What RPG got me started in the genre? Why, it was a copy of an obscure title from Atlus called Persona 2: Eternal Punishment back at the start of college. It was so different from any other video game I played, and I enjoyed the combat system so much that it left me wanting more. After Persona 2, I was hooked and got into playing Revelations: Persona (the first in the series) and later the Shin Megami Tensei series. So if you\'re like me you\'ll be thrilled to hear that Atlus is localizing their two latest Megaten games for release in the United States.
Atlus has released a list of games they\'ll be unveiling for E3, and the first Megaten title on that list is the English version of Devil Summoner: Kuzunoha Raidou Tai Chouryoku Heidan (or Kuzunoha Raidou Versus the Super Army). Yes, that\'s a mouthful, but not uncommon for a game from the Shin Megami Tensei series to have an exceptionally long title.
DS: KR is the third title in the Devil Summoner side series and follows the adventures of Raidou, a detective who comes from a long line of devil summoners. He enlists the help of his demon allies to fight other demons off, plus they assist him with his detective work around town. It\'s sounds unusual, but he\'s going to need all the demonic help he can get, because his enemies pass between the real and demonic worlds, summoning demons to keep Raidou from completing his case and rescuing a young girl named Kaya Daidouji from her red-suited captors.
DS: KR will be unlike other SMT games in that action game elements will be incorporated into the battle system. As the player, you\'ll have to slice up and shoot your enemies, while your CPU-controlled demon partner helps you out with magic, support spells, and special physical attacks. Unlike other SMT titles, you won\'t be able to control the actions of your demon when you fight alongside them, but you will be able to tell them how to focus their energies. Your demon partners also assist out of battle as you move about 1920\'s Japan looking for clues. Their special talents include abilities such as flying to reach items or scan the area, sending electrical charges through the air to find hidden items, and reading the minds of difficult suspects on the street. Devil Summoner: Kuzunoha Raidou Tai Chouryoku Heidan is already out in Japan, and expected to be released here in the winter of 2006.
The second Megaten title to hit the States will be Persona 3, the fourth title in the Persona saga. (Some trivia for you: Persona 2 actually has two parts, hence Persona 3 being the fourth game.) Many fans never thought it would happen, but the series is back with a new cast of characters and a few returning faces, like Igor and popular summons like Jack Frost, Pixie, and Nekomata. You play as the hero, who has recently moved to the area. During the day, you\'ll live life like a normal student, going to classes, talking to friends, and participating in extra-curriculars. However, once the clock strikes midnight, Shadow Time begins, and it\'s time for the hero and his friends Junhei and Yukari to fight. They do this by summoning their Persona, which is \'another you inside of you\' that emerges when you\'re in trouble and casts spells to protect you from your enemies. It is this battle style that helps Persona stand apart from other RPGs. Unlike the other Persona games, your activities during the school day, known as Community, assist in your performance at night. Igor will also continue to man down the Velvet Room and help you summon more powerful Persona as the game progresses. Persona 3 will be released during the month of July in Japan. The time period for the US release is currently unknown.
You can view the
Persona 3 Famitsu trailer
here.
Both titles will be released for use on the Playstation 2.
If you\'re not already familiar with this series, be sure to track down the recently released Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne as well as Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga for a true taste of Megaten.