@@slyjin2004 JRPGs are not for everyone. They are a niche game genre. That doesn't make them objectively boring, since some people (like myself) actually enjoy it.
@@eduardorpg64 Niche... Final Fantasy is one of the biggest franchises in history. Yeah jrpg is not for everyone, but it isnt fking niche. One could argue that Pokemon is an jrpg and that game rivals the likes of Call of Duty.
@@chaconaso4932 i mean that's the entire point, walter and jonathan start with sympathetic worldviews that become more radical the longer they spend time in Tokyo.
Actually, only Walter slowly falls into radicalization, you can see confliction with Jonathan all the way until he turns into Merkabah. He doesn't really enjoy the idea of commiting Genocide or dying for the sake of God's law, he just feels like he didn't have much of a choice and he was willing to defend his people to the end. SMT IV's cast really gets undersold sometimes, I think.
@@ApexGale exactly!!! People say jonathan and walter do not have charavter development, but the thing is they dont develop psychologically, but rather morally (each going into the extremes)
Fun Fact: Minotaur and Medusa are the first 2 bosses from Megami Tensei Digital Devil Story and them being the first 2 bosses in SMTIV is a direct Tribute/Callback to the game that started it all.
I downloaded SMT4 on my 3ds as a persona 5 fan, not really knowing much about mainline smt. I thought the whole game was gonna be centered around a fantasy medieval setting like the first hours in mikado, so I was shocked when I broke through the ceiling to be met with COLLAPSED MODERN DAY TOKYO. It's like playing a sonic game where the first act is green hill zone and the rest of the acts are in war-torn Syria
@@eirzaa0429 no. Thanos is a maniacal narcissist who has a hard on for Death. Those terrible movies made him into an emo little bitch. He's nothing like that in the source material.
@@Fizz-Q dude that game is few years old. strange journey is even older then SMT 4 to begin with. not to mention this is youtube comment section. you should avoid it if you dont want any random spoiler hit you
Yeah like "Oh boy this kingdom sure seems vast and nice, can't wait to see what's in store" just for it to go "SURPRISE BEYOTCH, IT'S MODERN. HAVE TOKYO!"
@@wkcreasman Yeah gen 7 was easy, I've started a gen 5 nuzlocke. I both do and don't regret starting it, but seeing videos of smt gameplay or other megaten spinoffs makes me wanna play them because they're more challenging 🤣
SMTIV's Minotaur is like Matador in Nocturne, if you never play a SMT before he is the boss to remind you these games want you dead and they want you dead very very badly XD
@@joanjoestar3252 Matador really isn't that hard once you know what the game expect you to do, I argue Minotaur is tougher on some aspect cause their is some part you have no control on (if you get unlucky and get Walter as a guest then you are at a huge disadvantage before the fight even start ^^) and he globally hit harder for the point of the game he is than Matador at the point of the game he was and Minotaur tends to crit more often (I actually Matador Crit during his boss fight even on Hard XD).
My favorite moment of the game is when you are finding out the secret of the reds. I called the whole “the pills are really people” from the beginning, but just the way you have to go through an upside down building to find out the twisted truth is amazing. Using the two kid quotes to let you connect the dots is terrifying. The game doesn’t outright have the other characters spell it out either, which I think makes it that much more impactful.
SMT IV is such an engrossing game but I cannot stand that it's trapped on the 3DS. There are parts of the game where I desperately wanted it to be on my TV with the volume cranked all the way up so I could just soak in the atmosphere. Port-begging Atlus games is kind of a trope at this point, but it seriously needs a release on something like the PC or Switch.
A release for the 3DS was best decision they could make. It wouldn't have sold that much on other consoles and probably would have required a lot more money to develop.
SMT is the kind of game where I play on the hardest difficulty, explore every area, beat every enemy you encounter, and die a horrible death. And I love every second of it.
@@noahyoung6524 I have vastly improved, good sir. Recently, i started a ng+ run of SMT4 on Master without using my previous build or demons on Master and actually succeeded
@@AscorbicNomad king kenji is where my game bugged because flynn got a status that made him run away from battle, and it actually worked. I got out of the boss room only to come back immediately after and the game acted as if i had beat the boss already. No ending dialogue or anything.
Honestly I got rekt a lot but never got annoyed by any of them just a fun challenge I died plenty but I was underleveled, underfused and going in on the higher difficulty first I got a sacred tresure at mid 30's the second at low 40's and got to the first ending at 61
It's true you guys got screwed a lot but you got some better special editions that were better for certain games and I still want that physical copy of fatal frame for wii u forget the subtitle
@@DanielGonzalez-wj9by oh I have that. Maiden of Blackwater. I do admit its a pretty cool limited edition. Nintendo tends to treat us nice with those here
@@autumnoraki Let's be honest, while I so believe that SMT V will inevitably get a new trailer and eventually be released, it's obvious that they are pushing it aside in favor of cashing on Persona 5 as much as they can.
SMT V trailer IS a masterpiece, actually. Just give it some more time, because it will definitely be the bomb when it's released. The wait between II and III, and III and IV was 9-10 years. IV was released in 2012. If you follow this logic, it means that V will be released around year 2022. Maybe even 2021. Shin Megami Tensei never dies. It reincarnates.
28:11 Did they change the sound effect for Isabeau cutting her throat? I remember it being far more guttural, like she's choking on her blood the moment she does it. Edit: Yup, that's not the original sound.
This is a pretty solid video! However, I think you were off about a lot of things towards the last 3rd of the video. Blasted and Infernal Tokyo are worlds forged from alternative decisions made by the Counter-Demon Force member who would reincarnate as Flynn. These aren't worlds created by the different endings of SMT 4. The Tokyo of the main game is created by the man who decided to prioritize protecting the people and sacrificed himself as a vessel for Masakado to create a protective dome, so that Tokyo wouldn't be destroyed during God's plan (Neutral world). This is (at least partially) why Flynn could unsheathe the katana that summons Masakato in the Neutral route and why Tokyo was covered by a dome in the first place. Blasted Tokyo is created by pre-Flynn being unable or unwilling to interfere in God's plan to annihilate and recreate the Earth (Law world). Infernal Tokyo is pre-Flynn teaming with Kenji (another former Counter-Demon Force member) and dying fighting off God's minions while protecting Kenji (Chaos world). More evidence is shown by the existence of Akira in Blasted and Infernal Tokyo, while he is the deceased King Aquila in main Tokyo (later reincarnated as Nanashi). Akira is responsible for the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado. This is something that was strongly implied with Akira's dialogue in Blasted Tokyo (Johnathan makes a remark that he'll be King Akira of the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado), and explicitly shown through Nanashi's flashbacks of being Akira in SMT 4 Apocalypse. The reason Akira reincarnated as Nanahsi is because he died after Mikado was created on the surface above Tokyo (because the flow of time is much faster above Tokyo, which is why Nanashi is a 15 year old by the time SMT 4 happens). The White was trying to show Flynn that no matter whether he preserved or destroyed order, he would end up creating a world *like* the ones he traveled through. It wouldn't make sense for Mikado in the Law Ending to become Blasted Tokyo. It also wouldn't make sense for Akira to reincarnate as Akira again. The reason The White doesn't show a Neutral world is because Flynn lives in that Neutral world. The White Ending is (subjectively) the worst one, since Megami Tensei is set across a multiverse. There are billions of worlds that suffer through greater or lesser conflicts (Persona, Digital Devil Saga, Devil Survivor, etc). You ultimately accomplish nothing by deciding to end a single universe, other than admit that humans are too weak to keep pushing through adversity. The White's Plan is doomed from the start, they don't even accomplish what they set out to do, they just purge one of billions of universes. Plus what they are proposing is for there to be absolutely nothing. Isn't it part of being human to live through the good and bad that life brings? The White ending really isn't any better than Persona 3's bad ending. The Neutral Ending is framed narratively as being the best ending (like it is in most SMT games, which politically I have problems with since it leans to glorifying the status quo, rather than presenting anything to fix to systemic issues). It's the only ending that stays true to what Flynn's prior incarnation believed in. It's implied that it's the path that Stephen and Burroughs wanted Flynn to follow, as he is able to (mostly) restore Tokyo, fully revive the Goddess of Tokyo (which Burroughs is designed to resemble), and reignite the hopes of humanity for a better future. I commend anyone who took the time to read all of what I typed. Edit: Anyone that doubts my claims after seeing that Simply Dad disagrees with me, should look at the comments below, where I explore lore from SMT III: Nocturne, SMT IV DLC, SMT IV:A (and it's DLC), and SMT If... to back my claims that the multiverse is a part of Megami Tensei canon. I also mainly try to also interpret the story as a standalone game aswell. I think this is interesting, so let's have a discussion. :) Edit 2: as abesolutzero has said, it's pretty darn obvious that Walter is Kenji reincarnated and Johnathan is Kiyoharu's reincarnated form.
@@SimplyDad Actually daddy-o, he is correct. In the Diamond realms DLC of apocalypse, it is confirmed that the nexus, the place it takes place in is the gateways to multiple universes. You meet the protagonists of the other series, bring them in from their deaths and recorrect the course of their respective timelines. The Great Will, the ultimate creator of the devil, god, etc is implied to be the player himself, YOU. You are the great will, guiding the protagonist in whatever will you choose, thus creating a universe. Everytime you start up a playthrough, you are essentially creating a universe. And yes, it is implied the side series falls into this category as well. Its some mind blowing, 4th wall meta shit that was KINDA confirmed by the developers in order to connect the series together. At first, they didnt plan on connecting anything together but fans kept asking. Its like trying to tie together the entire Final fantasy series. But in all considerations, dude is right. Apocalypse may not be for everyone but it give out better lore and background awnsers.
No, it’s not LMAO, in SMT IV, not apocalypse, the world is really self contained, the two future Tokyo’s are explained pretty well in the DLC and the NPC dialogue explains all of this, especially things like why there’s cocoons in Tokyo and what they are specifically.
@@SimplyDad Well, in 4, it is self contained in a way but WAS. It was changed when apocalypse released. The multiverse rules in the series change from game to game dating all the way back to the second game but apocalypse gives more detail. In the 4, all three universes of Tokyo visited by Flynn are on the same time spot, as the same cataclysm took place 25 years ago is often referred to by residences of all three universes, but not into great detail. It wasn't untill apocalypse came put and but more detail in, thus changing the rules once more. Apocalypse starts near the end of the neutral route of 4, but remember, thats ONE universe. Theres another one in which it did NOT. theres another where nanashi sides with law, another which he sides with chaos, another which he sides with Flynn, etc. Every choice the Great Will makes, (You) it creates another branching timelines, thus, another universe. The reason rules had changed and more details where made was because of YHVH. Steven tells us that YHVH was once the main avatar, but it grew arrogant enough to declare itself independent from the Great Will and sought to bring the multiverse under its control. Think of YHVH being a program you create to help with your computer but decides that he can do your job better, takes over your whole computer and decides to run it himself. But I digress. Im getting off track. My main point is basically some of the series has their own universe that branches off into OTHER worlds due to player choice but they are linked and one game world can intervene with others. (Like SMT 2 Aleph appearing in SMT 3). But in all reality, it is actually up to us to interpret this. One of the creators of the series stated its up to player interpretation and choice how it it all goes. For one person, it can all be connected. To another, its all self contained. Hell there are those who say the Strange journey series is the main one but their not wrong, nor are they right. Its up to us to determine that. So daddo, you are technically right. After all, all of us are "The Great Will" of the series so ultimately, its up to us.
One of the things I love from not only this game but from the whole series itself it's how much players could discuss about what it's actually happening... Personally. I think the two other worlds we visit in SMT4 are alternate timelines that are real. Not the direct future for the mainstory. That's why Akira is still alive in them. But I'm not sure about The White Ones. I think they are well aware about the multiverses so you can interpret their ending as the actual end of ALL the universes (although that would be so much power for that Yamato PR machine. A power to delete even gods doesn't seem too believable) While not MY favorite ending I agree it's one of the best in the entire series showing us a very nihilistic version of things. Not a bad or good one. That's up to us, the players. Like always. You can side law, or you can side chaos, or any of them. No option is incorrect nor completely correct. It's exactly the same this time. And that's what SMT is truly trying to teach us. The implications of one side or another while learning about ourselves. Not a definitive morale answer.
On the "getting lost in Tokyo thing", all I wanted were markers on the map telling me of places I already visited, memorizing all those Japanese names ain't easy, for me at least! This is why I had so much trouble with optional missions, "go to location X", well I probably was there before but don't remember were the fuck that is! Just pick up a tourist map or smth Flyn... Besides that, loved the game, the pre-Minotaur vs post-Minotaur learning curve is something I'm never going to forget for sure.
I had the same problem, I forgot to unlock the terminal in Ikebukuro and always forget how to get there whenever the game demanded me to go.. they kind of fixed that in apocalypse with indicating where you need to go on the map.
I absolutely cannot even jokingly agree on how he said tokyo being confusing is what made it good, i hated every second i spent in the world map because everything looks the same and is a pain to find the right way for locations you have to go, it's still a masterpiece tho
Black Frost I think both smt and persona are great never understood the hate for persona it may be more popular considering its just the spin offs but I like to think because of that popularity people who want more can then get into the smt series it was thanks to persona that’s how I got here aswell
The fact that this game made me feel so invested into the universe while being a storybook layout makes me so sad that smt v made me feel pretty much nothing with fully 3D cutscenes
17:50 bro that point you made about the music sounding like you could hear in the demons in the distance is something I've never really put together but that I hear it, it creeps the hell out of me. Even after me beating the game multiple times for all the endings.
Most people disregard neutral because they see it as boring(since you don t end problems for any sude,just give humanity a fighting chance) and uninterinsting(doing sidequest they didn t like.).Plus its a little too consensual(only point i understand,even though i don t see it being bad
- I miss kaneko unique way of design, but have no problem with the ones in IV and IV:F - Music is great ( i would add a level up theme song like in other megatens) - Press turn system ruined other jrpgs for me. - i like discovering tokyo for the first time, it makes sense even for world building, you were just a dude that got the mission to explore the underground, you have no idea wtf is downthere or where things are, its okay to be lost, nanashi have all the citys and marks on the map because he lived in tokyo, (i would add some marks after discover each city for flynn)
@@joshshrum2764 its like ambient sound i think, but not like a song in smt 1,2,3 and 4:F , it comes out like more methodical, like a time to think where to spend your skill points, but i want a banger like in smt iv:F
SMT series in general isn´t so much about the characters as it is about the surrounding and very mistique war between Law and Chaos. The last hours of P5 for example, make this very clear. Although Persona ARE very character focused, they always reveal how insignificant, how much of pawns our characters are, in the grand scheme of things when they come out. The darkish atmospheric industrial techno theme songs of urban surroundings are a trademark high point in the series. Those who didn´t realize yet, and those who did alike, crave for more almost unconsciously, and these games always deliver, thankfully.
Better milk even more the shit anime fest of persona 5, it isn't even have a humanistic component like persona 4 had (at least it's what I found while playing p5) Even the story is a mess
Well those things don't ruin the atmosphere at all. Isabeau's manga was something interesting to me. Representing that very human need of romance and inspirational fiction.
The more you talked about the white ending as the perfect ending, the more i agree. But in the end, one of the dialogue options against Isabeau makes me rethink that a lot. I got it during my first playthrough, which was the chaos route i did specifically because i heard every other ending suck, so i wanted to go for the good one. In the end, i pursued chaos out of actual belief in that it might have been the right thing to do. And when Isabeau asked me if i wanted to start an infinite war of succession, i looked at my options to say back, and saw the most- in my opinion- truest description of any other ending than the white ending in this game, in only a few words from our protagonist: "It must be this way."
Yeah, I really didn't feel like the games needed to go and confirm "lol the white were doomed to fail because their plan wouldn't work" Because the White's solution already has flaws in itself (giving up, admitting humans can't surpass YHVH. Then you have Blasted and infernal Tokyo disproving the White's claims by showing how humans still want to live despite this absurd cycle etc..), but they just make it suck when they confirm it doesn't even work! I really like the white ending on its own, unironically the best ending of SMT4.
tips for everyone wanting to enjoy the smt on any series. in an atlus game, a game over will happend to anyone so dont destroy your console and give up multiple endings are on all main smt so be ready for a multiple playthroughs over level is a must if you want it to be a little bit easier go everywhere dont miss a spot always look for the weaknesses dont be afraid to fuse and trying new skills dekunda rakunda debilitate heat raiser look for these kind of skills. have all element at your disposal when roaming have a specific element at boss fights always debuff enemies/boss always buff your team money is a must item is a must side quest is a must demon skills variety is a must be open minded on the storyline it actually mirrors society if not in an exagerated manner enjoy the games and you will learn a lot from strategy, choices, relationships and life.
@Josiah Sepulveda i didn't play the mobile game and don't know what sort of mechanics are there. I was talking about the 3ds SMTIV where the rewards are satisfying for making the correct decision and on the contrary punishing for the wrong ones.
@Josiah Sepulveda why would anyone attempt this game without collecting a demon? Does the mobile game demands cash for demons? I bought some dlcs in SMTIV which had unique ones but not absolute necessity
For anyone wondering where the dude getting salty Minotaur is from sirlionhart let's play of the game. Dude pretty funny I suggest you check his channel out if your into Jrpg. He plays alot SMT and persona games.
I notice that in the 4 duology game (this and Apocalypse) are different when they approach to Demons. In 4 you can get quests from them and generally seems to lean on it. Flynn himself just found out out these demons so in his eyes I think he'll find it perfectly fine to accept jobs from them. While in Apocalypse it's all about human struggle and Nanashi deeply leaning more to humans because he's been struggling along side the people and just sees how terrible they are.
Rewatching this video while I do like it, that attempt at justifying the white ending felt like it came straight out of the Rick and Morty subreddit lmao.
"White ending good" is such a bad take attached to such a good video. Not only is it canonically bad, as Flynn's ghost is like "aight this was maybe a bad idea" and goes and makes the prayers and demonic gene manga, but my man basically ignored the neutral route. Would be a 10/10 video otherwise, but instead it's just an 8 or 9.
@@alexhall6766 The best part is that people in the comments pointed out how flawed it was and how the neutral ending itself literally btfo's the white. I find this humorous because Simply Dad responded to these posts by just shit posting lmao. I can kind of respect that in a way
I'm drunk so I hope this doesn't come off insincere but I love you and everyone who has an appreciation for the absolute humanity this series displays. You're all wonderful and we will survive this nightmare, surely.
The only thing I disagree with in the video is the map. There is a difference between being lost while exploring, and being unable to navigate to my next objective. I had to open a map on my computer and try to draw out my route just to progress the story at certain points and gave up on navigating side-quests because I couldn't find them either. And ruined Tokyo overworld has nothing compelling about it to me. It is just a grey blob I walk around in trying to find the actual content.
So true. I feel like what they were going for with the map with a fallout new vegas or breath of the wild type thing where theres shit to do everywhere but the way quests and side content work in this game it doesn't really work lmao. If they had side quests and content trigger in real time as you discover the places they would take place in it would make the game so much better. But in reality all you're doing is bouncing between empty and meaningless areas until you find the place that you need to go to progress the story.
@@charlyj1321 It's essentially a Map of actual Tokyo, it's helpful if you know how to Navigate Tokyo, which the Majority of the world doesn't, glad they fixed it in Apocalypse.
Just watched this till the very end and fucking loved it! Such an amazing video, dude! Clearly you've put a lot into creating it! Then I saw myself in the credits (my footage was used for making this video) - I'm happy my vids were useful, even if by a little bit, because this is such a great and thoughtful video - one of the best videos about one of my most favourite games! I'm currently making a complete neutral route walkthrough, which I'm uploading on my second channel (post Game boss). Thank you for this vid man! :)
@@SimplyDad thanks! It is! I've also made a few videos where I absolutely annihilate the hardest bosses in the game with my OP character (solo or with only 1 demon).
Here I’ve been considering getting this title and/or Apocalypse for a bit and had made up my mind this morning, but along the way, I come across this. I was spoiled, but I had done so beforehand as well. IV about 95% completely downloaded to the 3DS at this point and you’ve got yourself a new subscriber.
Smt4 is a game that I would never sell but I am willing to lend, trade or give to someone who got interested upon looking at the box art. This game really ruined pokemon for me so I am not sure if I should be really happy but I am.
On my side it didn't ruin it completely, but made me realize how easy to get bored on pokemon is (specially modern titles), smt really gets fun and forces me to use more of the game can offer than just braindead pokemon moves (not on competitive pokemon tho, that's quite fun when you have a team ready)
Smt games frustrate and make me rage to no end especially in the later parts of them because of the difficulty going up as you go but I keep playing determined to finish with pokemon i get bored and just go fuck it had enough.
I love your take on the "White" ending. It's very hauntingly beautiful nihilism can be. I do wish you discussed the true neutral ending route. For me it was the ending that really got me. Through experiencing the world through Flynn's eyes and witnessing the atrocities of both demon and mankind was truly heart wrecking throughout the entirety of the campaign. the neutral ending is amazing because it shows how truimphant the human spirit can truly be. The neutral ending is choosing the path to preserve humanity. Sure there will be conflict but isn't that what life is? Besides in the neutral ending there's twice the amount of killing! I don't know if you played apocalypse but the lore goes so much more deeper than you'd know. The whole thing with Akira is quite a story as well.
Mayhzon The lack of belief is also a belief within itself. I do agree that nilhilism is romantized as hell nowadays. But I digress I think the neutral ending is the true ending. but you know that it's a whole ass multiverse and sure the White ending ends the cycle of suffering but then you don't get to exist anymore lol.
@@SmoothyCriminal Yeah I think so, too. The Neutral ending is the real ending route. It was like that in SMT3 and so it is in SMT4. It's also the most difficult ending to achieve, with you having to fight Merkabah and Lucifer both.
Unrelated but: Many people say SMT4F is worse than SMT4 because its more Hand-holding but really, i see two differences between the games: SMT4 is really well paced and good at explaining the characters and Alignments but the gameplay (overall) is weak. [This excludes the combat and Minotaur - the enemies are well leveled and difficulty raises with a good arc] but the map and mapper, one of the biggest parts of the game is significantly weak. However in SMT4F the opposite is true; The map work and mapper and combat are vastly improved, however storytelling and pacing is much weaker than SMT4. TL;DR - SMT4 has good story, weak gameplay SMT4F has Amazing gameplay, weak story
SMT4 was such a masterpiece, it hooked me like no other game into its world. The atmosphere, world building, tough combat, characters and music just were so well crafted that it left me absolutely baffled how such a masterpiece was never replicated or continued in the same fashion.
Persona fan here(please don't throw stones at me yet). I love both Persona & SMT series. Watching this video makes me want to get the game SMT: IV for the story alone. I love how it teaches you that suffering is a part of life.
While I greatly appreciate SMTIV, the mechanical deficiencies and subsequent improvements in Apocalypse make me enjoy the later more if only for the gameplay. IV straight up one of the best OSTs in gaming though.
Yeah. I also really like Apocalypse's story, but it drops the ball hard near the end. Both endings feel too forced and out of nowhere. The game fails to build up, and it nudges you too strongly one way (the peace/friendship stuff). It should really use the value that keeps track if you're leaning peace or anarchy to change some character interactions, it would make the whole thing a lot less jarring. But I really like the Polytheist alliance and the whole thing about IV's weird Lucifer and Merkabah being Satan rigging the game so YHVH stays in control of the Law-Chaos conflict. If Apocalypse was a bit better written it would have the edge over IV in story too, but as it stands IV is much better. Apocalypse didn't have a very long development cycle compared to other SMT games and it shows in these rough spots in the writing.
Well, i love the ending of smt4 apocalypse even though the majority prefers the smt4. I love the neutral ending where u help dagda make new universe and revive one of ur friend to become a goddess. Lol flynn being a servant godslayer looks satisfying to me.
Damn dude the raw feeling you put into this video. It's very rare that a video game analysis has such raw emotion when discussing a game to the point where how it impacted you feels like it's passing on to me. Thanks for reminding me why I subbed to this amazing channel
@@wakyblarg You can emulate it on a PC. Buying a 3DS is a bit of a waste. I have a limited 3DS model and it just collects dust because I've played basically everything on the 3DS at this point
I won’t even lie, for some reason I just can’t stop rewatching your review of this game and Nocturne. I just enjoyed it so much and wish more reviews were this way, with how much emphasis you placed on the points that moved you. Subscribed, hope to see more content from you!
This one actually got me into the rest of the series, including the spinoffs. While I don't share your disdain for Persona I'm glad to see such appreciation for this underappreciated gem, and I actually hope that SMTV sticks with or even steps up the unapologetically grim atmosphere IV built, giving you numerous paths with advantages and disadvantages, with the hardest to reach one being the only 'good' ending.
There seems to be a trend of 8-10 years between each one. So hopefully we'll hear more on development in the next year or so. I remember with persona 5 there were so many delays but Atlus always makes it worth the wait.
@@mistassweater3649 Fingers crossed. Black Mesa took fifteen years to come out and it's apparently pretty good. Just hope this isn't a Duke Nukem Forever scenario.
This is the only game from the franchise I ever got to play. Ended up in my top 10 favourites of all time. The story is absolutely insane. A masterpiece is an apt description for sure.
So like, here's the thing if I'm allowed to share my experience (and sorry in advanced, this is going to get a bit lengthy) but the Yamato Perpetual Reactor was the very first ending I got for SMTIV. It was accidental--I was playing in the bathroom and maybe I didn't really understand the implications of what I was doing at the time, but by the time I caught myself, I was in the battle with the Reactor and Burroughs was speaking with that consternated voice of hers and well, the only way through was forward. For a really long time after I got that ending, I didn't play SMTIV again. Something didn't feel right and I couldn't really get it in me to replay the game if that was the ending but I'd played tons of SMT games before so eventually I dusted myself off and started anew. It was meticulous work getting through the other endings. I went Chaos first then Law and I bounced in between those trying to figure out how to get Neutral never managing to do it since I vowed that I wouldn't look anything up because I have purist tendencies like that and the more I bounced between endings, the more I had to fight and kill my friends, the more I had to see how these empty ideals that all hinged on some sort of desperation and response to hopelessness, the more hopeless I got in turn. One of the things that always fucked me up was Reverse Roppongi and finding out the true ingredients of the reds. It was truly the price of freedom--of the limited order of Tokyo and it broke me going through those labs every time. The last ending I have registered on my SMTIV game is the Yamato Perpetual Reactor ending. The Neutral ending's still eluded me and the last time I played, I guess I got so frustrated with it all that choosing nothing was better than choosing destruction. SMTIV's a good fucking game y'all and thank you so so so much for giving words to the sort of experience it's fans have been having for almost a decade.
@@SamMan6410 Because it's a solid game with great character writing, a dense atmosphere, great plot and music, the art direction is top notch and frankly I love the sci fi angle.
i feel like neutral is literally just you delaying the inevitable chaos/law endings. so, in the end neutral really isn't "good" after all. it was inevitable that the world would only go one way or another.
Neutral was definitely the easy way out. It upsets the balance of the game. It would have been more intriguing if there was only law, chaos, and then the white as the neutral option. Isabeau should have been the one who eventually was advocating for the white. That would have made it a difficult choice for most people.
Oh wow, "JRPGS are boring", what a hot take. Oh, and the press turn battle system is such an INNOVATION to the formula! Instead of taking actions and watching them play out, you... pick actions, watch them play out and sometimes you get more or less actions to do. Like, complaining that JRPG combat is "formulaic" is like complaining that people still use paint for paintings. It's just the nature of the game. And because the base mechanics of a JRPG turn-based battle system are so basic, that means that people have been experimenting with it for years, even up till now! Earthbound - rolling health means that you have an incentive to heal quickly, even if you're not at low enough health yet to warrant a heal. Also, means that in situations where otherwise you'd be wiped out, if you're quick you can save yourself. ATB - Makes the speed stat in the games much more tangible and creates suspense inbetween the turns, where you hope that the enemy doesn't get a turn before you. All-Out Attack system - you shit on Persona for being "too easy", but its systems have just as much depth as the mainline games. Instead of just continually going for one enemy's weakness, you're incentivised to suss out all the enemies weaknesses and be rewarded with a powerful attack. But, if you don't suss them out, just hitting one enemy's weakness on its own won't give you much, and the enemies can use this system too. Since elements in Persona games relate to each other in pairs, this often means that the only party member who can hit an enemy's weakness just so happened to be hit on their own, preventing you from switching them out or baton passing, not to mention giving the enemies one more turn. I can go on, but my point is, you don't need to shit on every other JRPG in existence to make SMTIV good. If it's good, then it's good. Don't invent arguments that don't exist.
This is why SMT fans on /v/ are way better then anywhere else, they admit the series is heavily flawed and with both their stories and gameplay (like come on guys smt isn't that hardcore and the stories aren't that great) unlike the ones on TH-cam and Reddit who act like they are most deep jrpgs ever both gameplay and writing wise
@@mythosinfinite6736 He explained it poorly. If his problem is that turn-based combat is just nothing but a cycle of "you attack, the enemies attack" then SMT doesn't change that aspect of the genre at all. It's still in turns, it's just a different kind of turn-based combat.
@@OccuredJakub12 It's different in that it's more proactive. The turns taken are entirely dependent on your skill and ability to strategize around an enemy's weaknesses, rather than just status conditions, predetermined stats such as speed, or stat-altering moves (like buffs and debuffs). It makes combat incredibly fast-paced and dangerous, with massive damage being dished out and smart moves being rewarded with even more actions, and it can turn fights that would feel oppressively overwhelming in any other Turn-Based system into fights where you can ride a wave of Press Turns to curbstomp the enemy. Basically, imagine any other Turn-Based system as a RuneScape Classic battle. You can hit the opponent all you like, but they usually aren't going to flinch; you're going to stay in your stationary positions, and trade blows between set intervals. Maybe the faster between you two will attack more. Shin Megami Tensei's Press Turn system is more like a fighting game, an Action RPG, or a Soulsbourne game; clever, predictive moves will stagger the opponent back and open them up to additional attacks, while failing to properly understand your opponent will open _you_ up to attacks. Either way, skill and clever timing is rewarded with a faster flow of combat that is dynamic and can be shaped by a competent player. In one, the flow of combat controls you while you wait your turn. In the other, you directly control the flow of combat by using skill to cut in line over and over again -- or die horribly while trying. It's very fast and is unlike other turn-based systems, to a degree where I understand exactly where he's coming from (he's a person who hates the preset nature of turn-based combat and likes this one because it's very proactive and fast, and even a little bit scary). If this is difficult to picture then pin it on me failing at an explanation. Just play the game yourself to see what it's all about if you're curious, you wouldn't regret it anyways unless you were specifically looking for a reason to dislike it.
You got a new sub, I may have a Persona picture but SMT IV is my favorite game as well. And you made an amazing job explaining what makes this game so fucking amazing.
Awesome video i’ve watched this at least like 70 times now i come back every time things get hard and I feel down hearing you talk about my fav game (thanks to this video telling me about it) always makes me smile :)
Going from Persona 4 to SMT 4 when this first came out was such a tonal whiplash. I went with my gut for my first run and got the law ending... OH GOOD LORD
The way you describe the experience with the first boss is on point. That's exactly how I felt when I fought it as well. At first I thought dying was a scripted way to show you the underworld thing, because he killed me so fast I thought it was impossible to beat him. Then I realized I actually HAD to do it. I grinded a couple of levels only to quickly realized that grinding wasn't a viable option. It's such a clever way to force players into realizing how important the fusion mechanic actually is. Sadly, a lot of people are bound to be detracted by such thing, but as a brilliant reviewer put it, accessibility is sometimes the price you have to pay for depth and higher potential satisfaction.
I do like how the wholeset up of Naraku makes you think like, oh this might be a huge dungeon based jrpg where you delve in yo deeper and deeper floors of a single dungeon. Then it pulls Tokyo out on you and your like what!
Yeah the isabeau part really fucking shook me. I finished this game for the first time today (chaos end) and fucking God..that isabeau part was really the saddest part for me
Hey! Thanks for this video. I got a bunch of motivation to play this game after getting to your Minotaur explanation and decided to pick it up. Stopped watching to avoid spoilers to play it myself, but after finally playing the game myself and ended up getting the Neutral Route I came back to finally finish the video to gather my thoughts about the game. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, the gameplay, getting lost through Tokyo, the moral decisions. As my first SMT (Not Including Persona) game this one was a delight to play and I'm excited to go play Nocturne when it gets its remake. Thanks for an amazing video and helping me experience a fantastic JRPG.
the only thing i HATED about this game is the like .02% chance to get one of the fiend demons to show up on the world map. if you were going for 100% ahhh just dont
FINALLY someone else gets it! I absolutely adore this game, and agree with pretty much all of your points. The story, the music, the gameplay, the map, the emotions- I love this game dearly. I'd argue that I prefer the actual gameplay SMT IV: F/A (I played Apocalypse due to localization), but I enjoy experiencing raw SMT IV so much more than almost any other game there's not even a comparison in preference. My favorite aspect of the game is something that I've been debating making my own video on: the game asks you questions that actually matter philosophically, even if only personally. If you're willing to let it, the game presents you with tons and tons of questions to which there just aren't "right" answers, including the ending sequences. I'm Law-scum, but that doesn't mean the other endings don't have merit and valid arguments going for them. Every decision feels like it's important, even if only personally to you as a player. My favorite two examples are relatively small in comparison to the rest of the game, but still make me think to this day. The first is the decision of what you should do about the situation in the Roppongi Hills when dealing with Tayama. The player is given two utterly horrible choices between letting the few suffer terribly so the many can benefit through order, or to invite chaos and have everyone suffer more equally together at the hands of demons with the possibility of dooming all humans present, or of them overcoming the challenge entirely (though highly unlikely). There is no right answer, and it doesn't even matter in the long run of the story. But that question has stayed with me for years. The second was the side-quest of bringing Navarre to Tokyo, which I almost missed. For the Chaos and Neutral route this makes sense as an act of mercy. But when I first played I did the Law route... and I was well aware of what I was about to do to Tokyo by that point. I brought an unwitting desperate man I'd been coworkers with to his future gravesight, knowing full well what I was doing. Was it an act of kindness so he wasn't hunted down by the angels? Was it a subversive cruel joke and comeupance for his prior behavior, knowing he'd be nuked into oblivion? Was it cleaning the future utopia of unwanted filth? Was it simply checking a box off of the sidequests? I'm still not sure what my character would have felt, or even how I feel about it now. It was something I did, and I can't even explain why to myself. No other RPG has made me question myself as much as SMT IV, and that's why I love it so much. It made me (and still makes me) look at myself, to try and find the answers to questions I'd never bothered to properly ask seriously.
Thanks for the three hundo thousand views
join tha new discord: discord.gg/qY2gcWb
Jesus, ever since they released Persona 5, Atlus has been mum about this supposed Switch exclusive...
@Jean I NEED SMTV
Simply Dad
We use these laughing emojis because otherwise we’d cry.
@TheNervousGamer ! where?
It’s just an update reaffirming that SMT V and Re:Fantasy are still being worked on
I hope people enjoy me screaming over minotaur and damaging my throat for the rest of the night
I will end it thus!
Fucking minotaur
Those multi hitting moves were so annoying
Also get ready for Medusa
Jack's Bag of Macca I’m suck on something else In 4 at the moment.
Minotaur fight flowchart:
*START* -> Did you get Walter? -> Yes -> Reload save
"JRPG are boring" this mad lad just started a holy war
He’s correct though
@@slyjin2004 JRPGs are not for everyone. They are a niche game genre. That doesn't make them objectively boring, since some people (like myself) actually enjoy it.
@@eduardorpg64 Niche... Final Fantasy is one of the biggest franchises in history. Yeah jrpg is not for everyone, but it isnt fking niche. One could argue that Pokemon is an jrpg and that game rivals the likes of Call of Duty.
@@slyjin2004
He's wrong
@Criminal Scum
He's wrong. WRPG's are boring for the most part
"A man who loses the ability to be kind is little different than a Demon himself" -Jonathan, *Shin Megami Tensei IV*
Funny how he just says fuck it, genocide time
@@chaconaso4932 i mean that's the entire point, walter and jonathan start with sympathetic worldviews that become more radical the longer they spend time in Tokyo.
Actually, only Walter slowly falls into radicalization, you can see confliction with Jonathan all the way until he turns into Merkabah. He doesn't really enjoy the idea of commiting Genocide or dying for the sake of God's law, he just feels like he didn't have much of a choice and he was willing to defend his people to the end.
SMT IV's cast really gets undersold sometimes, I think.
@@ApexGale exactly!!! People say jonathan and walter do not have charavter development, but the thing is they dont develop psychologically, but rather morally (each going into the extremes)
@@chaconaso4932 spoilers, but to be fair he does become a demon
Fun Fact: Minotaur and Medusa are the first 2 bosses from Megami Tensei Digital Devil Story and them being the first 2 bosses in SMTIV is a direct Tribute/Callback to the game that started it all.
Another fun fact is that in Nocturne the infamous boss you fight first is a Bull fighter while in 4 you fight a bull...
Nice attention to detail, never noticed that tbh
I downloaded SMT4 on my 3ds as a persona 5 fan, not really knowing much about mainline smt. I thought the whole game was gonna be centered around a fantasy medieval setting like the first hours in mikado, so I was shocked when I broke through the ceiling to be met with COLLAPSED MODERN DAY TOKYO. It's like playing a sonic game where the first act is green hill zone and the rest of the acts are in war-torn Syria
It would be a based Sonic game, ngl.
not 'Syria'. "Oil Ocean Zone".
sonic forces tried to do this i think
This is what felt like playing from Heroes to 06.
I'm using that last line to describe tone shifts from now on
"Centaur will destroy your ass"
Me getting a game over in the training quest
ok
Yeah Naraku may seem beginner friendly but if your not careful...
Well you already experience it first hand...
You guys only died once? I actually died like a half dozen times before even getting to the Domain
I got the game yesterday and I’ve already got a party wipe like 3 times 50 minutes in lmao
Fucking Mokoi smartass wont join me
dumbass it be like that
“Kill everyone to prevent them from suffering.”
That some villainous Final Fantasy X logic right there.
Sure makes you wonder what this whole life game is about yknow
Isn't that basically Thanos' goal but he was actually kinder and spared half the universe so they would thrive
Eirzaa 04 Thanos should’ve taken a quarter of the population away and tripled the resources so we lead ourselves to a fat, happy, Wall-E style end 🥳
@@eirzaa0429 no. Thanos is a maniacal narcissist who has a hard on for Death. Those terrible movies made him into an emo little bitch. He's nothing like that in the source material.
That is pretty much Seymour's mindset in FFX lol. Sin is eternal, and death is a release.
Lucifer finally achieves his dream of being a cute anime girl.
he was luoissa ferra before in strange journey. it count as anime girl.....i think lol
@@RePhantomz you just spoiled my shit
Bro...
I was having a good time and then i just got spoiled bro why
@@Fizz-Q dude that game is few years old. strange journey is even older then SMT 4 to begin with. not to mention this is youtube comment section. you should avoid it if you dont want any random spoiler hit you
@@RePhantomz yeah but i wasn't expecting it
@@Fizz-Q bruh Louisa Ferre literally means Lucifer
I remember going into SMT IV completely blind
The twist that it was modern day is my favorite plot twist of all time
Oh yeah, that was absolutely brilliant.
Yeah like "Oh boy this kingdom sure seems vast and nice, can't wait to see what's in store" just for it to go "SURPRISE BEYOTCH, IT'S MODERN. HAVE TOKYO!"
Great moment.
I spent the past week beating the game and was completely blown away. Haven't felt this way about a world map reveal sinve ff7
@@LordDio I know right! The game completlz blindsides you!
"You'll be like lvl 11 or 12 when you first meet him"
Me: *nervous underleveled laughter*
Hahaha I have a habit of overgrinding bc I will never look up guides so I was lvl 20
Nuzlocke experience has taught me to grind for hours and be ridiculously over leveled.
@@stitches768 I've only done one nuzelocke and it was an easy gen 7 so I didn't have to grind too much
@@wkcreasman Yeah gen 7 was easy, I've started a gen 5 nuzlocke. I both do and don't regret starting it, but seeing videos of smt gameplay or other megaten spinoffs makes me wanna play them because they're more challenging 🤣
Ngl its gonna feel normal as you have to fuse demons almost every 5-10 levels
SMTIV's Minotaur is like Matador in Nocturne, if you never play a SMT before he is the boss to remind you these games want you dead and they want you dead very very badly XD
Other JRPGs: haha buffs are useless
any smt game: *Matador, Trumpeter and Minotaur slapping the HP out the player*
CRITS FOR DAYS
@@arctohru Matador is more like Piccolo perfect pupil he knows how to dodge XD
Matador is harder though
@@joanjoestar3252 Matador really isn't that hard once you know what the game expect you to do, I argue Minotaur is tougher on some aspect cause their is some part you have no control on (if you get unlucky and get Walter as a guest then you are at a huge disadvantage before the fight even start ^^) and he globally hit harder for the point of the game he is than Matador at the point of the game he was and Minotaur tends to crit more often (I actually Matador Crit during his boss fight even on Hard XD).
I feel like if this was a fully 3D game it would get the respect it deserves. Such a fantastic title yet so easily overlooked
@Nino Brown i like the style, all i'm saying is a 3D game would have been more popular
I mean SMT 5 (obviously) will have 3D and who knows maybe in the future we'll get a Nocturne or 4 Remake!
@@someguyparagon5273 I don't think either of the games need remakes. Just remastered versions on Switch with lighting changes, etc.
@@ArkayneShad0w I mean there was news of Nocturne possibly getting a Remake a while back...
@@someguyparagon5273 yeah, a port or remaster. a remake is built from the ground up with 100% new assets
My favorite moment of the game is when you are finding out the secret of the reds. I called the whole “the pills are really people” from the beginning, but just the way you have to go through an upside down building to find out the twisted truth is amazing. Using the two kid quotes to let you connect the dots is terrifying. The game doesn’t outright have the other characters spell it out either, which I think makes it that much more impactful.
SMT IV is such an engrossing game but I cannot stand that it's trapped on the 3DS. There are parts of the game where I desperately wanted it to be on my TV with the volume cranked all the way up so I could just soak in the atmosphere. Port-begging Atlus games is kind of a trope at this point, but it seriously needs a release on something like the PC or Switch.
At least 3 and 5 r gonna be on switch
A release for the 3DS was best decision they could make. It wouldn't have sold that much on other consoles and probably would have required a lot more money to develop.
Maybe try emulation? Even a weak laptop with integrated graphics can emulate the 3DS at full sleed
@@laze_amvs424 Citra has a ton of problems with Shin Megami Tensei IV currently.
@@Longlius Really? I played it half a year ago and it was perfectly fine for me.
Yeah it was really fun when Navarre's horniness killed him
LOL
At least he gets redemption with a kid that was straight up killed in the first few minutes of the game.
SMT is the kind of game where I play on the hardest difficulty, explore every area, beat every enemy you encounter, and die a horrible death. And I love every second of it.
Wow, i suck.
I play on easy, build really powerful Demons and skill sets, grind macca and then slide into New Game+ and THEN go into hard modes.
Sounds like Etrian Odyssey
@@arctohru if you play on harder difficulties, you will learn more
@@noahyoung6524
I have vastly improved, good sir.
Recently, i started a ng+ run of SMT4 on Master without using my previous build or demons on Master and actually succeeded
@@arctohru good to hear, I'm trying hard mode for smt 4a before going apocalypse without ng+ stuff
Regarding characters, I've heard it explained like this:
The main character of the game is Tokyo.
The main character of Xenoblade X is Mira.
The Minotaur's fight is a turning point in the game - You learn how the game flows or you quit it.
Exactly
Man what a good freaking watch.
Mmmm no
@@questionmoney what
@@JohnGaming55 smt 4 sucks and this whole video is trash
@@questionmoney why?
@@qasdraserd3885 because they lost at the first boss
Funny enough in my first run of the game i passed through minotaur just fine, but Medusa fkn obilerated me over and over
Fuuuuuk that medusa!
I got through the game pretty well until king kenji, that boss just destroyed me
@@AscorbicNomad king kenji is where my game bugged because flynn got a status that made him run away from battle, and it actually worked. I got out of the boss room only to come back immediately after and the game acted as if i had beat the boss already. No ending dialogue or anything.
@@_GLXC lucky legend
Honestly I got rekt a lot but never got annoyed by any of them just a fun challenge I died plenty but I was underleveled, underfused and going in on the higher difficulty first I got a sacred tresure at mid 30's the second at low 40's and got to the first ending at 61
"European style kingdom" ironic considering europe almost didnt get this game and in the end it was digital only. Im still salty how can you tell?
It's true you guys got screwed a lot but you got some better special editions that were better for certain games and I still want that physical copy of fatal frame for wii u forget the subtitle
@@DanielGonzalez-wj9by oh I have that. Maiden of Blackwater. I do admit its a pretty cool limited edition. Nintendo tends to treat us nice with those here
Atlus has some kind of problem with Europe for some reason.
I always get angry when nintendo announces a collectors editions for europe only but then i remember how smt is treated over there
Emulate that shit. That'll show them.
SMT V trailer is a masterpiece
Cause that's all we have
@@WeebyKyoki And then we'll get Persona 6.
haha please laugh smtv dead funny
@@autumnoraki hey man just saying. It's kind of troubling that the series was announced literal years ago.
@@autumnoraki Let's be honest, while I so believe that SMT V will inevitably get a new trailer and eventually be released, it's obvious that they are pushing it aside in favor of cashing on Persona 5 as much as they can.
SMT V trailer IS a masterpiece, actually.
Just give it some more time, because it will definitely be the bomb when it's released.
The wait between II and III, and III and IV was 9-10 years. IV was released in 2012. If you follow this logic, it means that V will be released around year 2022. Maybe even 2021.
Shin Megami Tensei never dies. It reincarnates.
I think one of the best things about the soundtrack is the cover art for it. It's like Flynn's picking up another relic
"I'll appraise that for you!"
just another one of those weird round shaped hand mirrors.
Wow amazing, I never considered it that way, thanks!
Actually amazing interpretation
28:11
Did they change the sound effect for Isabeau cutting her throat? I remember it being far more guttural, like she's choking on her blood the moment she does it.
Edit: Yup, that's not the original sound.
Probably just a subtle edit by Simply Dad. I noticed it too.
This is a pretty solid video! However, I think you were off about a lot of things towards the last 3rd of the video.
Blasted and Infernal Tokyo are worlds forged from alternative decisions made by the Counter-Demon Force member who would reincarnate as Flynn. These aren't worlds created by the different endings of SMT 4. The Tokyo of the main game is created by the man who decided to prioritize protecting the people and sacrificed himself as a vessel for Masakado to create a protective dome, so that Tokyo wouldn't be destroyed during God's plan (Neutral world). This is (at least partially) why Flynn could unsheathe the katana that summons Masakato in the Neutral route and why Tokyo was covered by a dome in the first place.
Blasted Tokyo is created by pre-Flynn being unable or unwilling to interfere in God's plan to annihilate and recreate the Earth (Law world). Infernal Tokyo is pre-Flynn teaming with Kenji (another former Counter-Demon Force member) and dying fighting off God's minions while protecting Kenji (Chaos world).
More evidence is shown by the existence of Akira in Blasted and Infernal Tokyo, while he is the deceased King Aquila in main Tokyo (later reincarnated as Nanashi).
Akira is responsible for the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado. This is something that was strongly implied with Akira's dialogue in Blasted Tokyo (Johnathan makes a remark that he'll be King Akira of the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado), and explicitly shown through Nanashi's flashbacks of being Akira in SMT 4 Apocalypse. The reason Akira reincarnated as Nanahsi is because he died after Mikado was created on the surface above Tokyo (because the flow of time is much faster above Tokyo, which is why Nanashi is a 15 year old by the time SMT 4 happens).
The White was trying to show Flynn that no matter whether he preserved or destroyed order, he would end up creating a world *like* the ones he traveled through. It wouldn't make sense for Mikado in the Law Ending to become Blasted Tokyo. It also wouldn't make sense for Akira to reincarnate as Akira again. The reason The White doesn't show a Neutral world is because Flynn lives in that Neutral world.
The White Ending is (subjectively) the worst one, since Megami Tensei is set across a multiverse. There are billions of worlds that suffer through greater or lesser conflicts (Persona, Digital Devil Saga, Devil Survivor, etc). You ultimately accomplish nothing by deciding to end a single universe, other than admit that humans are too weak to keep pushing through adversity. The White's Plan is doomed from the start, they don't even accomplish what they set out to do, they just purge one of billions of universes. Plus what they are proposing is for there to be absolutely nothing. Isn't it part of being human to live through the good and bad that life brings? The White ending really isn't any better than Persona 3's bad ending.
The Neutral Ending is framed narratively as being the best ending (like it is in most SMT games, which politically I have problems with since it leans to glorifying the status quo, rather than presenting anything to fix to systemic issues). It's the only ending that stays true to what Flynn's prior incarnation believed in. It's implied that it's the path that Stephen and Burroughs wanted Flynn to follow, as he is able to (mostly) restore Tokyo, fully revive the Goddess of Tokyo (which Burroughs is designed to resemble), and reignite the hopes of humanity for a better future.
I commend anyone who took the time to read all of what I typed.
Edit: Anyone that doubts my claims after seeing that Simply Dad disagrees with me, should look at the comments below, where I explore lore from SMT III: Nocturne, SMT IV DLC, SMT IV:A (and it's DLC), and SMT If... to back my claims that the multiverse is a part of Megami Tensei canon. I also mainly try to also interpret the story as a standalone game aswell. I think this is interesting, so let's have a discussion. :)
Edit 2: as abesolutzero has said, it's pretty darn obvious that Walter is Kenji reincarnated and Johnathan is Kiyoharu's reincarnated form.
Lmaooooo none of that shit is correct but fuck it bro it’s ya life
@@SimplyDad
Actually daddy-o, he is correct. In the Diamond realms DLC of apocalypse, it is confirmed that the nexus, the place it takes place in is the gateways to multiple universes. You meet the protagonists of the other series, bring them in from their deaths and recorrect the course of their respective timelines. The Great Will, the ultimate creator of the devil, god, etc is implied to be the player himself, YOU. You are the great will, guiding the protagonist in whatever will you choose, thus creating a universe. Everytime you start up a playthrough, you are essentially creating a universe. And yes, it is implied the side series falls into this category as well.
Its some mind blowing, 4th wall meta shit that was KINDA confirmed by the developers in order to connect the series together. At first, they didnt plan on connecting anything together but fans kept asking. Its like trying to tie together the entire Final fantasy series. But in all considerations, dude is right. Apocalypse may not be for everyone but it give out better lore and background awnsers.
No, it’s not LMAO, in SMT IV, not apocalypse, the world is really self contained, the two future Tokyo’s are explained pretty well in the DLC and the NPC dialogue explains all of this, especially things like why there’s cocoons in Tokyo and what they are specifically.
@@SimplyDad
Well, in 4, it is self contained in a way but WAS. It was changed when apocalypse released. The multiverse rules in the series change from game to game dating all the way back to the second game but apocalypse gives more detail. In the 4, all three universes of Tokyo visited by Flynn are on the same time spot, as the same cataclysm took place 25 years ago is often referred to by residences of all three universes, but not into great detail. It wasn't untill apocalypse came put and but more detail in, thus changing the rules once more. Apocalypse starts near the end of the neutral route of 4, but remember, thats ONE universe. Theres another one in which it did NOT. theres another where nanashi sides with law, another which he sides with chaos, another which he sides with Flynn, etc. Every choice the Great Will makes, (You) it creates another branching timelines, thus, another universe.
The reason rules had changed and more details where made was because of YHVH. Steven tells us that YHVH was once the main avatar, but it grew arrogant enough to declare itself independent from the Great Will and sought to bring the multiverse under its control. Think of YHVH being a program you create to help with your computer but decides that he can do your job better, takes over your whole computer and decides to run it himself.
But I digress. Im getting off track. My main point is basically some of the series has their own universe that branches off into OTHER worlds due to player choice but they are linked and one game world can intervene with others. (Like SMT 2 Aleph appearing in SMT 3). But in all reality, it is actually up to us to interpret this. One of the creators of the series stated its up to player interpretation and choice how it it all goes. For one person, it can all be connected. To another, its all self contained. Hell there are those who say the Strange journey series is the main one but their not wrong, nor are they right. Its up to us to determine that. So daddo, you are technically right. After all, all of us are "The Great Will" of the series so ultimately, its up to us.
One of the things I love from not only this game but from the whole series itself it's how much players could discuss about what it's actually happening... Personally. I think the two other worlds we visit in SMT4 are alternate timelines that are real. Not the direct future for the mainstory. That's why Akira is still alive in them. But I'm not sure about The White Ones. I think they are well aware about the multiverses so you can interpret their ending as the actual end of ALL the universes (although that would be so much power for that Yamato PR machine. A power to delete even gods doesn't seem too believable) While not MY favorite ending I agree it's one of the best in the entire series showing us a very nihilistic version of things. Not a bad or good one. That's up to us, the players. Like always. You can side law, or you can side chaos, or any of them. No option is incorrect nor completely correct. It's exactly the same this time. And that's what SMT is truly trying to teach us. The implications of one side or another while learning about ourselves. Not a definitive morale answer.
On the "getting lost in Tokyo thing", all I wanted were markers on the map telling me of places I already visited, memorizing all those Japanese names ain't easy, for me at least!
This is why I had so much trouble with optional missions, "go to location X", well I probably was there before but don't remember were the fuck that is!
Just pick up a tourist map or smth Flyn...
Besides that, loved the game, the pre-Minotaur vs post-Minotaur learning curve is something I'm never going to forget for sure.
I had the same problem, I forgot to unlock the terminal in Ikebukuro and always forget how to get there whenever the game demanded me to go.. they kind of fixed that in apocalypse with indicating where you need to go on the map.
make sure you look at all the maps screens. Some hints are hidden on the second page
I absolutely cannot even jokingly agree on how he said tokyo being confusing is what made it good, i hated every second i spent in the world map because everything looks the same and is a pain to find the right way for locations you have to go, it's still a masterpiece tho
This is me right now. Loved it till i got to TOKYO! But in Apoc it became so much better gahhhh
This was a hell of an experience after playing Persona 5. And that was my first Megaten game, too.
Persona is underwhelming compared to smt tbh
UncannyStageRage Apocalypse for me.
@@EpicMinecraftFail not really but your entitled to your opinion
@@raidoukuzonoha883 yes really but you are entitled to your opinion
Black Frost I think both smt and persona are great never understood the hate for persona it may be more popular considering its just the spin offs but I like to think because of that popularity people who want more can then get into the smt series it was thanks to persona that’s how I got here aswell
One of the most otherworldly game ost's I've heard in my life.
The fact that this game made me feel so invested into the universe while being a storybook layout makes me so sad that smt v made me feel pretty much nothing with fully 3D cutscenes
SMTV felt like a jrpg while SMTlV felt realistic and a thing of it it’s own.
@@loope9421 I just beat strange journey redux the other day. v left me with a big SMT hole in my heart and now I wanna play IV again haha
What? Shin megami tensei v is better in every single way, aside the story
17:50 bro that point you made about the music sounding like you could hear in the demons in the distance is something I've never really put together but that I hear it, it creeps the hell out of me. Even after me beating the game multiple times for all the endings.
You REALLY went ALL THAT TIME without even MENTIONING the Neutral route? Really?
why do you need to mention the neutral route
Most people disregard neutral because they see it as boring(since you don t end problems for any sude,just give humanity a fighting chance) and uninterinsting(doing sidequest they didn t like.).Plus its a little too consensual(only point i understand,even though i don t see it being bad
@@ArkayneShad0w It is the only plausible option
@@namoma4922 People who don't like the neutral ending are wrong, end of story.
@@LZ51190 Fuck the white ending!!
- I miss kaneko unique way of design, but have no problem with the ones in IV and IV:F
- Music is great ( i would add a level up theme song like in other megatens)
- Press turn system ruined other jrpgs for me.
- i like discovering tokyo for the first time, it makes sense even for world building, you were just a dude that got the mission to explore the underground, you have no idea wtf is downthere or where things are, its okay to be lost, nanashi have all the citys and marks on the map because he lived in tokyo, (i would add some marks after discover each city for flynn)
yeah press turn is a one way lol
Agares Jeffer I thought there was a Level up sound.
@@joshshrum2764 its like ambient sound i think, but not like a song in smt 1,2,3 and 4:F , it comes out like more methodical, like a time to think where to spend your skill points, but i want a banger like in smt iv:F
I love the Press Turn system. It's very abuseable, but one misstep and you're getting abused. I love the risk-reward.
@@evalynehicks343 yeah, its awesome and its for both the player and the enemies
SMT series in general isn´t so much about the characters as it is about the surrounding and very mistique war between Law and Chaos. The last hours of P5 for example, make this very clear. Although Persona ARE very character focused, they always reveal how insignificant, how much of pawns our characters are, in the grand scheme of things when they come out.
The darkish atmospheric industrial techno theme songs of urban surroundings are a trademark high point in the series. Those who didn´t realize yet, and those who did alike, crave for more almost unconsciously, and these games always deliver, thankfully.
You’re a deep thinker I like that
SMT IV is the apex predator of RPG’s
If only SMT V would be out within the next 10 years...
Diego Rojas And only if Berserk was finished in 50 years alest.
Atlus has a tendency of keeping their cards to themselves, i am sure it will be a surprise release sometime in 2020...hopefuly.
gotta keep the tradition of releasing one mainline smt every 10 years
will wait, don't understand such complains
Better milk even more the shit anime fest of persona 5, it isn't even have a humanistic component like persona 4 had (at least it's what I found while playing p5)
Even the story is a mess
You forgot about the silly moments (Isabeau fangirling about manga, Jonathan beliving he's a cat...)
Walter many funny faces and some funny dialogue when talking to demons...
Yea he just ignores things like that
@@raidoukuzonoha883 dude iv seen you in every reply section ,do you have a goal ?
tenda tonda no not rlly idc tbh lemme speak my mind man like geez
Well those things don't ruin the atmosphere at all. Isabeau's manga was something interesting to me. Representing that very human need of romance and inspirational fiction.
It was very enjoyable. I got all the endings for it.
The more you talked about the white ending as the perfect ending, the more i agree. But in the end, one of the dialogue options against Isabeau makes me rethink that a lot. I got it during my first playthrough, which was the chaos route i did specifically because i heard every other ending suck, so i wanted to go for the good one. In the end, i pursued chaos out of actual belief in that it might have been the right thing to do. And when Isabeau asked me if i wanted to start an infinite war of succession, i looked at my options to say back, and saw the most- in my opinion- truest description of any other ending than the white ending in this game, in only a few words from our protagonist:
"It must be this way."
Yeah, I really didn't feel like the games needed to go and confirm "lol the white were doomed to fail because their plan wouldn't work"
Because the White's solution already has flaws in itself (giving up, admitting humans can't surpass YHVH. Then you have Blasted and infernal Tokyo disproving the White's claims by showing how humans still want to live despite this absurd cycle etc..), but they just make it suck when they confirm it doesn't even work!
I really like the white ending on its own, unironically the best ending of SMT4.
tips for everyone wanting to enjoy the smt on any series.
in an atlus game, a game over will happend to anyone so dont destroy your console and give up
multiple endings are on all main smt so be ready for a multiple playthroughs
over level is a must if you want it to be a little bit easier
go everywhere dont miss a spot
always look for the weaknesses
dont be afraid to fuse and trying new skills
dekunda rakunda debilitate heat raiser look for these kind of skills.
have all element at your disposal when roaming
have a specific element at boss fights
always debuff enemies/boss
always buff your team
money is a must
item is a must
side quest is a must
demon skills variety is a must
be open minded on the storyline it actually mirrors society if not in an exagerated manner
enjoy the games and you will learn a lot from strategy, choices, relationships and life.
This advice is big brain time
@Josiah Sepulveda some people fun with quantum mechanics, if you dont, just play Candy Crush 😉
I love competitive games. A good way of brainstorming for the promising but a bad choice for the relaxed.
@Josiah Sepulveda i didn't play the mobile game and don't know what sort of mechanics are there. I was talking about the 3ds SMTIV where the rewards are satisfying for making the correct decision and on the contrary punishing for the wrong ones.
@Josiah Sepulveda why would anyone attempt this game without collecting a demon? Does the mobile game demands cash for demons? I bought some dlcs in SMTIV which had unique ones but not absolute necessity
Funny how in 3 the Gatekeeper boss was a bullfighter and in 4 it’s a... bull.
8:23 glad to see my boi sirlionhart being part of this review
The Asterisks it still fits under fair use
Smt IV will forever be my favorite ever intro to any game. That was my first ever smt game and it blew my mind. Let’s just say I pre ordered smt V
Are you planning to make videos about the rest of the series? Would love to hear your thoughts on Strange Journey!
For anyone wondering where the dude getting salty Minotaur is from sirlionhart let's play of the game. Dude pretty funny I suggest you check his channel out if your into Jrpg. He plays alot SMT and persona games.
It deeply glads me this game is finally getting the attention it absolutely deserves.
Oscar Valenzuela does the video have spoilers?
@@yemmohater2796 Eh... Sadly yes.
Amen!! (see what I did there?)
I notice that in the 4 duology game (this and Apocalypse) are different when they approach to Demons.
In 4 you can get quests from them and generally seems to lean on it. Flynn himself just found out out these demons so in his eyes I think he'll find it perfectly fine to accept jobs from them.
While in Apocalypse it's all about human struggle and Nanashi deeply leaning more to humans because he's been struggling along side the people and just sees how terrible they are.
@Gabe yeah cause there was no reason to talk to other npcs, in smt 4 you can get side missions from them
@Gabe
I can understand your hatred of Apocalypse.
that sirlionhart clip still cracks me up.
Rewatching this video while I do like it, that attempt at justifying the white ending felt like it came straight out of the Rick and Morty subreddit lmao.
Nihilism is srs business in a world that constantly assaults the thinking mans faith.
"White ending good" is such a bad take attached to such a good video. Not only is it canonically bad, as Flynn's ghost is like "aight this was maybe a bad idea" and goes and makes the prayers and demonic gene manga, but my man basically ignored the neutral route. Would be a 10/10 video otherwise, but instead it's just an 8 or 9.
@@alexhall6766 The best part is that people in the comments pointed out how flawed it was and how the neutral ending itself literally btfo's the white. I find this humorous because Simply Dad responded to these posts by just shit posting lmao. I can kind of respect that in a way
Alex Hall also simply dad just ignored the biggest problem with the game to many people: how to get the neutral ending
D C well he’s a massive asshole who rlly needs to learn what opinions are
I'm drunk so I hope this doesn't come off insincere but I love you and everyone who has an appreciation for the absolute humanity this series displays.
You're all wonderful and we will survive this nightmare, surely.
Well someone made me want to play SMT 4.... Again
And again
Way ahead of ya
The only thing I disagree with in the video is the map. There is a difference between being lost while exploring, and being unable to navigate to my next objective. I had to open a map on my computer and try to draw out my route just to progress the story at certain points and gave up on navigating side-quests because I couldn't find them either. And ruined Tokyo overworld has nothing compelling about it to me. It is just a grey blob I walk around in trying to find the actual content.
So true. I feel like what they were going for with the map with a fallout new vegas or breath of the wild type thing where theres shit to do everywhere but the way quests and side content work in this game it doesn't really work lmao. If they had side quests and content trigger in real time as you discover the places they would take place in it would make the game so much better. But in reality all you're doing is bouncing between empty and meaningless areas until you find the place that you need to go to progress the story.
@@charlyj1321 It's essentially a Map of actual Tokyo, it's helpful if you know how to Navigate Tokyo, which the Majority of the world doesn't, glad they fixed it in Apocalypse.
But Strange Journey is a game that brings you a psychological terror that builds the ideals of many that occurred later in history.....
Just watched this till the very end and fucking loved it! Such an amazing video, dude! Clearly you've put a lot into creating it!
Then I saw myself in the credits (my footage was used for making this video) - I'm happy my vids were useful, even if by a little bit, because this is such a great and thoughtful video - one of the best videos about one of my most favourite games!
I'm currently making a complete neutral route walkthrough, which I'm uploading on my second channel (post Game boss).
Thank you for this vid man! :)
Thanks for making what you make, hope the walkthrough goes well!
@@SimplyDad thanks! It is! I've also made a few videos where I absolutely annihilate the hardest bosses in the game with my OP character (solo or with only 1 demon).
Here I’ve been considering getting this title and/or Apocalypse for a bit and had made up my mind this morning, but along the way, I come across this.
I was spoiled, but I had done so beforehand as well.
IV about 95% completely downloaded to the 3DS at this point and you’ve got yourself a new subscriber.
Smt4 is a game that I would never sell but I am willing to lend, trade or give to someone who got interested upon looking at the box art. This game really ruined pokemon for me so I am not sure if I should be really happy but I am.
On my side it didn't ruin it completely, but made me realize how easy to get bored on pokemon is (specially modern titles), smt really gets fun and forces me to use more of the game can offer than just braindead pokemon moves (not on competitive pokemon tho, that's quite fun when you have a team ready)
Pokemon ruined itself tbh. Finished sword and shield and it feels such a drag playing anymore.
Welcome to Atlus.
@Pokémon & FF fan Wish that pokemon is more doubles oriented in the main story.
Smt games frustrate and make me rage to no end especially in the later parts of them because of the difficulty going up as you go but I keep playing determined to finish with pokemon i get bored and just go fuck it had enough.
Can’t stop coming back to this video
I love your take on the "White" ending. It's very hauntingly beautiful nihilism can be. I do wish you discussed the true neutral ending route. For me it was the ending that really got me. Through experiencing the world through Flynn's eyes and witnessing the atrocities of both demon and mankind was truly heart wrecking throughout the entirety of the campaign. the neutral ending is amazing because it shows how truimphant the human spirit can truly be. The neutral ending is choosing the path to preserve humanity. Sure there will be conflict but isn't that what life is? Besides in the neutral ending there's twice the amount of killing!
I don't know if you played apocalypse but the lore goes so much more deeper than you'd know. The whole thing with Akira is quite a story as well.
Nihilism is too romanticized. It our real world it is a weaponized idea spread around to inject apathy into enemies and other societies.
Mayhzon The lack of belief is also a belief within itself. I do agree that nilhilism is romantized as hell nowadays. But I digress I think the neutral ending is the true ending. but you know that it's a whole ass multiverse and sure the White ending ends the cycle of suffering but then you don't get to exist anymore lol.
@@SmoothyCriminal
Yeah I think so, too. The Neutral ending is the real ending route. It was like that in SMT3 and so it is in SMT4. It's also the most difficult ending to achieve, with you having to fight Merkabah and Lucifer both.
Unrelated but:
Many people say SMT4F is worse than SMT4 because its more Hand-holding but really, i see two differences between the games:
SMT4 is really well paced and good at explaining the characters and Alignments but the gameplay (overall) is weak. [This excludes the combat and Minotaur - the enemies are well leveled and difficulty raises with a good arc] but the map and mapper, one of the biggest parts of the game is significantly weak.
However in SMT4F the opposite is true; The map work and mapper and combat are vastly improved, however storytelling and pacing is much weaker than SMT4.
TL;DR -
SMT4 has good story, weak gameplay
SMT4F has Amazing gameplay, weak story
@@arctohru SMT4 doesnt have weak gameplay at all tho
4:32 « Nothing worse than feeling like you’re uninvolved in the combat of a game »
>Defends P3 tactics.
Pokemon is cringe and suckass get the hell out
@@rafianming2929 Pokemon Games are shit too. But mald harder please.
SMT 4 is one of the best games I've ever played, period.
I've always liked SMTIV... but I gotta say, this video just made just wow, can truly feel the love and care that they put into SMTIV.
I need to buy this one the way you expressed it really got me interested in owning it so I can wait for smt5
Bugster Lincapoop this game is fucking insane it’s a must buy especially for that amazing soundtrack.
I'm glad this video was made. SMT IV is truly a special game.
SMT4 was such a masterpiece, it hooked me like no other game into its world. The atmosphere, world building, tough combat, characters and music just were so well crafted that it left me absolutely baffled how such a masterpiece was never replicated or continued in the same fashion.
Persona fan here(please don't throw stones at me yet).
I love both Persona & SMT series. Watching this video makes me want to get the game SMT: IV for the story alone.
I love how it teaches you that suffering is a part of life.
Your are one of the good Persona fans. We only hate Persona Fans who are spamming the same jokes over and over again.
@@meisterottmardergroe8804 Yu is such a chad !
@@NIHIL_EGO Looking cool Yu!!
@@meisterottmardergroe8804 burn my bread
@@meisterottmardergroe8804 aigis is best girl
While I greatly appreciate SMTIV, the mechanical deficiencies and subsequent improvements in Apocalypse make me enjoy the later more if only for the gameplay. IV straight up one of the best OSTs in gaming though.
Same. Even if 4 has a better story, apocalypse has way, way better gameplay.
This
Ahem
Yeah. I also really like Apocalypse's story, but it drops the ball hard near the end. Both endings feel too forced and out of nowhere. The game fails to build up, and it nudges you too strongly one way (the peace/friendship stuff). It should really use the value that keeps track if you're leaning peace or anarchy to change some character interactions, it would make the whole thing a lot less jarring.
But I really like the Polytheist alliance and the whole thing about IV's weird Lucifer and Merkabah being Satan rigging the game so YHVH stays in control of the Law-Chaos conflict.
If Apocalypse was a bit better written it would have the edge over IV in story too, but as it stands IV is much better. Apocalypse didn't have a very long development cycle compared to other SMT games and it shows in these rough spots in the writing.
Well, i love the ending of smt4 apocalypse even though the majority prefers the smt4.
I love the neutral ending where u help dagda make new universe and revive one of ur friend to become a goddess. Lol flynn being a servant godslayer looks satisfying to me.
Damn dude the raw feeling you put into this video. It's very rare that a video game analysis has such raw emotion when discussing a game to the point where how it impacted you feels like it's passing on to me. Thanks for reminding me why I subbed to this amazing channel
God I love this game. In my top 5 of all time. I kinda wish they would port a bunch of awesome 3ds games like this to Switch somehow.
No. Buy a 3DS.
@@LaerHeiSeiRyuu I think you're right. I need to get an original 3ds.
@@wakyblarg You can emulate it on a PC. Buying a 3DS is a bit of a waste. I have a limited 3DS model and it just collects dust because I've played basically everything on the 3DS at this point
I won’t even lie, for some reason I just can’t stop rewatching your review of this game and Nocturne. I just enjoyed it so much and wish more reviews were this way, with how much emphasis you placed on the points that moved you. Subscribed, hope to see more content from you!
This one actually got me into the rest of the series, including the spinoffs. While I don't share your disdain for Persona I'm glad to see such appreciation for this underappreciated gem, and I actually hope that SMTV sticks with or even steps up the unapologetically grim atmosphere IV built, giving you numerous paths with advantages and disadvantages, with the hardest to reach one being the only 'good' ending.
There seems to be a trend of 8-10 years between each one. So hopefully we'll hear more on development in the next year or so. I remember with persona 5 there were so many delays but Atlus always makes it worth the wait.
@@mistassweater3649 Fingers crossed. Black Mesa took fifteen years to come out and it's apparently pretty good. Just hope this isn't a Duke Nukem Forever scenario.
Dude, you didnt bring up how cool Infernal Tokyo was
Would totally play a whole game of just that
I discovered SMT through Devil Survivor, I thought it was a masterpiece
I've never done the white ending, why did you make it so. Haunting
Because the ending feels so damn haunting but hollow at the same time
Cuz them whites are edgy
I come back to videos like these... This is a masterpiece of a video, showing a masterpiece of a game.
Amazing. Speechless.
This is the only game from the franchise I ever got to play. Ended up in my top 10 favourites of all time. The story is absolutely insane. A masterpiece is an apt description for sure.
Shin Megami Tensei 5 will be one of the best JRPGs of all time I can feel it.
So like, here's the thing if I'm allowed to share my experience (and sorry in advanced, this is going to get a bit lengthy) but the Yamato Perpetual Reactor was the very first ending I got for SMTIV. It was accidental--I was playing in the bathroom and maybe I didn't really understand the implications of what I was doing at the time, but by the time I caught myself, I was in the battle with the Reactor and Burroughs was speaking with that consternated voice of hers and well, the only way through was forward.
For a really long time after I got that ending, I didn't play SMTIV again. Something didn't feel right and I couldn't really get it in me to replay the game if that was the ending but I'd played tons of SMT games before so eventually I dusted myself off and started anew.
It was meticulous work getting through the other endings. I went Chaos first then Law and I bounced in between those trying to figure out how to get Neutral never managing to do it since I vowed that I wouldn't look anything up because I have purist tendencies like that and the more I bounced between endings, the more I had to fight and kill my friends, the more I had to see how these empty ideals that all hinged on some sort of desperation and response to hopelessness, the more hopeless I got in turn. One of the things that always fucked me up was Reverse Roppongi and finding out the true ingredients of the reds. It was truly the price of freedom--of the limited order of Tokyo and it broke me going through those labs every time.
The last ending I have registered on my SMTIV game is the Yamato Perpetual Reactor ending. The Neutral ending's still eluded me and the last time I played, I guess I got so frustrated with it all that choosing nothing was better than choosing destruction.
SMTIV's a good fucking game y'all and thank you so so so much for giving words to the sort of experience it's fans have been having for almost a decade.
Thats rad bro
Well done on this vid! I agree SMT IV is a Masterpiece. This popped up in my recommend and now I'm checking your channel out!
Simply megami dadsays
Larrue can you tell me why you love strange journey?
@@SamMan6410 Because it's a solid game with great character writing, a dense atmosphere, great plot and music, the art direction is top notch and frankly I love the sci fi angle.
@@Larrue what about gameplay?
You're on Twitter too right? I swear to go I follow you what coincidence seeing you here holy shit
@@andree1991 I sure am :)
Neutral ending is the easy way out, fight me.
That... actually kind of makes sense strangely enough.
Honestly I only did it first cuz it has the most content and it leads into Apocalypse. The neutral ending cutscene is super underwhelming imo.
i feel like neutral is literally just you delaying the inevitable chaos/law endings. so, in the end neutral really isn't "good" after all. it was inevitable that the world would only go one way or another.
Neutral was definitely the easy way out. It upsets the balance of the game. It would have been more intriguing if there was only law, chaos, and then the white as the neutral option. Isabeau should have been the one who eventually was advocating for the white. That would have made it a difficult choice for most people.
Oh wow, "JRPGS are boring", what a hot take.
Oh, and the press turn battle system is such an INNOVATION to the formula! Instead of taking actions and watching them play out, you... pick actions, watch them play out and sometimes you get more or less actions to do.
Like, complaining that JRPG combat is "formulaic" is like complaining that people still use paint for paintings. It's just the nature of the game. And because the base mechanics of a JRPG turn-based battle system are so basic, that means that people have been experimenting with it for years, even up till now!
Earthbound - rolling health means that you have an incentive to heal quickly, even if you're not at low enough health yet to warrant a heal. Also, means that in situations where otherwise you'd be wiped out, if you're quick you can save yourself.
ATB - Makes the speed stat in the games much more tangible and creates suspense inbetween the turns, where you hope that the enemy doesn't get a turn before you.
All-Out Attack system - you shit on Persona for being "too easy", but its systems have just as much depth as the mainline games. Instead of just continually going for one enemy's weakness, you're incentivised to suss out all the enemies weaknesses and be rewarded with a powerful attack. But, if you don't suss them out, just hitting one enemy's weakness on its own won't give you much, and the enemies can use this system too. Since elements in Persona games relate to each other in pairs, this often means that the only party member who can hit an enemy's weakness just so happened to be hit on their own, preventing you from switching them out or baton passing, not to mention giving the enemies one more turn.
I can go on, but my point is, you don't need to shit on every other JRPG in existence to make SMTIV good. If it's good, then it's good. Don't invent arguments that don't exist.
This is why SMT fans on /v/ are way better then anywhere else, they admit the series is heavily flawed and with both their stories and gameplay (like come on guys smt isn't that hardcore and the stories aren't that great) unlike the ones on TH-cam and Reddit who act like they are most deep jrpgs ever both gameplay and writing wise
True my mannn
"I dislike every other JRPG, but here is why I like this one" is his point. It flew a bit over head when you ducked down to raise your shields.
@@mythosinfinite6736 He explained it poorly. If his problem is that turn-based combat is just nothing but a cycle of "you attack, the enemies attack" then SMT doesn't change that aspect of the genre at all. It's still in turns, it's just a different kind of turn-based combat.
@@OccuredJakub12
It's different in that it's more proactive. The turns taken are entirely dependent on your skill and ability to strategize around an enemy's weaknesses, rather than just status conditions, predetermined stats such as speed, or stat-altering moves (like buffs and debuffs). It makes combat incredibly fast-paced and dangerous, with massive damage being dished out and smart moves being rewarded with even more actions, and it can turn fights that would feel oppressively overwhelming in any other Turn-Based system into fights where you can ride a wave of Press Turns to curbstomp the enemy.
Basically, imagine any other Turn-Based system as a RuneScape Classic battle. You can hit the opponent all you like, but they usually aren't going to flinch; you're going to stay in your stationary positions, and trade blows between set intervals. Maybe the faster between you two will attack more. Shin Megami Tensei's Press Turn system is more like a fighting game, an Action RPG, or a Soulsbourne game; clever, predictive moves will stagger the opponent back and open them up to additional attacks, while failing to properly understand your opponent will open _you_ up to attacks. Either way, skill and clever timing is rewarded with a faster flow of combat that is dynamic and can be shaped by a competent player.
In one, the flow of combat controls you while you wait your turn. In the other, you directly control the flow of combat by using skill to cut in line over and over again -- or die horribly while trying.
It's very fast and is unlike other turn-based systems, to a degree where I understand exactly where he's coming from (he's a person who hates the preset nature of turn-based combat and likes this one because it's very proactive and fast, and even a little bit scary).
If this is difficult to picture then pin it on me failing at an explanation. Just play the game yourself to see what it's all about if you're curious, you wouldn't regret it anyways unless you were specifically looking for a reason to dislike it.
You got a new sub, I may have a Persona picture but SMT IV is my favorite game as well. And you made an amazing job explaining what makes this game so fucking amazing.
The turbo mode/speed up button is an addition that makes any jrpg goes up by a point automatically
I was Crying by the end...wtf...
Thank you for this, I needed to see this
What is it with hard bosses in the beginning of the SMT games and the letter M
Is more like a filter...
This video has now become tied to my mind of driving down a certain part of the highway. Now I can't drive through there without playing this banger.
As usual, great work, would love it if you covered Devil Survivor at some point
Seconded. DeSu doesn't get enough love on TH-cam
>Boring
>Yes, they are kinda boring
>Earthbound
>What the fu-
I don’t know why but I always loved the flashing eye thing SMT sprites do.
Awesome video i’ve watched this at least like 70 times now i come back every time things get hard and I feel down hearing you talk about my fav game (thanks to this video telling me about it) always makes me smile :)
Going from Persona 4 to SMT 4 when this first came out was such a tonal whiplash.
I went with my gut for my first run and got the law ending...
OH GOOD LORD
The way you describe the experience with the first boss is on point. That's exactly how I felt when I fought it as well. At first I thought dying was a scripted way to show you the underworld thing, because he killed me so fast I thought it was impossible to beat him. Then I realized I actually HAD to do it. I grinded a couple of levels only to quickly realized that grinding wasn't a viable option. It's such a clever way to force players into realizing how important the fusion mechanic actually is. Sadly, a lot of people are bound to be detracted by such thing, but as a brilliant reviewer put it, accessibility is sometimes the price you have to pay for depth and higher potential satisfaction.
I do like how the wholeset up of Naraku makes you think like, oh this might be a huge dungeon based jrpg where you delve in yo deeper and deeper floors of a single dungeon. Then it pulls Tokyo out on you and your like what!
Yeah the isabeau part really fucking shook me. I finished this game for the first time today (chaos end) and fucking God..that isabeau part was really the saddest part for me
Hey! Thanks for this video. I got a bunch of motivation to play this game after getting to your Minotaur explanation and decided to pick it up. Stopped watching to avoid spoilers to play it myself, but after finally playing the game myself and ended up getting the Neutral Route I came back to finally finish the video to gather my thoughts about the game. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, the gameplay, getting lost through Tokyo, the moral decisions. As my first SMT (Not Including Persona) game this one was a delight to play and I'm excited to go play Nocturne when it gets its remake. Thanks for an amazing video and helping me experience a fantastic JRPG.
the only thing i HATED about this game is the like .02% chance to get one of the fiend demons to show up on the world map. if you were going for 100% ahhh just dont
I've seen the clips... I have nightmares of even attempting a search because of the slog
Is that 1/2000
I love SMT IV and IV Apocalypse so much, just the speed of gameplay, tone, characters, i just want mainline to get more attention and sequels.
FINALLY someone else gets it! I absolutely adore this game, and agree with pretty much all of your points. The story, the music, the gameplay, the map, the emotions- I love this game dearly. I'd argue that I prefer the actual gameplay SMT IV: F/A (I played Apocalypse due to localization), but I enjoy experiencing raw SMT IV so much more than almost any other game there's not even a comparison in preference.
My favorite aspect of the game is something that I've been debating making my own video on: the game asks you questions that actually matter philosophically, even if only personally. If you're willing to let it, the game presents you with tons and tons of questions to which there just aren't "right" answers, including the ending sequences. I'm Law-scum, but that doesn't mean the other endings don't have merit and valid arguments going for them. Every decision feels like it's important, even if only personally to you as a player.
My favorite two examples are relatively small in comparison to the rest of the game, but still make me think to this day. The first is the decision of what you should do about the situation in the Roppongi Hills when dealing with Tayama. The player is given two utterly horrible choices between letting the few suffer terribly so the many can benefit through order, or to invite chaos and have everyone suffer more equally together at the hands of demons with the possibility of dooming all humans present, or of them overcoming the challenge entirely (though highly unlikely). There is no right answer, and it doesn't even matter in the long run of the story. But that question has stayed with me for years.
The second was the side-quest of bringing Navarre to Tokyo, which I almost missed. For the Chaos and Neutral route this makes sense as an act of mercy. But when I first played I did the Law route... and I was well aware of what I was about to do to Tokyo by that point. I brought an unwitting desperate man I'd been coworkers with to his future gravesight, knowing full well what I was doing. Was it an act of kindness so he wasn't hunted down by the angels? Was it a subversive cruel joke and comeupance for his prior behavior, knowing he'd be nuked into oblivion? Was it cleaning the future utopia of unwanted filth? Was it simply checking a box off of the sidequests? I'm still not sure what my character would have felt, or even how I feel about it now. It was something I did, and I can't even explain why to myself.
No other RPG has made me question myself as much as SMT IV, and that's why I love it so much. It made me (and still makes me) look at myself, to try and find the answers to questions I'd never bothered to properly ask seriously.
Eh I guess that's a matter of personal tastes, I still like Turn-Based RPGs.
Same
Same here. They are only boring to those that don't like them.
Man I had to hold back scream "GOD FUCKING YES SOMEONE FUCKING GETS IT" during the music section.