Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance is here, and the reviews are in too. Here’s what critics and reviewers had to say about what could be one of the best JRPG releases in recent history.

ClutchPoints Gaming also had the chance to review this game. See what our verdict is on SMT V Vengeance. We gave it an 8/10, from the viewpoint of a player who hasn’t played the original 2021 release. “Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance is as JRPG as it gets. If you consider yourself a fan of the genre, then SMT V Vengeance is a must-play. It is, however, still punishing for players who may not have the energy to spare for grinding, or to explore vast areas, or run around for side quests”

SMT V Vengeance Review Scores: 88.5 on Metacritic

Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) V Vengeance released on June 14, 2024 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Across 52 reviews on the PlayStation 5 and PC platforms on Metacritic, Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance garnered an average Metascore of 88.5. This puts it in “Generally Favorable” and close to “Universal Acclaim” territory.

Out of the 52 reviews, two were “mixed” (<=70) and the rest were positive. There were no negative reviews on Metacritic. The mixed reviews were both on PlayStation 5.

SMT V Vengeance received a few perfect scores from several critics. Cody Perez of Siliconera was one of them, saying “It took the messy base game, made it look and play better, and expanded upon every single aspect. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance reaches its full potential in almost every way possible and now confidently stands toe-to-toe with its predecessors.”

Matt S. of Digitally Downloaded also gave it a perfect score and put the game in the Classical and Thoughtful quadrant of their review matrix. “Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance really does deserve the moniker ‘ultimate version of the game.’ You’re going to need a ridiculous amount of time to play it (again), but if you enjoyed it on any level the first time around, you’re going to love what the development team has done to it this time,” said Matt.

GameSpot’s Heidi Kemps gave SMT V Vengeance a 9/10 on their review. “Everything that made Shin Megami Tensei V such a memorable and engaging experience remains in Vengeance, just tweaked and massaged into an even better game. It’s easier to connect to the narrative–having the other human characters in your party and engaging in small talk with them go a long way to making the events happening around them feel more impactful–and the various adjustments to navigation, combat, and demon-herding let you focus more on savoring the dark atmosphere and the strategies of battle,” says Kemps. “If you didn’t enter the tunnel to the underworld the first time around, this is the perfect opportunity to do so–and if you’re a veteran of the war for the throne, there’s plenty here to bring you back.”

SMT V Vengeance earned a score of 91 from Kerry Brunskill of PCGamer. She praised the “save anywhere” feature added to this version which allowed her more daring attempts. To her, Vengeance was an easy game to like. “No series does the whole ‘taking on god’ thing as perfectly as Shin Megami Tensei, and seeing every deity and spirit imaginable wandering around Tokyo, right next to schools, trains, and vending machines will always be an incredible sight.” Concluding the review, Brunskill said “[SMT V Vengeance] is an essential RPG.”

Cande Maldonado of Dot Esports dubbed SMT V Vengeance “Atlus’ canon of redemption” with a score of 9/10. She applauded how well Atlus listened to criticism and focused on player satisfaction. On top of this, the difficulty system, Demon customization, combat, and sound production also received praise. Side quests that suffer from the “MMO syndrome” and lack of depth and variety of the explorable world were some of the cons mentioned.

GameRant’s Shane Moyer gave the game 4.5/5 stars. He appreciated the definition of the textures, the innovative “Sky View” mechanic, and how exploring the world didn’t feel like a chore for him. The cons for Moyer, however, were the “excessive” new combat complexity and the game’s slow start, the latter of which may chase new fans away. “There may not be a ton of new things to justify purchasing the game again, but the additions that are here are excellent at keeping fans intrigued about what’s going to happen next. Long-time fans will likely already know what they’re getting into, as the game hasn’t changed its turn-based combat and capture loops in a while. Still, those same fans have kept these games going until now, and Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is another in a long line of enjoyable titles in the long-running series.”

Michael Higham of IGN gave it a verdict of 8/10 (Great). “Vengeance doesn’t necessarily make drastic improvements per se, but I enjoyed the new twists, content, and quality of life upgrades it does bring all the same. And while the storyline and route exclusive to Vengeance are a bit better than the original, their appeal as a returning player is really just in how they shake things up at certain points,” says Higham. “Don’t get it twisted, though – there’s never been a better time to play this hard-nosed RPG, if not for its satisfying turn-based combat, then for its masterful execution of a uniquely demonic world. There’s a certain attitude that comes through vividly in its art style, character design, and music that you just don’t get in other games. So, if you’re simply looking for more SMT or have yet to experience Atlus’ devilish RPG series, Vengeance is absolutely worth seeing through.”

Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) V Vengeance released on June 14, 2024 on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

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