Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final

[KawaiiPersona]

well a new trailer in English is out now, and there seems to be preorder armor bonuses exclusive to certain shops and if the descriptions mean anything, they may have some effects. Link If You Wanna See It The Page http://nintendoeverything.com/shin-megami-tensei-iv-apocalypse-story-trailer/

Pictures Of Them

So The Red One Is The GSEB Power Suit (Preordered From GameStop And Eb Games Canada) The Prime Suit (Amazon Preorder) And Finally The Retail Hero Jumpsuit (Best Buy Preorder)

[Leif]

Hmmm, the story trailer didn't seem very 'epic' to me. I will be getting this game regardless, though. I expected Dagda to have a deeper voice... I loved the Irish accent though!!

Edited May 28, 2016 by Leif

[EricaofRenais]

Well since I can't find any other threads about it I just wanted to mention that you can get a free SMT Apocalypse 3DS home screen theme right now, I think they put it up Monday. It looks very nice and is designed like the FE ones. I am hoping to pick up the game this weekend if real life lets me.

[Jedi]

So, I'm warming up to the game from what I've seen of the gameplay, however quite a few people tell me the story/atmosphere and tones will be incredibly disappointing to someone who likes traditional SMT, so i'm a little on the fence still, although the gameplay looks good enough to be worth the purchase alone ngl.

This made me chuckle though.

Edited October 5, 2016 by Jedi

[Konnor97]

So, I'm warming up to the game from what I've seen of the gameplay, however quite a few people tell me the story/atmosphere and tones will be incredibly disappointing to someone who likes traditional SMT, so i'm a little on the fence still, although the gameplay looks good enough to be worth the purchase alone ngl.

I'm up to 4/8 moon, and I can see it, but eh. It's not too bad, except for one of the two routes apparently. Then again, apparently the other route is like taking traditional SMT (I guess) to another level.

Gameplay though yeah is pretty darn good. Better than IV's, though still lacking that vitality stat. A bit easy so far though, even on War, but I'm before

Krishna

and apparently he's a pain in the ass, so that should be fun.

Edited October 5, 2016 by Konnor97

[Jedi]

I'm up to 4/8 moon, and I can see it, but eh. It's not too bad, except for one of the two routes apparently. Then again, apparently the other route is like taking traditional SMT (I guess) to another level.

Gameplay though yeah is pretty darn good. Better than IV's, though still lacking that vitality stat. A bit easy so far though, even on War, but I'm before

Krishna

and apparently he's a pain in the ass, so that should be fun.

Is Dexterity & Magic minmaxing still as good as it is in 4?

[Konnor97]

Is Dexterity & Magic minmaxing still as good as it is in 4?

Dexterity not as much considering it only affects the gun and gun skills. Strength is better though since it affects physical skills now. Magic, uh, I'd guess so. You have Hama and Mudo to consider now for attacking skills to take up slots. Nanashi is pretty much the best damage dealer of your team, just like Flynn. Especially thanks to a special skill you get much later in the game.

[Leif]

I am mid-way through the game (my Nanashi is about to have his first chat with Fujiwara at Cafe Florida) at level 50 with 212 magic and high Luck and Agility. Like SMTIV, you are going to have to focus on either Strength, Dexterity, or Magic with a smattering of Luck and Agility. I chose magic because it's ridiculously broken. Gun and Physical builds won't be as good until the endgame when you get the Akasha Arts and Riot Gun skills due to their respective element pierce effects.

The gameplay is the best in the series, but the story is very underwhelming. Navarre and Asahi are exceptionally obnoxious. They've grown on me, but I'd much rather have Dagda take the spotlight over them since he's more interesting. I don't know what route I'm on, but most of my decisions have been in the favor of my partners.

The choices (so far) pretty much boil down to whether or not Nanashi is nice or a dick to his partners.

Nocturne would be the best game in the series if it had SMTIV: Apocalypse's mechanics. Nocturne's story blows I's, II's and IV's out of the water.

SMTIV: Apocalypse is the Fire Emblem Fates of the Shin Megami Tensei series.

Edited October 6, 2016 by Leif

[Konnor97]

I don't know what route I'm on, but must of my decisions have been in the favor of my partners.

The choices (so far) pretty much boil down to whether or not Nanashi is nice or a dick to his partners.

You aren't on any route pretty much until quite late in the game. You get a dialogue option at

6/8th Moon for the choice for either bad ending L, bad ending C, or to progress further

and

7/8th moon for your final decision on which route you want

There is a points system, but it is there to penalize you if you make a route decision that doesn't correlate to your dialogue choices throughout the game.

You lose your items by being a good guy and going Massacre, and you lose your demons by being a dick and going Bonds

Sorry for the many spoiler sections.

[Jedi]

I am mid-way through the game (my Nanashi is about to have his first chat with Fujiwara at Cafe Florida) at level 50 with 212 magic and high Luck and Agility. Like SMTIV, you are going to have to focus on either Strength, Dexterity, or Magic with a smattering of Luck and Agility. I chose magic because it's ridiculously broken. Gun and Physical builds won't be as good until the endgame when you get the Akasha Arts and Riot Gun skills due to their respective element pierce effects.

Well considering Str is useless in SMTIV I've never found myself using it other than in the beginning of my first run. I'm assuming its similar here.

[Konnor97]

Well considering Str is useless in SMTIV I've never found myself using it other than in the beginning of my first run. I'm assuming its similar here.

Strength is useful now. Instead of Dex working with the Gun attack and greatly affecting Physical and Gun skills, it only affects the Gun attack and Gun skills. Strength affects the Physical skills like Hades Blast and Akasha Arts and the Physical attack. So now you have to choose between Strength, Dexterity, or Magic as your primary attacking stat.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Konnor97

[Jedi]

Strength is useful now. Instead of Dex working with the Gun attack and greatly affecting Physical and Gun skills, it only affects the Gun attack and Gun skills. Strength affects the Physical skills like Hades Blast and Akasha Arts and the Physical attack. So now you have to choose between Strength, Dexterity, or Magic as your primary attacking stat.

Oh good so they actually fixed it, I wasn't expecting them to actually do that. Considering most SMT games have a clear min-max setup haha.

[Leif]

I would still recommend a magic build despite the DEX stat fix. It saves you money in the long run. I never worried about buying weapons or guns since I was doing more damage with spells and elemental stones. The game also gives elemental stones out like candy, so if you run out of MP during a boss fight, you can fall back on them.

Magic users do have to worry about skill slots since you have to use almost all of your free spaces if you want total weakness coverage.

Endgame magic builds, however, can just rely on one powerful spell, like Antichthon or Great Logos, along with Concentrate + Smile Charge to do massive damage to all enemies.

Edited October 8, 2016 by Leif

[B.Leu]

So.... who picked Massacre ? Cuz I diiiiiid, and I had zero regrets !

The story choices are just... irritating. A simple example

Hallelujah: is obviously spy, like Dagda say, but the game forces you to have him in the team because of Asahi. Despite her saying 'it's up to you' just before !

When he show off his plot twist, you either have the choice to be understanding, or to say 'it's unforgivable', the last one being, a variation of the first. The hell.

While the choices during bosses are most of the time, about them asking you to do something stupid, but sometime, you have gems like...

Adramelech's fight. I used Asahi as a human shield against him, I had a huge advantage, felt like I genuinely did something, it's one of the only boss choices I had fun with... but no one ever mention it !

I know it's classic your choices have zero impacts, but what the hell. They grown on me too, I love their voice acting and... but seriously, I'm at Nanashi's place, I would beg Dagda to get me far away from those idiots who think that just because I know them for two or three day that make them your friends.

And it's not like I really dislike the story either, but still.

I would still recommend a magic build despite the DEX stat fix. It saves you money in the long run. I never worried about buying weapons or guns since I was doing more damage with spells and elemental stones. The game also gives elemental stones out like candy, so if you run out of MP during a boss fight, you can fall back on them.

Magic users do have to worry about skill slots since you have to use almost all of your free spaces if you want total weakness coverage.

Endgame magic builds, however, can just rely on one powerful spell, like Antichthon or Great Logos, along with Concentrate + Smile Charge to do massive damage to all enemies.

By endgame, I stopped carring about elemental spells, Nanashi had such high magic that he could just use stones and still deal incredible damage, since like you said, the game give them like it's out of style.

It also help that the final boss is basically an exam of sort. An hard ass exam. I enjoyed it !

[Leif]

So.... who picked Massacre ? Cuz I diiiiiid, and I had zero regrets !

The story choices are just... irritating. A simple example

Hallelujah: is obviously spy, like Dagda say, but the game forces you to have him in the team because of Asahi. Despite her saying 'it's up to you' just before !

When he show off his plot twist, you either have the choice to be understanding, or to say 'it's unforgivable', the last one being, a variation of the first. The hell.

While the choices during bosses are most of the time, about them asking you to do something stupid, but sometime, you have gems like...

Adramelech's fight. I used Asahi as a human shield against him, I had a huge advantage, felt like I genuinely did something, it's one of the only boss choices I had fun with... but no one ever mention it !

I know it's classic your choices have zero impacts, but what the hell. They grown on me too, I love their voice acting and... but seriously, I'm at Nanashi's place, I would beg Dagda to get me far away from those idiots who think that just because I know them for two or three day that make them your friends.

And it's not like I really dislike the story either, but still.

By endgame, I stopped carring about elemental spells, Nanashi had such high magic that he could just use stones and still deal incredible damage, since like you said, the game give them like it's out of style.

It also help that the final boss is basically an exam of sort. An hard ass exam. I enjoyed it !

Yeah, I'm doing the "bonds" ending first. I'm about to face..

Vishnu-Flynn

Honestly, if I weren't such a sap, I'd...

ditch those clowns and make a new universe with Dagda.

I have a separate save file for that ending pathway.

Magic builds are extremely useful early game, but become relatively pointless with Awakened Power + Pierce skills.

I changed my MC to a physical build thanks to infinite Strength Incenses. He now has Akasha Arts and Hell Thrust as his primary attacks, along with Salvation and other support moves, of course.

Edited October 13, 2016 by Leif

[B.Leu]

I can't blame you, I was at this to do the same on my first run.

There's a lot of things wrong about the bond route, but what I find the most jarring is that it's basically (read that once you finished)

ignoring all the problem in the world that'll continue to exist because... because.

You'll probably want to do the different path in a NG+, since you'll get NG+ things, Fiends apparently drop new things by the third NG+, and because IMO, redoing all the game is not that much of a pain.

I dunno if you know, but after defeating the boss you're about to face,

you really should go back to the ark, where Kishna was sealed and you'll.get a nice surprise.

Nothing tell you that in the game, so I prefer to tell you now. I got screwed on my first run.

Awakened Power (High Pleroma AND Pierce !) is ridiculousy good anyways, so yeah, I can believe you on that one.

Just saying it right now you are going to hate, hate, hate the last dungeon.

[Radiant head]

do i need to beat iv first before this game?

normally it would be a no-brainer to do so, but i'm really strapped for time/money to play games these days.

Edited October 14, 2016 by Radiant head

[Azure Sen]

do i need to beat iv first before this game?

normally it would be a no-brainer to do so, but i'm really strapped for time/money to play games these days.

The game does a pretty good job of explaining what's going on in the context of IV, and otherwise completely diverges from IV plot-wise, so I'd say you're good to not play IV first.

[Konnor97]

do i need to beat iv first before this game?

normally it would be a no-brainer to do so, but i'm really strapped for time/money to play games these days.

what AzureSen said, but maybe also familiarize yourself with the neutral route. omegaevolution has some videos for it

[Radiant head]

oh yeah his videos on this game always show up in my yt recommendations.

thanks for the responses!

[B.Leu]

Getting those specials drop from the Fiends is a nightmare, the DLC make it easier, but geez. I don't want to deal with level 999 demons. I save and reload for now.

And to think in older SMT games, it was 1/1000-or so chance that they appeared in one specific place, I shudder to think what the odds are for the drops. I did not even knew they existed in SMT1 and SMT2, let alone they had special drops !

[Jedi]

I got the game finally, I'm only at 1/8th moon.

I just fought Shesha for the first time

Going with mostly a magic build my stats at level 28 with my current equipment is

St 24

Dx 29

Ma 103

Ag 60

Lu 18

Also I was pleasantly surprised to see Marin Karin and the charm skills back, and to see they are very effective against little encounters just like SMT 1 & 2, heck Hordes practically kill themselves with charm.

I'm really enjoying the game so far.

Edited October 24, 2016 by Jedi