Summary

  • Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance focuses on the importance of inventory and navigators for treasure spots and stat-building.
  • New side quests and features highlight the personalities and lore of navigators, making them more engaging.
  • Treasure spots provide valuable resources and incentives for exploration, contributing to the game's depth and variety.

The player's inventory in Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance is as important as one might expect from an RPG, with consumables playing a key role in combat, stat-building, and team composition. Though Cadaver's Hallow does a sufficient job at providing items like elemental gems and dampeners, the crux of Vengeance's valuables comes from treasure spots unearthed throughout Da'at, done so through the help of a trusty navigator. Upping the ante on the variety of navigators available in the netherworld's different wards, Vengeance gives many of them the spotlight they deserve through new side quests, building upon both lore and personality.

As players progress through Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance, there are plenty of tools at their disposal to strategize and build on their demonic party. Doing so requires effort both in and outside combat, as exploration throughout Da'at relies on the Nahobino scaling tall buildings and winding cliffsides in order to reach treasure spots and essences. Navigators are vital to this process, helping to pinpoint these locations and deliver valuable goods like Grimoires, Gospels, and more. Though some might consider the act of stopping at treasure spots tedious, Vengeance gives plenty of incentives to do so.

Shin Megami Tensei 5_ Vengeance - Infiltrate the Demon Feast Guide
Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance - Infiltrate the Demon Feast Guide

The player can now take control of Amanozako during the Infiltrate the Demon Feast quest in Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance.

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Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance Gives its Navigators a Greater Spotlight

New Demon Navigators

Areas like the train line outside of Bethel Egypt in Minato can be excellent for gathering resources through treasure spots, being especially worth returning to for the endgame grind. Minato is only the first ward in Vengeance, however, and as the player explores locations like Shinjuku, there are chances to traverse new lands and recruit new navigators, each with their own merit.

Iconic demons like Alice can be enlisted to navigate alongside the Nahobino, while others like Decarabia have been brought back from Shin Megami Tensei 5, albeit in a different setting. Some demons like Yatagarasu and Amabie will offer to join the Nahobino after completing requests that play into their personalities, though there are even more involved side quests that tie into a new Vengeance feature.

Magatsuhi Wavelength Quests

Vengeance has moments where the Nahobino can align his Magatsuhi wavelength with a demon navigator, controlling them for a short amount of time while they offer fun dialogue that plays into their lore and personality. The side quest for Alice, for example, has her converse with lost souls who she has trapped to play with, including a clever nod to Alice in Wonderland through a Nekomata, who laments her role as the Cheshire Cat. Amanozako and Mu Shuwuu's quests see them interacting with relics of humanity, like old AC units and vending machines, giving insight into their thoughts on human culture. These quests do a great job of highlighting both dark and funny moments, building on the original's charm.

Building On Navigators' Personalities

As an excellent display of the depth in personality that Vengeance's demons can have, there is even a navigator quest that has the Nahobino controlling Pixie, who enlists the player's help in uncovering a mystery. Calling herself Ace Detective Pixie, she requires that the Nahobino listen to fairies' testimonies to determine who might have stolen a "silvery fruit," which ends up being a concentration of Glory that can be taken as a reward. The quest acts as a mini-game that has the player speak to groups that only lie, only tell the truth, or a combination of the two, relying on deductive reasoning skills to complete.

For players exploring Vengeance's Taito ward, an adorable navigator quest with the Nahobeeho, a cosplaying Jack Frost who idolizes the Nahobino's looks and skills, offers some great comedic moments. Though not all of Vengeance's navigators have their own quests, the sheer variety of them available and the details in their dialogue show the lengths Vengeance has taken to make its navigators feel alive within its world. Alongside other quests and features, like the game's Demon Haunts, unique Magatsuhi skills, and more, Vengeance takes into consideration its varied compendium and the demons that inhabit it. Its navigators are no exception, making them worthwhile beyond their means of finding treasure.

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Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Tag Page Cover Art
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
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9 /10
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Released
June 14, 2024
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Atlus
Publisher(s)
Atlus, SEGA
Franchise
Shin Megami Tensei
Genre(s)
JRPG