Shin Megami Tensei
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First videos of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Are you done with Devil Survivor, and dying to get your DS Shin Megami Tensei on? Atlus has released a trailer and some gameplay footage of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. The first-person RPG combines Etrian Odyssey-style dungeon exploring with classic Shin Megami Tensei creatures and some sci-fi elements.We've embedded the trailer up here so you can get a look at the totally dramatic setting. After the break, see a couple of gameplay videos that are guaranteed to make you nostalgic for vintage Shin Megami Tensei, unless you never played any of those, in which case we don't really have a guarantee.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a first-person RPG for DS
As usual, a new game countdown site was beaten by leaked Famitsu scans. We already knew that Atlus's new game was called Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey from information found on the site itself. New scans reveal that Strange Journey is a new first-person RPG (like Etrian Odyssey) for DS.The game, which uses some demon art from Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor for some of its three hundred plus demons, follows explorers of a new demon-filled dimension that has opened up in the South Pole. Players wear upgradable "Demonica Suits" like the one above, which is kind of awesome.The new game will be out in Japan on October 8.[Via NeoGAF]
Atlus countdown pre-reveals Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Now this is a countdown site we can deal with. Atlus posted a teaser site for a mysterious new game, to be officially revealed July 24. The kind-of obscured teaser image shows Earth with a big hole in it. Fans ended the suspense immediately by finding the URL for the logo for the teased game hidden in the site's source code. It's since been removed, but not before a Japanese blogger could save it! The logo for Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey can be seen above, along with what could be a release date. There's still plenty to be revealed, like platform and, of course, what kind of game it is, but we feel a great sense of relief about not having to wait for the title.
Amazon has Persona 4 for $30, you should have the game
While not quite as sweet as the Gold Box deal it offered on the game back in February, Amazon's price drop on Persona 4 to $30 is still a boon for those who still haven't experienced Atlus's superb PS2 title. The $10 cut isn't any sort of special promotion, and while there's been no word regarding dwindling quantities of the game at retail, anyone who considers themselves a fan of JRPGs should grab a copy immediately. You won't regret it -- just don't make any plans for the next several days.
Atlus Games launches online gaming and anime portal
Fans of RPGs like the Persona series and those already playing Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online should be familiar with Atlus Games. The company is branching out into online interaction via a new web portal that's a home for their upcoming (summer release) MMO title Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent as well as having a heavy focus on anime. In fact, users can draw live on the site and collaborate with others in this fashion. We've known that a web portal for MMOs and anime was something on horizon but it became official with yesterday's press release and the launch of the Atlus Online portal. Along with the rest of the wired (and wireless) world, Atlus Online is also on Twitter.
Aeria Games: "If you don't have fun playing, we'll give you a refund"
There aren't many MMO publishers out there who would actually offer refunds for gamers who don't have fun in their titles, but this is exactly what Aeria Games is doing. We did a double take when hearing about this but it's legit. Superman0X is a USA Gamemaster for Aeria Games, and has declared "April is Fun Month at Aeria... GUARANTEED". That's a bold statement. But what does it mean for players of the various Aeria Games MMOs? Superman0X writes, "We are so sure you will have fun we are going to put our AP [Aeria Points] where our mouth is. If any player does not have fun we will refund all their AP purchases for the entire month up to 5000AP." Players who didn't enjoy themselves in April will have a window of opportunity to request a refund from May 1st to May 10th . You can check out the full details in the announcement but we're guessing Aeria has a lot of faith in their titles if they'd even consider making such an offer.
Deal of the Day: Persona 4 for $26
PS2 and BC-compatible PS3 owners, watch out! One of the best RPGs of 2008 is now available for cheap: Atlus' Persona 4 is amazon's Gold Box Deal of the Day, its price slashed from $40 to $26. This unique RPG goes away from the sci-fi and fantasy worlds of most RPGs and offers a mature look into rural Japanese life. Other PS2 games are expected to drop in price today as well, so expect a Yakuza 2 discount later on.
WRUP: Wait, don't we write about MMOs? edition
During the day, of course, everyone piles into the Massively offices in their suits and ties, all prepared to settle into the daily grind of MMO writing. But at night? We enjoy slaughtering the undead as much as anyone -- and since a zombie MMO hasn't risen to fill that void in our hearts, we keep running back to Left 4 Dead.Brendan Drain: I'll be taking it easy this weekend and working on my university masters project, which happens to be a game. If I get time I'll play some EVE and maybe check out the new expansion stuff on the test server.Brooke Pilley: I'll be playing Warhammer Online and a bit of BattleForge beta. :)Colin Brennan: This week it's going to be battleground premades in World of Warcraft, followed by a helping of Mabinogi and Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine. Past that, it's my mother's birthday, so I'm not going to be around the computer too much. Happy Birthday Mom!Dan O'Halloran: I'm poking my head back into EverQuest 2 after a year's absence hoping I haven't been deguilded. Also going to continue my trek towards Moria in Lord of the Rings Online as well as working on my baby Hunter in World of Warcraft.James Egan: I'm meeting up with some friends for Halo 3 and Left 4 Dead, fueled by copious amounts of Jim Beam and Coke. On the MMO side I'm definitely going to spend a little time in EVE, probably exploring more trade possibilities. Kyle Horner: I'm taking a weekend break from MMOs and getting my game-on with Steam. It's Dawn of War 2 and Team Fortress 2 for me this weekend, with a strong possibility of some Left 4 Dead zombie action.Lemuel Pew: Getting the last of the Spring Fling badges in City of Heroes before the event closes on the 22nd.Krystalle Voecks: I'm going to be boring and do some much needed studying for class, so pretty much almost no gaming for me. Although I'll probably play some Left 4 Dead with Kyle so he can laugh at my crappy FPS skillz.That's what the Massively team is getting into this weekend -- but what are you playing?
Persona 4 comes to Europe in March
Much like its predecessor, Atlus' Persona 4 is coming to Europe via another big-name publisher. This time Square Enix is picking up the dungeon-crawler and releasing it in European and other PAL territories on Friday the 13th. That's quite a suitable date for a murder mystery tale like P4. And no that "Friday the 13th" is not today; we're talking about the 13th of next month -- March. It'll come in a two-disc set including the game and a 24-track music CD. It's similar to the bundle released in North America; however, unlike the NA release, it looks like the European version won't be getting the added 100-page art book. Pricing for P4 wasn't mentioned, though we suppose it won't break the bank.
Devil Summoner 2 website launched, new trailer released
Long live the PS2! Atlus is bringing a new Devil Summoner game to the PlayStation 2 this May. Set in a 1920s Tokyo, players take on the role of Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th in this action RPG. He'll have to find the mysterious King Abaddon in this otherworldly mystery.Players will be able to control two demons in combat and will be able to create new swords with the game's retooled Weapon Alchemy system. The Pokemon monster-collecting aspect is expanded with 200 demons to deal with.You can find out more about the game at the official website and you can check out new screenshots here:%Gallery-44609%
Atlus announces Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor and some random minigame collection
Atlus is addicted to Nintendo DS game announcements. It's basically up to one a day at this point! The latest set to be revealed by the niche publisher includes one game that we knew was coming, and 101 that completely blindsided us.Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor is a strategy RPG in which players control a team of teenagers who collect and fuse demons and battle on a hexagonal grid. This was one of the game announcements revealed early via Amazon.ca. It's out June 23 for $30.101 in 1 Explosive Megamix is a minigame collection from European publisher Nordcurrent. It comprises various sports, puzzle, and action minigames, and it doesn't really look like much. It's an extremely bizarre game for Atlus to pick up. Maybe it knows something we don't, and the game is actually awesome. We'll find out when it comes out April 21, at a price of $20.%Gallery-44068%%Gallery-44067%
Persona remake confirmed, hitting Japan in April [update]
The latest issue of Famitsu, which is due to hit Japanese news stands on Friday, confirms everyone's suspicions regarding a Persona 1 PSP remake. The game will be available in Japan on April 29 and will include new animated cutscenes and an improved user interface. No word yet on whether Atlus will bring this to other regions, but if the success of Persona 3 and 4 are anything to go by, we wouldn't be surprised. So, if you're a relatively new Shin Megami Tensei convert and were thinking about firing up your old PS1 to try out the original Persona, it might be worthwhile to wait a couple of months. Hopefully we'll hear more from Atlus soon.Update: A scan can be found here. Growlanser is also getting a PSP remake.
Gamasutra examines sexuality, homophobia in Persona 4
Gamasutra has examined the meaningful portrayal of sexuality in the recently released Persona 4. The protagonist, Kanji Tatsumi, views his alter ego, Shadow Kanji, as an openly gay and flamboyant manifestation within the in-game world, The Midnight Channel. Although Kanji's sexuality remains ambiguous, the developer does not reject the possibility that he might be gay. Instead, the decision to leave Kenji's sexuality open was made to give players more context to the views on homosexuality in Japan. According to Yu Namba, Atlus USA's Persona 4 Project Lead, it was the developer's goal to retain the majority of the Japanese content and accurately portray the Eastern culture regarding the subject. Varying sexual orientations within games from Japan are not unheard of, with Metal Gear Solid 2's Vamp ranking as one of the more famous outed characters. In this case, Kanji's internal turmoil with his orientation is a fascinating take on personal journey, which no other publisher has been brave enough to bring to the North American market.
Mystery Atlus title is Devil Summoner 2
Retail and other game-related listings such as the GameFly rental service can be rather devilish in regards to unveiling upcoming titles. At times, they'll accidentally let word of a new game slip out without ever knowing they've done so. We have something called "unwitting database maintenance" to thank for that. In this case of secrecy screw-ups, GameFly divulges that Atlus plans to release a localized Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha versus King Abaddon for PS2 sometime in mid-May. Atlus recently teased a new Shin Megami Tensei title, one that seems likely to be the same as the GF listing. If these suspicions hold true, expect a return to devil summoning real soon.Update: Minutes after this post went live, Atlus confirmed Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon, stating, "The longer the title, the better the game." Every first-press copy will include a free Raiho plushie, but the general release will be "extremely limited in quantity." The game is expected to ship May 12, 2009 with an MSRP of $39.99.%Gallery-43267%
Atlus sends mystery image, asks '???'
Atlus just sent one of the most mysterious e-mails we've received in quite some time. The subject line simply reads "???" and the body contains a single image. We see a mysterious silhouette with the words Shin Megami Tensei projected in the back.We're not sure who this shadowy figure is. We recently reported on a possible Persona remake on PSP. Could this be related? Or, perhaps it's the unreleased Devil Summoner: Raidou 2 for PS2? Let us know what you think.
Demons ready for summoning, Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine goes open beta
Do you wish there was an MMO that allowed you to summon demonic minions under your control in order to restore a post-apocalyptic Tokyo? Well thankfully for you, Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine has entered open beta! Now all your world-saving via demonic pet needs can be addressed thanks to Aeria Games' and their hard work.For anyone whose played Persona 3 or the more recently released Persona 4, an MMO set in the world of SMT is a very interesting proposition. The game has all the demon fusing and combat from the other games (beyond even the Persona series) but it's all done in real-time instead of through turn-based combat. We're curious to see how this handles, as our guess is that it's likely more of a quasi-real-time ala standard MMO design in games like World of Warcraft.
Metareview -- Persona 4 (PS2)
You might look at this metareview's title and think we've made a mistake. No one makes PS2 games anymore. Not so, and as any RPG player worth their elixir knows, Atlus has been prepping the latest in its acclaimed Persona series for release on the last-gen system. Now it's here, and the reviews – praising everything from its characters to its gameplay and voice acting as best-of-breed – are absolutely glowing. (In the sense that they're really good, not "turn off your monitor and back away slowly.") Game|Life (100/100): "The truly stunning thing about Persona 4 is that it just doesn't have any glaring flaws. Even though it doesn't stand up to the graphics of the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, the clever art style makes up for that. Those who despise reading large blocks of text in games will be pleasantly surprised by the solid voice-over work applied to almost every conversation." 1UP (A+): "What really sets Persona 4 apart, though, is its endearing, relatable cast. " GamePro (100/100): "I can't recommend this innovative experience highly enough, and from first time visitors to the Velvet Room to jaded MegaTen fanatics, Persona 4 is an absolute must buy." WorthPlaying (95/100): "Everything – from the story to the combat system to the dungeon crawling and Social Links – has been improved. Considering that Persona 3 was already an excellent game, Persona 4 is a true standout.
New games this week: Persona 4 edition
You may be familiar with classic children's book Tight Times, which depicts a family in a financial struggle. Even if you're not familiar with the book itself, you'll at least recognize the subject matter, especially after you check out the scraggly, scrowdy-row crop of titles filling our game account this week. We didn't forget to list the 360, there just aren't any. Yeah. Tight times. But, as no one says, in the land of Slingo Quest, the Persona 4 is king. Congrats, little guy, you (sort of) earned it.
Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine beta keys now available
If you've played Persona 3 or Digital Devil Saga, then you're already familiar with Atlus Games's Shin Megami Tensei line. While the laurels of that line lie in the many single player games, the Shin Megami Tensei series is going into the MMO realm with the new game, Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine.Imagine is being carried in the US region by Aeria Games, the people behind Shaiya and Dream of Mirror Online, and they've just started their beta test via Filefront. Just simply click on the link and you'll be given a key and a download link to the client. The game will be free to play, and supported by a microtransaction system.Also, as a small side note, Aeria is currently having trouble with the ImagineUpdate.exe file. If you download the client, run the ImagineClient.exe file without running the launcher shortcut. Otherwise, if the launcher is run, you corrupt the installation and have to re-install.Otherwise, happy demon hunting![Thanks Tony!]Update: Aeria Games has gotten the launcher back to normal. Double click it and run it to update properly!
Atlus: No enhanced version of Persona 4 planned
If you're thinking of holding off on Atlus' upcoming Persona 4 in hopes that the PlayStation 2 RPG will be followed by an even shinier edition, wait NOT! Following April's release of Persona 3 FES, which added enough new content to the RPG to fill a high school student's locker, Atlus now confirmed that "at no point in the future" will it give similar treatment to the upcoming sequel. So whether or not you plan on pre-ordering the game or strolling up to the register on day one, buy with confidence, niche role-playing faithful, when Persona 4 drops onto shelves on December 9.
