Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Review

The best Megaten game to date?

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The Redux version has plenty of extra features too. Some of these are minimal but welcome, such as allowing you to save during missions with a whole heap of save slots and new sub apps and skills that make the already dense mechanics even more deliciously complex, and a whole load of quality of life upgrades. Then there are the more meaty additions, such as a whole new dungeon called ‘The Womb of Grief’, new demons to recruit and even a bunch of new endings to see. There’s plenty of reasons for returning fans to pick this one up, pronto: in my mind Redux is the only way you should be playing Strange Journey going forwards.

Presentation:

That’s to say nothing of how good the game looks and sounds over its predecessor. The graphics are familiar yet subtly different – character designs have been slightly updated and now feature some animation. There are new cutscenes and events, and everything has been upgraded to fit the new, wider screen of the 3DS. Overall it’s a substantial improvement on what came before, and helps this aging game feel at home on modern hardware.

There’s also a load of new voice acting, and you can finally choose between the English language dub and the original Japanese. Both sounded stellar to me, though, so pick whatever takes your fancy. The haunting, melancholy soundtrack is still as captivating as ever, and whilst my memory isn’t good enough to tell whether there’s any extra pieces here for your listening delight, I can safely say it all sounds great.

 

Conclusion:

Strange Journey is one of the best Shin Megami Tensei games I’ve played, and going through it for the second time with Redux was just as much of a treat as it was the first time round. It’s a twisted, dark tale that doesn’t pull its punches – narratively or from a gameplay standpoint. It’s a tough, demanding JPRG that feels brutal at the best of times, but it’s well worth the investment. Whether you played and loved the original or never heard of it before now, there’s no reason not to run out and grab a copy.

It might be a strange journey, but it’s a very special one too.

Good

  • Core mechanics are addictive and satisfying
  • Looks and sounds great
  • Loads of new content

Bad

  • Story gets unnecessarily convoluted
  • Demon negotiation can be a little frustrating to navigate at times
8.5

Great

Story - 7.5
Graphics - 8
Sound - 8.5
Gameplay - 9
Value - 9.5
Reviewer - GamerKnights

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