Shin Megami Tensei is a Japanese role playing game that was known as the Digital Devil Story in more mainstream markets outside of Japan. It is part of a series that was very popular in Japan, but rarely released outside of the country, known as Atlus’s Megami Tensei. This series began on the Nintendo Entertainment System in the late eighties, and as the series progressed, it morphed to all of the console games and the personal computer, as well. Its popularity spawned a television series in Japan, and was even a reasonable hit when it was released outside of the country.
It was translated into English by a fangroup known as AEON Genesis.
At the beginning of the game, the user has the option of assigning a name to the main character, who is a regular guy living in Tokyo with his mother. One day, the man begins to have some truly bizarre visions. He dreams of a door that can speak, an alien maze, a crucified man, and one who has been tortured half to death by demons. When he awakens, he finds that there has been a demonic attack on the city, triggered by the suicide of a guy who threw himself down a well. As some type of demon summoner, the user will have
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to build a party of heroes and try to sort through the madness. It will be tricky, however, because the main character will be shown both points of view and will have to make some very tough decisions based on what he sees. Each legendary enemy the gamer will face has potential to become so much more. Enemies can be spoken to and persuaded to fight for the gamer, which is one of the main ways of building a party. They can be defeated. They can also magically become hybrids of one or more minions. The potential possibilities are nearly endless. Somewhere in the midst of the forces of both Heaven and Hell, the user will exist, trying to sort through the agendas of the superpowers and choose what is best for his world.
Shin Megami Tensei, on top of having a very interesting and epic storyline, also features adorable anime style graphics that are full of color and life. The game is a console style game, and is very simple and easy to learn. The interface is also simple and user friendly. Overall, there is absolutely nothing not to like about this lesser-known classic.
