There are now many role-playing games on Steam that offer a similar experience to the Pokémon games. However, few of them are really dark. But a current game of a legendary series has hit Nikolas Hernes exactly this niche for Meinmmo editor. So good that he even bought the game twice.
Which role play is it about? In the summer of 2024 the Japanese role -playing game Shin Megami Tensei v Vengeance appeared. This is a newer version of the game, which originally appeared exclusively on the Nintendo Switch in 2021.
The series is actually even older than Pokémon. The first part of the franchise was published in 1992, the first Pokémon game was released in 1996. Persona later developed from the Megami-Teni series.
But there is no talk as much talk as in persona in Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance, which is why the game is also one of the best Pokémon alternatives for me. Especially when you want to catch fan demons instead of sweet monster base that are based on different legends and say.
You can see a trailer for the game here:
Shin megami tensei v Vengance-trailer for the dark JRPG of the persona maker
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Post-apocalypse for persona and Pokémon fans
What is Shin Megami Tensei v Vengance for a game? In essence, it is a classic JRPG with skills, demons and systems that persona fans should already know. But Shin Megami Tensei is much more focused on the fight and the demons.
There is no story with a lot of talk and getting to know figures here. It is about the struggle between angels and demons and a post -apocalyptic Tokyo, in which you are merged with a mysterious person and have achieved skills.
As in Pokémon, you collect creatures – in this case demons – to put together a powers. Instead of throwing Poké Balls, you have to talk to them. The demons have different personalities to adapt to. But even if you persuade them, they still want coal, items, your life or your mana.
For a long time, however, you do not keep the demons in your team, because the creatures can be merged to create new, more powerful demons. This is a great charm, because you can inherit skills, and thus also build small builds to the demons.
This creates a flow that captivated me.
A gameplay loop that has the perfect speed
Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance has the perfect gameplay loop for me. You roam the world, defeat and collect demons and then merged them to build a good team.
The fighting system with the weaknesses is fun and also has the perfect pacing. There are no random encounter, animations can be tipped and if you only want to level stump, there is an automatic fighting function.
You should still be careful, because SMT V Vengeance is not an easy game. If the opponent uses attacks that are strong against your own team, then supposedly weak opponents can lead to death. But this is never particularly frustrating, because you can always save within the upper world.
Coupled with the great soundtrack, a flow is created where you forget that several hours have passed.
What does the new version do better? Actually, I already played SMT V in the original version on the switch, but I had to buy the Vengeance version again because it does a lot better:
How much playing time does Shin Megami Tensei v Vengance offer? If you are on the road quite quickly, you need one of the 2 story strands between 40 and 60 hours, if you really want to do and discover everything, you will probably land at 100 to 200 hours, depending on whether you use guides for demons.
How expensive is Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance on Steam? Currently there is a 40 % discount on Steam by February 6, 2025. Instead of € 59.99, the game costs only € 35.99. If you are still unsure, you can also download a free demo. Another dark alternative to Pokémon can be found here: A new game on Steam is like Pokémon, but in a dark world with monsters from horror films