SMT series

[fox099]

What games in SMT series is the best? Ive played persona 3 and 4 and am looking at more on amazon, but am not sure if I would like any others. ANy suggestion?

[Mozgus]

I haven't played much of it but Nocturne is the only one that seems worthwhile to me.

[MrPopo]

Speaking as someone who started with Persona 3, I can say that Nocture is a good game. However, there ends up being far less character interaction than there is in Persona 3 & 4, which can be off putting. I felt like I spent the entire game as an out-of-place stranger in the world, which was probably what they were going for. It does let the choices you make influence the endings you can get, as opposed to the Personas which come down to a single choice at the end of the game (technically Persona 4 had a couple of choices, but they were the difference between ending early and continuing).

Digital Devil Saga has nearly the same combat and upgrade system as Nocture, minus the demon fusion. It also feels a bit more traditional in terms of character interaction. However, I haven't gotten far in into it.

Devil Summoner is an action RPG, and I haven't gotten father into it than the opening tutorial. If you're on a budget you might want to just skip to the sequel, as apparently they give you a quick rundown of important events from the first, and it has numerous enhancements (similar to how Persona 4 has enhancements over Persona 3).

[the7k]

I haven't played much of it but Nocturne is the only one that seems worthwhile to me.

Blasphemy. I haven't played a single Shin Megami Tensei game I didn't enjoy.

Also, just so it's clear, Persona is not a part of the SMT series. They only labeled it as such in America because... well, the same reason the first SaGa game was released in America as Final Fantasy Legend. Name recognition.

But yeah, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne is my favorite. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2 are also great entries, with 2 being a bit better than 1. The Shin Megami Tensei: Raidou Kuzunoha games have a battle system that is more like the 'Tales of' games, which wasn't a whole lot of people's cups of tea. Still, worth playing seeing as Gamestop seems to undercharge quite a bit for it. Persona 3 was good enough for me to play through 3 times, even with it not being part of the Shin Megami Tensei universe. Everything else in the series either never made it here, or you'd better be prepared to pay quite the pretty penny for it.

[MrPopo]

Well, technically the only SMT game we've ever gotten is Nocturne. The rest are spinoffs that all fall under the Megaten umbrella. They all share the common thread of the demons that can be interacted with in some fashion, whether it be as enemies, allies, or manifestations of your personality.

[randombullseye]

I played Persona 2 Innocent Sin first. I liked it a lot. Still have yet to finish it.

I'm liking the others and am hunting for the rest of the set.

[weasels]

the first SMT and the second SMT for the snes (never played 3) i relize they are only japanese but if you know anything about emulation then youll be in luck because there is fan translations for it from AGTP (Aeon Genesis Translation Project). it is alot more darker than those toned down persona games.

[J T]

Yes, all of the SMT games are worth your time as far as I can tell (except maybe the 16bit ones, but they are fun if you want to know the history and don't mind old school graphics).

I have Digital Devil Saga 1, Nocturne, Persona 1, 2, 3, and 4; plus the emulated SMT1 and SMT2.

This has become my favorite series. Devil Summoner 2 will be coming out in May! You can preorder on Amazon, which seems worthwhile after this recent sneek-peak review at RPG Fan:

http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/devilsummoner2/index.html

[Ack]

Any of you guys play the Last Bible games? Were they any good? And how about Shin Megami Tensei if...?

[J T]

I have Last Bible III, but it's in Japanese. Since I only speak English I don't know if it is any good.