Shin Megami Tensei (and related games) discussion.

[Conando]

I'm not quite sure why people think they're existing characters anyway. They could just have elements of those characters for the specific purpose of, you know, drawing attention to that it's a Fire Emblem crossover. Is it that unexpected that Atlus wouldn't make original characters as the main party?

[Sami]

Probably because he wants to play a SMT game with something he's actually familiar with? You can compare it to Persona all you want, but the only resemblance it has is through every other trope that's from the series, save for the ultra anime is reserved for the spin-offs such as P4 and this. You're still getting all bent out of shape by the look of it and not seeing that under that is a different game, with Fire Emblem themes. From its demons looking like Gangrel, the Black Knight, etc., to the school sigil being the Fire Emblem, to that noble mark on the MC's face, to the Fire Emblem classes.

 

Edit: I know I'm being confrontational, but the amount of bile you have for a game that we barely even know about yet is kind of annoying.

[Conando]

Well, when you come in and try to tear down anyone who tries to actually talk about the game? Yeah, I think it's not that difficult to get annoyed. And how did I not get your point? You were telling him to not bother with the game and play Persona because he wanted to use this game as his jumping point to get into Persona AND SMT. Why would this one help him over Persona? It includes elements of a game he already likes. As for Persona, regardless of the removal of the "Shin Megami Tensei" name, which it actually NEVER had in Japan (It was Megami Inbunroku), it's still a spin off of the main series. Like this Fire Emblem game, they took the bones of SMT and put it into a new franchise that's trying out it's own thing. In Persona's case, they didn't even make it that different until 3 (on a gameplay standpoint). It's still similar too. Press Turns are in P3 and 4 (as one More), and elemental weakness exploitation is the name of the game (same as SMT); fusion too. In this game's case, they're throwing in Fire Emblem classes that your party switch through, rather than demons or Personas.

 

 

Your advice is basically this: Oh, don't play this game to get the basics of SMT because I don't like it.

[-Robin-]

I know it's the first trailer, so it's expected that the first FE references would be in the two games people would immediately recollect - Shadow Dragon/Marth's game and Awakening - but I hope the other protagonists and antagonists in the other FE games have an integral role in the game. Probably harder for the antagonists - no villain in FE comes to the level of popularity and recognition that Gangrel and Aversa have except maybe the Black Knight - but the game does need a Julia/Celica/Seliph/Roy/Lyn/Ephraim lookalike have an important role as well. Maybe go further and have secondary characters like Jeigan, Titania, and Innes have a role too.

[Conando]

It's too early to tell since it's literally a 2 minute long trailer. However, since Tiki seems to play an important role, I would hope that other recognizable characters too do. Don't know what's up with edgy looking Chrom, though.

[Sean]

For the record I wasn't expressing annoyance at anyone using SMTxFE as a gateway game, but was just pointing out that among SMT fans, Persona 3 and 4 are already seen as the gateway games (and among some circles, are seen as too mainstream and "baby's first SMT") and that they would just be as good starting points as any. Not to mention I'm not even entirely sure that this game will even be representative of the Persona games whatsoever, since I'm assuming stuff like social links won't be appearing. But I'm pretty much in the same boat among those who are interested in this game but aren't current fans of one or both properties.

[Conando]

I really think that's the point of the game. Though it's not actually a mash up of both, it's the SMT basic systems (which is pretty much THE game) with Fire Emblem characters and classes. I think it could easily be used as a gateway for those who aren't quite sure they like what they see about SMT yet. The gameplay is simple, but it's actually pretty fun as far as turn based battles go. Shit, it can pretty tense even. Considering how FE has its own brand of rock-paper-scissors going on, what's to say the weapon triangle won't also play into it? We've seen SMT's element system so far, but there has to be a reason for the classes other than skill sets.

[Sean]

Yeah that's a good point and I wasn't fully considering that when I made my initial post. I take back what I said about SMTxFE not being as ideal of a starting point.

[Sami]

Well, when you come in and try to tear down anyone who tries to actually talk about the game? Yeah, I think it's not that difficult to get annoyed. And how did I not get your point? You were telling him to not bother with the game and play Persona because he wanted to use this game as his jumping point to get into Persona AND SMT. Why would this one help him over Persona? It includes elements of a game he already likes. As for Persona, regardless of the removal of the "Shin Megami Tensei" name, which it actually NEVER had in Japan (It was Megami Inbunroku), it's still a spin off of the main series. Like this Fire Emblem game, they took the bones of SMT and put it into a new franchise that's trying out it's own thing. In Persona's case, they didn't even make it that different until 3 (on a gameplay standpoint). It's still similar too. Press Turns are in P3 and 4 (as one More), and elemental weakness exploitation is the name of the game (same as SMT); fusion too. In this game's case, they're throwing in Fire Emblem classes that your party switch through, rather than demons or Personas.

 

 

Your advice is basically this: Oh, don't play this game to get the basics of SMT because I don't like it.

 

Tear down anyone that tries to actually try to talk about it? Lol, whatever dude. I'll say what I want. I don't say shit about the actual analyses because I really don't care, but I comment on what people have to say about it in relation to Persona or SMT because I actually like those games and was excited about this one prior to the trailer we just got.

 

Try reading his post again, by the way. He didn't say anything about SMT, and if he had I wouldn't have said anything. He said it's a gateway to Persona, to which my reply is "just play Persona". Not because I think this game looks like shit (I do), but because Persona 3 and 4 already serve as "gateways" to themselves and SMT as a whole, and will very likely share very little with this game in terms of design.

 

There's no rule stating I have to be positive and agree with all the excited people in here, and unlike games for which the threads I never bother looking at like Mario and DKC or whatever, I was actually invested in this one and have a lot to say about it. So you're just gonna have to get over your annoyance with me. Sorry.

[Solkia]

I'll be honest: I don't why you'd ever use any crossover as a gateway game.

 

If you want a gateway to either of these Series, SMT4, P3, or Fire Emblem Path of Radience are your best gateway games. Fire Emblem GBA or Awakening if you don't have money falling off trees.

[PSI Wind]

I'd argue Devil Survivor Overclocked as well because that game is on sale like every month I swear.

[Conando]

Well, it DOES have the same director. Not that the gameplay is entirely the same, but it also uses the same systems as the mainline SMT series. Except it's a tactics type game. You know why? Shit, why haven't I actually played Devil Survivor?

[Sean]

Super Smash Bros. is a gateway game for more people than you can possibly imagine. If it weren't for Smash Bros. I wouldn't have gotten into Kirby, Metroid, Mother, Star Fox, and numerous other franchises. Don't underestimate the impact that crossovers can have, there's no "right" way to get into a series

[Solkia]

I was recomended SMT4 because it's the easiest one apparently. I still haven't tried it.

[PSI Wind]

Yeah, from what I read, SMT4 is still ball-bustingly hard, but compared to the last 3 main games ESPECIALLY Nocturne, it's easier.

[Conando]

It's still not easy but, the game does give you the option of an easier difficulty if you're having a real bad time. So in that way, it is the most accessible of the mainline series.

 

Edit:

 

 

 

Super Smash Bros. is a gateway game for more people than you can possibly imagine. If it weren't for Smash Bros. I wouldn't have gotten into Kirby, Metroid, Mother, Star Fox, and numerous other franchises. Don't underestimate the impact that crossovers can have, there's no "right" way to get into a series

Lest we forget that a lot of people were introduced to EarthBound due to Ness' surprise appearance in the first Smash Bros.

[Solkia]

Super Smash Bros. is a gateway game for more people than you can possibly imagine. If it weren't for Smash Bros. I wouldn't have gotten into Kirby, Metroid, Mother, Star Fox, and numerous other franchises. Don't underestimate the impact that crossovers can have, there's no "right" way to get into a series

 

Super Smash Brothers is also a family friendly fighting game with a massive community. 

[Sami]

I'd argue Devil Survivor Overclocked as well because that game is on sale like every month I swear.

 

I wasn't much a fan of Devil Survivor personally but yeah I can see it being a good gateway. I've heard it called that a lot before.

[Conando]

It did start out as a no name game that not even Nintendo thought had a snow ball's chance in hell, though. The concept might not seem weird now, but a game where Nintendo characters beat the shit out of each other wasn't exactly a thing people were thinking about until Sakurai decided to take the skeleton of his conceptual game and put Mario and Pikachu over it.

[Jacky]

I mean you can try out P3 or P4 for only only like 10 bucks or so if you have a PS3, they go on sale alot too, (or you'll can try em for free with emulators) instead of having to wait like another year for a $60 game if you're really curious

[JaidynReiman]

I'm not quite sure why people think they're existing characters anyway. They could just have elements of those characters for the specific purpose of, you know, drawing attention to that it's a Fire Emblem crossover. Is it that unexpected that Atlus wouldn't make original characters as the main party?

According to what I've been reading, mostly from Serenes Forest, the main characters ARE original characters... thankfully. The green-haired girl with some inspiration from Lyn is also apparently named Kiria (this one is more obvious in the trailer).

 

 

We know actual FE characters do appear, since Tiki is clearly in the trailer. But it does look like at least the main characters are original characters. I'd definitely be pretty pissed off if Kiria was Lyn, because despite some vague similarities she acts nothing like Lyn, and is a totally different class. Not to mention the ridiculous things that Kiria and the Caeda-looking girl do and wear.

 

 

 

In fact, there's another point in the trailer where there is a blue-haired pegasus knight who has LIGHTER hair than the main girl; that, if anyone, might actually be Caeda. Since the game is class-based, its probably designed with the idea in mind of having a lot of characters. So, the main characters are original ones but other FE characters appear later on.

 

 

 

Here's the Serenes Forest trailer analysis:

http://serenesforest.net/shin-megami-tensei-x-fire-emblem/april-direct-analysis/

 

 

These are apparently the character names:

 

 

The male in the front with the Fire Emblem-like costume is Itsuki Aoi (蒼井樹); literally “blue tree”. The girl to the left of him who appears often in the trailer is Tsubasa Oribe (織部つばさ); I’m unsure what “oribe” is meant to be here, but “tsubasa” is easier, meaning “wings”.

On Itsuki’s right is the red-haired Toma Akagi (赤城斗馬); “akagi” is literally “red castle” and the name of a mountain in Japan, while “toma” might be related to horses. Lastly, we have the dark-haired female to the far left, Kiria Kurono (黒乃霧亜); “kurono” means “black”.

[-Robin-]

Christ in heaven the translation of the theme song, Reincarnation:

I want to destroy

Will you be able to heal me from loneliness, from pain

And all things I had cherished

(Reincarnation, Realization, Reincarnation)

I want to disappear

Sounds of a city that never sleeps, the melancholy of these fake smiles

These real motive hiding, someday, somewhere as we had never seen them

Even if nobody speak about things as insecurity, we know about it

I want to destroy

These courageous acts I had cherished

But then, I won’t be able to be honest

Even if I’m lost or in trouble, if you ever ask me,

At least, I’ll destroy this pain and this loneliness

(Reincarnation, Realization, Reincarnation)

I want to reincarnate....

[Gabz Girl]

Uh...damn. Dark lyrics for such a cheerful sounding song.

So, any doubts now that this will NOT be a dark game with mature themes? =P

[JaidynReiman]

Uh...damn. Dark lyrics for such a cheerful sounding song.

So, any doubts now that this will NOT be a dark game with mature themes? =P

Well, that was definitely obvious already. Just watching the trailer you get this foreboding "ok, it looks too cheerful, something is coming," and there's several parts where you can see that its not all its cracked up to be, several dark moments here and there, including one scene that shows a post-apocalyptic world

where Chrom comes from like his daughter did in Awakening

 

 

Granted, this just gets to the point even more. ^^

[KrazyBean]

So I'm guessing this game is gonna pull a Madoka Magica.