Digital Devil Saga 2

I wont mince words. This is one of the greatest JRPGs ever made. In my mind, Altus has easily replaced Square-Enix as the kings of this genre. DDS1 and 2 are masterpieces of gaming. The combat is fast (as fast as turn based can be anyway) and demands strategy. The story is dark, tragic, and compelling. The characters are unique and likable. There are only 3 very minor complaints. The first is that the skill learning system is not as clean as DDS1. The second is a certain event at the very end of the game causes one of the characters to look ridiculous for the final dungeon. The third is that a lot of bosses end up being trial and error fights. If you go in with the wrong party members or missing some important skills, the bosses can and will decimate you, forcing you to reload at the save point and try a new strategy. This can get frustrating, but going back and grinding them beneath your demonic heel makes it all the more satisfying.

Very very nice and clean 👌

Playing and completing both entries of Digital Devil Saga was a lengthy but enjoyable journey. However, I feel as if- just like with all SMT games- I'm going to have to play through it at least one more time. The reason I say that is because I was left with many questions after beating the game. The story is very intriguing and gives you the motivation to push forward, but feels unfinished; hopefully because it's meant to be played more than once. In terms of gameplay, it's quite similar to the first DDS, but a little more "polished"; it feels more rewarding, there are a few new skills, and the way the Atma grid is arranged makes leveling up and skill-collecting more fun. Definitely gonna give it another go, but for now, I'll be progressing in other SMT games until I'm ready for more Digital Devil Saga.

Deep themes, engrossing action, superb writing and character design, and difficult, interesting boss fights. Also, the main theme ("Danger," by Etro Anime) will be stuck in your head for weeks.

Factory sealed, amazing condition and arrived in a timely manner.

If you've played DDS 1 and were wonderstruck by the amazing story line and hours of challenging gameplay, this game is no let down. It has been further streamlined, using the same engine the first game had, but eliminating major problems such as the difficulty in acquiring money for mantras and items, and turn icons being eliminated after hitting an enemy who is not weak to an area of effect spell. The only difficulty is the massive amount of time that will be spent trying to master all of the mantras, the best in the game are unrealistically expensive and there are no buffs for increasing money collected, but this is hardly a shortcoming and is much what you would expect from a shin megami tensei game. A definite must play.

SMT is based off of a book series in Japan that is a cult favorite like Rocky Horror picture show that may appeal, or not, to any given person. The game is well created and is one of many in the Shin Magami Tensei series that include the Persona series as well. This, being the second, part 2, will allow you to carry over your saves from the first SMT: Digital Devil Saga.

(Note: this review covers both Digital Devil Saga games, because their gameplay is nearly identical, and the story of the second is a direct continuation of the first.) The first thing you should know about Digital Devil Saga is that it's a Shin Megami Tensei (MegaTen) game, through and through. If you've played another recent game in this franchise (e.g. Nocturne, Persona 3 or 4), you know what's coming: very strategy-intensive turn-based combat, with a lot of dungeon crawling in between. There's no action component to speak of, so the outcome of each battle depends entirely on build optimization, battle tactics, and the whims of the random number god. Oh, and level grinding. Expect a lot of that. These are very challenging games, but they do reward skill and planning, unlike some in which only grinding really helps. This is probably for the best, since the grinding involves some irritating random elements. The story is dark, interesting, and more than a little strange, but don't expect too much of it. If you're one of those people who dislike a lot of modern RPGs for being movies with occasional bits of gameplay, you'll like these games. I wasn't such a fan. The story in the first game is basically buildup for the second, so don't expect many questions answered or mysteries solved. The second game does better on the story front, but still leaves some loose ends hanging, and pays almost no attention to the sorts of little details that make fantasy worlds believable. The characters are likeable, at least, and undergo some interesting development. The graphics are pretty standard for middle era PS2: they're stylish and distinctive, but not as vivid as some, like Final Fantasy 12 or the Xenosaga series. The music comes courtesy of Shoji Meguro, the regular composer for the MegaTen games. It's got a techno/industrial feel that stands out from many other video game soundtracks, but outside of that it's kind of forgettable. It's certainly not his best work. In conclusion: these are good games, but not great. I'd recommend other MegaTen games over these two, but they're still worth playing.