Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2/Avatar Tuner 2 - Sony Playstation 2 (2005)
American Cover
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2
The leader of the Lokapala, the resistance force against the karma society. Alas, he's a bit of a lush, and it's only when he meets Serph and crew that he gets into gear. His avatar is Indra.
The battle system is pretty much the same. The Karma system has been given an overhaul, allowing less linear progression along different magic skills. There's also a "half-demon" form your characters will enter when the solar noise is at max - while you can't cast any magic or transform, you're extremely powerful, at the expense of a drastically lower defense rate.
If you have a completed DDS1 save on your memory card, you can import certain bits of data. Various decisions you made in the first game can alter minor things in the second game. Since this is a direct continuation, there's really no point in picking it up unless you've played the first to completion, although a quick summary is given in the beginning. However, since the first game was essentially the prologue, DDS2 is the real meat of the story, and is overall much more fulfilling. There are only minor debatable problems - since this takes place in the human world (America, to be precise - the traditional "macca" currency has been ditched for good old "dollars"), some of the environmental designs are a bit more traditional (futuristic office buildings, slums, sewers, etc) and less unique than the other PS2 Megaten games. The music is also a bit more techno oriented, and is somewhat weaker overall.
MP3s
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs The Soulless Army - Sony Playstation 2 (2006)
Japanese Cover
Artwork
Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
The game is divided into several chapters, each with an individual story which ties into the plot as a whole. You're given free run of 1920s-era Japan, with more areas opening up as you progress.
Raidou Kuzunoha is the first in the series to ditch the standard turn-based system in favor of action based gameplay. There are still random battles, where you're zapped to a separate screen to fight battles. While there aren't as many moves as your typical 3D action game, Raidou can attack with his sword, fire his elemental-based gun, and block attacks. Additionally, you can have a single demon companion at a given time, which can be switched in and out as you please. Your demon pal pretty much acts on its own volition, although you can give it vague orders a la Star Ocean. Much like the other games, keeping elemental affinities will help you win battles with relative ease. Also, demon negotiations are gone entirely, and instead you need to capture demons by finding their weak spot and stunning them. The only minor issue is the battle camera, which is almost completely static - it can get hard to judge the distance of enemies when you're far away from it.
You can also call demons out when running around town. Each demon has their own kind of special ability. Fire-based demons have a skill called "Enflame", which will anger people and potentially make them shout of clues. Others can read minds and obtain vital secrets. Some can scout the area for enemies, while some search for hidden items. You can even take control of any demon and have them talk to people - it's amusing to see their reactions.
All of the backgrounds are prerendered, although the frame rate is much smoother than the previous games. It just feels awesome running around town, cape flowing in the wind and wearing an awesome hat, all while being trailed by a cute little kitty and whatever demon you have summoned. The music is pretty similar to Digital Devil Saga, although there's a flair of jazz mixed in with the hard rock. There are plenty of neat little touches for fans - the icon to represent demons is the same one used in the old FC/SFC games, and there's a mad scientist named Victor (just like the original Devil Summoner, except he looks more like a mad scientist than a sea captain), who heals you and gives advice on fusing and sacrificing demons. The overall atmosphere is less doom-and-gloom than most Megaten games, what with the talking cat and all, although the storyline still isn't exactly light-hearted.
The biggest stumbling blocks in Kuzunoha Raidou are the fetch quests. There are plenty of times where you need to find a certain item, and all you can do is run around town, interrogating people, testing demons powers, and moving on until you find what you're looking for. Furthermore, there are random battles practically everywhere, including towns, which can make all of the running around a little tedious (at least until you get the demon which lessens the encounter rate.) Thankfully, most of the battles are quick and easy, so it's not a huge problem. Otherwise, it's a fresh take on the franchise, both in its unique setting and unique gameplay mechanics.
MP3s
Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
The original Digital Devil Saga ended with our crew discovering that Nirvana really wasn't a happy place. A cruel sun beats down on a desolate landscape, filled with human-like statues and an evil organization known as the Karma Society, who also can turn into demons and devour human flesh. As it turns out, this is the Real World, and Serph and gang have escaped from their digital world to free the remnants of humanity. Most of the cast is the same as the previous game, with the exception of one new playable character.
Roland
Megami Tensei once again reinvents itself in its fourth PS2 title. Taking the name of the 32-bit era Devil Summoner series, Raidou Kuzunoha moves away from the modern/futuristic settings and into the past, back to pre-WWII Japan. As a young detective who's inherited the name "Raidou", it's your job to investigate all of the strange demon outbreaks around town. The story begins when Raidou receives a call from a young girl. They meet at night, where she begs for someone to kill her. Suddenly, a huge creation, clad in metal armor and a red cape, picks her up and whisks her away. Eventually, this is revealed to be a member of the Army of Ultimate Power, created by a military general named Munakata. But who are they? What are their purpose, and why did they take this girl?
Raidou
The hero. You get to enter your name, but you are given the name "Raidou", given that you are the fourteenth in the lineage of Devil Summoners. You are also accompanied by a talking cat named Gotoh.
Narumi
Raidou's boss, and the head of the detective agency. Has a fascination with the occult, naturally, but spends most of his days just sitting behind his desk.
Tae Asakura
A journalist who supplies Raidou and friends with scoops. She tries to make her living in a man's world.
Kaya Daidouji
The young girl who is kidnapped at the beginning of the game. She comes from quite a rich family.
