Shin Megami Tensei has never been as popular as its spinoff series, Persona, in the west. Both were actually pretty niche RPGs until Persona 3 released followed by its two sequels. This helped gain more and more popularity with each subsequent release. 

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That now means Shin Megami Tensei V is in a prime position and has the potential to do the same for its series on Switch as Persona 3 did on PS2. In order to help break out of the niche mold there are certain things that need to change. Changing too much though could be dangerous for the longtime fans so it’ll be a difficult balance. Atlus, here are some suggestions. 

10 Change: Social Bonds

In the last main game, Shin Megami Tensei IV, characters weren’t that memorable. They tried to do a better job in the direct sequel, Apocalypse, which did better, but characters were still mostly forgettable. That’s because there wasn’t much downtime in the game between major story beats and fighting. The Persona series takes its time and helps one connect players to characters which Shin Megami Tensei V should try as well. 

9 Keep: The Open-World

Even though characters are only represented by an arrow, they still get to explore an overworld map like classic RPGs. Technically games like Persona 5 have big worlds too but locations function as smaller set pieces.

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There’s no actual world map exploring. Getting to explore a fully realized overworld map with actual characters would be a step up from Shin Megami Tensei IV so it should be kept but evolved. 

8 Change: Battle System

Both series of games are approximately the same. Games like Persona 5 and its brethren are just flashier versions of a turn-based battle system. The core Shin Megami Tensei games feature windows in a first person viewpoint. They are even behind Dragon Quest who pioneered this viewpoint but has since evolved to at least show characters in the party. This might make connecting players to characters easier if they were to physically see them more. 

7 Keep: Post Apocalypse 

As dark as the Persona games can get, they don’t hold a candle to the main series. The last game took place in a post apocalypse of Japan wherein angels and demons were at war with humanity stuck in-between them. When one thinks about it, it was kind of Japan’s answer to Fallout 3. A bigger scoped game following that trend could be huge then for Shin Megami Tensei V but only if done right. 

6 Change: Capturing Demons

Capturing Shadows and getting them on the main character’s side was all about obtaining cards after battle in Persona 3 and Persona 4. Persona 5 changed this formula and adapted a more Shin Megami Tensei approach. In battle, players now had to talk Shadows into joining them. It was similar but different enough to both to make it easier and more engaging which Shin Megami Tensei V should adhere to. 

5 Keep: The Length

Both games are long RPGs with tons of extras. However, Shin Megami Tensei IV was much more manageable in the forty hour range which is fairly standard for the genre. Then for Persona 5 and the rest tend to hit double that amount of time. They are great, with every second being wonderful, but that is still long for many players to commit to. Hopefully Shin Megami Tensei V will keep it relatively short comparatively.

4 Change: Dungeons

Dungeons were always a problem of looking great in the overall series. There was generally not much to them up until Persona 5. That changed both series all around. They, Palaces, were much more intricately designed making them more memorable. The overall nature that made Persona 5 stand out was its style, which it oozed out of every pore, or polygon in this case. Dungeons in Shin Megami Tensei V need to reflect that in its dungeons as well. 

3 Keep: The Darker Story 

To coincide with Shin Megami Tensei V keeping a darker area, or setting with the post apocalypse, hopefully the story will reflect that too. There were gods in Persona 5, but again, the overall narrative was much happier in tone or at least one could say optimistic.

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The thing that was great about Shin Megami Tensei IV and its predecessors were their bleakness and that’s something that should continue as it flavors the genre better on the whole. It doesn’t necessarily have to take place in an apocalypse but let’s strive for a tone on the scale of Attack on Titan or Neon Genesis Evangelion. 

2 Change: A More Relatable Hero

There is an issue that has plagued Shin Megami Tensei and its various spinoffs for years now. The silent protagonist has got to go. RPG fans understand what the developers are going for. A silent protagonist is designed so that players can seemingly feel like they are in control. However, games like Mass Effect have proven that player choice can still feel good if the main character is voiced. Perhaps it can feel even more engrossing which is why the main character in Shin Megami Tensei V should be voiced as well. 

1 Keep: The Music

The music in Persona 5 and its predecessors all fit the upbeat mood of a high schooler. The same holds true for the main games what with the darker tones in setting and narrative. While the Persona soundtracks are easier to listen to outside of the game, the more moodier music of Shin Megami Tensei has its place too. Filling Shin Megami Tensei V up with poppy music just wouldn’t fit it so no need for change there. 

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