As the release of Shin Megami Tensei 5 gets closer, more eyes are on the franchise now than ever before. Since the last mainline SMT entry released in 2013, the Persona franchise has exploded in popularity in the West causing fans of the spinoff to want even more. Many fans picked up Persona 5 in the years since its release on the glowing recommendations of many gaming enthusiasts now even knowing that the Persona series is actually a spinoff of Shin Megami Tensei. However, due to the general inaccessibility of older games in the Persona franchise, fans have been looking to Shin Megami Tensei to scratch the Persona itch once the new entry releases later this year.
Because the Persona series is a spinoff from SMT, it makes sense that fans might be getting excited for Shin Megami Tensei 5's November release on the Switch. That said, it's important for Persona fans to note that, while the two share a lot of things, they definitely aren't the same games. That is to say, it seems like some Persona fans are expecting SMT 5 to be similar to Persona 5, but that's just not the case. Not to worry, however, as fans of Persona should still give Shin Megami Tensei a try as long as they know what they're getting into and that it's going to differ from the stylish PS4 exclusive.
What Persona and Shin Megami Tensei Share
While their execution might differ, some of the core ideas of Shin Megami Tensei and Persona are pretty similar, especially when evaluating their combat systems. Both revolve around teens fighting demons (or personas) to, hopefully, save the world. That's where most Persona fans will feel at home in the Shin Megami Tensei games as much of their battle systems are the same. Elemental moves like Agi, Bufu, and Zio are shared across the two franchises and P5's Baton Pass system that players can use to strengthen their moves and capitalize on enemies' weaknesses shares a lot of similarities with SMT's Press Turn system.
Additionally, both series share a lot of the same enemies. Iconic monsters like Jack Frost, Pixie, or Ame no Uzume appear across both franchises, although they're classified as demons in Shin Megami Tensei and personas in Persona. What's more, both series allow the player to recruit demons and personas and then fuse them together to create stronger versions. Some high-leveled demons and personas are locked behind multiple fusions which is a feature that's shared across both series.
Other than that, Persona and Shin Megami Tensei are pretty different experiences. Based on their battle systems, it's easy to point out where the two might have split off from one another, however, beyond that, they're essentially two completely different series.
The Differences Between Persona and Shin Megami Tensei
The Shin Megami Tensei series has always been set in Japan and while Persona 5 and its spinoffs looked to Shibuya for their settings, the rest of the series has stuck with fiction, Japanese-inspired locations. While Shin Megami Tensei does feature high school students as its lead cast of characters, the games are very rarely set in the high schools themselves whereas each Persona title follows the day-to-day lives of students. Because of this, Persona ends up blending a handful of different game genres together incorporating elements of genres like visual novels and social simulations.
Persona definitely deals with some mature topics and themes throughout its many titles, but Shin Megami Tensei is a much more serious franchise than Persona. Persona is often filled with humor and plenty of levity which aren't really present in SMT. Shin Megami Tensei focuses more on the gravity of its numerous world-ending premises and rarely finds time for comic relief. Tonally, the two series differ greatly there because Shin Megami Tensei doesn't focus too much on the high school and juvenile aspects of its characters, instead prioritizing the overall story.
In general, Shin Megami Tensei is much more combat and system-focused than Persona is. Because the gameplay of Persona branches in so many different directions, the focus on combat takes a backseat for several hours on end while players deal with the franchise's social elements. As those systems are absent in Shin Megami Tensei, the game focuses more on its more technical side.
Both franchises have "other" worlds that their players travel to, but in the case of Shin Megami Tensei, it isn't the same metaverse that the Persona series is known for. SMT 5 explores the netherworld which is a destroyed version of Tokyo that the protagonist needs to help shape. The player's choices will have more impact than they do in the Persona series as they help shape the world into a new semblance of order.
Should Persona Fans Try Shin Megami Tensei 5?
Given Persona's newfound popularity and the fact that it seems like it's going to be a while until a new mainline game is released, it wouldn't be a bad idea for Persona fans to give SMT 5 a try. It's important to remember that, while the two share DNA, they aren't going to be the same experience. If someone enjoys the combat featured in the Persona series, then Shin Megami Tensei 5 feels like an easy recommendation, however, if they prefer Persona's social elements, then it might not be the series for them. That said, Shin Megami Tensei 5 looks like it's going to be another solid entry in the franchise and the Switch seems like a perfect place to play it given the console's ease of use.
Shin Megami Tensei 5 releases on November 12 for the Nintendo Switch.