Although Atlus is an iconic franchise, it has never been afraid to take risks and experiment with Shin Megami Tensei. Even without taking into account derivatives such as Persona or Devil Caller, the “Core” series has taken on new forms and reinvented itself over several decades and platforms. Shin Megami Tensei V from 2021 was a prime example of respecting its oppressive and hardcore roots, while at the same time taking into account the evolving audience of Atlus and the mainstream changes in gaming in general. It only makes sense that by repeating such a current title, Atlus has done much more than produce a simple port with some bonuses. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is aptly titled; it’s an act of defiance against conventions, review, and maybe even your own reputation.

SMT V was a big deal for the series, its HD debut, having previously switched from PlayStation 2 to 3DS. It was a novel combination of post-apocalyptic doom and darkness with colorful superhero action. As “Nabohino”, a powerful fusion of man and synthetic demon, players crossed the sand dunes of a long-dead Tokyo and fought for control of the future after a debate between heaven and hell. While some found the story lonely with a distinct lack of supporting characters, I found SMT’s recurring theme of a lonely person action a desperate action in an already lost world in the midst of a recent times more resonant than ever.

On the surface, SMT V: Vengeance is a home run with no extra effort. The fact that the original game was exclusive to Switch meant that it came with inevitable technical compromises. Revenge is still on Switch, but its cross-platform debut means that every inch of its world is in full force. This game is as colorful as it is dark, juxtaposing multicultural religious images of post-apocalyptic destruction. Just the opportunity to cross the shimmering dunes of Da’at (formerly Tokyo) without frame-rate spraying is worth the price of admission.

But revenge is much more than a mending under the hood. Instead of being a sequel in the style of SMT IV: Apocalypse or a pseudo-spin-off like SMT: If, Vengeance offers a completely new campaign scenario. Almost the entire story is retold completely, using the original premise as a springboard to jump into a scenario with new main characters, antagonists and completely different endings. In addition, there are many modifications, with changes and optimizations, ranging from adjustments to the quality of life and ending with completely new functions. Revenge is almost a completely new game that treats the original as a draft. “Fast” is a keyword here, because the original scenario can also be selected at the beginning, so you can still experience the original story while enjoying the new features and settings.

In many ways, the new scenario feels like a direct response to the problems that players had the first time with SMT V. As a returning player and a long-time fan of the series in general, it’s a strange setup with an impressive level of self-confidence. The moments happen when the story seems to differ from the original in an uncomplicated, audience-friendly way, only to forcibly pull the rug from under them and twist the twist to make them even more evil than before. Although I did not agree at all with the reviews that led to this new campaign, it was a lot of fun to have a completely new story in which I could play with my previous knowledge.

The new character was intriguing and added a lot to the environment, and it’s true that more of the returning cast developed the plot more. It seemed silly to me to have them playable, since it was always more productive to use a team full of its own demons anyway.

This newly mixed approach might turn out to be confusing for a newbie. Fortunately, Vengeance also explains this, and the choice of the version to be followed is presented practically perfectly in the game. It just feels like another option in a game and a bunch of full options that have an impact on the story. No special attention is paid to it, nor does it feel like an unpleasant attempt to replace or undermine the original. It’s just more SMT V to dive into, what a role-playing game that’s already full of narrative agency and monster collecting action, there’s more food on the table for the feast. And it was a great party for starters.