Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance is a game many fans of the original game, Shin Megami Tensei 5, had been excitedly waiting for, with its brand-new story paths and additions to the game. To progress well in the game, one thing players must know how to do is recruit demons, which can be more complicated than it may seem. It requires the player to have good conversation skills, determine the demon’s personality, and which answer they want to hear.
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All of this can be a bit complicated for new players, so here’s a guide on how to converse and recruit demons into the player’s party.
Choosing the Talk Option
To start the negotiation talk, the player will, of course, have to first enter a fight with a demon. The player can pick whatever demon they want. When that is done, the player will have to pick the talk option during the fight. It’s important to note that this option is only available for the Nahobino. Other characters and demons are unable to do it. So the player should make sure it’s the Nahobino’s turn to do this.
Conversation
Once the player chooses to speak with the demon, a conversation will ensue. The player will converse with the demon in random dialogues, an example being the first demon the player recruits, the Pixie Fairy. She will ask the player if they think she is cute. The player has the option to say “You’re cute,” “Not Really,” or “I’m leaving.” To know which option to choose, the player should try and guess which answer the demon would like to hear by assessing their personality. The Pixie Fairy’s favorite answer will be the first, “You’re cute.”
This is one the easiest ones to guess and it can definitely get harder later on to guess which response the demon would prefer. If the player succeeds in pleasing the demon, they will be able to move on to the next step – bargaining.
Bargaining
Once the demon is pleased with the player, they will bargain with them, as demons want something in exchange for joining the player. This can be anything, from items, to Macca, or even HP or MP from the player.
If the player doesn’t want to risk it, they should just give the demon whatever they ask for. However, the player also has the option to negotiate back, as some demon ask for a bit too much often.
The player can then choose the “Ask for something else” option, which can have the demon demand something else. But, if the player does it too much, the demon might get upset. The player can also choose the option “You don’t need that” or “I think you’ve had enough” which could also cause the demon to get pissed, but in some situations, could also work.
A new addition to Vengeance is also something known as a Gold Card. This card, when in the player’s possession, allows them to recruit a demon without any hassle during the bargaining phase. However, the player shouldn’t use it on just any demon. Instead, leave it for the ones that are harder to recruit.
Stat Test
Instead of asking for something in exchange for joining the player, the demon might ask for a test in a certain stat, usually reflected by the demon’s own best stats. The player has the option to reject or accept the demon’s proposal.
If the player accepts, the demon and the player’s chosen stat will be compared, and the one with the highest stat wins. If the player wins, the demon will join without any more additional hassle. If the demon wins, the player will get attacked and have to try again to recruit this demon.
It’s also interesting to note that in Vengeance, demons can now quiz the player about some demons, instead of doing a stat test, and it works the same way, where the demon will join the player if they succeed.
Things To Keep in Mind when Recruiting a Demon
Moon Phase Reaction
An important thing most players forget about is how the moon affects how demons act. Now, which phase of the moon affects them depends on each individual. The major phases of the moon to keep in mind are the full moon and new moon.
During one of these phases, some demons will be impossible to talk to, as the moon will cause them to act weirdly. In that case, the player should simply kill the demon or escape and try again after the moon phase changes.
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On the other hand, the opposite moon phase will cause the demon to be more cooperative, and this way, the player will be more likely to be recruited. Learning which demon reacts better with which moon phase is a learning curve for the player.
Demons Begging for Mercy
Sometimes, the player won’t even have to speak to a demon for them to be recruited in the first place. Instead, some demons will beg for mercy sometimes if they’re low on HP against the player.
In that case, the player has a few options with them, which can range from them joining the player, to asking them for money, or even asking them to give the player their essence.
This doesn’t always happen, but players should definitely take advantage of it whenever it does to grab a demon for free.
Other Demons Stepping in To Help
A new feature seen in Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance is how some of the player’s ally demons can step in during a conversation. This does not always happen, but it can be some good luck for the player when it does.
When the player upsets a demon by not answering a question to their taste or failing a stat test, a demon of the player’s own can show up and diffuse the situation, allowing the player to advance to the bargaining stage.
Recruiting a Demon With A Higher Level Than The Player
When the player goes after a demon that’s currently over them, level-wise, the situation might be a bit different. Of course, the player can still talk to them, and even bargain or pass a stat test. However, the demon will realize the player is under them in level and won't follow them. However, fear not, as this does not mean the player’s efforts went to waste. When the player reaches the appropriate level, they can go find the demon in question, and speak to them again. They will join the player immediately after being talked to, without additional hassle.
Can You Recruit the Same Demon Twice?
After recruiting a demon once, you might wonder if you are able to recruit them again. The answer to that depends. If the same demon is still in the player’s roster, even if they’re in the stock, talking to the same then will lead that demon to tell you to take care of their kin, and maybe even earn you a reward.
However, if the player gets rid of that demon in their stock by fusion or any other way, then they will be able to recruit the same demon kind again. However, this is not necessary as they can get the demon by using Macca in the world of shadows.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , Switch
- Released
- June 14, 2024
- Publisher(s)
- Atlus , SEGA
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
