona games are also decent places to start in learning simple mechanics for the shin megami tensei games. The one word of advice I have for trying Shin Megami Tensei IV is give it a bit of time...although in all fairness most of the shin megami tensei games are pretty slow to start off.

You could always simply play something completely different like Shadow Hearts or Valkyrie Profile though if you're looking for those more mature in design/feel type of rpgs.

[finiteHP]

I definitely consider Digital Devil Saga part of the SMT game verse.  They were the first SMT games I played, so they have a special place in my heart.  Not sure how much I like them has to do with nostalgia and how much is on their merits though.  They are definitely worth playing, but I didn't mention them since they are PS2.

[Okarin]

On 7/2/2016 at 3:38 AM, Fred the Barber said:

PQ's gameplay is a massive grindfest. The combat isn't difficult, but it is constant, time-consuming, and unavoidable, when all you want to do is solve a freaking floor puzzle. That experience was very unpleasant.

Well what do you expect, it's SMT setting running on Etrian Odyssey layout. Good production values, but if you're not into the hardcore dungeon hack, it won't do much for you. Myself, I'm a Baldur's Gate boy.

[Funyarinpa]

strange journey is the tits

[Funyarinpa]

How is SMT4's story? It's a toss-up between that and Strange Journey at this point.

[Kaguya]

On 04/02/2016 at 9:48 PM, Rooke said:

I haven't played the SMT games on 3DS, but from the ones I have played on the Playstation consoles ... you might not like them. Persona is a very casual introduction to the series, but I find the main series to be a lot more hardcore in all aspects - in story, in setting, and in gameplay. It took me like 30 attempts to get past that fiery bike dude in the international version of 'Nocturne' a decade ago, and he was only the first boss. AND it was more to do with luck than anything else  

So if you're not good at RPGs, I don't think the main 'Shin Megami' games are good for you. The Persona games are easy though, so everyone can enjoy them  

Almost a month old, but if you can, please do clarify what you mean by more hardcore in story and setting. Makes me curious. 

[Darklord Rooke]

2 hours ago, Kaguya said:

Almost a month old, but if you can, please do clarify what you mean by more hardcore in story and setting. Makes me curious. 

I find everything in Persona to be stripped down versions of what you get in the SMT games, that's all. In Persona 3 and 4, you get a break from the SMT atmosphere while you attend school, while in SMT games like Nocturne and even the Digital Devil Saga spin off, the surreal atmosphere is there the whole time. It males the games a bit less accessible. The setting is completely foreign instead of, once again, being part foreign but mostly familiar (school setting.) The story, similar to the setting, is not as accessible for much the same reasons. The gameplay tends to be much harder.

I find the Persona series sort of 'SMT for a mass audience', with the sort of compromises you expect.

[Clephas]

Digital Devil Saga is a lot closer to what you'd expect from the makers of the first three Persona games (1 and both versions of 2).  However, it is  a lot darker and more violent... and it has no real taboos, other than sex (PS2 era console games having no real sexual content at all, for the most part).  The same goes for Nocturne... but there is a reason why Nocturne is frequently referred to as 'Pokemon with demons and an actual plot'. 

[Funyarinpa]

Guys, I KNOW that SMT is difficult and dark. That's the reason I want to play it. Everyone's saying that SMT4 is a better introduction to SMT than SJ, but its story premise (I know it goes to Tokyo) and relative lack of difficulty is turning me off from it. 

 

So pretty much, convince me that IV's story and difficulty is good enough to make me play it over SJ for its polish and whatnot.

 

[Funyarinpa]

Really enjoying SMT4.