SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI 5 Retaliation Review

A haven of diabolical delights makes this port feel brand new.

I only asked the giant mothman to join my team, so I wasn’t expecting an insult-laden lead-up to a quick demon acceptance test. But it’s better than that time an angry magic horse told me to dig my own grave or the numerous occasions I’ve been laughed at, called a fool, or had some sneaky spirit demand I hand over all my health, magic, or money only to dash off after draining me dry.

Negotiating with demons in Shin Megami Tensei 5: Retaliation is as perilous, unpredictable, and hilarious as it’s ever been in the 32 years of the series’ existence. Much of this latest entry will feel very familiar to fans of Atlus’ long-running apocalyptic RPG. Tokyo is once again the meeting place of sassy mythological beings and neon-lined sci-fi, where programming and prayers have equal power.

As expected from a series that treats reality-warping catastrophes and battles with every god and demon around as just another Tuesday, Retaliation begins with an enticing mix of everyday life, ethereal mysticism, vague warnings of impending doom, and then introduces a brand new choice to keep things fresh. A new interactive scene has been seamlessly integrated into SMT5’s original opening, offering a simple decision that determines whether the story proceeds exactly as it did on the Nintendo Switch in 2021 (now called the Creation story) or follows the new Retaliation route.

This new path quickly unfolds into a fascinating string of significant changes, including new major characters, enemies, and shocking plot twists, along with very different takes on old events. Even if you’ve already completed the original SMT5, Retaliation offers a whole game’s worth of surprises.

Demon Hunter School

Navigating these surprises isn’t as difficult as the series’ intimidating reputation might suggest. Appropriately for a game centered on freedom, choice, and knowledge, Retaliation eagerly provides the tools needed to forge your own path through the trials ahead. Key features are clearly explained in concise popups, covering everything from battle system intricacies to basic quests, ensuring no one gets left behind.

Objective-filled maps clearly indicate the next main goal, as well as numerous alternative ways to spend your time, and what you can gain from each. Whether you want to challenge tough bosses, complete side quests, or find hidden treasures, Retaliation makes it easy with the ability to quickly warp between leyline founts (multipurpose recovery/shop/fusion points found everywhere), turning long journeys into quick detours.

Knowing where to go doesn’t help avoid the battles along the way, and there’s a lot to learn from the start. Even the most basic enemies come with multiple resistances and weaknesses, plus status effects, unique items, and moon phases to consider. Between these and the confusing spell names like “Masukukaja,” it would be easy to get frustrated.

However, Retaliation makes a strong effort to clarify everything, even when facing hordes of monsters from various folklore. The UI breaks down everything, revealing enemy weaknesses, explaining skills and spells, showing their effects, and indicating buffs or debuffs. Managing your demonic allies becomes a straightforward process.

It’s crucial to learn quickly because random encounters can wipe out your entire party unless you’re overleveled. One careless decision can lead to a trip back to the title screen, with your whole team turned to ash if you delay healing.

Despite its unforgiving nature, Retaliation always feels fair because the game can’t do anything to you that you can’t do to it. The signature Press Turn system rewards engagement, with critical hits and exploited weaknesses granting more turns, offering more chances to attack or heal.

Strategic Boss Battles

With numerous deadly skills to learn and demons to fuse into new and bizarre abominations, combat encourages creativity. If overpowering a boss isn’t working, why not weaken it instead? Boost your party’s evasion, block its elemental attacks, and use strategic items. The possibilities are endless, often leaving bosses begging for their own turn, which they might use against their team.

Most of the time, anyway. Sometimes fatigue, distractions, or eagerness to progress makes detailed planning less appealing. Thankfully, Retaliation’s flexible difficulty settings keep the story accessible to everyone, from veteran demon hunters to newcomers.

Three difficulty options—Casual, Normal, and Hard—are available. Casual and Normal can be switched at any time outside of battle, with no penalties besides pride (Hard players can also switch down but can’t go back up). If a battle isn’t going your way, there’s always a way to tip the scales without resorting to guides or mindless grinding. Once you regain confidence, you can switch back to Normal and continue.

Or you can keep trying. Retaliation’s new save-anywhere feature offers a safety net for daring strategies. Experiment with unusual demon builds or risky negotiation options without fearing significant progress loss. Whether it ends in embarrassing failure or a hilarious success, you have the opportunity to explore.

Retaliation is easy to like. It’s an epic adventure full of surprises, with enough strategic depth for veterans and ample support for newcomers. No series handles divine confrontations like Shin Megami Tensei, and seeing every deity and spirit wandering Tokyo, alongside schools, trains, and vending machines, is always spectacular. On PC, the game’s sharp-edged style shines, with high-resolution monster designs and smooth performance. Despite its Switch origins, it looks great and runs well on various hardware. This is an essential RPG.