Shin Megami Tensei (series + spin-offs)

[nyxmidnight]

I thought I'd make a topic on this awesome series because a few of you seem to know the Persona series through Persona 3 and Persona 4, but mostly because I wish more people knew and played this series and because I love talking about it :D

So! Shin Megami Tensei, what is that?

Shin Megami Tensei (Megaten) is a long-standing series of video games that are all different but have some elements in common, kind of like the Final Fantasy series and its Chocobos. The core of the series is made of Shin Megami Tensei I, II, III (known as Nocturne) and now IV, but the series is much more famous for its spin-offs Persona 3 and Persona 4. However, these are not the only games in the series by far! The series is made of a number of spin-offs, including:

• the Devil Summoner spin-offs: Devil Summoner (untranslated), Soul Hackers, Raidou Kuzunoha vs The Soulless Army and Raidou Kuzunoha vs King Abbadon;

• Devil Survivor 1 & 2;

• Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2, which together form a complete game;

• the Persona spin-offs: Persona 1, Persona 2: Innocent Sin, PErsona 2: Eternal Punishment, Persona 3, P3FES and P3P, Persona 4 and P4: the Golden;

• Persona 4: Arena;

• Strange Journey;

• SMT: IMAGINE Online.

In North-America, the games covered quite a few consoles: PS1, PS2, PSP, Vita, Nintendo DS and 3DS.

Have you ever heard of or played one of the Megaten games? If so,did you like it? If you have any questions about the series, please don't hesitate to ask!

Personally, Megaten is my absolute favourite game series, more so than Devil May Cry. My favourite games of the series are SMT: Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2. I'Ve also played, in whole or in part, SMTI, SMTII, SMTIV, Soul Hackers, the two Raidou Kuzunoha games, Devil Survivor 1, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, Persona 3, Persona 4, P4: Arena and SMT: Imagine. I love the modern twist it brings to RPGs and the urban decay in the games as well as having my choices influence the game's paths and endings (e.g. 6 different endings in Nocturne).

[Cherri]

I like Persona 3 and 4. Working on Persona 4 Arena. I have Devil Survivor for the DS. Didn't realize it's a tactics careful who you help because someone is gonna die and lots of endings game. I'm not too fond of it. I have a hard time with tactics games, I'll play them but I find them frustrating to a certain degree. And I played Persona on the psp but I didn't find it as engaging as I would have liked.

And it took me longer to realized what Megaten is than I liked to admit even after reading your post. orz Anyway, my question is do they all have multiple persona like the Wild Card in Persona or do they have one persona per person?

Sorry if my question is confusing. I'm not really sure how to word it. But I can try if it's too bad.

[nyxmidnight]

In Persona 1 and 2, everyone can have multiple Persona! They are more compatible with certain Persona and incompatible with others, though, so you gotta watch for that.

In Persona 3 and 4, only the leader gets to have multiple Personas.

In the other games the concept of "Persona" is not used, like in Devil Survivor.

[Cherri]

I'm so happy you understood what I was rambling about. ^-^

I like the set persona and the main character having multiple. Probably because I started with Persona 3 and that's how it was done, so I'm used to that. Which do you prefer?

[nyxmidnight]

Personally I think it makes more sense to have all the party members have multiple Personas, because in real life, we wear different masks to face different people and situations, which is what Personas represent. I know it would be difficult to do game mechanic wise, but I think it could work. It could be done like Persona 1 and 2 and have your team have different arcanas they are more or less compatible with depending on their personalities and their path in life.a

[Cherri]

When you say it like that. It does makes sense to have multiples. It's just difficult for me to keep up with them all. XD Kinda lame like that. I think they could also do it, but the execution is the tough part. Now I'm all excited how they were integrate all the variables to do this. Because quite a lot would go into it.

I know someone (can't remember her name) in Persona had dementia. How exactly did that work with persona? I never got very far in the game. But I was curious how a mental illness would effect persona.

[nyxmidnight]

I honestly cannot remember a Persona character with dementia, although I assume the Persona of such a person would try to act like a normal Persona (and fail) because if the Persona is a mask one wears in society, well, people with mental problems often try to pass off as "normal" and well-adjusted.

There is Chidori whose Persona attacks her but her Persona was forced upon her so it's not exactly happy to be there.

[Cherri]

I might have the mental disability wrong and she might not have it. Oh I'm thinking of Maki! Forgot her name and all. Was she just frail? But for some reason I vaguely remember a character saying there was something wrong with her. I know she was always in the hospital. I didn't get very far in the game. So I was just mostly curious.

That's true about them. I was just wondering. Would it effect their persona? Like what if someone had a split personality? Would their alternate have the persona or both or what?

Right, I remember and like Chidori. But not exactly what I'm thinking about. Medea and Chidori have a weird relationship. I wonder if Jin and Takaya's ever attack them, as they are the same as Chidori.

[nyxmidnight]

Revealing Maki's problem would spoil the whole game, but nope, dementia is not her problem.

Hm... I honestly don't know. Since it's the same individual, I'm tempted to say maybe they'd have one Persona but an entirely different skillset per personality? Or maybe a different relationship to the Persona...

Jin and Takaya's Personas probably attack them without the suppressants too, since they were forced on them like Medea on Chidori.

[Cherri]

Oh okay. I didn't get too far and another character mentioned it. So okay. I understand. ^-^

That makes sense too. Mental disabilities and persona would be quite difficult to do since there is so much there. I wonder if they will ever try that.

Okay, then it's just not seen. Shinji also loses control but I don't believe his was forced. I also have this theory for Aki's little sister.

SPOILERSPOILER_SHOW

I think she might have been a persona user too, just she was young and couldn't control hence the fire. But I don't know if that happened or not. The fire is unexplained.

I like coming up with theories. I didn't want to spoil it for people. I try not to do that.