Atlus Announces Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor

Right, like you didn't see this coming.

Atlus dropped word late last week that they will indeed be bringing their first DS MegaTen interation Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor to North America early this summer as Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor.

Devil Survivor follows several young people who become trapped in Tokyo after a series of strange events that bring malicious demons into the world, and threaten to end the world in 7 days.

If you'd like to know more in depth about the game, you can check out my hands-on impressions of the Japanese version here. You can also check out Atlus' official English website site here (though there isn't much there at the moment).

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor will be available for Nintendo DS on June 23, 2009 in North America. It is already available in Japan.

RUMOR: Atlus to Localize 5 More Portable RPGs?

According to Siliconera, a tipster dropped them a line and a screenshot (posted at the bottom of this post) to say that Atlus has at least 5 more portable RPGs in the pipeline due before summer.

The info allegedly comes from an Amazon.ca listing, showing off Super Robot Taisen OG: Endless Frontier, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor in Japan), Knights in the Nightmare, and Dokapon Journey for Nintendo DS, and Crimson Gem Saga (Garnet Chronicle in Japan) for PSP.

If the leak is true, Dokapon Journey is the closest title, with a listed release of April 14, while Devil Survivor is the latest, supposedly scheduled for June 23.

The listings are (of course) no longer up on Amazon, and Atlus has yet to comment on the authenticity of the listings.

Yeah, but, they're probably all true. Poor Atlus just can't catch a break with these announcements. :P

The First 3 Hours: Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor

By way of quick introduction for those unfamiliar with this title, Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor is the latest entry into Atlus’ long-running flagship Megami Tensei (MegaTen for short) series, and the series’ first entry on the Nintendo DS. It is an SRPG that follows a group of several young people trapped in Tokyo who must choose whether they will prevent the world from ending in 7 days.

As with most Megami Tensei titles, you get to name the main character right at the beginning, and he speaks only when you decide what he says. This is a mechanic that I’m not particularly fond of, as it robs the main character of a truly active role in the story, but I recognize it as a MegaTen staple, so I can’t really fault the game for it.

The game starts out a little slowly, and at first, seems like just a big advertisement for the Nintendo DS. Those familiar with the MegaTen series will likely be aware of characters summoning demons using small, portable computers, regularly called COMPs. Devil Survivor follows this trend, but the COMP is clearly modeled exactly for the DS in this game, and shows up throughout the story regularly. Honestly, it started to get on my nerves a little.

Other than that, the game actually feels very reminiscent of older games in the MegaTen universe. I found myself regularly comparing it to Shin Megami Tensei If for the SNES, though the story is admittedly much easier to follow that If’s.

Speaking of story, the game is very heavily story driven, unlike the recent Persona titles which place a large emphasis on spending time doing whatever you want, Devil Survivor has very little else to do than participate in story events (which are much more frequent and much more lengthy than battles). Truly, I would call the game more of a visual novel with an SRPG battle system thrown in than a true SRPG.

However, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the game’s story is consistently intriguing. It manages to retain the dark feeling of the MegaTen franchise, but also manages to come across very accessibly. Though the protagonist does remain silent, the story presents many different opportunities for the player to give his input, and can have an affect on how events turn out. I would love to give you more details on the story, but there have already been events that I feel would spoil the experience were I to share them.

I suppose this brings me to the battle system. The game is a self-described SRPG, but really plays much closer to a regular turn-based one. At the beginning of a battle, you may place up to 4 “teams” on the field. Each team is made up of at least one human character (known as a Devil-User in this game), and up to two demons.

Once placed on the field, all of the teams (both friendly and hostile) take turns moving around the map on a common grid system. Teams can move, attack an adjacent enemy team, use individual abilities on the map, or end their turn. The map abilities are useful if you need to heal out of an encounter, want to inflict status ailments, or impede or damage a distant enemy. The real brunt of the combat, however, occurs when two teams engage in battle.

Once a battle has begun, the game plays out exactly like any other turn-based RPG. You give your units commands, and then watch as each side takes turns hitting each other. Normally, a battle lasts for only one round, but extra turns can be (and should be) accrued through scoring critical hits or playing to your enemies’ weaknesses.

It should be noted that though teams can have up to 3 members each, the entire team is defeated if its leader is killed. This can be both a blessing and a curse, as it will be sometimes prudent to wipe out an enemy team’s leader quickly to prevent unnecessary damage, but doing so forfeits the extra experience that would have been accrued if you had killed each enemy separately. The enemies can also wipe out your teams by killing your leaders. I found this particularly frustrating with Yuzu, as she has pitifully weak defense and low HP.

But what about the demons? What would a MegaTen title be without demons? Each character’s first demon is given to them quite early on, but the rest must be bought via the Devil Auction, which becomes available later. During my first three hours, I never came across an option to fuse or evolve demons in any way, though the game’s official website does indicate a way to do so.

In terms of the hardware, Devil Survivor doesn’t do much with the DS’s specs. There is no touch screen functionality, the top screen is rarely used (and when it is, it’s not for anything important), and there is zero voice work. The choice to put the game on the DS seems like little more than an excuse to capitalize on the enormous DS market.

That being said, Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor is one of the first DS RPGs and one of the first SRPGs that I have legitimately enjoyed playing in a long time. If the rest of the game can keep up the interesting story and manageable difficulty level, I would happily recommend the game to any one looking for a story-heavy linear RPG.

Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor was released for Nintendo DS on January 15, 2009 in Japan. There is no word on a North American release yet, but I would imagine that Atlus USA will pick it up sometime this year.

If you have any questions about the game that you don’t feel I answered, please leave a comment and I will answer you to the best of my knowledge. I won’t spoil any story events, though.

Some Devil Survivor Opening for Your Monday

Atlus' first DS entry of their Megami Tensei series, Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor, will be heading to Japanese stores this week. To commemorate the occassion, Atlus has released the game's opening movie thing.

It's kinda short, but has that catchy Jpop theme song. Check it out below:



Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor will be available on Nintendo DS on January 15, 2009 in Japan.

Devil Survivor Trailer has Visuals, Text, and Other Stuff

Erm... I can't think of a good headline for this article.

Atlus just released a new trailer for their upcoming DS SRPG, Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor. Watch it.



I kinda dig the theme song they have for this one. Kinda edgy for an SRPG, don't you think? Still not 100% sold on a MegaTen SRPG, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor will be available on Nintendo DS on January 15, 2009 in Japan. No word on a North American or European release yet.

2 New Characters for Devil Survivor, Also Probably Other Stuff

I'm trying to shy away from posting Chinese Famitsu scans. This is primarily because I can't read them, and therefore are only good for looking at pictures. Not that there's anything wrong with looking at pictures, but I like to have a little more substance to work with, y'know?

But alas, the last couple of days has been a little slow in terms of RPG news, so here I am, posting Chinese scans for Atlus' upcoming Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor.

Though I can't give you any insights into the details of the article, I can tell you the names of the two newly revealed characters: Midori Komaki (the girl on the first page in the wacky pink getup), and Keisuke Takagi (the rather non-descript boy on the second page).

For those interested in details about the game, I guess just keep your fingers crossed for some Japanese scans showing up somewhere. (If you know of some, please let me know.)



Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor will be available on Nintendo DS in Japan on January 15, 2009. Still no news regarding a North American or European release.

Devil Survivor Boxart Revealed

Not really "news" per se, but for those of you interested, Dengeki has just released the boxart for Atlus' upcoming DS MegaTen SRPG, Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor.

Lots of red there. Yep.

...Aaaand, that's pretty much all I got.

Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor will be available on Nintendo DS in Japan on January 15, 2009. No word yet on a North American or European release.

P.S. Those cat-ear things on the main character's head still look ridiculous. Am I the only one that thinks this?

Devil Survivor Chinese Scans are Unreadable by Me

Last week's issue of Famitsu featured another article on the upcoming Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor. The article featured two new characters, as well as a closer look at the game's battle system.

Unfortunately, the only complete scans I've been able to find are in Chinese, which is a language I am ashamedly illiterate in. T_T

The two characters' names are Naoya (the dude on the first page) and Amane Kuzuryuu (the chick with part of her dress draped between her legs). Other than that though, I'm afraid I've got nothing.

Check out the pictures below.



Megami Ibunroku will be available for Nintendo DS on January 15, 2009 in Japan. No word on any other localizations.

Devil Survivor Gameplay Video Almost Shows Combat

If you want to see what Atlus' Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor plays like right before you fight a battle, then this clip is especially for you.



Featuring some protagonists talking and demons appearing out of thin air, the video in question brings you right up to the critical moment where a battle begins and then! ....totally leaves you hanging. But hey, it shows a turn order appear in the upper section of the screen.

Z0MG! TURN-BASED STRATEGY CONFIRMED!

Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor will be available on Nintendo DS in Japan on January 15, 2009. No word on a North American or European release at the moment.

Atlus Announces Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor

As teased last week, Atlus has officially unveiled Megami Ibunroku: Devil Summoner for the Nintendo DS via this week's issue of Famitsu.

Devil Survivor puts the player in the shoes of a nameless, voiceless protagonist (as usual for the MegaTen games) who has the ability to make contracts with demons using a portable game device known as a COMP. He, and several of his classmates (all high school students) have 7 days before Tokyo is destroyed. Saving it depends on your actions throughout the game.

Though the game is retaining a very MegaTen theme (apocalypse, devil summoning, link to the digital, etc.), Devil Survivor an SRPG, a genre that the series has never before attempted (at least, not in my knowledge).

The game is also being handled by a relatively new team, with Shinjirou Takada directing (previously worked on the Growlanser and Langrisser series, but apparently hasn't worked on MegaTen before this), Akiko Kotou working as the art director (previously worked in non-director capacities on Nocturne and Kuzunoha Raidou vs. The Soulless Army), with Suzuhito Yasuda handling the character design and a new sound director as well (I can't make out his first name on the scans, but his last name is Asano, I think). Series veteran Kazuma Kaneko is acting in a supervisor role over the project, and is also handling the demon design (as usual).

The article introduces 3 characters, the nameless protagonist (who looks oddly like a cat-person-robot, but is supposedly normal), Atsurou Kihara, the hero's best friend, and Yuzu Tanikawa, the hero's childhood friend.

The game is already reportedly 90% complete, and is due for Japanese release on Nintendo DS on January 15, 2009.



I will take requests for full translation on the article (minus the developer interviews) below.

Atlus Teases a New MegaTen Spinoff

Atlus, always the tease, has taken out another teaser ad in this week's issue of Famitsu, though it isn't as cryptic as the last time they did this. They even gave us the title of the game, so there will be no speculation on that: Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor.

Before you wet yourself in excitement, please be aware that the game is officially confirmed for the Nintendo DS, so you can likely expect poor graphics, sub-par storytelling, and tacked-on touch screen functionality (everything I hate about the DS). Hey, maybe I'll be totally wrong and it will be the best MegaTen game yet.
For those interested in some trivia on Megami Ibunroku (roughly: Goddess Alternate Record) and the MegaTen series in general, here is a short history lesson from a confessed MegaTen obsessor:

The title Megami Ibunroku is likely unfamiliar to you unless you are all kinds of obsessed with MegaTen (*raises hand*). As a quick and dirty history lesson, the original NES games were all titled "Megami Tensei" meaning roughly "Goddess Reincarnation." These games were later remade for the Super Famicon with the likely familiar "Shin" prefix attached (literally meaning "True" - a play on the character of the same sound with meaning "New" that happened to stick). Since then, "Shin Megami Tensei" (lit. True Goddess Reincarnation) came to be the main series' official title, but several spinoff series began to appear, including Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei (lit. Old Testament Goddess Reincarnation), and Majin Tensei (lit. Demon Reincarnation).

One subseries that also appeared on the original PlayStation was Megami Ibunroku: Persona, which the diehard MegaTen gamer among you will likely recognize as Revelations: Persona (the first Persona title).

The Persona series lost the Megami Ibunroku title after its first iteration, and Persona has become its own (and actually more popular) subseries in the MegaTen family.

So what does that have to do with this new game? Probably nothing. I just thought you'd be interested to know that Devil Survivor, whatever it turns out being, has been given the same subseries title that the original Persona received. Interesting info or useless trivia? You decide.

We will receive official information regarding Megami Ibunroku: Devil Survivor via next week's Famitsu.