RPG series have a habit of getting stuck in a rut.  The combat systems stay the same.  Characters, places, items, and mascots get recycled over and over.  The general themes of the storylines rarely change.  Thankfully, one series has moved in a different direction this year.  No, I’m not talking about Final Fantasy, though it will be interesting to see what they have cooked up in XII, I’m talking about the Shin Megami Tensei series.  The PS2 has played host to three of the series futuristic turn based RPGs, Nocturne and both Digital Devil Sagas, and is now getting the series latest edition, Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs the Soulless Army.  Devil Summoner scraps turn based combat in favor of a real time action oriented style of play.  Its uncharted territory for the Megaten series, but I’m here to tell you why change is good.

You’ll assume the mantle of Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th.  Raidou is a devil summoner, in 1930’s Japan, whose duty is to defend the Capitol from the denizens of the dark world.  His assistant/sidekick on this quest is Gouto a talking cat.  Gouto Is kind of like a built in hint system and gives Raidou advice when your next move isn’t quite transparent.  Raidou works for Shouhei Narumi, the proprietor of the Narumi Detective Agency.  Because of Raidou’s ability to see and combat demons, the Narumi Detective Agency tends to take on a pretty strange case load.

The first case starts off with a bang when Narumi and Radiou meet Kaya Daidouji.  Kaya pleads with the pair of detectives to kill her, but before they can ask any questions she’s kidnapped by a group of soldiers in red armor.  Tracking down Kaya is just the first in a series of events that will have you facing off against a Russian monk that can also summon demons, uncovering a devious military plot, breaking a curse and much more.

Luckily you won’t be alone as you do all this.  While investigating and in combat Raidou can summon a demon ally.  When not in combat demons can use special abilities to find hidden items, pick up loose change, read NPCs minds and more, but its combat where they really shine.  In combat demons support Raidou by attacking the opponents weaknesses and using special abilities to keep Raidou’s health at maximum.

Raidou’s no slouch in combat himself though.  He packs a revolver that can be loaded with various types of elemental ammunition and a katana.  To swing the katana through a series of combos you’ll use the square button.  Triangle fires the pistol and X blocks.  You can also use R1 to bring a menu that allows you to give detailed orders to your demon ally, use items, or change ammo.

The circle button is used for confining demons. When you exploit an enemy demon’s weakness you can attempt to capture it.  To do this you stand close to the demon and mash the circle button as quick as you can.  Push it quickly enough and the demon joins your team of summonable helpers.

While you can level up each of these demons to make them stronger, Devil Summoner features a deep fusion system.  By fusing two demons together you’re able to create a new demon that is typically stronger than the two previous demons.  The new demon can inherit skills and stat points from its predecessors making it even more powerful than one caught in the wild.  You can also use sacrifice fusion to make one demon stronger at the expense of another.   Lastly, demons can also be fused to Raidou’s katana giving it a better attack value while also giving Raidou special resistances and stat bumps.

Gameplay: 7.8

I find it a bit odd that you can only have one demon in combat with you.  Other action RPGs usually have two to three allies on screen during combat sequences.  It does make for good strategy though as you’ll be constantly switching demons so that you’ll have the needed skills in play.  Raidou’s combos are fairly simple and it’s real easy to settle into boring button mashing during random battles.  Boss battles on the other hand require a good bit more skill and keep you on your toes.  The storyline is good but the turn of the century Japanese culture vs. Western culture plot may not interest fans of normal fantasy RPGs.

Graphics: 8.0

While taking the Shin Megami Tensei gameplay in a new direction, Devil Summoner goes retro with it graphics.  While investigating the various sections of the capital the backgrounds are 2D renders with 3D characters.  The backdrops are gorgeous and are populated with tons of NPCs wandering around on their daily business. The 3D characters scale properly as they move into the distance or closer to the screen and blend seamlessly into the environments.  The battle segments, on the other hand, take place in fully 3D square arenas that are modeled after the area in which the random battle was triggered.  Lastly, the overworld map is a maze of a circles and lines that you’ll move along to get to different portions of the city. It serves it’s purpose, but it’s not much to look at.

Sound: 7.5

Like Nocturne, Devil Summoner has no voice acting.  It’s a shame, because there are some great cut scenes that solid voice acting might have made even better.  Luckily the game has a great soundtrack that helps set the tone.  For those of you used to the typical somber tunes that the Megaten games tend to feature you’ll be in for a shock.  The majority of the music is bouncy jazz that fits the era perfectly.  It’s a great aural experience overall, but it’s odd to play an RPG that lacks any sort of voice acting in this day and age.   

Difficulty: Medium/Very Hard

The initial play through isn’t extremely difficult as long as you take the time to level up Raidou and his contingent of demon allies.  You’ll also need to make good use of the fusion techniques to ensure that you’re ready to face whatever the game can throw at you next.  After finishing the game, you’ll have the option to start a new game in hard mode.  This increases item prices, damage Raidou takes from enemies and other parts of the game that ratchets the difficulty of the up in a big way.  Definitely not for the faint of heart.

Concept: 8.9

Combine the intriguing Shin Mega Tensei turn based RPGs with an action RPG like Radiata Stories or Star Ocean and you get Devil Summoner.  It’s a somewhat light hearted take on the Megaten series that throws the typical battle conventions out the window and reinvents itself while keeping all the things fans enjoy.

Overall: 8.6

I recommend Shin Megami Tensei games to RPG fans every time I get the chance.  The only problem though is trying to recommend one that fits the gaming habits of the person I’m suggesting the series too.  Devil Summoner is just more ammo in my clip now.  It’s an action packed romp that has all the trappings of the Megaten series, but a bit less of the doom and gloom the series is known for.  The only thing that may make it less accessible to Western audiences is how steeped in Japanese culture the game is.  Just keep a pencil and paper nearby to scribble down place names and you’ll be in for one of the best RPG experiences of the year.