I feel like this is the best ending because its about making your own path and not being manipulated by the temptation of power. In the end you hold onto your humanity and revive the world you loved. Beautiful.
+Nope Nope I think it's the worst ending. Storywise. The whole game brings up all sorts of existentialist issues and gives you interesting ideas and then this ending undoes everything the game says with pretty much: "It was just a dream"
+Toveri Juri Not exactly. Everything you experienced before the Neutral/Freedom Ending did still happen, including the Demifiend's meeting and battle with Kagutsuchi. Kagutsuchi mentions how he was disappointed that the Demifiend would prefer to return the world to its original state, but does so anyway, meaning that the world (along with the Demifiend) was just restored and placed back at a certain point before the Conception.
Favorite ending by far. All other endings felt as though I was serving evil and this is the only one where you get to see the lovely Yuko who has such great character development. How she grows as a character is brilliant and this ending does her justice for me. Too beautiful to pass up!
I would wish this to be the canon ending instead of the TDE (which unfortunately seems to be the true one because of the Demifiend appearance in Digital Devil Saga).
But SMT apocalypse debunked that since Stephen calls all the messiahs and he is all about Neutral Path in SMT Apocalypse, besides Mikado makes no sense at all with this final
Neutral seems to be the best route you can take. Choosing both freedom yet law to protect that freedom, it may be hard to maintain but ultimately will lead to a better future than either Law or Chaos ever could.
I really like to think of this as a canon ending too. The authors certainly spoke of it as such. Even based on my painful experiences in life, I can still claim that this is a nice world that gives everyone freedom in choosing their own destiny.
Thanks for uploading these videos! I own the Lucifer's Call edition (eu version) which has a lot of bugs. The game kept freezing on me during the final dungeon - I got through it but when I beat kagatushi it kept freezing. I can't get past it (and complete the True Demon Ending), so thanks a lot for having all of these endings. I went with True demon since I had heard it was the canon one, I have to say this ending seems better. It's pretty awesome that the Demi-Fiend becomes effectively the anti-Christ, but the neutral ending feels a lot more 'complete'.
Oh no problem. I also had the EU version. Sort of regrettable my videos are of such poor quality, but I didn't have better recording equipment at the time, and... yes, I feel like this ending is much more satisfying as well.
But my... THIS is the best ending! Kagutsushi was reluctant but it sounds so peaceful and nice in the end. I did not get this one yet, I thought it was some kind of "bad ending" to refuse any reasons,..
I've played this game a few months ago and achieved this ending while watching the other endings on video. After seeing the events of Strange Journey, it gives me the impression that regardless of what ending is chosen, YHVH still finds the Demi-Fiend as a serious threat and was badly beaten in the aftermath. Now it's all up to the upcoming SMTxFire Emblem to at least provide clues of what became of Naoki.....
I love how theres a very fine line between human and demon. In both neutral and demon ending you have to make everyone hate you, but the reasons are completely different. Any guess as to who that voice in the end was?
Favorite ending. Period. As cool as the TD ending was i think the Demifiend got more out of this He gets to keep all of his friends, his powers, and respect from Lucifer for giving YHVH the finger by denying creation not to mention this ending showed the most out of all the endings, plus the theme: exquisite! but whatever y'know?
"You have become a slave of freedom just like that fallen angel" I would take that as a great complement. Putting me on par with one of the most feared powers of all time.
@FarelTheGecko Understandable; it's definitely the happiest. I'm kind of partial to Musubi myself, because I enjoyed Isamu's dichotomy of loneliness and desperation for freedom, and that it was captured in that ending made it work strangely well for me. Anyway, I hope you go on to play more SMT games.
@VaatiOfDarkness That's what the games are trying to teach. Neutral does mean a hard struggle, but it's the right way. That's what Lucifer meant by "Path of Thorns" in the end. All SMT games I knew so far seems to have this. When you pick neutral, you got to beat almost everyone there is to beat. Your alone, the one character who's for neutral "falls out" in this case Yuko and it's up to the main character to take over. There is something beautiful about all this.
@jackleone Now that you mention it, it is a possibility too. Both Aleph and Lucifer did take a very similar route. Thanks for not spoiling, but then again I have my doubt I'll ever get to play it.
@dekaidoku People fight over this a lot, but to me and the authors, this is the canon ending. It doesn't break continuity with the sequels, earth still exists the way it does and this ending was in the game from the very beginning, this is the way I see it
Right since even the Law endings have the three alignments in there although they still follow the Law criteria due to having some sort of order in them which is what Law emphasizes. Chiaki, who is closest to Chaos, still has the Hierarchical system in her Reason, much like how Tokyo Millennium operates in SMT2, which is why the Angels sided with her due to her being at the top and controlling them directly without YHVH there to guide them.
I'm reminded of a stupid computer magazine I used to read. It had an editor's section. One day all of a sudden they said in the open that they have 2 editors, named them and said that they hate each others guts, all of this just as a gimmick to make the section more exciting. and you know what? IT WORKED!!! People wrote letters declaring alignment with one of the 2 and hating the other one, although none of both displayed any distinct traits. That's rivalry for ya !!!
@jakb17 Didn't I write that in the description? Ah well. You cannot agree with any of the 3, but what matters mostly is the second time. When Chiaki or Isamu tell you to kill "someone", disagree with them, otherwise you'll get the reason. And when Hikawa asks you to just do nothing and let him finish, also say no. This way you cancel all 3 reason endings. You also have to (when asked about) say that your not afraid (in the park), with Amala not beaten, your clear for the neutral ending.
I would gather that it is done to show different perspectives of Law as the Angels, Satan, and YHVH show (Angels being militaristic, Satan wanting only laws to exist irregardless of YHVH's presence or not, and YHVH believing himself the center of the universe) being paralleled in the game which I didn't notice until recently.
@GarlyleWilds I heard it somewhere, the neutral ending is ALWAYS the canon one, I mean... no other ending promises anything to continue.... if the neutral ending wasnt there, no new smt game could come out
*thumb up* THANK YOU! A lot of people look at me as if I was some cowardly boring fella for picking this ending, but to me, it's the only real option and I approve it being canon, as much as people push TDE being canon due to the main character's cameo in Digital Devil Saga .
@FarelTheGecko I think the voice in the end is of Hijiri/Aleph from SMT II. It's just a theory from the fans, but it is connected to the three endings of that game. I don't want to spoil SMT II ending for viewers.
Not necessarily. There's a lot of theories that the worlds of the other games take part in the future, while this game is in the present and shows how a too early end of the world was prevented, but of course these are all possibilities.
@FarelTheGecko Unfortunately, there's no confirmation there, as none of the other SMT games are directly linked to Nocturne's events (Except DDS, where Hitoshura is still a demon, suggesting True Demon Ending if anything). It's even been said Nocturne is its own contained alternate universe (SMT has these, that much is canon), so until something confirms otherwise, there isn't one canon ending to Nocturne.
@snafzg Certainly. The thing with the Chaos/Lucifer ending is that you defy God and help the evil, while the reason/Law endings (although each reason ending can have one of the 3 alignments applied to it) serve God. He seems to have profit from all this change. The neutral ending means nothing changes, which all in all is the world Lucifer wanted. "Path of thorns" means suffering, but it also means freedom from God and the ability to choose your own fate. This is the path I'd take!
Being a Neutral ending, it likely is. TDE cannot be canon because the "True" in the title is meant to refer to it being an update of the Demon Ending to appease Chaos fans who felt disappointed with that and the Yosuga ending. If anything, it should be named "Real Demon Ending" to give a better scope of it being the true ending or not for some people who don't understand the context of why the TDE was created in the first place.
I also think this is canon regardless of Naoki appearing in DDS. The whole thing with him and Satan were likely tests set by Brahman which explains why he did not use the full extent of his powers against the cast. That or he might have retained his powers and got stronger as Lucifer asks him to.
fine fine fine, I was a bit wrong to judge the TDEnding, likely because I have not yet played DDS, but as a stand alone game, I will always consider this to be the only canon ending
Well, I used to think it had to be Lucifer, but as time goes, Aleph seems like a much more fun and interesting possibility. I do eitherway approve how it is a rather open ended ending for the game. Yeah, there's times when I want things to be clear as day and night, but here, it is a very nice touch that lets us think and come up with our own answers.
@VaatiOfDarkness It's called Reincarnation and it's on the 2nd cd. Right between the final boss songs and the credits. AGAIN, a proof this is meant to be canon.
@Rashomon1989 For all intents and purposes, it still does; really, the 'death' of Atlus was kind of overblown for all the impact it'll actually have. It has been absorbed into its parent company, but the Atlus brand and development crew still remains as its own entity within the company. Really, right now, very little has actually changed except that you can't directly invest in "Atlus".
@FarelTheGecko It's alright. If you're coming from no experience with the series, it's easy to think that this, being the most traditionally "Good" ending, is the canon one; but SMT hardly thinks like your regular game. My personal inclination is to trust the True Demon Ending, due to Lucifer's heavy involvement (He's all over the place in the series) and the reoccuring theme of challenging YHWH/God/The Great Will. He isn't the first nor last main character to go on to fight God.
@604blueice God Bless you... oh shoot, in the context of this game that sounds kinda awkward :S I just feel so excited, cause your the first person to agree with me on this. That the ending the authors themselves said was the canon one, is the best. But to be honest this is the only ending I like at all, the reason and demon endings are so simplistic and... dumb I am very glad I could help you with this. I guess these 6 videos serve better purpose than a rant video about ending selection,ey?
@FarelTheGecko Considering as how in the original SMT, the canonical ending (Neutral) involved as many characters as possible dead, including allies that would've joined you during Law/Chaos, that kind of logic doesn't flow within the series.
@FarelTheGecko Well according to the DMC storyline, this game is supposed to take place right after DMC2. It kinda makes sense since the world ended. If t was any other Dante, the plot would probably screw up. Also, this is basically the main reason anyone would still play DMC2.
@MetalestCross For me, it's like this. Law: Serve God Chaos: Have freedom and liberty and do what you want -> Anarchy Neutral: Freedom exists, with democracy. Everyone can choose what they want. OF COURSE, this balance is shaky and breaks every now and then, which I guess is symbolized by new SMT games coming out, so to speak, but I still think this is the right road
@Keihzaru I understand where your coming from, but -The TDE was added in later on -This ending lacks any characters really... But your right, his reappearance in DDS would suggest otherwise.... ah well, who knows!
@Rashomon1989 The same thing it always was. I want to say "Idea Engine" or something like that. They always actually owned Atlus, it was just that they dissolved it as its own corporate, investiable entity. Atlus games are still going to be released with Atlus branding, made by the Atlus team. Chances are you won't even notice a change.
@FarelTheGecko ....I agree with you there but here what I think this basically is a prequel to IMAGINE...though I am Kind of sad that your demon buddies didn't turn into humans at the end
Everyone returns to normal and isn’t a corrupted and jaded version of their ideals or themselves and get to keep their humanity This is truly as neutral of an ending as it gets,Neither good or bad but everyone gets to keep their humanity which really speaks to me Not to be a centrist but maybe it’s better if no one got to see their ideal reborn cause most of the reasons felt so narrow minded in their hearts they were either forced or tempted into believing something that really isn’t a reflection of their true character But rather that the hopelessness and desperation of the end of world and the many various temptations of the deity’s around them only exacerbated the fear that comes with the world being reduced to an apocalypse
I am an adamant centrist, so this ending does speak to me, although in all fairness, I have heard people express their criticism of it and can see what they mean about it feeling unsatisfying. Still, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Yeah, I'm surprised I'm saying this, but there's a HUGE crowd of people who preferred Persona 3, even if I'm not one of them, go for it, cater to that crowd.... then again they do apparently work on Persona 5 now
@AmayirotAkago Ah, I really thought you were saying that me wanting the neutral ending was boring. Well, it is the canon ending and from what people say, it's the only "happy ending", but I'll have to catch the last 3 endings to say that for sure.
@zhaixdragon It's considered the canon ending... it features all characters and yeah... makes sense, we're back to normal... although a LOT people disagree with me on that. They claim the True Demon Ending is the true one.... yeeeeeeeah the ending that was added on later and features NONE of the cast members aside from Lucifer and his servant.... that's the REAL one..... RIGHT!
yeah thanks to for being kind with me men i guess the whole thing with the TDE for me is because the people think that is cool to be in chaos side and the only megami tensei games that have a canon ending is the neutral one in shin megami tensei 1 and here in the neutral ending sure another conception might happen again but who knows maybe then there is gonna appear better endings
@ledah494 I feel a bit offended how thin that line is, and it's not even based on someone asking you whenever your a demon or not, it's based both of answering Aradia's questions with no, and that's already contradicting what Atlus tried to say about fear in their other title, Persona 3. I'm pretty sure it was Lucifer, you, just like him, reject God and choose freedom. You don't side with Lucifer, but you still made the same choice as he did back then.
@FarelTheGecko well this is said to be the TRUE ending to the game so i'm satisfied that i got it as well. Especially since i had Dante help me out. hehehehe.
My life is so hectic right now, that cursing, yelling, disagreeing with out people on how your vision is the only legit way..... I can't do it. I feel like a complete idiot, so..... whatever. If anyone thinks my way is stupid, then I will agree.
The whole thing is complicated.... and that's why as much as I do find this game great.... I would NEVER wish to get a SMT game just like this every year. Call me a whimp, but thinking about God, good vs evil, law vs chaos, each possible symbolism, the connections... it's too much at times! I had fun here, and now I could play another one, but when I finished this one.... I REALLY didn't feel like jumping into another *hard story* like this, right off the bat! Again: I'm a whimp!
I am familiar with troubled localizations, I know the pain. Heck, one of my other favorite games, it had a novel released in Japan, you need it to GET the game's story. I now bought the book and look for people to help translating it, but ... even people who claim to know Japanese go pale at it and say that it is very strangely written!
I feel like I can't be part of any fandom, cause I don't go maniacal over anything that much. I did say that I like Persona more than SMT, but people went soft on me, because I did underline that SMT's story is still great and also that this is just my own personal opinion. As for translation, even if learning it would be cheaper, time is money and the time I'd spend translating the book, would be a huge part of the deal, ugh.
@GarlyleWilds Well if I had to pick one of the reasons then it'd be Musubi as well, I would probably have picked it right away when I was younger... but now I changed. The Persona games did especially nicely express how we need one another to become stronger and wiser... hence I think Musubi is isolating itself too much... While others can bring harm, they can also bring improvement to one's life.
I know a lot of people who keep insisting that TDE is the real canon ending, but I think the neutral ending has to be it in all regards. And I guess Shijima doesn't quite sound all that good given how it's a Reason from a psychotic evil criminal. And it's perfectly ok, you sound very reasonable and kind compared to a lot of people that I had to deal with.
@LIONREV7 Well the true demon gets unlocked if you enter the very bottom of the Labyrinth of Amala. That's all there is. And yeah the True Demon Ending sucks, but that's the only way to fight the ultimate boss.
I'm sorry, I have so much schoolwork that I can't even remember much about the game, also doesn't help that I never got to play Devil summoner to begin with
@GarlyleWilds ok maybe there's no 100% one, but I'll still stand by claiming that this one is the closest to being that... no other ending features that many cast members... it's the only with Yuko...
@snafzg Well, Yuko didn't really die, Aradia just send her into a "safe place" if I recall right. As for Chiaki and Isamu, guess they got possesed by the power they obtained. I'm not sure I'd be able to stick around with them, but I guess those events never happened really and it's best be forgotten. Yeah, the final boss part wasn't perfect sadly.
Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Rhaido Kuzunoha supposed to be in Dante's place originally and if that is the case it would make since for the TDE to be cannon for the sake of DDS and the Nuetral ending cannon after Rhaidos interference.
Excuse me, I don't think they deserve to be called the worst. Not everyone likes gritty. I enjoyed both series for very different reasons, some prefer lighthearted fun over dark and gritty atmosphere and vice versa. It's not wise to claim that one of both is objectively better than the other, just because it tries to be more serious (which SMT effectively does). I've seen drama movies that tried to be serious, but ended up being much more stupid than a Naked Gun movie. Opinion & Execution
@chaotixninja5 Even Dante? Oh, so you got that deep into the Amala Labyrynth, don't know, but Dante's cameo never did sit with me right, but mah, whatever! :p
I'm kind of curious as to why you think this is the canonical ending, as I don't believe there was ever a statement on any of the endings being specifically canon.
Look I take it as a compliment, but I rather not be JUST LIKE Lucifer, I take it as a compliment because like Lucifer, you had the courage to oppose God and that in itself is a great thing!
@AmayirotAkago Oh? Mr. "Blah saving the world is so normal and boooooring, it'd be more interesting to be evil" actually admits that the neutral ending is satisfying? HAHA! I GOT YOU! This ending was satisfying and not 100% fortellable and unoriginal. Also it seems to be the only ending to feature Yuko. She opens the game and you chase after her through the whole game... and she's present in all (expect the true demon ending) credit scrolls. Shame she's only seen from the back...
@YosukeComicRelief Hey, he's old, what do you expect :p That's the thing, freedom is... FREEDOM. Be evil, be good. It's up to you. I'd say it's how SMT works. Humanity has freedom, but some will abuse it and it'll leave to unbalance, but then it'll calm down like water in a glass. Like in real life, first there's peace then comes war... Some call this WRONG and would wish for a different world as in Nocturne, but regardless of all, I think the way of freedom is the right one
LOL, Demi-fiend finally got his jacket back and all he had to do was restore the world.
+StayinOnePiece he worked hard for that damn jacket
I feel like this is the best ending because its about making your own path and not being manipulated by the temptation of power. In the end you hold onto your humanity and revive the world you loved. Beautiful.
+Nope Nope Agreed :)
+Nope Nope 100% agreed. The true demon ending is shit.
+Justin HK It doesn't really make sense how it's considered the "canon" ending for the game. If that were the case, the SMT IV wouldn't be possible.
+Nope Nope
I think it's the worst ending. Storywise. The whole game brings up all sorts of existentialist issues and gives you interesting ideas and then this ending undoes everything the game says with pretty much: "It was just a dream"
+Toveri Juri Not exactly. Everything you experienced before the Neutral/Freedom Ending did still happen, including the Demifiend's meeting and battle with Kagutsuchi. Kagutsuchi mentions how he was disappointed that the Demifiend would prefer to return the world to its original state, but does so anyway, meaning that the world (along with the Demifiend) was just restored and placed back at a certain point before the Conception.
Favorite ending by far. All other endings felt as though I was serving evil and this is the only one where you get to see the lovely Yuko who has such great character development. How she grows as a character is brilliant and this ending does her justice for me. Too beautiful to pass up!
I actually prefer this ending compared to TDE
+eriol Only a chaosfag (that's what there called) would like such an ending.
I never liked TDE, but I prefer it over this route because is the only one where you can fight Lucifer.
I would wish this to be the canon ending instead of the TDE (which unfortunately seems to be the true one because of the Demifiend appearance in Digital Devil Saga).
But SMT apocalypse debunked that since Stephen calls all the messiahs and he is all about Neutral Path in SMT Apocalypse, besides Mikado makes no sense at all with this final
RevenantDrethium The only canon endings in a SMT game is the neutral ending of both SMT 1 and SMT 4.
Neutral seems to be the best route you can take. Choosing both freedom yet law to protect that freedom, it may be hard to maintain but ultimately will lead to a better future than either Law or Chaos ever could.
I really like to think of this as a canon ending too. The authors certainly spoke of it as such. Even based on my painful experiences in life, I can still claim that this is a nice world that gives everyone freedom in choosing their own destiny.
best ending
Agreed
Thanks for uploading these videos! I own the Lucifer's Call edition (eu version) which has a lot of bugs. The game kept freezing on me during the final dungeon - I got through it but when I beat kagatushi it kept freezing. I can't get past it (and complete the True Demon Ending), so thanks a lot for having all of these endings.
I went with True demon since I had heard it was the canon one, I have to say this ending seems better. It's pretty awesome that the Demi-Fiend becomes effectively the anti-Christ, but the neutral ending feels a lot more 'complete'.
Oh no problem. I also had the EU version. Sort of regrettable my videos are of such poor quality, but I didn't have better recording equipment at the time, and... yes, I feel like this ending is much more satisfying as well.
+penguonz set to 50Hz mode you fuckign hitler-feg. This fixes crashes on the PAL version during the ending sequence.
But my... THIS is the best ending! Kagutsushi was reluctant but it sounds so peaceful and nice in the end.
I did not get this one yet, I thought it was some kind of "bad ending" to refuse any reasons,..
Definitely a more satisfying ending than the Demon one. At least you get to see what happens next, after beating a big boss no less.
You got mail!
Best ending.
I've played this game a few months ago and achieved this ending while watching the other endings on video. After seeing the events of Strange Journey, it gives me the impression that regardless of what ending is chosen, YHVH still finds the Demi-Fiend as a serious threat and was badly beaten in the aftermath.
Now it's all up to the upcoming SMTxFire Emblem to at least provide clues of what became of Naoki.....
I love how theres a very fine line between human and demon. In both neutral and demon ending you have to make everyone hate you, but the reasons are completely different.
Any guess as to who that voice in the end was?
Favorite ending. Period.
As cool as the TD ending was
i think the Demifiend got more out of this
He gets to keep all of his friends, his powers, and respect from Lucifer for giving YHVH the finger by denying creation
not to mention this ending showed the most out of all the endings,
plus the theme: exquisite!
but whatever y'know?
"You have become a slave of freedom just like that fallen angel"
I would take that as a great complement. Putting me on par with one of the most feared powers of all time.
@FarelTheGecko Understandable; it's definitely the happiest. I'm kind of partial to Musubi myself, because I enjoyed Isamu's dichotomy of loneliness and desperation for freedom, and that it was captured in that ending made it work strangely well for me.
Anyway, I hope you go on to play more SMT games.
@VaatiOfDarkness That's what the games are trying to teach. Neutral does mean a hard struggle, but it's the right way. That's what Lucifer meant by "Path of Thorns" in the end.
All SMT games I knew so far seems to have this. When you pick neutral, you got to beat almost everyone there is to beat. Your alone, the one character who's for neutral "falls out" in this case Yuko and it's up to the main character to take over. There is something beautiful about all this.
@jackleone Now that you mention it, it is a possibility too. Both Aleph and Lucifer did take a very similar route. Thanks for not spoiling, but then again I have my doubt I'll ever get to play it.
I always thought it was a metaphor for how thin the lines in between the alignments really are, but then again this interpretation sounds better.
@dekaidoku People fight over this a lot, but to me and the authors, this is the canon ending. It doesn't break continuity with the sequels, earth still exists the way it does and this ending was in the game from the very beginning, this is the way I see it
Right since even the Law endings have the three alignments in there although they still follow the Law criteria due to having some sort of order in them which is what Law emphasizes. Chiaki, who is closest to Chaos, still has the Hierarchical system in her Reason, much like how Tokyo Millennium operates in SMT2, which is why the Angels sided with her due to her being at the top and controlling them directly without YHVH there to guide them.
I'm reminded of a stupid computer magazine I used to read. It had an editor's section. One day all of a sudden they said in the open that they have 2 editors, named them and said that they hate each others guts, all of this just as a gimmick to make the section more exciting. and you know what? IT WORKED!!! People wrote letters declaring alignment with one of the 2 and hating the other one, although none of both displayed any distinct traits. That's rivalry for ya !!!
@604blueice That's the thing about masterpieces, they don't come in bundles and sometimes, it's just that that makes them masterpieces.
@jakb17 Didn't I write that in the description? Ah well. You cannot agree with any of the 3, but what matters mostly is the second time.
When Chiaki or Isamu tell you to kill "someone", disagree with them, otherwise you'll get the reason. And when Hikawa asks you to just do nothing and let him finish, also say no. This way you cancel all 3 reason endings. You also have to (when asked about) say that your not afraid (in the park), with Amala not beaten, your clear for the neutral ending.
I would gather that it is done to show different perspectives of Law as the Angels, Satan, and YHVH show (Angels being militaristic, Satan wanting only laws to exist irregardless of YHVH's presence or not, and YHVH believing himself the center of the universe) being paralleled in the game which I didn't notice until recently.
@GarlyleWilds I heard it somewhere, the neutral ending is ALWAYS the canon one, I mean... no other ending promises anything to continue.... if the neutral ending wasnt there, no new smt game could come out
*thumb up* THANK YOU! A lot of people look at me as if I was some cowardly boring fella for picking this ending, but to me, it's the only real option and I approve it being canon, as much as people push TDE being canon due to the main character's cameo in Digital Devil Saga .
@FarelTheGecko I think the voice in the end is of Hijiri/Aleph from SMT II. It's just a theory from the fans, but it is connected to the three endings of that game. I don't want to spoil SMT II ending for viewers.
@FarelTheGecko Atlus is doing a lot of remakes, it wouldn't surprise me a remake of the first two Shin Megami Tensei for 3DS or PSVita.
Not necessarily. There's a lot of theories that the worlds of the other games take part in the future, while this game is in the present and shows how a too early end of the world was prevented, but of course these are all possibilities.
@FarelTheGecko
Unfortunately, there's no confirmation there, as none of the other SMT games are directly linked to Nocturne's events (Except DDS, where Hitoshura is still a demon, suggesting True Demon Ending if anything). It's even been said Nocturne is its own contained alternate universe (SMT has these, that much is canon), so until something confirms otherwise, there isn't one canon ending to Nocturne.
@snafzg Certainly. The thing with the Chaos/Lucifer ending is that you defy God and help the evil, while the reason/Law endings (although each reason ending can have one of the 3 alignments applied to it) serve God. He seems to have profit from all this change.
The neutral ending means nothing changes, which all in all is the world Lucifer wanted. "Path of thorns" means suffering, but it also means freedom from God and the ability to choose your own fate. This is the path I'd take!
Being a Neutral ending, it likely is. TDE cannot be canon because the "True" in the title is meant to refer to it being an update of the Demon Ending to appease Chaos fans who felt disappointed with that and the Yosuga ending. If anything, it should be named "Real Demon Ending" to give a better scope of it being the true ending or not for some people who don't understand the context of why the TDE was created in the first place.
I also think this is canon regardless of Naoki appearing in DDS. The whole thing with him and Satan were likely tests set by Brahman which explains why he did not use the full extent of his powers against the cast. That or he might have retained his powers and got stronger as Lucifer asks him to.
fine fine fine, I was a bit wrong to judge the TDEnding, likely because I have not yet played DDS, but as a stand alone game, I will always consider this to be the only canon ending
Well, I used to think it had to be Lucifer, but as time goes, Aleph seems like a much more fun and interesting possibility. I do eitherway approve how it is a rather open ended ending for the game. Yeah, there's times when I want things to be clear as day and night, but here, it is a very nice touch that lets us think and come up with our own answers.
@VaatiOfDarkness It's called Reincarnation and it's on the 2nd cd. Right between the final boss songs and the credits. AGAIN, a proof this is meant to be canon.
@Rashomon1989 For all intents and purposes, it still does; really, the 'death' of Atlus was kind of overblown for all the impact it'll actually have.
It has been absorbed into its parent company, but the Atlus brand and development crew still remains as its own entity within the company. Really, right now, very little has actually changed except that you can't directly invest in "Atlus".
@FarelTheGecko It's alright. If you're coming from no experience with the series, it's easy to think that this, being the most traditionally "Good" ending, is the canon one; but SMT hardly thinks like your regular game.
My personal inclination is to trust the True Demon Ending, due to Lucifer's heavy involvement (He's all over the place in the series) and the reoccuring theme of challenging YHWH/God/The Great Will. He isn't the first nor last main character to go on to fight God.
Hope they made a remake for the ps vita/ ps3 or ps4. Its my favorite SMT game comparing to the persona series and SMT 4.
Well maybe they someday will, but with how good the game is I don't think it'd be mandatory...
@604blueice God Bless you... oh shoot, in the context of this game that sounds kinda awkward :S
I just feel so excited, cause your the first person to agree with me on this. That the ending the authors themselves said was the canon one, is the best. But to be honest this is the only ending I like at all, the reason and demon endings are so simplistic and... dumb
I am very glad I could help you with this. I guess these 6 videos serve better purpose than a rant video about ending selection,ey?
@MetalestCross No matter which path/ending you take, the final dungeon is always the Tower of Kagutsuchi.
@FarelTheGecko Considering as how in the original SMT, the canonical ending (Neutral) involved as many characters as possible dead, including allies that would've joined you during Law/Chaos, that kind of logic doesn't flow within the series.
@FarelTheGecko Well according to the DMC storyline, this game is supposed to take place right after DMC2. It kinda makes sense since the world ended. If t was any other Dante, the plot would probably screw up. Also, this is basically the main reason anyone would still play DMC2.
@MetalestCross For me, it's like this.
Law: Serve God
Chaos: Have freedom and liberty and do what you want -> Anarchy
Neutral: Freedom exists, with democracy. Everyone can choose what they want. OF COURSE, this balance is shaky and breaks every now and then, which I guess is symbolized by new SMT games coming out, so to speak, but I still think this is the right road
@Keihzaru I understand where your coming from, but
-The TDE was added in later on
-This ending lacks any characters really...
But your right, his reappearance in DDS would suggest otherwise.... ah well, who knows!
Hey, I'm big on the Persona games, but I respect the older SMT ones too, and definitely this one, I've even made a review of the game on this channel!
I go to a local college... but somehow when you're in a crowd of people, you can still feel very alone.
@Rashomon1989 The same thing it always was. I want to say "Idea Engine" or something like that. They always actually owned Atlus, it was just that they dissolved it as its own corporate, investiable entity.
Atlus games are still going to be released with Atlus branding, made by the Atlus team. Chances are you won't even notice a change.
@FarelTheGecko ....I agree with you there but here what I think this basically is a prequel to IMAGINE...though I am Kind of sad that your demon buddies didn't turn into humans at the end
I actualy think that the True Demon ending is the canon one, supported by the Hito-Shura's reappeareance in DDS. He has the Ubber Pixie and all.
Everyone returns to normal and isn’t a corrupted and jaded version of their ideals or themselves and get to keep their humanity
This is truly as neutral of an ending as it gets,Neither good or bad but everyone gets to keep their humanity which really speaks to me
Not to be a centrist but maybe it’s better if no one got to see their ideal reborn cause most of the reasons felt so narrow minded in their hearts they were either forced or tempted into believing something that really isn’t a reflection of their true character
But rather that the hopelessness and desperation of the end of world and the many various temptations of the deity’s around them only exacerbated the fear that comes with the world being reduced to an apocalypse
I am an adamant centrist, so this ending does speak to me, although in all fairness, I have heard people express their criticism of it and can see what they mean about it feeling unsatisfying. Still, I wouldn't have it any other way.
I don't know, in my head it was Lucifer, but I think you can come up with multiple answers to that which is why they don't reveal the name.
I'm not even going to try at this point, my head is not in the right shape
The tone of the email message seems to imply Yuko tried suicide.
Yeah, I'm surprised I'm saying this, but there's a HUGE crowd of people who preferred Persona 3, even if I'm not one of them, go for it, cater to that crowd.... then again they do apparently work on Persona 5 now
@AmayirotAkago Ah, I really thought you were saying that me wanting the neutral ending was boring. Well, it is the canon ending and from what people say, it's the only "happy ending", but I'll have to catch the last 3 endings to say that for sure.
@zhaixdragon It's considered the canon ending... it features all characters and yeah... makes sense, we're back to normal... although a LOT people disagree with me on that. They claim the True Demon Ending is the true one.... yeeeeeeeah the ending that was added on later and features NONE of the cast members aside from Lucifer and his servant.... that's the REAL one..... RIGHT!
People do disagree on neutral being second, but opinion obviously and stuff
Freedom ending
yeah thanks to for being kind with me men i guess the whole thing with the TDE for me is because the people think that is cool to be in chaos side and the only megami tensei games that have a canon ending is the neutral one in shin megami tensei 1 and here in the neutral ending sure another conception might happen again but who knows maybe then there is gonna appear better endings
@ledah494 I feel a bit offended how thin that line is, and it's not even based on someone asking you whenever your a demon or not, it's based both of answering Aradia's questions with no, and that's already contradicting what Atlus tried to say about fear in their other title, Persona 3.
I'm pretty sure it was Lucifer, you, just like him, reject God and choose freedom. You don't side with Lucifer, but you still made the same choice as he did back then.
A lot of people consider the Shijima ending to be the LAW one, but ... truly, the neutral ending seems to be the right one.
@FarelTheGecko well this is said to be the TRUE ending to the game so i'm satisfied that i got it as well. Especially since i had Dante help me out. hehehehe.
My life is so hectic right now, that cursing, yelling, disagreeing with out people on how your vision is the only legit way..... I can't do it. I feel like a complete idiot, so..... whatever. If anyone thinks my way is stupid, then I will agree.
All that's left is to wait I suppose
@GarlyleWilds .... well true, this was the first PURE SMT game I played, maybe I don't have the right to express my opinion there
so this is the normal ending with people going home and all ?
seems good .
The whole thing is complicated.... and that's why as much as I do find this game great.... I would NEVER wish to get a SMT game just like this every year. Call me a whimp, but thinking about God, good vs evil, law vs chaos, each possible symbolism, the connections... it's too much at times! I had fun here, and now I could play another one, but when I finished this one.... I REALLY didn't feel like jumping into another *hard story* like this, right off the bat! Again: I'm a whimp!
I am familiar with troubled localizations, I know the pain. Heck, one of my other favorite games, it had a novel released in Japan, you need it to GET the game's story. I now bought the book and look for people to help translating it, but ... even people who claim to know Japanese go pale at it and say that it is very strangely written!
Does telling the 3 horsemen in the labryinth of Amala "I've made up my mind" or *I've had enough* Effect the ending in any way?
lol my bad, I hadn't looked at the case to check my spelling and I was too lazy to go get it.
My favorite ending.
I feel like I can't be part of any fandom, cause I don't go maniacal over anything that much. I did say that I like Persona more than SMT, but people went soft on me, because I did underline that SMT's story is still great and also that this is just my own personal opinion.
As for translation, even if learning it would be cheaper, time is money and the time I'd spend translating the book, would be a huge part of the deal, ugh.
@GarlyleWilds Well if I had to pick one of the reasons then it'd be Musubi as well, I would probably have picked it right away when I was younger... but now I changed.
The Persona games did especially nicely express how we need one another to become stronger and wiser... hence I think Musubi is isolating itself too much... While others can bring harm, they can also bring improvement to one's life.
I know a lot of people who keep insisting that TDE is the real canon ending, but I think the neutral ending has to be it in all regards. And I guess Shijima doesn't quite sound all that good given how it's a Reason from a psychotic evil criminal.
And it's perfectly ok, you sound very reasonable and kind compared to a lot of people that I had to deal with.
@LIONREV7 Well the true demon gets unlocked if you enter the very bottom of the Labyrinth of Amala. That's all there is. And yeah the True Demon Ending sucks, but that's the only way to fight the ultimate boss.
@MasakadosMagatama THANK YOU! I love it too!
I'm sorry, I have so much schoolwork that I can't even remember much about the game, also doesn't help that I never got to play Devil summoner to begin with
@GarlyleWilds True true... but I still prefer the neutral ending and it's the one I'd pick if I were to be the MC.
@GarlyleWilds ok maybe there's no 100% one, but I'll still stand by claiming that this one is the closest to being that... no other ending features that many cast members... it's the only with Yuko...
Likely, yes
@snafzg Well, Yuko didn't really die, Aradia just send her into a "safe place" if I recall right. As for Chiaki and Isamu, guess they got possesed by the power they obtained. I'm not sure I'd be able to stick around with them, but I guess those events never happened really and it's best be forgotten. Yeah, the final boss part wasn't perfect sadly.
Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Rhaido Kuzunoha supposed to be in Dante's place originally and if that is the case it would make since for the TDE to be cannon for the sake of DDS and the Nuetral ending cannon after Rhaidos interference.
I had to cut stuff short, heh
Yeah, my thought is exactly, although this game in general took a different take with alignments to begin with
I choose to believe chiaki and what's his face remember. I think that makes it more fun.
@dailymateur Bah, this is the best ending... and it's canon! I love it! And it's the only ending to future Yuko Takao!!!
@Karoku2100 Ahh Strange Journey.... I thought of trying that, but I realised it was a DS only release
Excuse me, I don't think they deserve to be called the worst. Not everyone likes gritty. I enjoyed both series for very different reasons, some prefer lighthearted fun over dark and gritty atmosphere and vice versa. It's not wise to claim that one of both is objectively better than the other, just because it tries to be more serious (which SMT effectively does). I've seen drama movies that tried to be serious, but ended up being much more stupid than a Naked Gun movie. Opinion & Execution
I'm not even sure at this point, I'm just confused
@chaotixninja5 Even Dante? Oh, so you got that deep into the Amala Labyrynth, don't know, but Dante's cameo never did sit with me right, but mah, whatever! :p
@Keyon1991 He is the ultimate boss, I understand the temptation, but this was the real ending I wanted to get.
I'm kind of curious as to why you think this is the canonical ending, as I don't believe there was ever a statement on any of the endings being specifically canon.
I never said saving the world is boring, just that Singularity's endings sucked.
Look I take it as a compliment, but I rather not be JUST LIKE Lucifer, I take it as a compliment because like Lucifer, you had the courage to oppose God and that in itself is a great thing!
@AmayirotAkago Oh? Mr. "Blah saving the world is so normal and boooooring, it'd be more interesting to be evil" actually admits that the neutral ending is satisfying? HAHA! I GOT YOU!
This ending was satisfying and not 100% fortellable and unoriginal. Also it seems to be the only ending to feature Yuko. She opens the game and you chase after her through the whole game... and she's present in all (expect the true demon ending) credit scrolls. Shame she's only seen from the back...
@FarelTheGecko nah for some reason i was really dead set on fighting the devil..
Favorite for me, cause I'm quite stupid and sappy.
@YosukeComicRelief Hey, he's old, what do you expect :p
That's the thing, freedom is... FREEDOM. Be evil, be good. It's up to you. I'd say it's how SMT works. Humanity has freedom, but some will abuse it and it'll leave to unbalance, but then it'll calm down like water in a glass. Like in real life, first there's peace then comes war... Some call this WRONG and would wish for a different world as in Nocturne, but regardless of all, I think the way of freedom is the right one