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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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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.

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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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

Players who embark on this supernatural sci-fi tale will find a serious, thought-provoking narrative intermixed with challenging dungeon-crawling gameplay and an addictive demon collecting and demon fusion mechanic.

Review Platform:

Developer(s), publisher(s).

• 🇪🇺 Deep Silver

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is exactly what is advertised: a strange, phenomenal journey into the unknown. Players who embark on this supernatural sci-fi tale will find a serious, thought-provoking narrative intermixed with challenging dungeon-crawling gameplay and an addictive demon collecting and demon fusion mechanic.

Set sometime in the Earth’s near future, a mysterious dimensional phenomenon known as the Schwarzwelt appears in Antarctica and threatens to very quickly engulf the entire world. An international investigation team comprised of the best and brightest is sent to investigate the Schwarzwelt from the inside. They end up finding angels and demons waging war on one another for the fate of both the world and the humans who reside there. In true Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) fashion, the crucial decision of who to side with falls on you, the player, as a nameless member of the investigation team. Will you ultimately pick a route with either the more lawful-minded angels, the chaotic demons, or have humanity solve their own problems?

The narrative in SMT: Strange Journey Redux is a thrilling, intense one about extremes. The idea that humanity brought the Schwarzwelt on themselves through their tendency towards self-destructive actions was compelling, and I found it especially relevant given so many of the more troubling headlines we see today. Personally, I loved the science fiction undertones intermixed with the supernatural, though I know that is certainly a bit different from the norm as far as SMT storylines go. Another thing that is unique is that the crew all consists of older, more mature characters, which I felt fit the general tone of the game’s storyline really well.

Because this game is so focused on extremes, all of your decisions and the endings tend to never be that simple or easy. As such, the characters represent philosophical ideals instead of feeling like actual people. I found them to be likable, but also hard to approach. Zelenin and Jimenez both have moments when they stand out, but I often found those moments to be when their actions almost went counter to the routes they represented (Law and Chaos, specifically); for example, Jimenez’s fondness for Bugaboo and the main character’s friendship, despite the “only the strong survive” mentality he so often took. Gore is an even more extreme example of this philosophical modeling, given his otherworldly connections later on in the plot. Even Alex, who seems to represent humanity’s selfishness even in the face of extreme change and danger, can sometimes suffer from this. I came to like the characters all in their own ways and I was truthfully torn when it came to having to decide their fates, but it is in a different sort of manner to how you might grow attached to, say, the Persona characters (to name another SMT spinoff). The only characters that truly seem to be “real” in a sense are the crew members of the Red Sprite, and they’re pretty minor in the plot’s grand scheme.

Dungeon-crawling and demon fusion are the staples behind SMT: Strange Journey Redux’s challenging gameplay. This is best exemplified in the plot itself, as the player’s character wears a special suit of armor called a Demonica. This suit gives the player access to the Demon Summoning Program, thus giving them the ability to summon and control demons to fight in the party. Having a strong set of demons at your side is invaluable in the trials that await gamers over the course of SMT: Strange Journey Redux. Demons are acquired by one of three ways: talking to a particular demon during a battle in a demon negotiation; fusing existing demons in your roster together in order to create a new demon that inherits the skills of its predecessors; or generating passwords that summon demons you can then put into your party lineup. Players can even share these passwords with fellow gamers, so others may call forth your tailored demons during their own playthrough if they desire. Demon negotiations are quite a bit of work as every demon has its own distinct personality. Winning a demon over during a negotiation is no easy feat, but it is definitely worth trying if you wish to use acquired demons in the fusion process since you can create some truly powerful allies! You can spend a great deal of time fusing demons together, especially if you’re looking for a future demon to inherit a particularly useful skill or ability. I found the demon collecting and fusion mechanics to be highly addictive, and I put quite a bit of thought and strategy behind my reasoning for fusing certain demons together since I always needed to be mindful of which skills or statistics would work best in a particular dungeon or boss fight. While I didn’t take full advantage of the demon password system until the final portion of the game, I truly appreciated its implementation during some very challenging boss fights.

Dungeon-crawling in SMT: Strange Journey Redux can be a time-consuming affair as every new map is complex and often features more pathways and puzzles than one can shake a stick at. Adding to the nuances already in play in these puzzle-laden expeditions is the fact that the player’s character is tasked with retrieving Forma, a special item that is either found lying around the various dungeon areas or that is being held by hostile demons. Forma allows you to gain access to new items and equipment, which is vitally important as the only way your character’s abilities and skillsets improve or alter is through upgrading your Demonica and weaponry. Some of these upgrades include special Apps for the Demonica that gives the player entry to areas of dungeons that otherwise would be completely blocked off. These dungeon altering special Apps may simply unlock doors or deactivate traps, or they may shift the layout of an entire area so that you gain access to new terrain.

It is easy to look at the sheer amount of things to do in SMT: Strange Journey Redux and feel overwhelmed, but every new puzzle blocking the way has a cleverly crafted solution waiting to be uncovered. I often found myself getting overly frustrated with a dungeon’s design or the tediousness associated with level-grinding, and had to shut off my 3DS for a while to avoid throwing it against a wall. Then when I’d go back a little while later, I was in sheer awe when I figured out what I needed to do in order to actually advance. There are certain areas that are much more frustrating than others (looking at you, Eridanus), but the sense of accomplishment and relief I experienced when I surpassed those challenges made me feel downright giddy. Thankfully, while there are more traditional save points populating the dungeons, the game allows for a quicksave feature when you’re out on the field, which is great for those with only a limited amount of time to play. I found that to be a very handheld-friendly feature, especially since you will no doubt be spending quite a bit of time level-grinding in each new area.

As Strange Journey Redux is an enhanced 3DS port of a 2009 DS title, there is new content to be had: new demons were added to the existing roster, Japanese voice acting was included, and the character designs were revamped. The in-game graphics are serviceable and haven’t been altered much from the original Nintendo DS release, but the updated character artwork and illustrated scenes are quite gorgeous. The musical score, both tracks from the original release and the new route pieces, are well-done and add to the atmosphere of the game wonderfully. Naturally, the biggest addition is the extra story content as the game’s total endings are brought up from the original three (Law, Chaos, Neutral) to six (New Law, New Chaos, and New Neutral). Because the storyline is built upon moral and philosophical extremes, the new story content expands on that notion to make further commentary on the original game’s narrative and endings. In a way, it’s a creative approach to the additional plotlines, though it isn’t without its fair share of weaknesses either.

Perhaps the biggest of these weaknesses is the fact that the Redux content is largely unconnected to the main game. Newcomer Alex does in fact show up in the original story a few times, but most of her scenes are entirely skippable if one opts to not do the Womb of Grief dungeon, easily Redux’s biggest addition. The Womb of Grief has levels that can only be advanced depending on where the player is in the main story and what Apps are available to you, but going back to it time and again feels as though it takes you out of the main plot. The Womb of Grief also has several dungeon features found throughout the main quest’s dungeons, such as warp puzzles and invisible floors, though very rarely do they feel as well-implemented as they do in the main game’s areas. I often felt like taking the time to traverse this lengthy optional dungeon was a chore, at least up until the later portions when everything comes together in both the main plot and Alex’s quest.

That being said, partaking in SMT: Strange Journey Redux’s new content is the only way to access the new endings, so it is worthwhile it if you wish to see them instead of any of the previous ones. As with the old endings, the new ones are sure to garner mixed reactions from gamers. I reached the New Neutral Ending myself on a blind playthrough, though I apparently teetered quite a bit between Law and Chaos with my decisions. I knew the New Neutral Ending wasn’t quite as well-liked by some compared to the previous Neutral ending, but I rather enjoyed the realistic way it covered the final story moments of the game and the way it approached my character’s moral neutrality. Someone might not like the new routes at all, or vice-versa. The endings are purely up to one’s interpretation, however the fact that there are now six endings is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Special mention should also be made of the new final boss, whom I came to have quite a few feelings for as a result of several lengthy and difficult first attempts. Eventually, I devised a strategy that worked well against them, but I certainly felt I’d earned that New Neutral Ending when all was said and done!

All in all, I really enjoyed the time I spent with SMT: Strange Journey Redux. The plot and characters really make you think about philosophy and morality and, as a result, I became addicted to playing just a “little more” every time I saw another story scene. It’s a game that stayed with me well after having finished it, and the sense of accomplishment that I felt at surpassing the many challenges that awaited me during my playthrough was incredible. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux isn’t a game for everyone, but those with the patience and resolve to trek into the Schwarzwelt will find a journey well worth taking.

Excellent choice-based philosophical narrative, well-implemented strategic gameplay, overcoming challenging dungeons is rewarding, addicting demon collecting and fusing.

New story content not seamlessly intermixed, perception of endings might be hit or miss, challenges can be daunting, tedious level-grinding.

Bottom Line

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux's challenging gameplay might not be for everyone, but those it does appeal to will find a well-crafted dungeon-crawling experience with a thought-provoking narrative.

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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

• Edit source
• View history
• 1.1 Difficulty Differences
• 2 Development
• 3.1 Other Game Collaborations
• 5.1 Trailers
• 6.1 The Movie
• 7 External Links
• 8 References

Content [ ]

The game includes various Quality of Life changes and improvements, new artwork for the characters--including portraits for every crew member, new EX Missions, updated visuals for the dungeons, revamped UI, voice acting (Japanese only), animated cutscenes, a new dungeon revolving around a new character named Alex, three new endings related to Alex and the dungeon, as well as the following new demons: [1]

The following QoL changes include but are not limited to:

• The introduction of difficulty modes: Casual, Standard, Expert and Impossible. Impossible is only available on New Game Plus and cannot be changed to another difficulty once selected.
• A setting to speed up battle animations or skip them entirely.
• Healing in the sickbay is free.
• The sub-app limit was removed. The player can equip as many non-conflicting sub-apps as they want.
• The Visualizer apps now automatically map Dark Zones. As a result, the Scanning Zero sub-app that enabled this function in the original was removed.
• The ability to sprint in dungeons by holding down the B button.
• Using a demon source in fusion allows for the selection of skills to be passed onto the child demon.
• Field Save, a single-save file that allows the player to save anywhere in the dungeon without the use of a terminal, was added.
• Various new sub-apps related to combat and dungeon crawling were added, e.g. March to Death, a sub-app preventing a game over if the protagonist is petrified or killed as long as allied demons can fight. It becomes available as soon as the player gets access to sub-apps but is not available on Impossible.
• Commander Skills were added, which are player-exclusive abilities that are unlocked by equipping the proper sub-app. Some are used like regular skills that take up the protagonist's turn, while others activate automatically, the frequency of which is determined by the protagonist's Luck and other context-sensitive factors. Manual commander skills have a cooldown lasting between 5-8 turns depending on the skill.

Difficulty Differences [ ]

Development [ ].

The game was announced as part of the Shin Megami Tensei 25th Anniversary alongside  Shin Megami Tensei V .

AtlusUSA announced the localization of Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey along with Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth and Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology . However, the localization team decided to rename the game as Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux.  In a PR e-mail, it was revealed that it wouldn't have English voice acting unlike the other two titles for localization.

Related Media [ ]

Other game collaborations [ ].

• Code of Joker Pocket Re:Birth (trading card game for smartphones by Sega Interactive) includes cards of multiple demons, including Demeter and Amon . [2] [3]

Gallery [ ]

Trailers [ ]

• Japanese Trailer
• English Trailer

The Movie [ ]

External Links [ ]

• Japanese Site
• English Site
• Interview with director of Strange Journey published on Retronauts.com
• Interview with the SJR development team

References [ ]

• ↑ https://wiki.denfaminicogamer.jp/dsj/ Taken from the demon compendium pages and the "new demon" page
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o3-SdvCkdg
• ↑ http://coj.sega.jp/app/special/dsj/
• Shin Megami Tensei
• 1 Persona 5: The Phantom X
• 2 Makoto Yuki
• 3 Ren Amamiya

Hardcore Gamer

Review: shin megami tensei: strange journey redux.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is how an enhanced remake should be handled and well worth a look for anyone who enjoys story-rich JRPGs.

The South Pole is one of those locations few of us will ever visit. In addition to not being conveniently located to a more inhabitable area, the environmental conditions are too harsh for most people to consider it comfortable. Throughout the year there are stretches with little or even no daylight and there are no months where the average temperature is above zero degrees. The South Pole does not sound like an inviting place at all and this is before the Schwarzwelt opened up and allowed a bunch of demons to come into our world.

Thus is the core premise of  Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux,  an enhanced remake of a 2010 Nintendo DS game by the same title minus the word Redux .  The Schwarzwelt is a subspace anomaly that mysteriously appeared in the South Pole one day, rapidly increasing in size and destroying everything that comes in contact with it. The logical thing to do would be to run away screaming in terror from this anomaly, but that wouldn’t lead to an exciting game so instead the United Nations assembles an elite team to investigate this bizarre occurrence under the moniker of the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team. The Schwarzwelt is its own unique, hostile environment filled with otherworldly dangers, but the team members are fortunate enough to be equipped with special Demonica suits to allow them to survive in this unnatural environment.

Inside the Schwarzwelt the teams discover it's inhabited by what most people would identify as demons and angels. Are these mythic creatures friend or foe? The answer is yes. In general, the enemies that the player will fight throughout the game are the resident demons of the Schwarzwelt, but not all demons are completely unreasonable. The player can speak to the demons in battle and if their pick up game is strong they can convince a demon to join their party to assist with the investigation and battle. The party consists of the player’s character and up to three recruited demons, and building the ideal party does include a certain level of complexity.

Throughout the game the player will make decisions that will shape and mold their alignment between Law, Neutrality and Chaos. This obviously will impact the story progression but also plays a role in battle. Whenever the player is able to exploit an enemy’s weakness in battle, party members with the same alignment will follow up with a co-op attack, so having a party where everyone has the same alignment can lead to devastating attack combinations. Demons can level up through winning battles as per usual RPG level progression, but thanks to their demonic physiology not having the same limitations of most carbon-based lifeforms, demons can be fused together to make even more powerful new demons.

For those that are familiar with this strange journey from when it first came out almost a decade ago, the basic gameplay mechanics have remained the same but there are some new additions thrown into the mix.  Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux  is a first-person dungeon crawler with random turn-based battles, which while it has its own unique nuances it isn’t anything that any JRPG veteran would consider unfamiliar territory. The player will have a variety of attacks they can employ in each battle, and with the right combination of demonic assistance, figuring out ways to exploit the co-op attack feature is one of the more enjoyable features of the battle system.

Storytelling is not an area where  Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux  skimps. From the time the game starts it takes somewhere between thirty and sixty minutes before the player gets to leave their base and set foot into the Schwarzwelt. There are frequent cutscenes to advance the story and keep the player engaged in the plot between dungeon-crawling excursions. This is not a casual pick up and play title as it demands attention and time, but for those willing to invest both of those, it pays off as being a rewarding gaming experience. This is no surprise to  Shine Megami Tensei  fans and also it's apparent how this style has influenced later games such as  Ray Gigant .

Whenever a game receives an enhanced remake, the biggest question is whether or not the new features justify revisiting the title if they still have access to the original. This is one of those cases where there is enough new content where the answer is probably yes. One of the more basic new additions is the ability to change the difficulty. The player can choose to make the game easier if they just want to finish quickly (quickly being relative as this can easily be an eighty hour time investment) and enjoy the story or if they think they’ve mastered the combat and assembling the demonic dream team they can make it so one tactical mishap can spell doom for their party.

The difficulty change is relatively minor, but for a major addition there is a new route that introduces three new endings. This also includes new demons, a new dungeon and a mysterious new character named Alex. Without spoiling anything, Alex is meant to be symbolic of the new scenario. She appears, relentlessly pursuing the player and naturally trying to kill them, but her reasons and motives eventually become revealed over time. Upon completing the game, the player will have the option to start over a new game plus where the player's Macca, items and current level will carry over, opening up new Ex Missions and Sub Apps. As with any enhanced remake, the visuals have gotten an overhaul to make the world more immersive and engaging.

Closing Comments:

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux  is how an enhanced remake should be handled. The core gameplay and story remains intact for fans of the 2010 original, but the graphical enhancements and new story paths provide reason to check out this new version. This remake also gives people who discovered  Shin Megami Tensei  more recently to check out one of the older titles in a form that feels more contemporary. With the heavy emphasis on story and a campaign where fifty hours is considered a fast completion, this is not a casual game, but it's well worth a look for anyone who enjoys story-rich JRPGs they can sink close to a hundred hours into it.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

Reviewed on Nintendo 3DS

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Summary 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 thi ... Read More

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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

OpenCritic Rating

Top Critic Average

Critics Recommend

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Media

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Official Announcement Trailer

Critic Reviews for Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

Metro gamecentral.

One of the best Shin Megami Tensei games returns, mixing standard Japanese role-playing with the series' typically provocative story elements and Persona style gameplay.

Read full review

Destructoid

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 nine years ago, and replaying it today reminds of why it was the ideal game to introduce me to the Shin Megami Tensei franchise.

GamingTrend

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is as long and as the title, and can be challenging to get into, due to dated UI and lots and lots of text to read. The story is interesting, if not slow, offers multiple endings, and more than 300 demons for you to collect, fuse, and fight alongside. A solid, if not slightly clunky title built for the retrogamer crowd.

Gaming Nexus

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is a really long title for a really long game. But this game is a great swan song for the 3DS hardware and the perfect JRPG for on-the-go gaming next to Persona 4 Golden.

Despite it certainly being the definitive version of the game to play, it leaves much to be desired under the shining banner of Shin Megami Tensei.

COGconnected

Overall, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is a worthy installment on the 3DS not only as an enhanced port of a 2010 game but as just a regular 3DS title all on its own.

DualShockers

Can I recommend this to you? Yeah, pretty much. I liked Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux; it's a lot of fun to revisit its new take on the SMT formula, and it reawakened my passion for the SMT games as a whole after having not played one for so long.

Despite all the years since it was released in our region for the Nintendo DS, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux makes a great comeback with new graphic features, but lacks at some of its navigation and content improvements.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux – Guides and FAQs

Shin megami tensei: strange journey guides, full game guides.

• Guide and Walkthrough by  Devhatesyou DS v.1.02, 930KB, 2010 *Most Recommended* *FAQ of the Month Winner: May 2010*

In-Depth Guides

• Forma/Password Guide (Incomplete) by  Roto_Arel DS v.1.0, 97KB, 2010
• Demon Alignment FAQ by  Roto_Arel DS v.1.2, 195KB, 2011
• Demon Skill List by  NARFNra HTML DS 20KB, 2014
• Demon Source Compendium by  Bitbyte DS v.1.0, 41KB, 2010
• Game Mechanics/Demon Database by  Zeruel DS v.1.83, 713KB, 2010

Maps and Charts

• Basic Fusion Chart by  Battle_Cry DS v.1.0, 2018
• Fusion Chart by  Zandio DS v.1.0, 2010
• Jack's Squad HQ Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010 *Highest Rated*
• Sector Antlia 1F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010 *Highest Rated*
• Sector Antlia B1F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010 *Highest Rated*
• Sector Antlia B2F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010 *Highest Rated*
• Sector Bootes 1F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Bootes 2F - 5F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Bootes 6F - 8F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Carina 1F - B1F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010 *Highest Rated*
• Sector Carina 2F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010 *Highest Rated*
• Sector Carina 3F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Carina 4F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Delphinus 1F - 2F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Delphinus 3F - 4F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Delphinus 5F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010 *Highest Rated*
• Sector Delphinus 6F - 9F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010 *Highest Rated*
• Sector Eridanus 1F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Eridanus 2F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Eridanus 3F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Eridanus TOP Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010 *Highest Rated*
• Sector Fornax 1F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Fornax B1F - B2F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Fornax B3F - B5F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Fornax B6F - B7F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Grus 1F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2018
• Sector Grus 1F Phase Shift Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010 *Highest Rated*
• Sector Grus B1F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Grus B2F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Grus B3F - B4F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Horologium 1F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Horologium B1F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010 *Highest Rated*
• Sector Horologium B2F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Horologium B3F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Horologium B4F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Horologium B5F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010
• Sector Horologium B6F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010 *Highest Rated*
• Sector Horologium B7F - B8F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010 *Highest Rated*
• Sector Horologium B9F Dungeon Map by  zelos71 DS 2010

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.

In the near future, an unexplained phenomenon manifests in the South Pole.

The Earth is now home to over 7 billion people, pollution has eroded what's left of the ecosystem, the disparity between rich and poor has never been wider, and as a result, mankind suffers from environmental catastrophes, geopolitical conflict, wars, chaos and disorder.

All of this destruction manifests itself as the Schwarzwelt - a subspace anomaly that suddenly appears in the South Pole and begins rapidly growing in size, obliterating all that it touches. In response to this new and mysterious threat, the United Nations create a secret elite team tasked with making sense of and handling a situation beyond human understanding. Humanity's last hope, the "Schwarzwelt Investigation Team," couldn’t have imagined what was waiting for them. In order to prevent the extinction of humanity, the Investigation Team must risk their lives and press on into the danger of the unknown. They discover what some would call "Angels" and "Demons", creatures only heard of in myths. Are they friend or foe?

During their investigation, a mysterious girl appears in front of you, wearing unfamiliar equipment who travels the Land of Ruin by herself, then she suddenly becomes hostile. What is her objective? Ultimately, your choices and decisions will affect the fate of humanity.

Shin Megami Tensei® Strange Journey Redux Nintendo 3DS™ Release Date: 05.15.2018 (NA) Release Date: 05.18.2018 (EU) Genre: RPG Players: 1 ESRB: Mature

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux - Changes and additions in the re-release

Next week, another Atlus re-release lands on Nintendo 3DS with  Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux getting the do-over treatment this time around. As is now commonplace with Atlus, this port is an enhanced re-release which features both new content and other tweaks not present in the original 2010 game. Additionally, much like with Radiant Historia earlier in the year, this is also the first time Strange Journey will see an official release in Europe thanks to the publishing team at Deep Silver.

I've had some time with the game ahead of launch, and I wanted to break down what additions and changes you can expect in the new version:

Alex & The Womb of Grief

In terms of 'new content' in Strange Journey Redux , it all revolves around a new character Alex and a new dungeon area called the 'Womb of Grief'.  

While playing through the main storyline, you'll inevitably encounter Alex as she tries to murder the protagonist. At this point in the game, a new dungeon is unlocked for exploration, accessed independently from the game's original dungeon areas. Additional floors of the Womb of Grief periodically become available as you progress through the main game.

These new floors offer a slight bump in challenge from the original dungeon mazes, both in enemy strength and dungeon design. Progressing through the Womb of Grief will not only shed more light on Alex and her goals, but will also reward the player with some new demons and new Sub-Apps not found in the original release. 

The Womb of Grief also holds a handful of new Ex Mission side quests. Many of these are 'challenge battles', which place a limitation on the player as you are tasked to defeat a certain enemy group.

Three New Endings

The original Strange Journey had three separate ending you could see, depending on the player's alignment before a key moment near the end of the game. These endings are still available in Strange Journey Redux , but three new endings can also be seen if the player finishes the Womb of Grief.

Without getting into spoiler details, these new endings are still aligned the same way as before, but now you can ultimately choose between the old or new version of the ending of your final alignment - as long as you have completed the Womb of Grief. That means there are six endings in total to see.

New Sub-Apps and Commander Skills

App mechanics have been in several recent SMT titles such as Shin Megami Tensei IV and Apocalypse . Sub-Apps offer a variety of bonuses to the player such as HP regeneration or lowering the encounter rate. In the original release of Strange Journey , the player had a limit on the number of Sub-Apps that could be equipped at any one time.

This limitation is removed in Strange Journey Redux , and now you can simultaneously equip as many Sub-Apps as you'd like  (with the exception of Apps that do opposite effects, such as raising or lowering enemy encounter rate). Additionally, Sub-Apps can be equipped or unequipped anywhere on the field, whereas this had to be done at Terminal locations in the original release.

There are several new Sub-Apps with new bonuses, many of which are obtained through the new Womb of Grief dungeon. One such new Sub-App is 'March to Death', which prevents the Game Over screen when the Main Character is KOed, as long as one demon in the battle party is still alive. Several other new Sub-Apps improve the versatility of the game's Demon Co-op mechanics. There is also a Sub-App that prevents encounters with low-level enemies, and another Sub-App that shows you where teleporters will take you.

Commander Skills

Some of the new Sub-Apps unlock a new mechanic known as Commander Skills. These are battle abilities that the protagonist character can use in combat, with various effects. One such commander skill is 'Assailment', which increases the attack potency of the rest of the team for one turn. There are also some Auto Commander Skills that activate randomly during any given turn. One such Auto Commander Skill is 'Blitzkrieg', which allows the full player party to attack before the enemy party.

Presentation

As expected in re-releasing on 3DS, the game has a noticeable jump in visual design, especially when it comes to the game's user interface. While the character designs were originally drawn by Kazuma Kaneko, these have been slightly updated by Masayuki Doi, who also designed the newcomer Alex. Character portraits are also a little more animated, featuring various facial expressions during dialogue.

A handful of event scenes have been added to key story moments in the game. These aren't fully animated cutscenes, but rather still art with some dynamic effects.

Dialogue is also fully voiced this time around with Japanese voiceovers. A handful of new musical tracks are also found in the re-release, mostly centering around the new content.

Finally, the game has a new animated opening for the re-release. Note, while this is the opening to the game, it does in fact contain some spoilers. The opening is also subtitled in the English release.

Other Changes

Several other changes are also made to the game's numerous systems. Note that some of these changes are significant and others are fairly minor mechanical tweaks.

• The original Strange Journey only held two total save slots on the DS cart, and saves could only be made either at the home-base Command Room or various Terminals scattered among the game maps. Strange Journey Redux has 20 normal save slots in addition to a single field save slot that allows you to save anywhere on any map.
• Three different difficulty options can be selected this time around and can be changed at any time during the playthrough. A fourth 'Impossible' difficulty is available on a second playthrough, which cannot be changed once selected. The original Strange Journey did not have an option to change the default difficulty.
• More demons can be held by the player at one time. By the end of the game, you can hold 18 total demons compared to 12 in the original release.
• When fusing a new demon using a Demon Source, the player can directly choose which skills are transferred to the fused demon.
• When a demon wants to change one of its skills, you can now see what skill it will change to before deciding to allow the skill mutation. 
• When performing a Special Fusion, component demons can be directly added from the Demon Compendium (rather than having all demons in present in the current party).
• ~30* new demons, obtained via the new content. [Note*: Some of the 'new' demons were available in the original release through in-game password only].
• Now sub apps, player level, and map progress can be carried over into new game plus, which was not the case in the original.
• A demon can be changed in the battle party during combat in one turn instead of two.
• When retreating from battle, a chance of success is given as a percentage.
• You can heal your party at the home base for free, rather than at a macca cost.
• The thumb-pad can be set to either move the player or slide the lower screen map via the config menu.
• You can browse maps of other floors, rather than just the one you are currently on.
• Battle animations can be set to Default speed, Double speed, or Skipped entirely.
• You can 'dash' in the dungeon in the forward direction.
• You can set a toggle to have a final check before starting the selected battle actions.
• You can set a toggle to have doors automatically open with a forward movement, rather than having to press A.
• If there is an open slot in the four-person battle party when a demon is recruited, they will automatically join the battle party rather than going directly to the reserve.
• When a demon in your stock reaches Analysis Level 3, they will offer their Demon Source in the same battle, rather than at the next level-up.
• If a demon's weakness is found before Analysis Level 2, it will be remembered in the Demonica's memory (in the original release you had to get the Analysis Level to 2 to see weaknesses at all.)
• A handful of text/localization tweaks throughout.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux releases on May 15 in North America and May 18 in Europe for Nintendo 3DS.

Hardest Nintendo 3DS Games

• Monster Hunter Generations' complex mechanics demand quick adaptation to take on powerful beasts efficiently.
• Shin Megami Tensei series games require strategic demon management and skill utilization to survive intense battles.
• Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest's map design and enemy types pose a brutal challenge for hardcore fans of the franchise.

Nintendo might be most well-known for putting out systems that appeal to a more casual audience, but considering just how many developers are eager to make games for these consoles, it's inevitable that there would be at least a few games that end up being much harder in their overall difficulty. The 3DS is a prime example of this, having a plethora of titles that many people consider to be pretty challenging, and in some cases, downright unforgiving in how they play.

Final Fantasy: Hardest Games, Ranked By Difficulty (& How Long They Take To Beat)

Though some of these games are very big names, some are a little more obscure and niche that really should be spoken about a lot more, considering how satisfying it can be to finally beat them.

Monster Hunter Generations

Gamefaqs difficulty rating: 3.65.

Platform(s) Nintendo 3DS

Released July 15, 2016

Developer(s) Capcom

Genre(s) Action RPG

Admittedly, Monster Hunter Generation 's difficulty isn't too dissimilar from previous entries in the series. Still, as anyone who has any amount of experience with the series will know all too well, these games are well known for becoming incredibly difficult as they go along . The reason for this is that it plays into the whole gameplay loop of upgrading and acquiring new gear to then hunt down a brand new powerful beast, but Generations doesn't pull any punches with its monsters, especially later down the line once the Deviants and Elder Dragons start showing up.

It's also without a doubt one of the more "complex" Monster Hunter games, in the sense that it throws a lot of mechanics and systems the player's way all in the first few hours. As a result, learning to utilize Hunting Styles, Hunting Arts, and Signature Moves during a battle can take a lot of getting used to, but it's also important to learn them all as quickly as possible since they're all essential tools that are necessary for dealing with the game's most dangerous enemies.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked

Gamefaqs difficulty rating: 3.72.

• Platform: Nintendo 3DS
• Released: August 23, 2011
• Developer: Atlus, Career Soft

While seasoned Shin Megami Tensei fans will at least know what they're jumping into when booting up Devil Survivor Overclocked , it can be an outright merciless experience for newcomers, especially considering that it doesn't do the best job at actually explaining all of its complex systems to the player. To keep up with the enemies, who only get stronger and more intimidating as the game goes along, players will need to be constantly cracking new skills to use in battle, alongside keeping their demons at high levels so that they aren't one-shot at the beginning of a fight, which is a very common occurrence.

7 Hardest Tomb Raider Games, Ranked

Speaking of the demons, these devilish little creatures essentially act as supporting units for the human characters, but because the player will have to control up to four entire teams of demons at one time, it means that using them all effectively is far from easy. Additionally, the staggering amount of passive and active abilities that each character has can also be difficult to know how to use, especially in those first few hours when everything is still new.

Shin Megami Tensei 4

Gamefaqs difficulty rating: 3.81, shin megami tensei iv.

Platform(s) 3DS

Released July 16, 2013

Developer(s) Atlus

Genre(s) JRPG

As if Devil Survivor Overclocked wasn't already challenging enough, Atlus decided to double down with Shin Megami Tensei 4 , resulting in what many consider to be the hardest mainline game in the series to date. A huge reason why the game can be so unforgiving is because of how unreliable the grinding is , with each battle only gifting players with tiny stat buffs and barely any EXP. As a result, players can't just grow their party to become absurdly overpowered, but instead, are encouraged to use clever strategies and demonic powers to overcome the enemy.

When talking about Shin Megami Tensei 4 , it's also very important to bring up the critical hits, which can be incredibly frustrating to deal with, especially because if an enemy manages to land just one of them, they can instantly wipe out the entire party in a mere few seconds. Buffs and debuffs also play an incredibly important role in the battle system, so forgetting to use them can quickly lead to a Game Over screen for most of the tougher battles later in the game.

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D

Gamefaqs difficulty rating: 3.85.

Released May 24, 2013

Developer(s) Monster Games

Genre(s) Platformer

Despite the 3DS version of Donkey Kong Country Returns having its difficulty purposefully dialed down from the Wii port, it still manages to be one of the most arduous entries in its series, which is certainly saying something given its reputation. Of course, punishing platforming sections and relentless enemy types are expected from a Donkey Kong game, but the timing window for Donkey Kong's movements is so precise that it can make super jumping and dodging extremely difficult to pull off, let alone master.

Aside from the base levels, which already pose a pretty considerable challenge on their own, there are also the K levels, which are considered so difficult that only the most experienced platforming fans will be able to take them on without ripping their hair out in the process. Ultimately, a lot of longtime Donkey Kong fans appreciated this return to form as a nice breath of fresh air from the more accessible platformers that were being released at the time .

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

Platform(s) Nintendo DS, 3DS

Released May 15, 2018

Developer(s) Lancarse, Atlus

Because Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey was a cooperative product between Atlus and Lancarse, it feels quite different in tone and atmosphere to the other SMT games, but it does still carry over many of the core gameplay mechanics, and the series' brutal difficulty too. Just like previous entries, a big part of the game revolves around recruiting demons who can then be used in battle, but acquiring them is much harder this time around because of the alignment system, which allows demons to turn down the player's request if they don't align with them on a moral basis.

6 Hardest Persona Games, Ranked

Additionally, while demons are immensely powerful assets during an intense fight, it's not always guaranteed that they'll remain loyal to the player, since it can be easy for them to refuse certain commands, or even go against the player, depending on certain actions made throughout the story . This adds a lot of unpredictability to the gameplay, which makes it more or less impossible to rely on a dependable playstyle, so luck does play a very big part in judging whether a battle will go according to plan, or if it will result in a Game Over screen.

Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest

Fire emblem fates.

Released February 19, 2016

Developer(s) Intelligent Systems

Genre(s) Tactical, RPG

When the Fire Emblem Fates set of games was first announced, Conquest was pitched as being the hardest of the three, and the game that hardcore Fire Emblem fans would get the most enjoyment out of. It's fair to say that Intelligent Systems certainly wasn't lying when they said this, with Conquest being just as, if not more brutal than the classic games due to its merciless map design and lethal enemy types.

Though the game has some amazing maps that are packed full of detail, many of them are also specifically designed to work against the player most of the time, with there always being ambush spots where enemies can pop up, along with plenty of small environmental hazards that can inflict debuffs on any units standing near them. Many of the enemies are also designed to dish out an absurd amount of damage, often through the use of Dual Strikes, which can pretty much kill a character outright if both attacks land, and if permadeath is on , it means that character will be gone for the rest of a playthrough. In fact, Fire Emblem: Conquest reignited the age-old discussion about whether difficulty makes a game more fun, which hasn't been discussed with Fire Emblem in mind ever since Sacred Stones for the GBA.

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 4.11

• Released: December 29, 2011
• Developer: Terry Cavanagh

On the surface, VVVVVV can seem like any other retro 2D platformer title , but in reality, it's a very tough experience that, while not impossible, is still extremely difficult to play through from start to finish. Players aren't able to jump in VVVVVV , but instead, they can reverse the direction of gravity to cling to specific surfaces. Because of the way the levels are designed, it means that most of the platforms are right next to a layer of spikes or a patrolling enemy, so players need to be extra sure that flipping surfaces won't just lead to them dying.

There may only be eight main levels in the game to run through, but because of how large and expansive each of them is, it's all too easy to get completely lost when there can be upwards of 400 rooms in a given area at one time. Things only become more challenging once moving platforms and optical illusions also start being thrown into the mix. Combine this with a severe lack of checkpoints, and it results in VVVVVV being a very unique, but also incredibly hard 3DS, platformer to complete.

8 Hardest Hideo Kojima Games, Ranked

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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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After your payment has been processed, the content will be downloaded to the applicable system linked to your Nintendo Account, or your Nintendo Network ID in the case of Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family systems. This system must be updated to the latest system software and connected to the internet with automatic downloads enabled, and it must have enough storage to complete the download. Depending on the system/console/hardware model you own and your use of it, an additional storage device may be required to download software from Nintendo eShop. Please visit our Support section for more information.

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© ATLUS. © SEGA. All rights reserved. Sublicensed to and published by Deep Silver, a division of Koch Media, Austria. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Action, Adventure, Strategy, RPG

Deep Silver

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Nintendo 3DS Game Card

Nintendo 3DS (European version)

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