...then you have no gaming soul. Or, you hate JRPGs, dungeon crawlers, the Nintendo DS or Atlus. Or, you hate me.
No, really. Atlus has released the first full trailer for their upcoming DS game, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. It's the game I always wanted but never knew I would be getting on the DS. I mean, it's rated M for Mature, and has "partial nudity" and "sexual themes." There's a dick-faced phallus-like demon. I had a hard time fighting him.
It know it sounds weird, but it all works out well, as you can see in our review. This new trailer does a really good job of giving you an idea about the storyline and setting. You also get a taste of the game's epic musical score. And, as I said in the headline, it gets you pumped up for its upcoming release. Hell, it gets me pumped up, and I've already played it.
Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools.
Meet the rest of the team
I'm probably in the minority in this crowd of dtoiders, but I actually do hate jrpgs, dungeon crawlers and the DS. I'll pass. Now I gotta beat Mass Effect 2 for the 4th time. Excuse me.
bigbowser -
it's not harder than Devil Survivor, or if it is, it's hard in a different way.
Devil Survivor was just mean. Strange Journey is hard in the best way.
Funny how we have people coming trying to tell us what "real" RPGs are.
Bioware and Atlus drew a lot of inspiration for their RPGs from games they both commonly played in the 80s, such as Dungeon Master. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey sticks closer to that inspiration and the man that headed up Strange Journey also happens to enjoy Fallout 3 and other western RPGs.
Both SMT and Bioware games put a great emphasis on choice and consequence, but more often its SMT's choices that affect how the endgame unfolds in terms of bosses and challenge, Bioware tends to skew to it affecting party setups.
There is something to appreciate from both sides of RPGs.
I'm very much looking forward to Strange Journey. SMT has become one of my favorite franchies in recent years and its because its much more relevant than most RPGs with aliens or orcs tend to be.
seriously, how could a jrpg be considered anymore a "true" rpg when u don't even get any control over the "role" that you are playing. you are given a character to control, it is not one of your creation.
@flabzilla - oh, I know, I just don't want the others to get too stirred up.
Thing about JRPGs is they're just more prolific, really. Western RPG developers are smaller in number, but I'd really like to see more out there than just Bioware and Bethesda ones. I think Capy showed awesome potential with Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes recently.
@sicknasyu
No need to undermine how you play a role in a JRPG. A JRPG simply gives you a role to experience and live out, and in most cases, obligates you to make certain decisions under that role. You are basically playing one massive setpiece through that role, the journey is simply customized for you. As a result, both JRPGs and WRPGs are interesting and fun, but wholly unique experiences
I'm nothing but hyped up for this game. Has Atlus confirmed whether or not this is actually SMT4, or is this just a spin-off? I read that the numeric system was simply dropped, but nobody really seems to be sure for some reason.
I'm suitably pumped. Dale I'd really like to thank you for all the awesome coverage you do on this site! It's nice to see at least one editor on the site who shows some love for portables.
The concept and story behind this game looks REALLY awesome, but the first-person stuff is really off-putting for me. I don't know why, I've just always been that way with the SMT series, which is why I enjoy Persona and Digital Devil Saga so much.
Still, I might give this a shot eventually. It's probably amazing.
I'm excited for this one. Is it just me, or does this game feel very... Saturn-y to you guys? It just captures that weird combination of hyper-tight Genesis/SNES gameplay with an early PlayStation-like presentation that defines the Saturn. And I love the Saturn, so I'll be picking this one up.
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Contest:
9:20 AM on 03.03.2010
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Nothing good to say? Just shut the fuck up.
Hahaha! Oh, the subtlety.
BTW great looking game.
In no way shape or form is the JRPG the "real" form of RPG.
it's not harder than Devil Survivor, or if it is, it's hard in a different way.
Devil Survivor was just mean. Strange Journey is hard in the best way.
Bioware and Atlus drew a lot of inspiration for their RPGs from games they both commonly played in the 80s, such as Dungeon Master. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey sticks closer to that inspiration and the man that headed up Strange Journey also happens to enjoy Fallout 3 and other western RPGs.
Both SMT and Bioware games put a great emphasis on choice and consequence, but more often its SMT's choices that affect how the endgame unfolds in terms of bosses and challenge, Bioware tends to skew to it affecting party setups.
There is something to appreciate from both sides of RPGs.
I'm very much looking forward to Strange Journey. SMT has become one of my favorite franchies in recent years and its because its much more relevant than most RPGs with aliens or orcs tend to be.
Two Americans invented the modern RPG.
Seriously how many times am I going to have to correct your historical accuracy?
Thing about JRPGs is they're just more prolific, really. Western RPG developers are smaller in number, but I'd really like to see more out there than just Bioware and Bethesda ones. I think Capy showed awesome potential with Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes recently.
No need to undermine how you play a role in a JRPG. A JRPG simply gives you a role to experience and live out, and in most cases, obligates you to make certain decisions under that role. You are basically playing one massive setpiece through that role, the journey is simply customized for you. As a result, both JRPGs and WRPGs are interesting and fun, but wholly unique experiences
I'm infinitely more 'pumped' about Infinite Space.
WOOOOOO TERRAN FTW
Actually it was confirmed in certain way in an interview
The trailer is really badass, I can't wait for the release date
Still, I might give this a shot eventually. It's probably amazing.
You gotta love the eccentric gold helmets those guys are sporting. It reminds me of an old black-and-white sci-fi flick. Mega-awesome, man.