As the release ofShin Megami Tensei5gets closer, more eyes are on the franchise now than ever before. Since the last mainlineSMTentry released in 2013, thePersonafranchise has exploded in popularity in the West causing fans of the spinoff to want even more. Many fans picked upPersona 5in the years since its release on the glowing recommendations of many gaming enthusiasts now even knowing that thePersonaseries is actually a spinoff ofShin Megami Tensei. However, due tothe general inaccessibility of older games in thePersonafranchise, fans have been looking toShin Megami Tenseito scratch thePersonaitch once the new entry releases later this year.
Because thePersonaseries is a spinoff fromSMT, it makes sense that fans might be getting excited forShin Megami Tensei 5’s November release on the Switch. That said, it’s important forPersonafans to note that, while the two share a lot of things, they definitely aren’t the same games. That is to say, it seems like somePersonafans are expectingSMT 5to be similar toPersona 5, but that’s just not the case. Not to worry, however, as fans ofPersonashould still giveShin Megami Tenseia try as long as they know what they’re getting into and that it’s going to differ from the stylish PS4 exclusive.
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What Persona and Shin Megami Tensei Share
While their execution might differ, some ofthe core ideas ofShin Megami TenseiandPersonaare pretty similar, especially when evaluating their combat systems. Both revolve around teens fighting demons (or personas) to, hopefully, save the world. That’s where mostPersonafans will feel at home in theShin Megami Tenseigames as much of their battle systems are the same. Elemental moves like Agi, Bufu, and Zio are shared across the two franchises andP5’s Baton Pass system that players can use to strengthen their moves and capitalize on enemies' weaknesses shares a lot of similarities withSMT’s Press Turn system.
Additionally, both series share a lot of the same enemies. Iconic monsters like Jack Frost, Pixie, or Ame no Uzume appear across both franchises, although they’re classified as demons inShin Megami Tenseiand personas inPersona. What’s more, both series allow the player to recruit demons and personas and then fuse them together to create stronger versions. Somehigh-leveled demons and personas are locked behind multiple fusionswhich is a feature that’s shared across both series.
Other than that,PersonaandShin Megami Tenseiare pretty different experiences. Based on their battle systems, it’s easy to point out where the two might have split off from one another, however, beyond that, they’re essentially two completely different series.
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The Differences Between Persona and Shin Megami Tensei
TheShin Megami Tenseiseries has always been set in Japan and whilePersona 5and its spinoffs looked to Shibuya for their settings, the rest of the series has stuck with fiction, Japanese-inspired locations. WhileShin Megami Tenseidoes feature high school students as its lead cast of characters, the games are very rarely set in the high schools themselves whereaseachPersonatitle follows the day-to-day lives of students. Because of this,Personaends up blending a handful of different game genres together incorporating elements of genres like visual novels and social simulations.
Personadefinitely deals with some mature topics and themes throughout its many titles, butShin Megami Tenseiis a much more serious franchise thanPersona.Personais often filled with humor and plenty of levity which aren’t really present inSMT.Shin Megami Tenseifocuses more on the gravity of its numerous world-ending premises and rarely finds time for comic relief. Tonally, the two series differ greatly there becauseShin Megami Tenseidoesn’t focus too much on the high school and juvenile aspects of its characters, instead prioritizing the overall story.
In general,Shin Megami Tenseiis much more combat and system-focusedthanPersonais. Because the gameplay ofPersonabranches in so many different directions, the focus on combat takes a backseat for several hours on end while players deal with the franchise’s social elements. As those systems are absent inShin Megami Tensei, the game focuses more on its more technical side.
Both franchises have “other” worlds that their players travel to, but in the case ofShin Megami Tensei, it isn’tthe same metaverse that thePersonaseries is known for.SMT 5explores the netherworld which is a destroyed version of Tokyo that the protagonist needs to help shape. The player’s choices will have more impact than they do in thePersonaseries as they help shape the world into a new semblance of order.
Should Persona Fans Try Shin Megami Tensei 5?
GivenPersona’s newfound popularity and the fact that it seems like it’s going to be a while until a new mainline game is released, it wouldn’t be a bad idea forPersonafans to giveSMT 5a try. It’s important to remember that, while the two share DNA,they aren’t going to be the same experience. If someone enjoys the combat featured in thePersonaseries, thenShin Megami Tensei5feels like an easy recommendation, however, if they preferPersona’s social elements, then it might not be the series for them. That said,Shin Megami Tensei 5looks like it’s going to be another solid entry in the franchise and the Switch seems like a perfect place to play it given the console’s ease of use.
Shin Megami Tensei 5releases on November 12 for the Nintendo Switch.
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