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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Review

by Mike Moehnke · Published July 19, 2018 · Updated November 18, 2018

Age of Extinction

Every few years I get in the mood to tackle something else from the massive Megami Tensei line of titles, and that synced conveniently with the release of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux . The word from this game’s original edition warned that it would be a considerable timesink, and that is most definitely still the case. Strange Journey in its Redux form actually manages to be even more of a timesink due to the addition of a mammoth new dungeon to explore, but at least this is not a complete waste of the many hours required to persevere. My urge to play anything else in the series has been successfully quashed for another year or two.

A baffling phenomenon in Antarctica called the Schwarzwelt has aroused the intense interest of decision-makers around the world. This phenomenon is slowly expanding from the South Pole and placing all land inside within a black border that is impenetrable to all scanning efforts. No drones sent into the Schwarzwelt have survived to return, and the images they managed to broadcast before contact was lost only produce more questions instead of answers. Four ships crewed with the most talented people possible are about to set out into the Schwarzwelt, in order to hopefully learn what is happening. Upon entering the area matters within quickly diverge from what was planned, and an already-dangerous mission sees its odds of success decrease further. The player takes the on role of a soldier recruited in the event that combat prowess is needed inside, something that quickly proves to be a helpful skill set to aid survival once the demons inside the Schwarzwelt appear.

Strange Journey Redux has an enormously ambitious narrative that attempts to detail a series of events through which a demonic takeover of the Earth could occur, while avoiding any obvious insertions of unbelievable methods to advance the plot. It has a fairly large cast of characters with some depth to their motivations. The personalities at play are not as complex as they could be, since certain key players are locked into paths regardless of what the player might choose. Such ambition is worthy of praise even when not everything the narrative attempts is a success, and Atlus USA’s typically strong localization ensures that what transpires remains gripping. This is an involving tale that manages to keep coming up with interesting developments throughout, and avoids treating the player like a dullard when doing so. Having three potential endings in the original game along with new material including additional endings for the Redux version ensures that plenty of time can be spent with this setting if desired.

smt strange journey switch

Please be more specific. Who are they? If I knew, maybe it would mean something.

Efforts to give the player input into morality are where the narrative does not come off best, primarily thanks to the limited options available. Three morality tracks provide the options for responses in numerous scenarios, but often none of the available responses convey what the player would prefer to do. These segments definitely offer more shades of gray and realistic portrayals of humanity than will be found in most RPGs, but not nearly enough to represent the gamut of possibilities found in the real world.

Armed with a specialized suit that allows him to manipulate his surroundings, the protagonist wanders the multiple dungeons of Strange Journey while encountering plentiful demons along the way. In the vein of many other titles in this series, conversation with just about all battle participants is possible and often encouraged. Demons come with a sizable variety of personality traits, from old fogeys to creatures incapable of uttering more than guttural grunts. Conversation will frequently net rewards, and many demons are perfectly willing to join the player’s stable of party members if the right incentives are submitted. The chance also exists that the player will manage to infuriate instead of ingratiate, but the plentiful options for talking things through are both interesting and worthwhile.

Many demons cannot be convinced to join the player and must be created through fusion. All defeated bosses and numerous scarce beings not regularly encountered can be created via the combination of demons extant in the current stock, which is an absorbing process that will divert a substantial amount of time. As in other games from the series, what can be created is strictly limited by the protagonist’s current level, which at least provides an excellent reason to seek out additional combat. Fused demons can also inherit certain valuable abilities from previously-acquired party members, giving more incentives to spend time with this system.

smt strange journey switch

Demonee-Ho will treat you like dirt, and you will like it, soldier!

Combat itself is a relatively straightforward turn-based affair in which the player and up to three companion demons duke it out against adversaries. Due to the presence of various elemental affinities and weaknesses, there is no such thing as a character optimal for every situation. Some enemies absorb or reflect attacks of specific types, and status ailments work regularly if the recipient is not immune. An important battle component is the automatic supporting attacks unleashed when an enemy’s weakness is hit, something that is most helpful against defensively-powerful opponents. Bosses require attention to be paid, as some of their abilities can destroy an unsuspecting player on even the lowest difficulty.

Navigation of the dungeons is often no less a task than prevailing in altercations, as these are sizable places with many devious tricks to tax the player. One-way doors and poisonous floor tiles are just the beginning — soon enough other nasty elements such as holes in the ground and teleporter mazes add to the bedlam. Patience and the presence of an automap on the lower screen aid in unraveling these tricky places, which are addictive to explore even as they befuddle. Strange Journey oddly locks off certain parts of dungeons until New Game Plus mode is achieved, and it is bothersome to see such locations appear on the map without any way to explore them, especially when the game already requires around eighty hours to complete.  That time can be lowered a bit by attempting to plow through the game without stopping to look around, but a great number of optional missions that usually ask for thorough navigation of the dungeons also exist to contribute still more content.

Redux adds a number of options to the mix, starting with the ability to choose a difficulty upon beginning the game. Casual challenge is not a cakewalk but does make things more manageable. The major addition to Redux is a new character’s appearance in the second dungeon which opens the Womb of Grief, a completely new area which itself takes at least twenty hours to explore. Going through the Womb of Grief is optional but yields extremely helpful abilities that can tailor random encounter rates to the player’s liking and make dungeon navigation much easier. Among the very helpful things to be gained in the Womb of Grief is a function that shows where a teleporter will take the party, something that otherwise is dependent entirely upon memory. Unless one waits until near the end of the game, it is impossible to explore the Womb of Grief in one trek, since its lower portions can only be unlocked once various abilities to open multiple types of sealed areas in the main storyline are achieved. Each new floor represents a completely different undertaking and exploring the place is a worthwhile endeavor. Going through it also broadens the game’s conclusion options.

smt strange journey switch

Want to make your life easier? Get these and turn them on.

Inventory arrangement is not one of this game’s strong suits due to the sheer amount of time it can take. Each specific item has an individual maximum amount that can be in the player’s possession, which at least eliminates the need to constantly return to home base in order to dump surplus supplies. Most new creations of the home base crew available for purchase require very distinct components that enemies and environments won’t consistently produce, and this can lead to many occasions where a tempting thing is inaccessible until the player tediously acquires its constituent ingredients. Just sifting through the huge mass of acquired materials in order to sell what is unnecessary also takes a very long time when several hundred possibilities are present. In most other ways the interface is functional, but this tediousness is difficult to overlook.

Strange Journey Redux betrays its DS origins through the visuals that mostly date from its original iteration, though the result is not so much unpleasant as unremarkable. Dungeon layouts make the various areas distinct from each other but also have these places look pretty much the same within each location. An impressive variety of demon images will be found within, but they don’t move much and numerous designs will have been seen before in other Megami Tensei titles. First-person dungeon exploration rarely attracts much attention through its astounding good looks, and Strange Journey Redux does not break this trend. There are a few cinematic sequences which look nice but take up a very small portion of the time spent playing.

Redux adds voiced dialogue to all the plot developments, something that can help give a little more character to the personalities. Its Japanese cast is workmanlike throughout but does not achieve such a stellar quality of performance as to entice all players to listen, especially when numerous demons have short vocal clips that will be heard many times during the proceedings. The music has some good compositions but really needed more variety, especially in its dungeon themes. Too many areas use male choral effects that sound similar, and later areas get reused compositions from earlier. Certain tracks are indeed very pleasant to the ear, particularly those heard when confronting bosses, but they aren’t heard often enough.

I enjoyed my time with Strange Journey Redux , and the many things its dungeons offered will stick with me. Its narrative is also interesting and should be applauded for what it attempts, even if the story’s reach is not quite what it can attain. I was also ready to be done by the time the credits rolled and uninterested in starting the whole thing again to see another ending or reach the heretofore-forbidden areas, which keeps Redux from being among the crowning achievements in my RPG experience. It was a worthwhile title to encounter though, and should at least be tried by anyone curious.

smt strange journey switch

Redux content is nice

Interesting and alluring setting

Plenty of things to do

Time-consuming inventory management

Dungeon themes don't vary much

Tags: 3DS Atlus Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey Redux

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StrawberryEggs

I’m not sure when I’ll be playing this, seeing as I hadn’t even gotten around to getting the other endings in the original DS release. Still, I think I will enjoy taking this strange journey again.

plattym3

Thanks for this, Mike. After 150ish hours of Backtrack listened to in 2018, hear your voice reading this in my head (is that weird?). Looks like a pretty decent time sink ahead for me once I clear a few others from the backlog!

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Review: Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

Image of CJ Andriessen

Strange things are happening to me

Eight years ago, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey  was my first experience with anything SMT  related. I was hesitant at first, not being a fan of first-person dungeon crawlers at the time. I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up my copy at GameStop and booted it up on my Nintendo DSi XL. While it would be many more years before the genre would click for me, I came away from the game with a great appreciation for the world Atlus has constructed and its devil-may-care attitude about appropriating various religious deities.

It was the opposite of the happy-go-lucky games I normally play, and even today, Strange Journey  remains an oddity in my DS game collection. Strange Journey Redux  isn’t as much of an outsider on my 3DS having bought every other Shin Megami Tensei  game to hit the handheld, but it is still one deep, dark, and devilish ride.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux review

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux (3DS) Developer: Atlus Publisher: Atlus Released: May 15, 2018 (North America), May 18, 2018 (Europe) MSRP: $39.99 

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux  takes me and my merry band of mercenaries to Antarctica, where a massive cornucopia of realities known as the Schwarzwelt is slowly expanding. My mission is to study the phenomenon and stop it before it spreads across the planet. Once inside, I’m quickly assimilated to new technology that will allow me to traverse the twisted paths of the sectors I’ll explore and stay alive in turn-based battles with the help of demons I meet along the way.

To the outsider, one who’s never picked up an SMT  game before, it can look like Pokémon  for adults. In reality, Strange Journey Redux  takes a more nihilistic approach to the monster-catching genre. There are 350 demons for me to confront, converse with, and eventually add to my team, but I can only carry up to 18 of them at a time. These aren’t buddies I’m supposed to grow fond of, but rather blocks to be taken apart and rebuilt as I see fit. They’re nothing more than their abilities to me, tools for my success. There’s something grim about having a demon beg to join my crew, only for me to immediately turn and fuse that new creature with another from my stock because they have Luster Candy which is a frickin’ useful skill.

The meat and potatoes of Strange Journey Redux  is the same as it was eight years ago. I still travel from sector to sector, first-person dungeon crawler style, trying to find a way out of the Schwarzwelt while the forces of heaven and hell try to corrupt me. Its hard sci-fi cum theology lesson of a story meshes well with the backdrop of the various sectors, from the demon bordello of Sector Bootes to the They Live  inspired aisles of Sector Carina. Strange Journey  doesn’t pull any punches with its story, and the Earth it presents — one corrupt with greed, pollution, and sin — is perhaps more relevant now than when it first launched. It may lack the more immersive story-telling techniques of the Triple-A games market, but Strange Journey ‘s text-heavy narrative is a gripping piece of fiction that feeds players a bitter truth of mankind’s self-destructive reality.

This enhanced 3DS port features a lot of quality-of-life improvements, such as Japanese voice acting, better visuals, three different difficulty levels, 20 save slots and the ability to save in the field. It’s still missing features like automatic scrolling text or the ability to make notes and marks on the map like I can with the Etrian Odyssey  series this game is so clearly inspired by. I can do without either of those because it will now let me pick and choose which skills my demons inherit during fusions. There’s also new music, new demons, a new animation you shouldn’t watch because it spoils the story, and new artwork courtesy of the most substantial addition to the game, the Womb of Grief.

The Womb is a seven-floor mega-dungeon I need to complete to unlock one of the three new endings to the game. Central to the dungeon are Demeter, the goddess of the Harvest who tasks me with finding six pieces of fruit, and Alex, the new mysterious character who is trying to kill me. If you think Alex and the Womb are effortlessly woven into the existing narrative, think again. The dungeon and her storyline feel very much like a gaiden to the existing adventure. Much like the additions made to the enhanced port of Radiant Historia , these new story elements do not coalesce. I can count on one hand how many times she appears in the original plotline, and her banishment to the Womb highlights some annoying game design choices.

Alex has a sparse storyline and most of my interactions with her quickly devolve into fighting. At first, she overpowers me, forcing me to flee from every fight. As I traverse the late-November-corn-maze that is the Womb of Grief, I come across her multiple times. At first, when I’m weak, she acts as an artificial barrier to keep me from advancing too far. On the third floor of the dungeon, she blocks my only two pathways. So I leave, and 10 hours later I come back with my character leveled far above where I need him to be to fight back. What I think is going to be one or two fights actually ends up being more than a dozen.

On this single floor of the Womb, I fight Alex multiple times and not once does she grant me any experience points when I defeat her. I just keep fighting her to advance and get absolutely nothing out of it. If I get hurt too much and need to heal, and I leave the dungeon, I have to repeat all of those battles. I don’t know who designed this portion of the game — something tells me the same person who thought up the bullshit that is Jack’s Bargain — but it absolutely soils a dungeon that actually isn’t all that good to begin with.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux review

Of the seven floors of the Womb, only the final one makes good use of all the dungeon elements established in the regular campaign while adding nifty tricks of its own. The rest of the floors feature some interesting ideas that are bogged down by repetitive fights and puzzles that can be easy to mess up, leading to more arduous fights with the same several demons.

I’m not sold on this new addition for most of the game, and even when I finish the final floor of it, I’m indifferent. But a few hours after that, when I see the fruits of my labor blossom, I become greatly appreciative of all the hours I spent traversing the Womb. The original Strange Journey  had one of the best final boss battles I’ve played in a JRPG. The final boss for the new endings — of which I unlock the “new law ending” — is just as satisfying. Also hard. Very, very hard.

With the various quality of life improvements, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux  is simply a more playable version of an already great game. I really enjoyed it the first time around eight years ago, and replaying it today reminds of why it was the ideal game to introduce me to the Shin Megami Tensei  franchise. 

[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]

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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Review

Sci-fi trappings don't make the repetitive gameplay in this dungeon crawler feel any less dated.

By Lark Anderson on April 6, 2010 at 6:34PM PDT

Since its inception, the Megami Tensei franchise has weaved elements of science fiction with fantasy stories to craft rich worlds steeped in the occult. With the release of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, developer Atlus has taken a slightly different approach with a story that is much more focused on science fiction than previous entries. Despite this shift in direction, however, Strange Journey is still a game firmly entrenched in the past. Longtime Megami Tensei devotees may be thankful for its return to the first-person dungeon-crawling roots of the series, but those expecting this to live up to the superb Persona 4 or Devil Survivor will be disappointed with the outdated gameplay, straightforward combat, and boring exploration of Strange Journey.

All Strange Journey's really doing is putting a sci-fi filter on traditional Shin Megami Tensei elements.

At the tip of the South Pole, a mysterious black spot that consumes everything within its boundaries has appeared. This spot, dubbed the Schwarzwelt, is observed to be expanding uncontrollably; thus, a multinational team of soldiers and scientists armed with the latest weapons and technology have been sent in to find a way to stop it. After crossing through the threshold, you learn that the Schwarzwelt is actually the gateway to a world of gods and devils fed up with the human race. After an accident traps you inside with demons who endlessly expound on how mankind has squandered and abused their planet without a shred of subtlety, it's up to you and your ship's crew to save the world and escape.

As an American soldier, you spend most of your time securing the various sectors that are found within the Schwarzwelt; each of them a twisted facet of the human world. Gameplay consists primarily of first-person exploration through these mazelike areas which, over time, become increasingly complex. They are also booby-trapped with pitfalls, moving floors, damage tiles, and the like. To survive the bland, repetitive, and presumably harsh environments in the Schwarzwelt, you're equipped with a suit of demonica armor. This set of prototype combat gear automatically maps your movements, and helps you uncover hidden passages, enemies, and items through various subapplications you install. Though the demonica proves invaluable, even with all of its utility, you still often find yourself wandering around aimlessly. There are times when your map does not show you where to go next and your list of objectives doesn't clearly communicate what to do, and so you have no choice but to stumble around looking for hidden passageways or the next story event. This is particularly frustrating if you return to the game after a break and forget where you are.

One area where your demonica does excel, however, is in facilitating interactions with the resident demons of the Schwarzwelt, whether they are violent clashes or philosophical debates. Depending on your equipment, you have a variety of attacks at your disposal to dispatch your enemies, but things don't always have to go down that way--some demons are open to talk. The demon negotiation system--most recently seen in Shin Megami Tensei: Persona on the PSP--has returned once more, allowing you to bribe, wheedle, or scare adversaries into becoming allies. Though this gameplay mechanic was fresh and innovative when it was first introduced well over a decade ago, it's no longer particularly exciting to figure out which of the multiple choice responses you're given will gain a demon's support or its ire. The system hasn't significantly changed in recent years, and dealing with demons in such a passive manner is neither engaging nor intriguing.

Regardless, successfully drafting demon allies means you can summon up to three of them to fight alongside you against their hostile neighbors in the turn-based combat system. Each demon has their own strengths and weaknesses, and so it's necessary to constantly tweak your party to ensure the optimal team depending on the situation. Demons aren't only meant for fighting, though--your recruits can also be fused together to create new, more powerful allies and to pass on special skills and abilities. You can even share your creations with your friends by trading passwords.

Demon negotiation hasn't really changed much in recent years.

Strange Journey features a wide variety of demons to fight, recruit, and customize through fusion, each of which has its own meticulous artwork and animations (though some are reused from previous Megami Tensei games). Likewise, dungeon tile and texture art is highly detailed, though it unfortunately loses its luster due to the repetitive nature of the dungeon-crawling action. Veteran series maestro Shoji Meguro returns to score Strange Journey, and like other aspects of the game, his compositions shift slightly away from the norm to fit the sci-fi plot and settings quite well.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey may be the latest entry in the venerable franchise, but its outdated demon negotiation system and tedious dungeon-crawling action might have you think otherwise. Longtime series fans will no doubt appreciate its return to form for the dozens of hours its appropriately dark story will occupy them, but neophytes--especially those expecting something similar to games like Persona 4--are better off staying away.

  • Leave Blank
  • Lots of demon variety
  • Excessively preachy story
  • Dated negotiation system
  • Repetitive dungeon-crawling action
  • Objectives are often unclear

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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

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An enhanced port to the Nintendo 3DS , Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux , was released on May 15, 2018. The game includes new artwork for the characters, voice acting, animation, new demons, and three new endings. 350 demons are fusable in-game.

  • 2 Characters
  • 3.2 Demon Analysis
  • 3.3 Co-Op Attacks
  • 3.4 Demon Sources
  • 3.6 Password System
  • 3.7 Miscellaneous
  • 4 Reception
  • 7 References
  • 8 External links

A mysterious black hole has appeared on the region of the South Pole and is expanding day by day. Concerned about this event, the United Nations sent a collection of elites from around the world to investigate the area called Schwarzwelt (シュバルツバース, Shubarutsubāsu , Schwarz-verse ). Inside, the U.N. Schwarzwelt Investigational Team finds that the area has been infested with supernatural beings known as demons that threaten to cross into the human world. As the team delves further into the Schwarzwelt, they find strange and repulsive callbacks to human society.

The player assumes control of an unnamed soldier from America (or Japan in the Japanese version), who will be working with three other crew members assigned by the Joint Project. The crew dons Demonica suits , which enables access to special abilities as well as regulating the player to the conditions within the Schwarzwelt.

Characters [ ]

SMT Strange Journey Cast

From left to right: Zelenin, the protagonist, Commander Gore, Jimenez

The major characters of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey are:

  • The protagonist - A USMC officer who underwent intense combat and command training between tours of duty. He was transferred to the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team by U.N. request. As a member of the Strike Team, his duties include off-ship missions and providing security for the expedition. He is on the crew roster for ship one, the Red Sprite .
  • Commander Gore - The overall commander of the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team. He was originally a military officer serving a large country; the leadership abilities he displayed during his service earned him the top position on the team that now holds the fate of mankind. He commands the Red Sprite directly in addition to overseeing operations on the other three ships.
  • Jimenez - Another member of the expedition with an American military background, Jimenez began his career as an enlisted man and is now a private contractor, attracted to the expedition by the promise of a financial gain. He serves on ship two, the Blue Jet , as a member of the Strike Team.
  • Zelenin - A Russian scientist recognized for her research on the Schwarzwelt. Her position as the First Lieutenant of the Monitor Team was one of the first appointments made. Her chief duty is to research the Schwarzwelt's true nature along with her crewmates on ship three, the Elve .
  • Arthur - The command unit for the Red Sprite , installed with an administrative pseudopersonality. From his vantage point tied into all the ship's systems, he extrapolates and proposes missions for the team. He is named after real life writer Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote the science fiction novel 2001: A Space Odyssey .
  • Bugaboo - Deep inside the Schwarzwelt, the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team finds Bugaboo, a demon that has undergone torture at the hands of other demons. Scanning Bugaboo shows that it is only 75% demon.
  • Mastema - A mysterious entity that appears before the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team, resembling an angel with black wings. He is skilled in mystical arts and has the power to break the demons' barriers, but his countenance is more sinister than divine. He claims to have come to the Schwarzwelt on God 's orders. In the Japanese release, he was called Mansemat .
  • Strange Girl - An enigmatic girl who speaks of demons and humans, but seems content to witness the proceedings rather than take an active hand. Her name is Louisa Ferre in the US version.
  • Alex : A new character introduced in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux . She is hunting down the protagonist for unspecified reasons.

Gameplay [ ]

Strange Journey returns to the original Shin Megami Tensei style of dungeon crawling with a first person perspective, and uses animated sprites instead of 3D models. Additionally, there is no world map; each major area is completely isolated and can only be accessed through a hub area.

The inclusion of the Demonica ( DEMO untable N ext I ntegrated C apability A rmor) allows the protagonist to upgrade his abilities through the use of "Apps". Apps include both combat and exploration abilities, such as the ability to unlock doors. The number of apps the player can have active is limited in the original Strange Journey , but not in the Redux rerelease.

Among other features, apps automate the effects of Estoma , Liftoma , and Riberama , so those skills are no longer present.

Demon Analysis [ ]

Unlike in other games, demons initially hide their appearance when first encountered, appearing as a sprite that looks like white noise, and all statistics for the demon will be displayed as "??". Attempting to negotiate with an unknown demon results in unintelligible text, and though the player can respond, the effects of the negotiation are completely random.

After defeating a demon once, the Demonica will advance its analysis level to 1, revealing the demon's name and appearance for all future encounters. Defeating demons, using them in your party, and including them in Co-Op attacks will advance their analysis level further. At level 2, the demon's elemental affinities will be revealed, and at level 3, all information about the demon will be revealed. Fusing or recruiting a demon will also immediately upgrade its analysis to level 2.

Co-Op Attacks [ ]

The Co-Op system replaces the Press Turn system from the previous game . If the protagonist or any of the player's demons hit an elemental weakness, all allies of the same alignment (Law, Chaos, or Neutral) will perform a Co-Op attack. Co-Op attacks will only ever manifest as a single hit, but they will be stronger if more allies contribute to the attack. Co-Op attacks are non-elemental and cannot be resisted or negated. Additionally, Co-Op attacks significantly increase the analyze rate of the participating demons.

Unlike the Press Turn system, this mechanic is exclusive to the player, and enemies cannot benefit from Co-Op attacks.

Demon Sources [ ]

When an allied demon's analysis level is maxed out, it will grant the player a Demon Source or D-Source, which can be added to any fusion to grant fused demons additional skills. D-Sources contain up to three fixed skills, as well as a bonus skill randomly selected from the demon's own learned skills. The player can only hold one of each D-Source at a time, and may rarely regain D-Sources from their respective demons as level-up gifts.

In addition to Macca, purchasing items now also consumes a resource known as Forma. Forma is obtained from demons (either by defeat or negotiation), with every demon having its own Forma, and from the overworld, with every Sector having its own Forma. Items are crafted through recipes requiring specific Forma.

Password System [ ]

By using an up to 32 digit code in the Demon Compendium, players can trade passwords to unlock demons from each other. Certain demons can only be obtained in this way, and Atlus revealed certain passwords to give players access. It was decided that this system was easier to use than connecting through Wi-Fi, as passwords can be posted anywhere and used at anytime.

Miscellaneous [ ]

Additional mechanics include:

  • Gun attacks have returned after their absence in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne .
  • Gun weapons now provide up to three skills when equipped by the protagonist. Each gun has a unique skill list. These skills often cost MP and mimic the effect of offensive spells.
  • Stats use the same scale as Digital Devil Saga : Stats go up to 99 and characters gain 3 stat points on level up.
  • Unlike in previous games, the player does not choose how to allocate the protagonist's stat points on level up; instead, the protagonist has one of several stat growth patterns based on the player's answer to a personality questionnaire at the start of the game.

Reception [ ]

Strange Journey was well received by critics. IGN gave it 4 stars (8.5 on a scale of 10), saying that "though the game's turn-based combat system is standard stuff, fusing demons, launching co-op attacks, and exploring the environments keeps things interesting." It received a score of 36/40 from Famitsu, which was the highest score given by the Japanese magazine to an Atlus game at the time.

Gallery [ ]

Logo for the Japanese version of Strange Journey

  • The American release was accompanied by a soundtrack CD as well as a collectible outer box with all launch copies of the game. Music is done by long-time composer Shoji Meguro .
  • A poster was available with the pre-order of the game from GameStop . It is located behind the box art.
  • In 2009, a forum thread claimed that the game was developed as Shin Megami Tensei IV according to an interview with Kazuma Kaneko , but since the game's setting does not take place in Tokyo, it is apparently not named as such. [1] However, a new interview with director Eiji Ishida contradicts this. Ishida says that Strange Journey was conceived as a spinoff from the very beginning, but the promotional staff and Kazuma Kaneko thought that its quality was high enough to be called Shin Megami Tensei IV . Ishida ultimately refused to market it as such. Ishida also makes no mention of its setting not being in Tokyo becoming a factor. [2]  
  • To date, Strange Journey has the fewest playable characters out of any Shin Megami Tensei game excluding fusible demons.
  • The vehicles used to explore the Schwarzwelt are based on the Landmasters from a post-apocalyptic science fiction movie called Damnation Alley .

Landmasters

References [ ]

  • ↑ Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is technically SMT4, says producer GoNintendo. (RawmeatCowboy; September 30, 2009)
  • ↑ Embarking on a Strange Journey, redux Retronauts (Parish, Jeremy; July 19, 2018)

External links [ ]

  • Official Japanese Site
  • Official North America Site
  • (Atlus U.S.A. Forums) Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Forum
  • (Atlus U.S.A. Forums) Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Demon Password Forum
  • (Atlus U.S.A. Forums) PRODUCTION DIARY: "Use Your Allusion" by Lead Editor Nich Maragos
  • (Atlus U.S.A. YouTube Account) English Trailer / Gameplay Trailer
  • Shin Megami Tensei
  • 1 Makoto Yuki
  • 2 Ren Amamiya
  • 3 Persona 5: The Phantom X
  • Address book
  • Nintendo Account details

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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

Important information.

A spatial distortion full of demons appeared in Antarctica, threatening to engulf the Earth in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. The United Nations responded by tasking a team of highly advanced specialists with piercing the anomaly and figuring out how to stop it from the source. Well, get ready to don your Demonica once again in this new expanded port: Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux. Expect new story content, additional endings, a new dungeon to explore, and more in the return of this sci-fi tinged SMT adventure.

In Strange Journey Redux, you play as a brave United Nations soldier investigating a spatial anomaly called the Schwarzwelt – a dome of dark energy that threatens to consume the world. Inside, you’ll find it home to a nightmare mirror of our own Earth, populated with demons dying to meet you. The game touts brand-new illustrations by Masayuki Doi, updated visuals, UI tweaks, and more to make this journey back into the Schwarzwelt… even stranger.

You won’t be retreading the same nightmarish path as before because a brand-new character named Alex will play a major role in how the story unfolds. Much about her is a mystery, but there is one thing you know for sure: she’s got a bone to pick with you. Joining her are new demons you might recognise from other SMT entries, new endings, and a new dungeon to discover.

With its twisted demonic sci-fi story, addictive demon-collecting fun, and multiple narrative paths to explore, Strange Journey Redux is an essential ATLUS JRPG adventure that can’t be missed!

Game supports English text and Japanese voice.

This description was provided by the publisher.

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IMAGES

  1. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux [Images]

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  2. Japanese Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux boxart, limited edition

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  3. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Review

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  4. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

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  5. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

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  6. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Review

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VIDEO

  1. SMT Strange Journey REDUX

  2. The World of Man

  3. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

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  6. SMT: Strange Journey REDUX

COMMENTS

  1. Strange Journey Redux

    The Official Strange Journey Redux Website

  2. Strange Journey Redux on Switch? : r/Megaten

    Megami Tensei | 女神転生. This is a community for Megami Tensei, a series of JRPGs developed by Atlus. Games included under the MegaTen umbrella are the mainline Shin Megami Tensei games and its sub-series of Persona, Devil Summoner, Devil Survivor, Digital Devil Saga, and Raidou Kuzunoha (among others). Feel free to not only discuss the ...

  3. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a role-playing video game developed by Atlus and Lancarse for the Nintendo DS.The game is the sixth entry in the Shin Megami Tensei series, which forms the core of the Megami Tensei franchise. It was released in Japan in 2009, and in North America in 2010. An enhanced port for the Nintendo 3DS, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux, was released in ...

  4. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

    A spatial distortion full of demons appeared in Antarctica, threatening to engulf the Earth in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. The United Nations responded by tasking a team of highly advanced specialists with piercing the anomaly and figuring out how to stop it from the source. Well, get ready to don your Demonica once again in this new expanded port: Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey ...

  5. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Review

    Age of Extinction. Every few years I get in the mood to tackle something else from the massive Megami Tensei line of titles, and that synced conveniently with the release of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux.The word from this game's original edition warned that it would be a considerable timesink, and that is most definitely still the case.

  6. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

    Out of all these games Strange Journey Redux has the best difficulty scaling, and one of the best pacings in a Megami Tensei game. For the newcomer, Strange Journey goes over what kind of themes SMT explores, demon party management, and more than anything, is very approachable. Keep in mind that my opinion of Strange Journey being the best ...

  7. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Review

    Overall, then, I believe that Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is a very fun game. It's not perfect by any means, of course. Tons of instant death moves, some very questionable status effects like Bomb, invisible labyrinths, teleport mazes and strange issues with music looping keep it from being a perfect game.

  8. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

    Top New Games Releasing This Week On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, And 3DS -- May 13-20. ... Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Official Trailer 1. In the near future, a mysterious, growing, black ...

  9. Review: Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

    Strange Journey Redux isn't as much of an outsider on my 3DS having bought every other Shin Megami Tensei game to hit the handheld, but it is still one deep, dark, and devilish ride.

  10. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Official Announcement Trailer. Jun 8, 2017. ... Mar 26, 2017 - Plus a new glimpse at SMT for Switch. Sekaiju to Fushigi no Dungeon 2 Alex Osborn. 176. 1:01.

  11. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

    Nov 18, 2021. DS. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. DS. Released On: Mar 23, 2010. Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 26 Critic Reviews. 80. User Score Mixed or Average Based on 268 User Ratings. 5.2.

  12. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Review

    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Review Sci-fi trappings don't make the repetitive gameplay in this dungeon crawler feel any less dated. By Lark Anderson on April 6, 2010 at 6:34PM PDT

  13. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

    March 23, 2010. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a game for the Nintendo DS console. An enhanced port to the Nintendo 3DS, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux, was released on May 15, 2018. The game includes new artwork for the characters, voice acting, animation, new demons, and three new endings. 350 demons are fusable in-game.

  14. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

    Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is available now on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS.Subscribe to GameSpot Trailers! http://youtube.com/GameSpot...

  15. My thoughts on SMT Strange Journey: Redux

    On to the next topic: the story. Strange Journey's plot starts off really strong, with the exploration of a world completely unknown by man and the loss of contact with comrades, and it only gets better from there on. Constant crumbs of information like the Three Wise Men, Commander Gore's death and posterior resuscitation, Bugaboo's and ...

  16. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

    The character is protected by Tetraja. The character has an empty status ailment box, and so is not afflicted by any status ailment currently. _____ Status Ailments ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ These are the status ailments in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey: Death ¯¯¯¯¯ Demon's HP reaches 0.

  17. Shin Megami Tensei V Review (Switch)

    Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked) Shin Megami Tensei V is a true dungeon crawler at heart, and it's been designed in a way that's 'semi-linear'. Each of the maps you can explore are ...

  18. What is the best version of Strange Journey?

    The DS version still holds up really well, some people just can't handle an actual challenge. DDS2 Hard is challenging. Nocturne Hard is challenging. Strange Journey OG is pure tedium. Redux ruins the fine plot of the original plus dumbing down the difficulty with the new sub apps and save anywhere.

  19. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Review (3DS)

    Strange Journey is a dungeon-crawling JRPG that plays a bit like a cross between mainline Shin Megami Tensei games and an uncharacteristically dark Etrian Odyssey. From Shin Megami Tensei, it ...

  20. Neutral route

    E1: Use the switch inside the hidden door to get rid of the magma. E2: Use Forma Search B to find rare forma Stone of Wonder Bird (霊鳥石) > Take it back to the lab and develop main application Dark Scan C (「ダークスキャナC). Walk in the air to proceed. E1: Press the switch #1 on the wall. E2: Press the switch #2 on the wall.

  21. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

    Want to Write Your Own Guide? You can write and submit your own guide for this game using either our full-featured online editor or our basic text editor. We also accept maps and charts as well. For Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey on the DS, GameFAQs has 45 guides and walkthroughs.

  22. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

    A spatial distortion full of demons appeared in Antarctica, threatening to engulf the Earth in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. The United Nations responded by tasking a team of highly advanced specialists with piercing the anomaly and figuring out how to stop it from the source. Well, get ready to don your Demonica once again in this new ...

  23. Apocalypse or Strange Journey Redux?

    Strange Journey, the original version, it's just a tighter overall experience and probably my favorite SMT game overall. Redux is just SJ with more content, so its better by default, stop trying to be different for the sake of being different. It aint that deep. BusyGettingLaid (Topic Creator) 2 years ago #9. Thanks I went with Apocalypse.