Devil Summoner is unlike anything you have played before, it truly is unique. Fans of the Shin Megami Tensei games Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga should love it and if you have never played those games this would actually be an excellent jumping on point and introduction too the series for you. For starters, the story has been excellent but more importantly it has been lighter than Nocturne or DDS which have very and I mean very mature stories, DS however is much lighter in it's tone and even quite humorous at times, I got a kick out of the cheesey cop show theme music. Their is no spoken dialogue however so you must not mind doing a lot of reading. The game is broken up into chapters and in each chapter you must solve a new mystery and later on you will find out how it all fits together. Graphicly as any fan of the shin megami tensei games knows they feature some of the best art direction and are some of the most stylish looking games out their especially in their character models and DS does not disapoint here however all of the backgrounds are pre-rendered which I personally like but I know others are not exactly fond of. Now for the best part of the game in my opinion though others may not feel so, the combat, combat is simple but frantic and a blast too play. As most people already know combat is real time instead of tuned based like nocturne and DDS, you basicly have 3 sword attacks, a 3 hit combo a thrust attack and a spin attack and then you have your gun which can be loaded with different types of bullets like fire, ice or electricity that way you can exploit demons weeknesses as all demons are weak against something as all fans of the shin megami tensei games know. And of course you will always have one demon too help you out in combat wether by healing you or much like your gun using their abilities too exploit demons weaknesses. Fans of Nocturne should especially love this game since you once again can confine demons too make them fight for you and fusion returns also so you can combine your demons too make new ones. I bought Devil Summoner and Tales of the Abyss at the same time but thus far Tales has sat on my shelf because I have not been able too put Devil Summoner down so I think it is easy too say that I highly recommend giving DS a try.Read full review
For fans of Atlus RPGS, one can anticipate a somewhat different style of gaming and atmosphere that will define each game, and Devil Summoner is no exception. A break from the FF XII and Suikoden fantasy setting, or the futuristic Xenosaga and Phantasy Star; Devil Summoner invites you to a semi-gothic world set against Japan's Taisho Era filled with demons and conspiracies. As the detective Raidou Kuzunoha, you must unravel the mysteries behind the Super Soldier Project and the demon-possessed Kaya Daidoji. Here is what I like and dislike: Likes: Fast-paced cut and slash battle system which mimics the Dot Hack series with summoned demons as aid. An intense plot with enough twists and turns to engage your interest until the very end. Beautiful CG-rendering of Japan's Taisho Era. You can confine or release demons of a decent variety and fuse them to create amazingly powerful ones. For hardcore gamers, clearing the game will only be the beginning. There is a "challenge mode" which brings you back to the beginning of the game (lv 1) with unlocked secret dungeons, upgraded demons, and near-impossible bosses. Dislikes: There is no differentiation between dungeons or towns (the towns ARE part of dungeons), in other words, you encounter battles on your way to purchase supplies or to chat with NPCs. The encounter rate, be warned, is comparable to FF VII, you fight for approximately every 5,6 steps you run. The gaming itself is short, you could beat the game within the 28~32 hr range if you make a fly on it. The dungeons are limited, there is only a limited few stages in the capital and their "dark" counterpart for you to explore. Towards the end of the game, you will find yourself frequenting familiar sights. Conclusion: If you liked previous Atlus titles, chances are you would like this game. Some might find fault with the new battle system, but I personally favor it over the old turn-based battles in the Shin Megami Tensei series. The dark intrigues of demons and sorcerers smoothly entwined with historical landmarks, events, and people of that era, a tribute of Atlus's brand of story-telling. Not as dark and foreboding as the Shin Megami or Digital Devil series, but no less entertaining. I rather prefer the light-hearted tone of Devil Summoner. If you are frowning upon a shelf full of game titles with little to offer and are desperate for a change of pace - I strongly recommend Devil Summoner. Chances are, you might have some fun.Read full review
This is the second Shin Megami Tensei game I've purchased, and it follows many of the similar themes...an incentive-watching shopkeep who unlocks items based on your spending habits, demons everywhere, and of course the usual weakness-exploiting combat system. Compared to the other SMT games I've played (the other being Digital Devil Saga 2), this one is a bit more upbeat, letting you play a rather cleanly heroic detective/summoner role. The nostalgic feeling of playing in the 1920s adds atmosphere to the game and charm to the characters. Collecting demons and combining them into stronger forms is pleasantly addictive. Your own enjoyment of the game will live and die on the combat system, which is a mix of button-mashing combos with Raidou's sword and careful use of the demons on your roster and the ammunition Raidou has available. Raidou and his demons level seperately, and completed fights always have some sort of reward..if you need to gain resources via fighting, it's not too hard, and can really be worked to your advantage once you hit level 20.Read full review
The graphics hold up well, especially the cg cutscenes. If you have played any SMT or Persona game, it has a lot of the same mechanics. But rather than turn based it's more of an action rpg, your attacks are limited, all you have is a 3 hit combo, a thrust, a spin attack and a gun attack if you have enough bullets. you can also get elemental bullets to exploit enemies weaknesses. you have no magic attacks, thats what your demons are for. you have no direct control over your demons, but you can give them commands such as not using magic attack, using support skills etc you can fuse demons together like in other SMT games, but they need to be loyal to you, as you fight with them the loyalty bar will fill once it's filled you can fuse. at the price it is now It's not worth the price. if you are interested I would suggest emulating it,Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Being a huge fan of the Shin Megami Tensei series, I naturally wanted to dabble into the Raidou games (because the whole title is a mouthful for me, that is how I refer to these games). With almost any series of fiction, it is usually best to start out with the first game/book/episode/whatever, which is why I started with this game. The interesting thing about this game is, rather than the more strategic, turn-based dungeon crawlers that encompass the rest of the series, this is a real-time action RPG. What this means is that rather than having your people/demons on one side and that of the enemy on the other and you take turns attacking, you go into a battle slashing things with one button and shooting stuff with the other. There are many other things that make the game stick out compared to other games in the SMT series such as the fact that your character Raidou Kuzunoha XIV is a title, (akin to military rank) rather than the character's real name. That way, you can have Cuddles McMuffins fighting against fearsome demons on a daily basis and it still makes sense, as hilarious as that is. This game also sticks out in the series because it is, chronologically, the first game in the SMT series before the timeline split and the series became confusing. It takes place in the year Taisho 20 (1932 for those of us who want perspective). It is worth noting that in the real world,the Taisho democracy lasted only 14 years (1912-1926) in Japan. But enough about the story. In battle, you control Raidou (Your Character) and you have your own demon, not completely in control but fighting with you against other demons. The controls are great and responsive, the battle music is great and the game offers a decent challenge, not being a pushover or impossible. The story progresses in a detective-drama type way where you go around investigating things out of the ordinary and asking people about things to gather information. I have not gotten far enough in the story to elaborate much further. In my opinion, the atmosphere, battle system and story make this game great. The only real complaint I have is the lack of voice acting, which completely eliminates the possibility of a bad cast, but at the same time causes the story and events to have less effect than they did in, say, Persona 3 and 4 or Digital Devil Saga. However, this game is unique in the SMT series for its past setting rather than a contemporary or futuristic/post-apocalyptic setting and for its battle system being a change of pace. The pros far outweigh the cons, and I would say, if you've got a PS2 as well as the time and money for this game, and you are a fan of action RPGs or the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, this game is more than worth your money.Read full review
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