Shin Megami Tensei 5 has typical RPG elements when leveling up. Find a demon, fight it, earn experience points, and repeat. Leveling up will increase stats, but players also get to allocate their stats as a bonus. Strength, for example, increases the damage done by physical attacks, and Vitality can increase HP.

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Leveling up in SMT 5 and creating a stronger party takes more than experience points in Shin Megami Tensei 5. Additionally, players should consider which demons to recruit, what spells to equip, and several other key elements. This list includes tips on how to level up fast in Shin Megami Tensei 5 as possible in this lengthy RPG.

Updated September 11th, 2022, by Michael Llewellyn: The mainline Shin Megami Tensei games are some of the most challenging JRPGs. The series has spun off into the arguably more mainstream Persona and Devil Summoner games. However, SMT remains the most hardcore and strategic in the Megaten series. As a result, leveling up is never easy, as playing on the default settings requires tactics when aiming for weak spots and creating openings. Nevertheless, this SMT 5 leveling guide is updated to provide more tips and tricks to becoming a formidable warrior in SMT 5's dark and mysterious world.

8 Purchase The Mitama Dance DLC Pack

SMT 5 Kushi Mitama

Controversially, several popular JRPG series are offering DLC purchased with real money to be EXP boosts. The Tales of series, for example, allows players to buy EXP packs that boost their characters by 5 or 10 levels in the games.

Now, Shin Megami Tensei 5 has a DLC pack that increases the spawn rate of the red Ara Mitama and silver Kushi Mitama. These forms of Mitama drop large amounts of EXP when defeated. Unlike the Tales packs, however, this DLC still requires the player to work for it. The weaknesses of the Mitama are randomized, and their appearances aren't always a sure thing.

7 Destroy Abscesses

SMT 5 Abscess in-game description

The Abscesses in Shin Megami Tensei 5 act as obstacles in the open world. They emit a purple mist that makes it difficult to see and navigate. They need clearing, but the player must be prepared for a battle.

To defeat the Abscesses, the protagonist should approach the monstrous creature and slash it. A gauntlet of demons will attack and must be defeated to rid the area of the Abscess. The attacking demons cannot be recruited but will emit a lot of EXP to level up in SMT 5.

6 Switch To Safety

Fighting a boss in Shin Megami Tensei 5

Three difficulty settings come pre-installed in Shin Megami Tensei 5. There is a fourth option called Safety, and it is a piece of free DLC. It makes the player almost invincible. Enemies will be taken down with a single swipe, or at most, a few. However, switch it back to the default as it will make boss fights too easy.

Using Safety mode may feel like a cheat, but this mode will help save time on the grind. Enable Safety, use auto-battle in combat, and the experience will start rolling in. The battles shouldn’t last more than ten seconds from start to finish. Experience points are the same for every setting, so playing it on the Hard mode won't reward players with extra in-game currencies. It's a simple but effective way to level up fast in SMT 5.

5 Obtaining Glory

Talking to a Miman in Shin Megami Tensei 5

There are three currencies in the game. Experience points will level up the main character and his demons. Macca is the money source in this series and can be used to buy items, summon demons from the compendium, or barter with demons. Then there is Glory, used to give the main character passive boosts such as expanding the number of demons they can befriend at once.

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The easiest way to obtain Glory is by finding Miman. This is a quest given to players via the shopkeeper, Gustave. These little Red Devils are hidden all over the world. Make sure to explore every corner. For a little help, the Diet building has a demon outside willing to share Miman locations. The trick here is to pay him the Macca, get the clues, take a screenshot, and then reload the game. It’ll save money.

4 Complete Quests

Talking to a demon in Shin Megami Tensei 5

Side quests are an invaluable source of experience. Most of them are not that challenging either. They typically require players to slay a certain number of enemies or obtain some items. They are fetch-quests, so they will not bestow players with in-depth narratives, unlike some other RPGs.

Each side quest will reward payers with rarer items on top of experience points. Where are side quests located? There is no central hub to gather requests from a board or similar. Demons randomly will have them in the wastes of Tokyo. Keep an eye out for their symbol on the map.

3 Befriend And Fusing Demons

The end battle reward stance from Shin Megami Tensei 5

Be sure to talk to every demon in the game. Their variety is spaced out enough that befriending every one of them should not be that difficult. It’s like a darker version of Pokemon without the need for balls.

Having a strong main character is one thing, but he needs the power of demons behind him to succeed. Level up demons, gain their skills, and then fuse them to create more powerful mashups. Make sure to diversify the elemental skills too. A wide array of spells to choose from in any given battle should allow players to exploit enemy weaknesses. This is especially useful for bosses.

2 Look For Statues

An experience statue from Shin Megami Tensei 5

If players are diligent enough, they will come across towering statues. These giant stone demons will glow toward the bottoms of their base. This will indicate that they have experience points to reward players level fast in Shin Megami Tensei 5.

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Before using these statues, make sure every demon in the party can benefit from leveling up. That means making sure they have skills to learn. If they don’t, remember to return to the statue later because they are only one-time events.

1 Understanding Mitamas

Fighting an enemy in Shin Megami Tensei 5

Mitamas are to Shin Megami Tensei as Metal Slimes are to Dragon Quest. Metal Slimes are the easiest way to level up in that series, but hitting them is tricky. Plus, they run away with ease. The same is true for the four Mitamas in Shin Megami Tensei 5. For example, Saki Mitama is the gold one. Defeating it will reward players with items that grant Macca.

Kushi Mitama is the red demon, and their items will give players experience points for one character. Ara Mitama is the gray one. Its items will reward all characters in the party with experience points. Finally, Nigi Mitama is blue, and the items dropped relate to Glory. There is no trick to hitting or finding them, as their placement and weaknesses are random. It takes a little luck or, as stated above, real-world money. For $3, players can buy spawn boosters for all four Mitama on the eShop.

Shin Megami Tensei 5 was released on November 11, 2021, and is available on Switch exclusively.

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