The Deeper Redux of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

Atlus has been one of the 3DS’ biggest supporters throughout its lifetime, a company that’s dedicated resources to providing new games and ports to fill out the system’s software lineup, and they aren’t finished. One key upcoming port is the previously-announced Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey, which will release in western markets under the more sensical name of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux. As the name implies, this will be an enhanced port of 2009/2010 DS title Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, a non-numbered mainline title that inherited many of the franchise’s gameplay traditions, though its quest was set outside Tokyo, Japan for the first time.

Here, one of the best DS RPGs will hit 3DS and ensure that more players experience it in a supposedly improved form. “Supposedly” because whether its enhancements will benefit the game is being hotly debated among segments of the Shin Megami Tensei fanbase.

Redux will tell the same story as the original SJ, with its tale focusing on a special investigation team sent by the United Nations to examine a disturbance known as the Schwarzwelt in Antarctica. When they arrive, it becomes apparent that most of them are woefully unprepared for what they find: A world full of demons. Many of them adapt to the environment in positive and negative manners — some to extremes. The dungeons the team will discover represent the Seven Deadly Sins, and players will travel through them in a first-person perspective, encountering demons of various strengths along the way. For those who enjoy first-person RPGs, it’s one of the best around.

Atlus is making several changes to try and impress every facet of the audience. For those who might have skipped it after hearing about its unforgiving difficulty, the game will be a little easier this time thanks to multiple difficulty levels and the ability to save anywhere. Those who previously experienced it might appreciate the added voicework, additional quest and ending, and slight modifications to the battle system. Meanwhile, it’s clear what audience they’re going for with the modified art style, new anime cutscenes, and the addition of new character Alex, and it’s divided the base in half for unsurprising reasons.

The combination of Kazuma Kaneko’s artwork and art director (and also main director) Eiji Ishida’s backgrounds created a work whose aesthetics channeled old school sci-fi films. That applied to its story references, too, which paid homage to Escape From New York, Aliens, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and far more obscure late-70s film Damnation Alley. It’s sad to see this gone for a more “anime” aesthetic in Redux, but it’s not surprising considering Atlus wasn’t happy with how the original sold in Japan. Some characters look nigh-unrecognizable as a result, like Jimenez in the portraits and cutscenes, and Zelenin’s pose on the game’s cover doesn’t quite fit her personality. I’m not a fan of the changes, but I understand why they made them.

There’s also the aforementioned Alex, a new character whose looks bear a slight resemblance to Persona 4’s Yukiko Amagi; the combination of that and her outfit makes her appear as if she got lost on the way to another game. Whether the writers can segue her into the game’s plot without her feeling forced in remains to be seen.

It’s not all bad news for longtime fans, though. The main gameplay and battles have been given a thorough polishing, as seen throughout multiple videos posted on the Japanese Megaten Twitter account. The field visuals have received noticeable enhancements, and the annoyingly high-pitched notification sounds has been replaced with sounds at more comfortable volumes. The Demon Co-op feature remains, one where demons representing the same alignments of an attacker (between Law, Chaos, and Neutral) will respond with a follow-up attack when an enemy’s weakness is hit. Battles themselves, move slightly faster, which should make it smoother for players to get in and out of them while wandering through sadistic labyrinthine dungeons.

Redux will also include more demons from other Megaten games, including some from Kaneko that haven’t seen enough use like Maria from Shin Megami Tensei: NINE. There are also brand-new demons like Amon and the Goddess Anahita who’ve been designed by Masayuki Doi. They’re not on par with Kaneko’s, whose level is admittedly a high bar to reach, but they’re good.

One of the most ostensibly perplexing decisions being made regarding Redux is coming from Atlus USA, who said they won’t be giving it a dub. It’s a strange decision considering other Japan-centric Megaten games with voicework have received the treatment, and given how SJ involves characters from multiple nationalities, it would make the most sense to receive a dub. But this will be a 3DS game in 2018, and they’re likely not expecting high sales. If leaving the Japanese voices in is less costly, then that’s understandable. But I still wish they’d take the risk.

Strange Journey Redux will release in Japan on October 26th, and in America and Europe sometime in 2018. Take a look at the latest Japanese trailer to get a better feel for the changes they’re making.