So to wrap up the spooky month of October I bring to my readers the second title on the Kyūyaku Megami Tensei: Megami Tensei I - II collection, the remake of Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II. Is it a good game or at least, better than its predecessor? Let’s find out.
Introduction
Originally released for the Famicom on April 6, 1990, Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II is the second game in the Megami Tensei franchise. It’s the sequel to Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei I, released three years prior. It was developed by Atlus and published by Namco.
The story isn’t an adaption of the books written by Aya Nishitani, neither it follows the exploits of Nakajika and Yumiko from the first game. Instead, it has an original plot and new main characters.
It was a signifcant improvement over its predecessor, featuring better graphics, a real plot, a world that is far more interesting to explore than the complex mazes from the first game, besides more demons to fight and recruit.
Like its predecessor, Megami Tensei II never left Japanese shores, probably thanks to its religious content, considered inappropriate for western audiences. Fortunately, there is a translation made by Stardust Crusaders Translations released on 19 April 2022. But we’re not playing the Nes title today.
On March 31, 1995, Kyūyaku Megami Tensei: Megami Tensei I - II (旧約・女神転生 女神転生I・I) was released for the Super Famicom, the Japanese Super Nintendo. It is a remake of the first two Megami Tensei games, developed by Opera House and published by Atlus.
There are practically no difference between the remakes and the original titles, except the audio and visual upgrades, besides a few small changes here and there. The game was rereleased on the Wii’s Virtual Shop in 2012, but only in the Japanese storefront, making it available for more modern audiences.
I played Megami Tensei I on the Famicom many years ago, but I never played the second game. I used the unofficial translation made by DDSTranslation, as I can’t read Japanese.
The Narrative
On the year 199X (a popular year for disaster on that decade), nuclear weapons destroyed the world. Some people survived inside shelters, away from the horrors of the Japanese wasteland. The war created a dimensional rift in Tokyo, allowing demons to enter Earth.
The game starts inside Shelter Three, where two friends, the hero and the friend (that’s how the game calls them), are playing a computer game called Devil Busters. It is a very popular game in the shelter, as various characters speak about it. Probably it’s also the only way to have fun besides going to the bar and keeping the shelter population growing.
As soon as you kill Devil Busters’s final boss, a demon called Pazuzu appears, freed from the digital world by your act of gaming prowess. The demon says that he’s an emissary of God, and that both friends are Messiahs that will save this dying world from demons. So the heroes exchange the security of their shelter for the perils of the wasteland to save the world. As a small spoiler, I can tell you that later on a female companion will join your party, much to the friend’s chagrin.
Will they save the world? Will their friendship resist the hardships of the wasteland? Or will the hero fall for the female companion, forgetting his friend? To discover the answers, go play the game, as I won’t give you spoilers.
The game’s plot has a few twists and turns, and at least one truly memorable moment. Towards the end, a theme of order versus chaos emerges, but it’s not something fully explored during most of the game. I wouldn’t call its plot and story great, but it’s better than many Famicom-era JRPGs, as they usually lacked complex plots and memorable characters. It probably will keep you intrigued enough to complete the game.
Presentation
Overall, the game looks nice, and throws out the urban horror setting from the prior installment for a Mad Max wasteland style. As you explore the world, you will see bomb craters, gaze upon radioactive lakes and oceans, find ramshackle buildings, enter a few decrepit landmarks, and travel to new areas through abandoned metro stations. It’s very atmospheric and effective in visually showing how this world is ruined and that humanity is in a dire moment. Most of the game’s locations are representative of different areas of Tokyo and its surroundings.
Unlike the first game which was a claustrophobic dungeon crawler, in Megami Tensei II you explore the overworld in a 3×4 view (JRPG classic view), switching to a first person view whenever you enter a building or a dungeon. It’s similar to the first Phantasy Star on the Master System.
Thanks to the aforementioned dimensional rift, this world is populated by mythical beings and magical creatures. On your way you will find a bit of everything: unicorns, spirits, gods, demons, giant fishes, and even cyberpunk-styled bandits.
Overall, I liked the graphics. They are not the best the Super Nintendo has to offer, but are very competent. Having an overworld is a huge improvement, as the game feels a lot bigger and more varied, as you aren’t enclosed inside a giant maze on an endless march.
There are some detailed backgrounds, nice cutscenes, and the artwork from demons and NPCs is great. Still, some locations you explore in first-person view are hard to navigate since it’s hard to tell corridors and rooms apart since they lack any unique feature.
As for the music, personally, I didn’t enjoy it. Some songs are recycled from the first game (probably thanks to cartridge size limitations), lacking variety. Also, some tunes felt very out of place.
Mechanics
Most of the game’s mechanics remain the same. While exploring the overworld, on some inhabited areas you will find NPCs that will chit-chat or give important information, besides healers, a Cathedral of Shadow, and a few other places of interest. Not all cities have healers and a Cathedral of Shadows, so try to remember where they are located and plan accordingly.
Some districts also have a computer terminal station where it’s possible to save your progress and to teleport to other stations you already visited. This resource wasn’t present on the original release of Megami Tensei II, but was added on the Super Famicom remake, probably to replace the autopilot function in dungeons. Honestly, I think it was a huge improvement because it’s far useful to go directly to a city instead of just walking automatically through a dungeon.
The dungeon design improved a lot since the last game. Now they aren’t full of traps or annoying gimmicks and are much simpler to navigate. Some even have hidden secrets that lead to better items or secret allies.
Characters
There are two types of player characters: humans and demons.
Humans are your standard RPG character. They level up, use items, wear armor and attack using guns or melee weapons. This time you have three characters: the Hero, the Friend, and the Female Partner. You can name them when you start the game.
Only the hero has access to the Talk and COMP commands. Talk is used to communicate with demons in order to dissuade them from attacking you or to join your party. The COMP command serves to manage the party, summon or unsummon demons and to abandon them.
Interestingly, now humans can attack using guns or a melee weapon. While the former is found on stores, the latter can only be acquired on dungeons, during special events or when dropped by enemies. Equipment in the game is very expensive (emphasis on very), so prepare to grind a lot or to spend some time at the casinos. On a side note, I love the stores and vendors on this game. They are unique.
Like in the first title, demons will be the bulk of your party. There are more interesting designs and variety now, as you would expect from a sequel.
During combat, the Hero can use the Talk command to recruit an enemy. You may appease it, use a bribe or even intimidation. It’s not possible to recruit demons that are evil aligned, those that are unable to talk, those that are at a higher level than the Hero. It’s possible to recruit up to seven demons, but only five can stay on the active party.
After the recruiting process, a demon can be summoned by spending some money, It can be done while in battle, but it will also cost a turn. Demons consume Magnetite (MAG) to stay summoned, which is a type of currency earned by killing enemies. Each step will consume some MAG, the amount depending on how strong your demons are. Keep an eye on how much there’s left, since demons will start to lose HP if it runs out.
Demons won’t gain levels and also can’t use weapons or armor. There is no way to increase their attributes also, so eventually they will run out of utility. When the time arrives, you can abandon them or go to the Cathedral of Shadows to fuse two or three demons into a new, more powerful one. There are a lot of different fusions to try (there are charts online to help you in obtaining your favorite demon).
The process is very simple, and the game tells you the compatibility of demons and the fusion results beforehand, so there are no random results to undermine your progress. Also, to successfully fuse them, the resulting demon must have a level equal or lower than the Hero. Unfortunately, you can’t also acquire demons that are evil aligned through fusion, but there is a patch that mostly removes that limitation.
Battle System
Like on the previous game, battles start randomly, with an encounter rate that is tied to the lunar phase. You will have more fights at full moon, but fewer encounters during a new moon. Besides the frequency of random battles, it also impacts the strength of the demons and the size of the enemy group.
During battles, you can attack with a melee weapon or a gun, cast a spell or use an item. The Hero can also use the COMP or Talk commands during his turns to recruit demons and organize the party.
The auto battle works as before, making you fight until they die, or you die. Beware that it will use your last weapon of choice, be it melee or gun.
You still can’t choose who you’re attacking, but since guns will hit multiple enemies, it isn’t a huge problem. It still hinders your attacks, and can get you badly beaten, dead or worst: make you lose a level. That’s so awful.
Combat continues to be very slow and uninteresting, with almost no animations and simple sounds. There is no necessity of special strategies, just hit enemies with your strongest attacks and heal those that are hurt. It can become very boring during longer sessions.
Final Thoughts
Megami Tensei II isn’t a bad game. I can even say it was a great game on the Famicom. It’s very charming and full of personality, like many Japan-exclusive titles. The setting is its biggest asset, as it stands out in a genre mostly dominated by sword and sorcery. Highlights goes to the strange clothes stores, the blend of religions, myths and folktales, and the post nuclear wasteland. The presence of secrets and alternative paths also concur for its enjoyment.
Unfortunately, considering how the RPG genre evolved since the game’s original release and how little the remakes changed the core gameplay, it’s easy to conclude that the game was very outdated already in 1995.
Its mechanics aren’t engaging or fun. Its combat system is shallow, tedious, and sometimes unfair. For a game in which you need to grind a lot just to buy simple armor pieces, that’s a huge problem.
The story is serviceable, good for a Famicom game and has its good moments, but it’s not enough to justify a playthrough nowadays. The lack of an enjoyable soundtrack also damages the experience a lot.
In the end, Megami Tensei II was a great improvement over its predecessor and steered the franchise to a better path, but it lacks interesting characters, an engaging plot, and mechanics that won’t bore you. Maybe it’s a captivating experience for Megami Tensei fans who are brave enough to check the series’ roots, but for the rest of us it’s better to search for other adventures to embark.
Final opinion: Passable.