Shin Megami Tensei IV

[Cyril]

I'm so happy.
Three words:  Auto demon summoning.

I've been waiting for this forever.

That is, when fusing a special demon you don't have to go and summon it, it will summon from the Compendium automatically (for the same price).  I know it's only a few button presses, but this is such a nice feature for mass fusions that I feel a post needs to be dedicated to loving it.

[Fadedsun]

I finally received it today! I played through the first 30 minutes to get to the training exercises. I haven't found the voice acting bad at all, or the dialogue particularly bad. Really enjoying everything thus far.

[Starmongoose]

I am so bad at managing my macca, I never seem to have any.

[Taelus]

I'm so happy.
Three words:  Auto demon summoning.

I've been waiting for this forever.

That is, when fusing a special demon you don't have to go and summon it, it will summon from the Compendium automatically (for the same price).  I know it's only a few button presses, but this is such a nice feature for mass fusions that I feel a post needs to be dedicated to loving it.

Agreed. Love that.

[Fadedsun]

Another thing I love: they tell you what the skill is going to change to! The worst was deciding to change a skill when you had no idea what it was going to change to.

[AuraChannelerChris]

Apparently, the reason why reviews say that the characters are "bland" is because they're being mostly biased with Persona 3 & 4 where character development was in high order.

So yes, the characters aren't bland if you don't even compare it to its sister series.

[PaleRobbie]

I don't think I quite understand the automatic demon fusion comment.  Are you talking about the recommended demons when you start the Cathedral of Shadows app?  Just want to make sure I'm not missing something.

Made it through that hard part, and then my incredibly unbalanced party made mincemeat of the next two bosses.  It really is a game about preparation, and I can see why they give you a strategy guide when you buy it.  It feels a lot like Demon's/Dark Souls in that you have to know what you're walking into in order to survive.  Thankfully, the ability to save anywhere makes it fairly painless to try again when you get slaughtered by a boss.  More games, especially turn based RPGs, need this kind of save system! 

[MeshGearFox]

Game get!

I should probably get on this right away to take advantage of the currently free DLC.

Also, there are like no physical copies of this at all around here. I ended up getting stupidly lucky and found one right off the bat. At least I got it and can now start saving up for Tales of Xillia.

How do you get the DLC? Do I need an actual 3DS to... associate it with an account?

[Cyril]

I don't think I quite understand the automatic demon fusion comment.  Are you talking about the recommended demons when you start the Cathedral of Shadows app?  Just want to make sure I'm not missing something.

Oh, no, it's really simple. One of those small additions that can make a world of a difference on the fluidity scale.

If you go to the "Special" demon fusion menu it'll list the demons you need to fuse, just like every other SMT game.  The difference is even if you don't have them in your current stock; you can still fuse said Demons by summoning them automatically during the fusion process.  The fusion appears to cost money but it's actually the summoning.

It basically stops you from having to kick demons to make room for summoning more. Or from having to go through the compendium to summon the ones you need only to forget that third demon, then having to go back into the fusion screen to check its name and finally go back to the Compendium again and find it.

[AuraChannelerChris]

Game get!

I should probably get on this right away to take advantage of the currently free DLC.

Also, there are like no physical copies of this at all around here. I ended up getting stupidly lucky and found one right off the bat. At least I got it and can now start saving up for Tales of Xillia.

How do you get the DLC? Do I need an actual 3DS to... associate it with an account?

Uh, no. It's right there in the Start Menu under "Add-On Content." No need to have some sort of account.

[MeshGearFox]

So it downloads directly to the cart, then? Oh welp. Didn't really want it anyway.

[Ashton]

So it downloads directly to the cart, then? Oh welp. Didn't really want it anyway.

Actually it downloads directly to the 3DS. It's associated by system, not account.

[Taelus]

Apparently, the reason why reviews say that the characters are "bland" is because they're being mostly biased with Persona 3 & 4 where character development was in high order.

So yes, the characters aren't bland if you don't even compare it to its sister series.

Yeah, I kind of expected a lot of 'WHY ISN'T IT LIKE PERSONA?!'

Derek and I have pretty much decided it's Digital Devil Megami Tensei. It's got the characterization that I enjoyed in DDS, but the gameplay of SMTIII. I'm in love. Literally haven't been able to put it down.

[Eusis]

I wonder how many of those can be drawn to SMT1&2 and not just DDS?

Although it is funny that, say, the music CD lists "sdds IV" for a track, which I imagine comes out to "Shin Digital Devil Story" which makes the Digital Devil bit a bit more fitting than you'd think.

[Taelus]

It's definitely drawing a lot from SMT1 and 2, and I think those are things in its favor.