Similar in vein to studios and publishers like Rockstar Games or Square Enix, Atlus is known for taking its time on its most impactful franchises. Each entry in the Persona or Shin Megami Tensei franchises, among other spin-offs and standalone titles in between, spends several years in development. End results for these franchises have typically ended up being some of the best JRPGs in their respective series to date, each making meaningful innovations where necessary, while iterating on tradition. Persona has done that numerous times, like Persona 3, and more recently Persona 5. Now, Atlus is once again doing the same with Shin Megami Tensei 5.

Moving on from Shin Megami Tensei 4, Atlus appears to be looking far ahead with it's sequel, eight years later. In a similar vein to what Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne did with reviving and reimagining the mainline series, the next game intends to do the same. It's clear that a lot of changes are already being made for the future of the franchise in Shin Megami Tensei 5, even following its most immediate Atlus/JRPG predecessor in Persona 5. Even the fifth Persona game made a giant generational leap for Atlus, among other achievements in the game's design. The formative Atlus JRPG franchise evidently intends to do the same with Shin Megami Tensei 5.

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A Moment of Potential Evolution for Atlus JRPGs

shin megami tensei 5 battle ui

Much like Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne and its remaster, the SMT series is taking several subtle but significant steps forward with its latest entry. Whereas Persona 5 was a massive step forward graphically and mechanically for Atlus as a whole, Shin Megami Tensei 5 is specifically innovating the SMT series proper towards a more modern future. Where Shin Megami Tensei 4 and Apocalypse were highly reminiscent of old-school SMT design, Shin Megami Tensei 5 is taking the same approach as Nocturne. Modernizing, while differentiating the game's aesthetic and gameplay design to make it distinct from its spin-offs, makes the fifth entry very important.

Of course, the gameplay is primarily where Shin Megami Tensei differs from other Atlus JRPGs, if only in subtle ways. Being turn-based games, of course games like Persona and Shin Megami Tensei are going to be pretty comparable in that regard; it's the minute differences that are most impactful. The Turn Press and Once More battle systems will always be the foundational differences, but having literal demons in party and interacting with them directly, managing Kagutsuchi, among other things, makes the experience very different. That much is still true in Shin Megami Tensei 5, just based on the gameplay trailer alone, but clearly enhanced in some way.

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Shin Megami Tensei 5 May Be a Step Forward For Atlus

What's most apparent in Shin Megami Tensei 5 are the stylistic choices and aesthetic changes made in the Switch-exclusive title. Similar to Nocturne, the demon designs have been overhauled in the new art style, though still retaining their signature SMT style. Some have a bit more expressive designs, alongside new shading and some model overhauls. Plus, new entries provide the opportunity to both remix and shuffle the actual demons in the game itself, similar to how Persona and SMT differ in demon count and variety. Abilities and elemental affinities could adjust and change over time as well, but generally those aspects usually stay the same.

Weapon and magic abilities appear to have changed as well, from both an aesthetic and functional perspective. Both Persona and Shin Megami Tensei have different exclusive elements that aren't present in the opposite series, like Force (Zan) magic in SMT and Psy magic in Persona. However, some of the effects shown off in known gameplay showcase different effects from familiar SMT magic, adding some new flair to the usual skills. Additionally, some of the signature abilities of the protagonist appear to be very unique, such as Wrath Tempest. This move seemed to do massive critical damage, and appears to be exclusive to the player's character as well.

The biggest thing about these changes is how they may impact other Shin Megami Tensei spin-offs, because cross-pollination between Atlus JRPGs is common. Persona and Shin Megami Tensei are the most obvious examples of cross-influence, but other smaller SMT spin-offs like Devil Summoner have also been influenced by major SMT entries. Shin Megami Tensei 5 will presumably set the bar once again, because unlike PersonaSMT is where the franchise experiments from a gameplay perspective. Based on the first gameplay trailer alone, this next entry in Atlus' seminal JRPG series could be making innovations on par with previous entries as well.

Shin Megami Tensei 5 releases on November 12, 2021, on Nintendo Switch.

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